Motivation from other full time working (away from home) mommas

fitmek

I know we all feel like there's not enough time in the day, but I really am struggling with just moving more and more. On weekends, Sundays are the best day for me to be determined and motivated because I've taken it easy and slept in a little on Saturday to make up for the week's worth of lost sleep and busy schedules. We have 2 kiddos, (8 and 3) and my husband and I both work away from home, 40+ hours a week...(some of the time +), the usual sports and homework for the kiddos every night. I'm drained. There's no way I'm getting up earlier to work out when I am up late as it is trying to get everything done before bed and most nights trying to get our youngest to sleep a full night.
I know there's no magic "method", but I'm wondering what other working mommies do to get work outs in with young kids and a very demanding schedule. Maybe we can motivate each other!

boberrymom

Hi! I'm a full-time working mom of 4. My workplace is 1 1/2 hours away one way so I drive 3 hours as well as work a 35 hour a week job. I use my lunchbreak to do something I also get up earlier than everyone else to get my day started. I meal prep on my days off (fri/sat). I am doing my 3 rd round of whole30. All I can say is plan it in and schedule it. Hope some of it helps.

Jess

ClosetBayesian

Hi! Mom of three, PhD student, also work 50+ hours per week.

I do not get up early to exercise; I don't get enough sleep as it is, and I refuse to sacrifice any more of it. My husband is in charge of putting our little guy (2 yrs) to bed; that buys me half an hour to do something (the older two can entertain themselves for half an hour).

Jules_farmgirl

Single mom of 3 young children here. I work full time with a 45min commute one way. I wake up early to get my workout in. I prep meals to freeze on the weekends. I get my rest on the weekends.

If all you are wanting to do is lose weight, then eat at a deficit. If you are wanting to strength train and tone then you will find time when you want it enough.

It's not easy, but there is time if you want to make the time.

schmanciepants

Single mom of 2 with a full time job......I focus on diet and workout when my kids see their father (Tuesday night and Sunday), and one on Saturday while they play. Once you find a few times that work for you, you make them work.

fitmek

Jules_farmgirl wrote: »

Single mom of 3 young children here. I work full time with a 45min commute one way. I wake up early to get my workout in. I prep meals to freeze on the weekends. I get my rest on the weekends.

If all you are wanting to do is lose weight, then eat at a deficit. If you are wanting to strength train and tone then you will find time when you want it enough.

It's not easy, but there is time if you want to make the time.

I just cannot do the early workout thing....I've tried it and it just doesn't work. My body is soo weird and requires at LEAST 8 hours of sleep at night...I wish I was a person who could feel "normal" at 6 hours of sleep every night.
BUT, I try to get something in a couple nights a week...either treadmill or (rarely) a DVD like 21 day fix workouts or something similar. The treadmill is easier for me because I can walk at an incline and high speed and watch a movie and not realize that time is passing.

How do you prep/freeze your meals on the weekend? What are some of your go to meals?

Jules_farmgirl

I understand the early mornings, not everyone can do those, Im the one that hates late nights! lol! Treadmill is the same for me, so many people get bored, I plan it around a new episode of something I haven't seen yet, and don't even realize I have walked an hour!

My downfall is protein, big time! I hate taking the time to cook it! So on the weekends I pick one day. In my crock pot I put a pork roast, a chicken in the oven and I cook up either ground beef or ground turkey with taco seasoning. When things are done and cooled, I weight and bag/freeze portions. I do them in about 120-150g bags and mark them (I have a top basket in my deep freeze that is ONLY for my prepped stuff). This way, I can grab for just me, or more than one for the kids too... easy to get pre-cooked chicken out of the freeze at 5pm and just have to steam rice and veggies!!!

Other meals I love to make in big batches for prep are:

Chilli (Currently experimenting with lentils)
Stirfry (Rice freezes well and just top with lightly steamed veggies and sauce)
High protein lasanga.... basically as little noodles as possible (I don't eat low carb, but protein fills me up better)
Turkey or beef Meatloafs in muffin tins

My biggest thing is, I ONLY make enough to last 2 weeks. After that I can get bored with the frozen meals. This way, I have the option to always try something different and switch up the menu!!

zenheidi

Regarding weekend meal prep, I just started using cooksmarts.com. It plans meals for the next week, I just choose how many servings for each meal and it gives me a grocery list and for each meal it gives me a list of prep work that can be done for the meal and how many days in advance it can be done. It also makes recommendations for how to make a different meal with leftovers. I make a little extra of meals that look particularly tasty to freeze or for lunches. (This can be done without a meal planning service, but I find it helps tremendously and has made cooking a bit more fun for me.)

