I started posting here over the summer and went from 242 (what I weighed when I found 3fc) to 199 - and then I fell off the wagon. I gained back to 205 and have lost and gained a few pounds. I needed to come back because the last thing I want is to gain it all back!

I'm very frustrated at the moment because I don't know how to fit weight loss - specifically, my exercise routine - into my busy schedule. I did great over the summer, when I was a stay-at-home mom. Now I'm a busy full-time student and I just can't find the time to get a decent workout between homework, classes, my husband and kids, and my home.

Those of you who work full time and have kids, how do you do it? I really don't think I can get to my goal without exercise - and GOOD exercise, not just a half-hearted 20 minutes once or twice a week. I really, really want to get going again because I was doing so well. It feels like a lost cause if I can't find time to exercise and I don't know what to do. I do know that while I look a lot better and feel a lot better than I did, I could still do SO much better. I want to be at my goal by my next anniversary (next summer) and I think it's still possible if I figure out how to make this work.

I just keep telling myself, everyone falls off at some point. The important thing is not to give up and at least I stopped myself before gaining back even 10 pounds. I just need to get back in the groove, and find time somehow to get decent exercise.

I don't really know what the point of this thread is - I just needed to post, and get myself back in the habit of being accountable and get back to losing weight, so here's a thread about that.

Gray eyes! It's good to see you back after your little MIA sabbatical.

It sounds like you're still doing okay - at least you haven't gone back to point zero. So you must still be eating right if nothing else. My opinion on exercise is a little iconoclastic: I'm not convinced it really makes a huge difference to weight loss. Don't get me wrong: exercise will make you more fit, improve your immune system, cheer you up, and above all, give you something other than eating to do. I've always felt that at least while I was exercising I wasn't eating, which is a big plus... Can you fit in some walking, and maybe some stairs? "Incidental" exercise, as I call it, burns jsut as many calories as gym time, and is relatively painless.

It's great to see you back. Now don't go away again, you hear!

It's good to see you back

I agree that "incidental" exercise is probably a good tool that you could use. Try to take some of the pressure off yourself by thinking of what you realistically CAN do, vs. what you can't. Even though you were an exercising machine last summer, you're probably just not going to be able to go back to that as much now that you're busier.

What you can do is take a look at your schedule and see what you could accomplish even on your busiest weeks. So, instead of full hour workouts 3-4 times a week, can you do 2 15 min workouts every day between obligations? I'm not sure of your fitness level, but I sometimes do this with weight training if I'm going to be super busy that day. I have to focus more to get the same intensity, but it works. Splitting it up makes it more likely that I'll do it, and I still get more benefits than if I skipped it altogether. Like flylady says, you can do anything for 15 minutes! The key is to not set your expectations too high, because then these things become easy to put off. You can always work your way up when you have time, but start with baby steps.

I'm right there with you on the exercise thing. I am a full time student and a single mom (no hubby to take care of, but being a single mom is a lot of work), and I have been having issues finding the time to exercise for quite a while now. I just started reading a lot of info on exercise, and what makes people stay on, or fall off the wagon. From numerous studies it seems that the best way to go about it is:

Weight train full body 2 days per week (1 set 8-12 reps) with enough weight to cause muscle failure (if you were to do just 1 more rep) 2 days a week gives ample time for muscle recovery, as well as being easier to stick to, since it is only 2 days out of the week.

Cardio 3-4 days per week. 20-30 minutes of intense interval training (warm up, walk, jog, run, sprint, walk, sprint, walk, sprint, cool down). Studies show that this is the most effective and time efficient way of getting your cardio in, and it's easier to schedule 20 minutes in, rather than an hour. Just don't do cardio and strength training on the same day, if it can be avoided.

Good luck. *Now if only I could just follow my own advice*

Thanks, everyone. I now have added incentive to get all this weight off because my thin gorgeous friend is getting married next year and I want to look decent at the wedding. I don't want to be "the fat one" this time!

Amanda, thanks for that list of what works best. That's what I was doing over the summer, basically. I have nowhere near that amount of time, but I decided today that I need to get 4 hours of exercise a week. One way or another, I just have to - I know that's not as much as is recommended but it's more than I'm doing now and some is better than none. I did 45 minutes today and feel great.

Slowly climbing back up on that wagon!

It's darned good advice, too..

I am a stay at home mom now but I did have a full time career not so long ago. I have three children. My oldest sone is 7 and we have 4 (soon to be 5) year old twins. So, believe me, I understand your time crunch.

I agree that incidental exercise is crucial. It may not get your heart rate up enough to have much cardiovascular benefit but it doesn burn calories which is what really matters if weight loss is your goal. Besides the traditional steps of taking the stairs and parking in the back of the lot, etc. I also do a few jumping jacks while the coffee brews in the morning. Or jog in place while I'm waiting on the kids to brush their teeth. If you are studying a lot get up and pace every now an then. Besides burning a few extra calories it will help keep you focused.

Also, I've been getting up at 4:30 so that I can get to the gym by 5:00. I get in at least 45 minutes of cardio and 15 minutes of weights. I make it home by 6:15 and have plenty of time to get the kids fed, dressed, and off to school. Now, I AM NOT a morning person so this was a difficult transition for me. I forced myself to do this every weekday for about a month. It took about that long for me to really adjust to the routine and then I cut back a bit and only did my early morning workouts a few times a week. The funny thing is that I didn't enjoy my mid-day or nighttime workouts nearly as much so I'm back to working out first thing in the morning exclusively again. I still have to MAKE myself get out of bed sometimes but I am able to give my full attention to other things for the rest of the day. If I don't go in the morning I spend a lot of stressful thought to, "when am I going to get my workout in?" As hard as it is to roll out of bed sometimes it sure is nice to have one less thing to worry about the rest of the day. And, contrary to what I would have expected, I am not tired during the day or overly exhausted at night from having gotten up so early.

Now with all of that said, I'm a little like Carla. I understand the power of exercise but I do believe it is possible to lose weight with very little of it. I exercise more for the cardiovascular and psychological benefits. Weights obviously make a physical difference but I do them more for healthy bones and that "high" of feeling strong. Plus, I think I see myself more realistically when I am exercising. If I go a few days without a workout I look and feel fat despite there being no change in my weight or in the fit of my clothes.

I am a SAHM, not working outside of the home, but I do homeschool my 3 children, so there is no time during the day to workout. Plus, since they are younger, it is not exactly feasible anyway. Like jawsmom, I am NOT a morning person, but I now get up at 5:30 to get in my exercise before the kids wake up. I have a weight set at home and currently do my cardio outside -- biking or walking (will do urban rebounder come winter) so I don't have to go anywhere. DH is home for kids waking up and gets breakfast ready.

While I do think incidental exercise can be great, it gets easy for me to cheat on how much it adds up. I might overestimate, for example, the benefits of that very slow walk to the park with the kids. SO, for me, I need a set routine to count on.

Once thing I did do for my set reoutine a while ago was to put on music 1/2 hour a day and dance with my kids. This was good exercise as I always ended up picking them up, twirling them around, etc. Could you do this?

It is so hard to fit in exercise with kids, but so worth it. I found myself chasing my kids around the park this weekend and was surprised at how easily I could actually do it!