Please help me find the time!
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Sorry you are facing such a tough situation. Parenting is hard and things never seem to go smoothly/as planned. A schedule for the time you are home is what I've found most helpful. That combined with doing as much prep (meals, clothes, etc) ahead of time can help. Here are some things I do to make life easier that save a few minutes each day and when added up could free up an hour or two to squeeze in work outs.
Plan ahead meals- just having a plan on what you will cook for dinner helps reduce stress and time rather than trying to decide while baby is fussy and you are tired. I like to use the cheap/disposable casserole pans and put the ingredients and recipe for each meal in one ahead of time. That way it's all ready to go and I can just grab the pan and get started. I haven't mastered cooking on the weekends for the week but I hear that helps. I also keep quick meals on hand for nights I am to busy/stressed/tired to cook such as the frozen skillet bags, pizzas, nacho/taco ingredients (pre-made shredded chicken & toppings), etc. It may not be as healthy and low cal as some homemade meals but is probably better than takeout.
In the evening I get my lunch ready for work the next day and decide what will be for breakfast. For example if I am making a protein shake I get the blender out and put the protein powder near it so it's ready to go. If the kids are having granola bars for breakfast I get them out and put them on the table.
Have the older kids help when possible- my oldest is 6 and she can get her back pack ready, clear the table and get sippy cups & snacks for her younger sister if I am occupied doing something else.
Plan ahead clothes for the week-On Sunday I pick out clothes for the week for me and the kids.
Putting backpacks, stuff you need to take in the car with you in the night before can help too. Or at least put it by the door so you aren't searching for stuff in the morning.
Multi task when possible- things I've done
return emails from your phone while nursing/rocking baby to sleep
clean the bathroom (wipe things down & sweep) while kids are in the bath
Make a daily cleaning list of things you can do in 30 minutes or less and do a little housework each day rather than trying to do a big cleaning on the weekend. Here's an example:
http://www.realsimple.com/home-organizing/cleaning/daily-cleaning-checklist
Experiment until you find what works. I used to give my girls separate baths then try to put my girls to bed at the same time and I would end up a stressed out mess because both wanted my attention and it would take over an hour for them to go to sleep. Now they take a bath together which they love, then the oldest either plays quietly or gets to watch a little TV while I get the baby to sleep. Once baby is asleep the oldest and I have story time together and then she goes to bed. Both fall asleep in 10-15 minutes now and it's much more pleasant.
As far as working out try to find things to do together or do it when they are sleeping. You can go for walks after dinner, turn on music and dance and play, play soccer or baseball in the yard, etc. Work out videos online (Youtube) can be time savers too.
Take advantage of the childcare you do have. My oldest has after school care until 6:30 pm and the youngest goes to a daycare that is open until 6:30 also. I used to leave work at 5 then pick them up right away and try to cook and do everything while they were running around me in the kitchen trying to show me stuff from school or ask for snacks. Now I run home first (both daycare and school are close to home), change clothes, start dinner, and do a quick 15 minute clean up before picking up the kids. Now when they get home dinner is ready and they have my full attention.
Last don't wear yourself out. If dishes go undone one day or you give the kids McDonald's because you're too tired it's okay.0 -
My husband used to do all sorts of body weight exercises with CJ (who is now 6). Baby curls, baby overhead press, baby leg curls, baby bench press, get creative with it. And as he gets bigger, you will get stronger. My little man would absolutely squeal with delight! And as he got older, their exercises changed. Now, at age 6, he can easily hike 5+ miles, and got mad when we did not take him on our last obstacle course race (9 miles is a bit much...). When they are wee, creativity will be your best friend.
ETA: get the app You Are Your Own Gym. Its free and all body weight stuff. Start there.0 -
Ugh. This thread. All this baby talk. I'm starting to ache for one.0
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arditarose wrote: »Ugh. This thread. All this baby talk. I'm starting to ache for one.
Let me help...they cry A LOT, they poop A LOT...teenage years...you will never have money ever again...or UNINTERRUPTED quality naked time with the spouse...
LOL :flowerforyou:
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redheaddee wrote: »arditarose wrote: »Ugh. This thread. All this baby talk. I'm starting to ache for one.
Let me help...they cry A LOT, they poop A LOT...teenage years...you will never have money ever again...or UNINTERRUPTED quality naked time with the spouse...
LOL :flowerforyou:
Damn. That worked. Thanks.0 -
Great advice from mommyrunning, above! Take some tips from her.
