I've been doing pretty well with my eating this last week (a few slip-ups, but not bad at all-- I had 2 dove chocolates today ) .....


my problem is exercising.

Here is my day:
I get up (normally around 6ish)
I'm with my daughter all day -- she is 18 months, so there isn't much exercise-inducing play yet
when she goes down for her nap, I have a data entry job I do from home that I have to work on
then my daughter and I have to meet my husband at my other job where I stay until late at night, and I normally don't get in bed before 1am.



I take walks with my daughter most mornings, and sometimes I can fit a run/walk in on the treadmill at work, but I can't always do that. Sacrificing sleep is a hard one, too because I already don't really get enough as it is...


I know I need to find the time and just make myself do it. I always feel SO much better when I work out like I should...WHY is it so hard to make myself do it?!

i think that instead of working out just to lose weight, if you could find an exercise that you enjoy, it will make it easier to work out. i know i am biased because i <3 running, but it could be something like dancing or swimming or zumba...

I'm also a mama (I have a 2.5 year old and a 9 month old). We go to the Y so that I can work out for 60-90 minutes a day while they play in their classroom. I feel like it benefits us in two ways... I get some "me" time while working out and they get to socialize and be in a classroom setting (since neither are in daycare or preschool). Do you have a Y in your area that you could join?

If I didn't have access to a gym, I would just be doing workout dvds at home. My toddler loves to dance around with me.

I could never do exercsie DVDs with small kiddos, b/c we were all over the place and it was a hot mess! LOL

BUt every little bit of exertion counts. Carry your daughter on a walk, even partway. Throw her gently up in the air or do the "airplane" with her on your feet when you are laying down.

Ditto about trying to find a Y or someplace where you can exercise without kids, as well.

But it is also about being realistic with your personal time constraints and realizing that you CAN still workout and lose weight, but it may not be as super-quick as people whose schedules are more open. Fair? Not really. But it is true. That is why we shouldn't ever compare our weight loss or amount of workouts to others, b/c so much of it has to do with our lifestyle differences!

thanks everybody There isn't a Y anywhere close by (the closest one is about 30 minutes or so away), but there is a new Rec center right up the road... the only issue is: there is a reason I have 2 jobs outside the home on top of being a stay-at-home mom during the day and taking care of a house/meals... the finances just won't allow it.

I do have several videos, and when I can get her to take a good nap, I'm just going to workout for a while before I sit down to do some work...I have no real time deadlines to get the work done, so instead of getting the data entry done in 1 day, I may just have to take 2. I also don't have it every single day, so that will free up time, too. I also never realized how much energy it takes to really SCRUB a floor. I mean, I worked up a good sweat really scrubbing. I've also taken to dancing around with my daughter We may look silly, but we're having fun and I'm spending calories...and every calorie spent is STILL better than sitting on the couch!

I hate working out, so I just don't do it. And by "working out" I mean any kind of deliberate exercise. Moving my body just for the sake of moving my body. Going to the gym, work out DVD's, even going for a jog. It's boring, miserable, and I can't stick with it. I DO like moving and being active with a purpose. I love going on walks, I like bike riding, hiking, spending four hours walking around downtown or at the mall, doing outdoor work, etc. One of my new activities is going to the dog and cat shelter on weekends to walk dogs and help out. After a whole afternoon of carrying bags of dog food, walking dogs for miles, vigorously cleaning everything in sight, etc...I feel quite well exercised. I may not be getting the ripped body like I'd get if I was going to the gym everyday, and I'm probably not even burning as many calories. But it's something I enjoy, it's so much better than sitting on the couch, and it keeps me moving.

you make a very good point. The main reason I stop working out is because I get bored. Now, if I could only find something I really enjoyed doing that kept me moving....

That's my deal, I really just can't get myself to stick with it. When I was in the losing process, I worked out religiously for about two months. Six days a week, I was at the gym every morning at 5am. I put in at least an hour everyday of hard work. I followed plans...high intensity interval training, weight lifting, long distance cardio, etc. Just hated every moment of it. I had my motivation and dedication to carry me through, but I realized it just wasn't worth it for me.

But like I said, I do enjoy activity and movement and exercise, just not "working out."