Mom's and Dad's looking for support
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Im a mom of two girls under two. Im working and caring for them and trying to find the time to workout. Eating healthy starts with me. I need to show them the right way to be healthy and active before they learn the wrong way.3
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Mom of 4 - we have 3 boys ages 7, 5, 3 years and 1 girl who is 1 year old. NO MORE! Haha
I've recently transitioned to the stay at home mom roll and will likely continue with this for the next few years. My husband and I were both working stressful jobs and we really weren't doing any of us any favors (except our wallets I suppose) by constantly juggling it all and we absolutely let our own health get pushed to the bottom of our Priorities lists! But that's changing!
It's so easy to do right. By the time you go to work, take care of the kids, you are wiped out and don't want to focus on yourself. But you have to. It took me a long time to realize it was ok to be a little selfish and take care of myself. Afterall, if I can't take care of my self, how am I supposed to truly help take care of my kids. I can't have htem worrying about me. That's not there roll. No until I am 90 anyway
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More often than not, I see the same statement come from a lot of people about their fitness journey. "I started up, but then I quit xx amount of days later." Or, " I made it 2-3 months, but couldn't keep up with it." So I started thinking, what is it that keeps people from continuing on? What was it that kept me going on? I read or listened to a small segment by Darren Hardy called Making the shift, I believe that was it, and he touched on the subject of what is it that drives us to pursue something. The main reason, your WHY has to be strong enough.
Imagine that you are on a high rise building and there is a skinny platform about 30 feet long going from your roof top to the building across the way from you. You are asked to cross to the other side. Chances are, you probably don't want to. Now imagine there is a $10 bill on the other side. You might be more tempted, but is it enough to really make you want to do that? Probably not. Now, imagine your child or loved one is in danger on that other side. I'm willing to bet that you are going to do everything you can to get to that side. What changed? Your WHY changed. Crossing a 30 foot platform just for the thrill of it or $10 wasn't a big enough reason why, but a loved in danger might be.
Now, imagine applying that same mindset to your fitness journey and life style change. Is your WHY big enough? I believe one of the reasons why some people don't make it past that few day or couple month period is that there WHY isn't big enough, so the willingness to stick it out and achieve their goal isn't really there.
I understand that at times, life can get in the way and slow us down. An injury, drastic change in your lifestyle routine, but when it boils down it it, your reason will remain the foundation for your success. It doesn't matter if today is your first day or you have been making a lifestyle change for years. Do you truly know why you are exercising? Do you really know why you have chosen to eat a little cleaner? When you understand why it is important to YOU, you are more likely to succeed and stick with it.
Many of you know my WHY already, and if not, I can share that with you later. But for now, I want you to think about yours. If you need a little more help with this, I highly recommend the book Start with Why by Simon Sinek. This will give you a whole new perspective.
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I'm a mom of a nine year old and 9 week old, after getting dedicated and motivated lost all my weight and was happy, then got pregnant and somehow up 40 pounds. Starting back at it with food and hopefully workouts soon once he's a bit less colicky. Read through some posts and fee super motivated now, glad so many others knows what it's like.1
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Dad of.two girls looking for friends :-)1
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mom of 1, step mom of 1, juggling two jobs. I know all about the struggle. Was on a decent start to the weight loss I wanted a couple years ago, but the healthy changes resulted in me getting pregnant. So much for losing weight! Back on the train and hoping to succeed this time around.1
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Glad I stumbled on this group. I have 3. Girl is 6, and two boys ages 3 and 2. Husband is in the military and we have moved 7 times in our 7 years of marriage. My two year old alone has lived in 4 different homes and 2 different countries. We are currently stateside for a few months and then back to Japan. With all the moving and having young kids it is so hard. I struggle in every way that there is to struggle. Stress, weight, depression, anxiety, fatigue, and I don't have any actually friends. Pretty hard to make and keep friends when you have little ones and on the move all the time. Living in a foreign country is full of endless adventures, however it is also incredibly stressful when you can't read any signs or talk to anyone. The language barrier has proved to be extremely difficult. I get overwhelmed by trying to take my kids out to explore because I'm afraid of losing them. (Lots of people in Japan!) At my best of times the kids and I are hiking waterfalls and exploring parks. At my worst of times I'm lucky if I leave the house once a week. My biggest struggle is consistency. But I am determined to get my health back. Looking forwarding to learning tips and tricks from others on how to get healthy while raising a family (mentally and physically!)1
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Thank you all for sharing. Together we can lift each other up. For those that struggle to find time to work out, make it a point to schedule the time. Write down everything you do in the day, then find a 30 minute block that is either empty or filled with something that is not actually enhancing your life in a positive way. (i.e trolling facebook, watching TV or netflix, etc) Us that 30 minutes to workout. You will feel better, be more energized, and will not take away from you day that much. Put in in your phone as a meeting, appointment, or an alarm, whatever it takes to remind you to get it done. Stick with it, and you will start to see results. I did this a couple of years ago, and now rarely do I ever miss a workout. It is alright to be a little selfish when it comes to taking care of yourself.karleeggarner wrote: »Glad I stumbled on this group. I have 3. Girl is 6, and two boys ages 3 and 2. Husband is in the military and we have moved 7 times in our 7 years of marriage. My two year old alone has lived in 4 different homes and 2 different countries. We are currently stateside for a few months and then back to Japan. With all the moving and having young kids it is so hard. I struggle in every way that there is to struggle. Stress, weight, depression, anxiety, fatigue, and I don't have any actually friends. Pretty hard to make and keep friends when you have little ones and on the move all the time. Living in a foreign country is full of endless adventures, however it is also incredibly stressful when you can't read any signs or talk to anyone. The language barrier has proved to be extremely difficult. I get overwhelmed by trying to take my kids out to explore because I'm afraid of losing them. (Lots of people in Japan!) At my best of times the kids and I are hiking waterfalls and exploring parks. At my worst of times I'm lucky if I leave the house once a week. My biggest struggle is consistency. But I am determined to get my health back. Looking forwarding to learning tips and tricks from others on how to get healthy while raising a family (mentally and physically!)