I'm also interested in hearing how experienced moms find times to make exercise happen. My little one likes it when I do some yoga exercises on the floor with him. Sometimes I use him as a prop, other times he just watches me. He loves it when I do dolphin push-ups and kiss his nose. (He's almost 8 mo.) I'm hoping that by making it fun now he'll want to join me as he gets older.

As someone who has got from couch to half marathon in 6 months without losing a single pound, I can attest to weight loss being about having a calorie deficit! I'm currently establishing weight loss through diet and will add in more rigorous exercise in another month or two. Just in time to start back running this Spring.

Jules_farmgirl

zenheidi wrote: »

Regarding weekend meal prep, I just started using cooksmarts.com. It plans meals for the next week, I just choose how many servings for each meal and it gives me a grocery list and for each meal it gives me a list of prep work that can be done for the meal and how many days in advance it can be done. It also makes recommendations for how to make a different meal with leftovers. I make a little extra of meals that look particularly tasty to freeze or for lunches. (This can be done without a meal planning service, but I find it helps tremendously and has made cooking a bit more fun for me.)

I'm also interested in hearing how experienced moms find times to make exercise happen. My little one likes it when I do some yoga exercises on the floor with him. Sometimes I use him as a prop, other times he just watches me. He loves it when I do dolphin push-ups and kiss his nose. (He's almost 8 mo.) I'm hoping that by making it fun now he'll want to join me as he gets older.

As someone who has got from couch to half marathon in 6 months without losing a single pound, I can attest to weight loss being about having a calorie deficit! I'm currently establishing weight loss through diet and will add in more rigorous exercise in another month or two. Just in time to start back running this Spring.

That does sound like a really cool site, I may have to check it out for new ideas, I love learning new recipes!

The biggest thing for me with exercise... you can't let the interruptions you WILL experience stop you. A kid wants a drink of water? Get him the drink and keep exercising! I find having a workout plan on paper (like how many reps/sets per move) works nice, cause you don't have to pause a DVD. I did this lots with my kids, and still now when my youngest is terrorizing my house at 5am lol!

Just don't let the fact that you are being interrupted frustrate you! When I first got back into fitness after my youngest was 9months old, he would want me constantly... but as the weeks went on, he got more and more used to when mommy was on her "mat" he would just sit and watch and wouldn't ask for me as often. Like you said... get them used to the routine, and enjoying watching and being there without having to be held!

scdavies1

Full-time working mom with 2 boys (7 and 9) here. I also get up early for my workouts (5:15-5:30-ish). It was really rough at first, but I have tried to make it a habit. I am too tired in the evening to work out then, so try to get to bed early and strive for 7 hours of sleep at night. Often it's more like 6.5. I have found that even doing short workouts, like the 7 minute workout (google it, there are a couple of different iterations!) help keep me on a schedule and at least I feel like I did something. If you have more time, you can double the work out or triple it. For me, getting it in in the morning is the only way to keep my work outs consistent (and even then sometimes I just hit the snooze button, like this morning ... ).

Sharon_C

Mom of 3 (although they are slightly more independent), I work 2 jobs, one 40 hour, the other will go up to 40 hours depending on deadlines. I was a confirmed night owl but I knew that if I wanted to make my health a priority that things were going to have to change. Evenings are out. Too many times one kid or another had to be driven here, there and everywhere, forcing me to cancel my gym time. Plus there is that 2nd job that takes up a lot of my evening hours.

I had no choice but to commit to mornings. It's the only way I could fit exercise in. The whole family had to make adjustments but they did. I've been getting to the gym at 5:30am 3 days a week and it has changed my life.

I too was like you. I swore I would never get up early to go to the gym. I swore I was more a night person and I swore I needed 8 solid hours of sleep. Now I go to bed at 10:30, get 7 hours of sleep and my body and mind has adjusted to the new me.

Jules_farmgirl

Sharon_C wrote: »

Mom of 3 (although they are slightly more independent), I work 2 jobs, one 40 hour, the other will go up to 40 hours depending on deadlines. I was a confirmed night owl but I knew that if I wanted to make my health a priority that things were going to have to change. Evenings are out. Too many times one kid or another had to be driven here, there and everywhere, forcing me to cancel my gym time. Plus there is that 2nd job that takes up a lot of my evening hours.

I had no choice but to commit to mornings. It's the only way I could fit exercise in. The whole family had to make adjustments but they did. I've been getting to the gym at 5:30am 3 days a week and it has changed my life.

I too was like you. I swore I would never get up early to go to the gym. I swore I was more a night person and I swore I needed 8 solid hours of sleep. Now I go to bed at 10:30, get 7 hours of sleep and my body and mind has adjusted to the new me.