Also, not to sound harsh, but if you have the time to type out a message on a message board and you have weekends "free", there is something else holding you back besides lack of time.
Your babies are only babies for a short time. I just did the bare minimum when my kids were younger. Yes, I was a bit heavier, not nearly as much muscle tone, and my diet wasn't super. Now, all of them are grown and on their own (with kids of their own) and I have all the time in the world! Life is about constant changes. Start incorporating healthy habits (small ones) into your day, mainly dietary, so that you can pass that along to your children.0 -
HAHA! I wish! My 18 yr old is a great cook but she recently moved in with her grandparents to help them out at home (bless her heart for doing that and putting up with my Mother on a daily basis) and my 16 yr old does not know how to cook AT ALL. She looked up a youtube video on how to make scrambled eggs. So she can make breakfast. I really need to teach her how to cook...she's not like her sister who was more willing to learn cooking at an earlier age.
Then it's time she learns. If she learns good cooking habits now, it will mean she's more likely to eat healthier when she's out on her own. Have her start cooking with you for now. As in, you have do some prep and teach her how to do things. Then let her pick one meal a week to plan and make. You'll need to help at first, but once she gets the hang of it, she'll do fine. That's what my mom did for all of us, and while I'm not the best cook in the world, I at least know how to do things so I can follow a new recipe!0 -
HAHA! I wish! My 18 yr old is a great cook but she recently moved in with her grandparents to help them out at home (bless her heart for doing that and putting up with my Mother on a daily basis) and my 16 yr old does not know how to cook AT ALL. She looked up a youtube video on how to make scrambled eggs. So she can make breakfast. I really need to teach her how to cook...she's not like her sister who was more willing to learn cooking at an earlier age.
Then it's time she learns. If she learns good cooking habits now, it will mean she's more likely to eat healthier when she's out on her own. Have her start cooking with you for now. As in, you have do some prep and teach her how to do things. Then let her pick one meal a week to plan and make. You'll need to help at first, but once she gets the hang of it, she'll do fine. That's what my mom did for all of us, and while I'm not the best cook in the world, I at least know how to do things so I can follow a new recipe!
Yes, exactly! You don't want your daughters struggling with healthy eating issues, too, right? Now is the time to learn together.0 -
redheaddee wrote: »arditarose wrote: »Ugh. This thread. All this baby talk. I'm starting to ache for one.
Let me help...they cry A LOT, they poop A LOT...teenage years...you will never have money ever again...or UNINTERRUPTED quality naked time with the spouse...
LOL :flowerforyou:
All of this ^^ LOL
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skippygirlsmom wrote: »redheaddee wrote: »arditarose wrote: »Ugh. This thread. All this baby talk. I'm starting to ache for one.
Let me help...they cry A LOT, they poop A LOT...teenage years...you will never have money ever again...or UNINTERRUPTED quality naked time with the spouse...
LOL :flowerforyou:
All of this ^^ LOL
I'm mostly concerned with quality naked time. I'll give it a few years. I'm not getting any younger though.0 -
Awesome, awesome advice...thank you all SO MUCH!! And P.S. the joy of having children is SO worth the time and money you spend on them. I LOVE buying my son cute outfits and cuddling with him every night and planning fun vacations with my daughters! Example: I am taking my daughters to Las Vegas over the Thanksgiving holiday next week and baby is going with his Dad...when I take the girls on vacations we have so much fun together...just shopping, talking about girly stuff....these memories can't be bought. What you get back from having children is so emotionally fulfilling I can't explain.
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Such great support from you all....I am feeling really motivated and hopeful right now. I will remember this thread and come back to it when I am feeling like life is beating me down, I am dead tired and wanting to give up on my weight loss journey. I will remember this when I am feeling lazy and wanting to get take out instead of cooking a healthy meal instead. Thank you so so much.0
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Just be glad you didn't start a clean eating thread
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Sit down on your day off and make a list of your recipes and meals for a week.
Google crockpot recipes and whatever your other food ideas you are interested in.
Get up 30 minutes earlier and do a 30 minute workout with weights or resistance bands.