I can't imagine how stressful all of that moving around and language barriers are. Especially with young ones. Please thank your husband for me for his service.babydaisy81 wrote: »I'm a mom of a nine year old and 9 week old, after getting dedicated and motivated lost all my weight and was happy, then got pregnant and somehow up 40 pounds. Starting back at it with food and hopefully workouts soon once he's a bit less colicky. Read through some posts and fee super motivated now, glad so many others knows what it's like.
My oldest was colicky. At least, that's what we thought. We later learned that she had severe acid reflux. Once properly diagnosed and treated, like became a lot better for her and us. I hope he gets over it soon.0 -
MikePXstream wrote: »Good job at pushing through, consistency is the name of the game.
I would recommend that to anyone as well. You don't need a lot and you can just buckle down and use your tax return plus some savings but it is worth getting your own equipment. I have a power rack, 240lbs in plates, and a flat bench, plus a rower and rings and I now don't have an excuse. It takes no time to walk to my garage and shoes/shirt are optional. Even without a ton of weigh or lots of equipment I've been able to get myself into great shape because I now do something/anything everyday.
I'm the same way. I have never been much for the gym. Tried it numerous times. While I was in the Army and after. It just wasn't a good fit for me. I always found it taking more time to get there, lock up my stuff, pray I don't look like some of those people in the gym fail videos, and more. So I grabbed some weights, a bench, a pull up bar, some resistance bands, and some dvd's and got to work. I needed the dvd's because I needed structure. The first year or so I would do random exercises and not see much for results. So I knew if I wanted to be serious, I needed structure. Best decision I ever made.
I found your guy's views on the gym interesting because I'm just the exact opposite. I tried to work out at home for years. In fact, I've used a treadmill since my early 20's and loved it. But with kids (even three fairly self sufficient teens), trying to work out at home never works. There is always someone, or something, vying for my attention. I would always feel the pull of "I should be doing XYZ" and often skip my workout to get that thing done. Going to the gym ensures that I get my workout in and I feel great afterwards and there are absolutely no interruptions. For me, there is something about leaving the house that commits me to my workout. Too easy to weasel out of it at home. There will always be bathrooms to clean, laundry to fold and school to teach (we homeschool). So yeah, for me, gym all the way.