This... EXACTLY! I am a young mom... what person under 30 wants to get up early??? No one! I just knew it was the only time of day someone couldn't derail my workout plans!!!

annacole94

I'm a working mom of 2. I focus on diet (because if I bring my lunch and plan my breakfast, I have to eat what I brought!), which is easier at work. For exercise, I bike commute (daycare is close to home, so when I do pickup I go get the car and then the kids). Kettlebells 3 x a week - the workouts on weeknights are only 12 minutes. On Sunday, I do a half hour instead. Yoga once on my lunch break, once after bedtime (8:30 pm class).

Biking isn't happening right now because it's winter. That means I have to eat less. I'm looking forward to spring!

ksumindysue

I am a full time working mom of 3 kids under 10 and also enrolled in two graduate classes this semester. So, I'm busy. I choose to get up each morning and make it to the gym at 5:00am to go work out. Is it tough? Yep. After the first few months, it was a habit for me (and I never thought I would say something like that!). I have been doing it for two years now, and it's just the norm. It's so much easier for me than going in the afternoon because my husband and kids are home sleeping in the morning, and I don't have to worry about them!

nicola1141

Mom of 2 here, work full time, husband works opposite schedule to me (evenings and weekends). I'm still figuring out how to get it all in, but here's what I'm working on. I do at least one lunch time a week at the gym. There's a gym about 5 minutes away from my work, so I go there. Also, there's a gym next to where my daughters do dance, so I can go on Saturdays and Sundays while they're at their dance classes (this is new this year now that I can leave them at their classes and don't have to stand around watching). Realistically I'm not going to get much more than 3-4 days a week in, and then the rest of the time I just have to try and at least move when I can (walking the dog, stairs, etc.). I try to do some stuff with the girls as well. They love doing Wii Fit, or showing me their warm-up routine from gym class, or kitchen dance parties.

In the past we also joined the Y as opposed to a more traditional commercial gym. That way we could work out while the kids did swimming lessons, or tae kwon do or soccer.

wendyron3

Hi I'm a mother of 3 and work full time with long hours. I try to do my longest workouts the days I'm off. The days I'm working I split up cardio and strength training. Getting up just 1/2 hour early to do 20 min of weight training can pay off. Don't put pressure on yourself to do things "perfect" all at once because you'll give up. The more you are in a habit of something the easier it is. You may be able to do longer workouts in the morning if you start a little at a time. Good luck

fitmek

Thank you all! It's good to know so many full time working mamas make it happen. I love hearing all your stories!
My hubs is out the door every morning at 530, so getting on the (loud) treadmill at that time, in the office right next to my kiddos bedroom, is just not feasible. Right now I'm trying like crazy to get in a 30 minute work out 2-3 times a week. I had no idea it would be SUCH A STRUGGLE this time to start it up again. I'll be 35 next week and I swear, I feel like age is taking a toll this time around. Before, I've always looked at age just being a dumb number.
I will say....I don't have to worry about my 8 year old as much in the evenings, he doesn't need me as much as our 3 year old, so if our 3 year old is asleep, its much easier to jump into a workout.
Ahhh, just trying to juggle it all with ZERO energy. I'm sure it will get better as I continue to make myself work out more and eat more often and more protein, but right now, I honestly have never struggled this much getting into a routine. I'm sure I'll get there!
Keep the suggestions for meal prep (what you prep/freeze) coming!

esneer1

I hear ya - same boat here. My husband and I both work full-time and have two children (12 and 5). Life is busy. Crazy busy! For years I let the stress of the business consume me and take over my life -- of course i went from in great shape and running all the time (profile picture) to being 50-60 lbs overweight and starting back over. Where I am now. I have completely overhauled how I prioritize my time this year. My routine has been come home from work, change into work out clothes and get in my exercise (currently doing p90). Then I make dinner and bedtime routine and such. It is busy but I have been making exercise a priority. The first week was hard but you just got to do it. When I was running a lot back in 2012 after my son was born, I wouldn't get out the door to run until he was in bed and it was 8 or 9pm - but I was determined.

As far as the zero energy goes -- I don't know what your diet or life is like but I can tell you what has worked amazing for me. At the beginning of the year, I cut out all soda, all alcohol and all caffeine.... while also meal planning and cooking all home cooked meals. The first couple of weeks were completely miserable. I was hangry all the time and was in such a daze. my mind was so foggy. but after the first week it got better and then it just kept getting better and better. I work out 6 days a week now and am LOVING it! I am eating healthy and feel amazing. I'm sleeping better and I have so much energy. I am loving doing the p90 program and have found an amazing beachbody support group that is completely motivating.

I'm completely new to meal planning too. I went from hating cooking and ordering out most nights a week to cooking all healthy meals every night in January and find myself loving cooking now. I have some great meal planning ideas I'd love to share if you are interested.

Don't expect everything to change over night. make small changes that you can fit into your lifestyle and just keep at it. You can do this! Feel free to add me on here if you want some friends on here for motivation. I have an open diary as well.