Walk on your lunch breaks.0 -
AgentOrangeJuice wrote: »Just be glad you didn't start a clean eating thread
For reals.0 -
Do I dare ask why? lol
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I lived what you are doing now. Give yourself some slack. If you rearrange your lifestyle look it as a way to increase your vitality, energy. The planned meals is a great start. If you have time to read at all, you might like this book:
http://www.amazon.com/Find-More-Time-Things-Organize/dp/0767922026/ref=la_B001H6KR2M_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1416245465&sr=1-30 -
Find More Time: How to Get Things Done at Home, Organize Your Life, and Feel Great About It by Laura Stack0
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OHH you mean the ones about "what should I eat or not eat"? heehee I find that irrelevant because it really does boil down to calories, regardless of where they are coming from. I only want to eat healthy for HEALTH and I feel better physically when I am cutting down on junk0
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OHH you mean the ones about "what should I eat or not eat"? heehee I find that irrelevant because it really does boil down to calories, regardless of where they are coming from. I only want to eat healthy for HEALTH and I feel better physically when I am not eating processed crap.
No
http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10022290/clean-eating#latest0 -
Where's your husband / baby daddy in all of this ?0
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fitnessblender.com. At home workouts, they give you calories burned, great times.0
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Teach your daughter how to cook. The time invested will pay for itself. When I was 16, I not only helped my single mom by cooking and cleaning, I also had a part-time job and was an honor roll student.
Now that you've enlisted some help, spend your Saturday, buying, prepping and cooking your meals for the next week. I always made a pot of soup or chili and then would have that for my lunches. I also made salad ahead of time and pre-portioned it out to take with the soup. Fruit, cheese, boiled eggs, yogurt. I rarely bought lunch out and I saved a ton of money.
A tip for the salads that is wonderful if you have a foodsaver vacuum system, check out
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Gax7O9_ZIc#t=10. I've had salad last well over a week.
good luck!
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arditarose wrote: »OHH you mean the ones about "what should I eat or not eat"? heehee I find that irrelevant because it really does boil down to calories, regardless of where they are coming from. I only want to eat healthy for HEALTH and I feel better physically when I am not eating processed crap.
No
http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10022290/clean-eating#latest
LOL
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arditarose wrote: »skippygirlsmom wrote: »redheaddee wrote: »arditarose wrote: »Ugh. This thread. All this baby talk. I'm starting to ache for one.
Let me help...they cry A LOT, they poop A LOT...teenage years...you will never have money ever again...or UNINTERRUPTED quality naked time with the spouse...
LOL :flowerforyou:
All of this ^^ LOL
I'm mostly concerned with quality naked time. I'll give it a few years. I'm not getting any younger though.
tick tock.
tick tock.
tick tock.
!!!
lol.0 -
arditarose wrote: »skippygirlsmom wrote: »redheaddee wrote: »arditarose wrote: »Ugh. This thread. All this baby talk. I'm starting to ache for one.
Let me help...they cry A LOT, they poop A LOT...teenage years...you will never have money ever again...or UNINTERRUPTED quality naked time with the spouse...
LOL :flowerforyou:
All of this ^^ LOL
I'm mostly concerned with quality naked time. I'll give it a few years. I'm not getting any younger though.
tick tock.
tick tock.
tick tock.
!!!
lol.
Ahh you're not helping.0 -
You've gotten some great advice already. I'll Nth the advice to plan meals ahead, and to make leftovers that you can take for lunch. Many of my meals involve making a big batch of something (chili con carne tonight): 1/4 gets eaten for dinner, 1/4 gets saved for 3-4 days later, 1/4 goes into lunch, and 1/4 gets frozen for a healthy meal some time in the next few months when I don't have time or motivation to cook.
Mark Bittman has a couple of books that you should check out at your local library: How to Cook Everything: The Basics and How to Cook Everything Fast. Your 16-year-old can learn basic kitchen techniques and cooking principles from the former, and the latter has many ideas for fast recipes.0 -
Your 16 year old knows how to clean right? I would switch up the kitchen duty with her nightly. Hell my mom had my brother and I cleaning the kitchen and living room every night. At least with her cleaning up, that gives you time to at least get in 30 minutes.HAHA! I wish! My 18 yr old is a great cook but she recently moved in with her grandparents to help them out at home (bless her heart for doing that and putting up with my Mother on a daily basis) and my 16 yr old does not know how to cook AT ALL. She looked up a youtube video on how to make scrambled eggs. So she can make breakfast. I really need to teach her how to cook...she's not like her sister who was more willing to learn cooking at an earlier age.
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Take an hour on Sundays to plan your meals for the week. I try and pre-cook meals or put them together and freeze them so I can just pop them in the oven when I get home after work. Also, skip the diner at lunch. I know it's a hassle to pack a lunch, but that will help save you a ton. I try to use 15 minutes of my lunch time to eat, and the other 15 to walk around the building.0
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