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How was your weekend? Was a busy one here for us. Well, actually, not as busy as usual. Birthday dinner for my wife on Friday at the Melting Pot, soccer game for my boy on Saturday, and the superbowl 5k on Sunday. My wife and son came in first for their age groups. My girls pulled 2nd I think. I was just glad I finished under 30 minutes. lol That what I get for not running in a month. lol. I still ate way to much food though, so I will be paying for that this week.0
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Good but busy weekend! Succeeded in getting my husband to help me meal plan out for two weeks and got the oldest to agree to a meal she's never tried before (it's a freaking miracle there). Slacked on super bowl Sunday but made up for it with a second workout today. Happy Monday!1
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The weekend was great but super busy. We adopted a dog so I have a new running partner and Sunday I ate all the foods and it was great. I made nachos and we had tons of snacks, no alcohol though (odd for a Superbowl party I know) but that was more of a factor of it just never got pulled out versus not available. While I don't plan on eating like that again until probably Easter it was a nice break from the diet/logging/caring.1
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Hello all! I just found this group. I am the mother of a 11 month old baby girl. I've been overweight my whole life, but being pregnant at a starting weight of 276# just sucked. I had sciatica, pre-eclampsia and had to have a c-section. I gained over 30# during the pregnancy, and I'm still at 297#. We'd like to have another baby within a couple years, but I'd like to lose at least 50# before I get pregnant again. I've decided to focus on my nemesis...sugar. I've never focused on reducing sugar, and I think maybe it is my biggest issue. I'd love advice and support, thank you!1
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Dad to two boys 9 and 7. My oldest has some difficulties with school and it can be stressful trying to juggle work and kids and extracurricular activities (I'll admit I am not the best multitasker). I either squeeze in workouts during my lunch break at work (running or lifting weights) or at night after the kids have gone to bed. The latter is often hard to find energy and motivation. I realize I will have to focus more on the diet side of things if I want results.1
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Mama to one daughter who is 20 months. Little Miss Sassy Pants as I like to call her. I work a very demanding and stressful job (usually 60 hours a week). I workout in the mornings (lifting and running), but I am finding it hard to get up at 4:00 a.m. to work out especially when she doesn't sleep at night. I have been trying to workout at lunch (kickboxing). I am slowly trying to get my diet under control which is hard when everyone brings in treats every week and always order in lunches, suddenly my baked chicken doesn't taste as good as pizza. lol1
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Liftheavylovehard wrote: »I am slowly trying to get my diet under control which is hard when everyone brings in treats every week and always order in lunches, suddenly my baked chicken doesn't taste as good as pizza. lol
I know what you mean. All my employees love to order out all the time or have a potluck once a month. I have been able to get a couple of them to at least start exercising more regularly, so that helps. But yeah, gott get my nutrition back in order.
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Here's some food for thought. Have you ever heard anyone tell you that it is your duty, responsibility, and obligation to be or stay healthy? No! Well then let me be the first.
The reason I say this is because only you have the power to make the changes you need to. A book I have been reading lately called the 10X rule by Grant Cardone expresses many times how the successes in our lives are our duty, responsibility, and obligation.
So what does that mean? How does that tie into your health and well being? We all know what we are supposed to eat, or have a general idea of the good foods we should be putting into our bodies, but sometimes sacrifice that due to time, money, or energy. The same can be said about exercising. We know we should get at a minimum 20-30 minutes a day, but find excuses why we cant. But what happens when we do that? Are bodies feel sluggish, we have no energy, our immune system weakens, and could potentially make ourselves more susceptible to illness.
When we don't take care of ourselves, we are not taking responsibility for our health and well being, we are ignoring our duty to make life easier, no only for ourselves, but for our loved ones around us, and not fulfilling our obligation to be the best version of ourselves we can be.
What makes this hard is we have the freedom of choice. We can choose to do the right thing, or not. But I encourage you, do the right thing. It takes no more effort to choose a healthy salad over a 1/4 pounder with cheese. You can spend 20 minutes thinking of ways to get out of doing an exercise, or just exercise for 20 minutes. It's really that simple.
You have to be your own advocate for your health. Don't rely on others to take that responsibility for you. It's not their obligation, it is yours.
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Im a single mom of 4 rugrats ranging from 24 yrs to 11 wanting to finally get to my goal lose around 25lbs. Any tips be appreciated feel free to add me. Good luck to all in their journey!0
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I've just found this group. How do you all do it? I have 3 kids 11, 7 and 3 months. I'm struggling to get into exercise as have a bad back since being pregnant but that is what keeps me going diet wise. I snack at night when their all in bed and I finally get 5 min to myself helped by my partner who says he wants to lose weight but is always bringing chocolate into the house witch is my biggest downfall. Feel free to add me I need all the help I can get x2
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@Vicky3725 I would just go with counting calories and moderation. I have chocolate almost ever night but it is planned in and only two servings of dark chocolate. I would also suggest chocolate chip, since there are more pieces per serving you feel like you are getting more
Congratulations on the new little one! 1 -
@Vicky3725 I have found that adding a packet of hot chocolate (I use dark chocolate swiss miss) to my coffee in the morning has been curing my sweet tooth for the day! I have chocolate at my desk, but haven't touched it since I started doing this!1
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@Vicky3725 One simple thing I did that helped me out a lot was schedule my workouts each day and treat them like a dr appointment. I sat down, wrote out what my day looked like, everything from watching tv, reading a book, to just wasting time on social media, and carved out 30-45 minutes that I could use to better myself. Then, I put them in my calendar on my phone with a notification, so that I knew I had an appointment and I needed to get it done. It took a few weeks to get used to it, but now it is pretty much habit. Maybe try that.
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Full time worker,student, fiance and mother yo a two year old...always looking for friends 1
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This cold is annoying. It's not bad enough to knock me completely down, but enough to make me feel like blah. So, taking it easy again today.0
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Since you were a child, you always heard, "you need your sleep." It helps your brain grow, recharges your body, etc. But as we get older, and more responsibilities creep in, the duration of sleep you need starts to become less and less. And while we may keep on trucking away, the truth of the matter is, we are not really helping our bodies out. especially if you're trying to lose weight or become more healthy and fit.
