I am one! Sometimes more than full-time because I work a lot of hours occasionally. I also come home to a big (dirty) house and absolutely no help from my DH, two DDs who are either at work or school or sleeping, and four inside animals.
It's possible to do, just takes a lot of planning. I find that it works out well to spend Sunday afternoons cutting up vegetables into small ziplocks, boiling eggs, etc.
Let me just vent for a minute... I'm a new wife, a new mom, a new homeowner, and a new WW member. I love my job, but I hate the fact that I don't get to see my child’s milestones first hand. I feel like from the moment I wake up until the moment I go to sleep I am worrying about getting something done. I joined WW because I've gained a ridiculous amount of weight in 2 years. Can you say - Emotional Eater?? It doesn't help that my husband is a chef. I was all excited when we first met, I thought "Woohoo - A personal chef! I'll be like Oprah and get thin!" -- WRONG -- my husband's favorite saying is "butter is love". Anyway, enough of that rambling.
Does anyone have any suggestions as to how I can work in some exercise? I can only leave my desk for 10 minutes each day to get out for a walk. I've been trying to take my daughter out in the stroller after work, but she screams her head off. She just learned to crawl and HATES to be restrained now. I'm useless in the morning. I usually drop to my knees in exhaustion as soon as she goes to bed. I'm not trying to put this off, I'm just not sure how to find the energy and time to do more.
I don't know what to tell you -- when my kids (I also have a son who is 27 but of course doesn't still live at home) were little, I was very thin because I ran myself ragged 24 hours a day. There was no time to eat, so actually no time to gain weight! I guess it worked for me at the time!
In order to exercise though, and I was in Jazzercize for most of the years they were all small, I would have to schedule the time, just like I scheduled everything else. I just did it. My DH worked the midnight shift so I was pretty much a single mom. The Jazzercise place had childcare, as do most workout places (except for the Curves around here), so I used it.
If you can figure out some way to get in even the slightest bit of physical exercise every day, you'll soon have extra energy which will make you more efficient in everything else you do and the extra time will come as a bonus.
It DOES get better, I promise you. My girls are two years apart and my son is six years older. When they were little, like 2, 4 and 10, I felt like I would never get a minute to myself ever again. Every day was a struggle because during that time, I was also working an additional part-time job a few days a week. I'm just telling you all this to say that you WILL get thru it and it WILL get better. Just hang in there, and meanwhile keep looking for an extra five minutes here and there. Heck, if you have to do shoulder tenses and butt clinches in the car all the way to work, that's at least something!!
I don't know how it would work for your schedule, but I've found the best thing is to walk first thing in the morning. It's hard at first, but I think if you can do it, you'll find your mornings getting less "useless." If not, how about dropping her off or picking her up earlier or later, so that you can get out for half an hour or so.
Also, bring your husband in on it. It's way too easy for working moms to feel like you have to do everything. Work with him on when you can get time for yourself. Everyone in the family will be better off ifyou do.
I know how you feel about the milestones. Fortunately my job is flexible and I'm able to spend quite a lot of time with my kids, but I know that's not true for everyone.
I don't know why it has not occured to me to find a gym with evening daycare. I think that answer was so simple I overlooked it. I'm going to try the morning walk. I wish there was a Dunkin Donuts close enough that I could walk to for coffee. That would motivate me! I have my meeting tonight and just realized that I can walk to it from my house. I've scheduled that into my plans too. Thanks!
I feel your pain! I am a working mom of three (18, 13 and 6) and yes there are not enuf hours in the day for me.
I agree w/Kathy that pre-planning is a requirement and if I'm around on sunday afternoons/evening I will do some major cooking (like a big pot of soup, possibly a roast beef and/or roast chicken) so that we at least have something for a few days (and I will usually take dinner leftovers for lunch the next day and freeze a few portions of soup for other days).
I try to walk at lunchtime when I can (approx 30 min walk) or use my treadmill at home in the evenings. I do remember when kids were younger using the gym daycare as well! If your daughter does not like the stroller you can always try some exercise videos at home? She might enjoy watching you bounce around and join in (altho that too might make it impossible to exercise?) When is your dh home? Any chance of him watching her while you walk or exercise? (and yes I am completely jealous that your dh is a chef!)
As for missing the milestones I think that is a problem every working mother faces. I am in Canada where luckily we now have one year maternity leave for new moms - I can't imagine anything less! Hang in there as it does get better!
I fully understand where you are coming from. I work full time from 4p-12a. Hence that's where I am now. I have 3 son7, daughter6, and daughter 18months. I work the opposite schedule from my hubby so I have the baby all day long. After cleaning, laundry, & kids I have a hard time finding the energy to exercise. I am fortunate that my dd loves to go for walks and to shop. She cries to go bye bye....
Can you find a time of day when you have more energy and use that time for your exercise? I find as I get older I have to exercise or I would have a non exsistent metabolism. I try to get it done first thing in the am but I will tell you, the housework suffers a bit most of the time. Just not up to my standards, but I would rather take the time for a workout. I am still searching for a way to cook core foods (and shop for them). I often cook a non core meal for my family and I wind up with something different for myself. Luckily, I'm not too picky. My challenge right now is getting a file of recipes together and actually making the food.
Pnuts, did I recommend www.barbosdietkitchen.com to you? You have to change the parameters to the last 12 months and search for the word "Core". If you do you'll come up with 100's of Core recipes. I recommend you make the Smothered Barley Chicken. It makes enough for a family. I think kids would like it, and I think you'll still have enough for leftovers for lunch. You don't use your daily starch when you eat barley. If you think the kids/hubby won't like it then make it for yourself and freeze it into what you think will be an individual serving for you. It freezes and reheats great. I also make and freeze my Pizza Casserole recipe which is in our Recipe Board. I just made Core lasagna not too long ago. I just made the reheated from frozen and it held up to freezing great. I'll post this recipe later. I would think that anything you can make ahead and freeze would work out great. I'm just RECENTLY retired and still have a few tricks up my sleeve!
Thanks Vicki - I am home believe it or not, but I still find it hard to sit still and get my act together with a menu. I'm usually running out the door by 4:00 and that just ruins the dinner preparation. I used to do these big grocery outings once every two weeks or so and now I am doing just little trips a few times a week. I will check out the website, thanks. I recently discoverd barley, so that sounds good. I've starting printing out recipes I've gotten here and actually made a few!
Core Mom's that Work Full-Time?
I guess it worked for me at the time!