You might be asking yourself, how does sleep relate to becoming healthy and fit? There are many different reasons, so I will only touch on a few here.
First, the most obvious. Your body needs to recover. If you are on your feet all day at your job, or have a rigorous exercise routine, your body needs that down time to recharge and rebuild itself. The recommend amount of sleep each night is 7-8 hours. You body also uses this time to rebuild your muscles. This is a good time to slip in a little extra protein before dozing off, your body has that much more to build with.
The more sleep you receive, the less stress you will have. Stress can affect your cardiovascular health, increasing blood pressure and even effect cholesterol levels. This can also slow down your weight loss goals. Nobody wants that. Studies have also shown that when you don't receive enough sleep, your more likely to increase your calorie intake. This is due to the body shifting different hormones that stimulate or suppress appetite.
Lack of sleep can also lead to depression, irritability, anxiety, and emotional instability. Think about times when you are grumpy in the morning, or your are irritated at work. Is it really because you had to wake up or go to work, or was it because you didn't get enough sleep?
And of course, with less sleep, you are more likely to skip your workout in the morning or hit the snooze button a couple of extra times, therefore, not progressing towards your health and fitness goals, making your journey that much harder.
How much sleep do you get each night?1 -
I so need more sleep! However I'm at a point in my life where my 2 and 3 yr old control that. So frustrating! I think I would do just about anything to sleep for 12 solid hours without a single interruption!!! I have been one grouchy momma! Ha!1
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karleeggarner wrote: »I so need more sleep! However I'm at a point in my life where my 2 and 3 yr old control that. So frustrating! I think I would do just about anything to sleep for 12 solid hours without a single interruption!!! I have been one grouchy momma! Ha!
I remember those days. Mine are 8 and up now, so not so much an issue anymore. Still, I only get about 6 hours a night. I work from 3pm-11pm, with a 1 hour drive. Since my wife is out the door before the kids in the morning, I am on get the kids to school duty, so I am up at 7. If i'm lucky, I get to sleep in on the weekends. I hope you get some sleep soon.1 -
I have averaged 4hrs of sleep a night for the past 5-6yrs. It kills me! Last night I went to bed "early" and got almost 8hrs. I can't remember the last time I had that much sleep. But I feel drugged this morning. :-/ With 4hrs I'm pretty awake. Ugh.1
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Hi all. I'm a mom of three girls ages 4, 2 and 2 months old. I work part time in a stressful job, have a spouse that works nights, take care of the kids, hubs and the house and find it very difficult to find time to work out-- especially during the week. I've been eating healthier and fitting in workouts where I can. I'd love having more friends that are in the same (or similar!) boat for motivation! Feel free to add me!
Oh- and with my 2 month old I average 4-6 hours of sleep per night! She slept 7 hours straight last night though! Am sure that won't happen tonight though2 -
You would be surprised how often I hear people say they want to be healthier and live a better lifestyle, but don't have the time. Let me be the first to tell you, you have more than enough time. It all depends on how important it is to you and where your priorities lie.
I used to be one to say this. The truth is, I knew I had the time, I was just looking for an excuse, a reason, not to take charge of what I wanted. I work evenings from 3-11pm, with a 1 hour commute one way. My wife leaves for work before I get up to take the kids to school. So breakfast is on me. In the afternoons & evenings, my wife is running the kids to track, soccer, and all their other activities, so the majority of the house work, prepping meals, and other chores are also on me. I also still like to play video games and watch movies a lot. I could easily use all of these as excuses no to do what I need to do, but I don't. Not anymore.
Sometimes, it helps to break down what you do, to see how much time you really have. For example, there are 168 hours in a week. Lets say you average 8 hours of sleep each night. I know, wishful thinking for some of us. That leaves you with 112 hours. Now, lets say you use 32 hours a week for meals and snacks (1 hour per meal, and snack time). Now you are down to 80 hours for the week.
Now, how about down time or recreation time to watch TV, play with the kids, spend quality time with your spouse. Figure on 2 hours a day for that. Now you are down to 66 hours left in the week. Perhaps you go to church regular or watch a good sports game. Figure another 4 hours for that. You still have 62 hours left for the week. Oh Wait, you gotta work right. So there is another 40 hours, maybe 50 with commuting time. Now you are down to 12 hours left in the week.
So, after you have worked, slept, ate, watched TV, spent time with the kids and your spouse, and gone to church, you still have 12 hours (1.7 hours a day) left over. So, can you honestly say that you don't have time to get a 30 minute workout in? You could get your workout in and still have a little over an hour each day to do something else.
So see, really there is no reason for anyone to say they don't have the time. It just depends on your mindset and what you might be willing to sacrifice that is not promoting your goals.
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