Working out with having kids

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AMaro215
AMaro215 Posts: 78 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
How does everyone manage to lose weight and tend to their kids? I am a new mom, my son is almost 5 months old. I also run a home daycare 10.5 hours a day for 6 children counting my son. By the end of the day it takes all I got just to make dinner I am so exhausted. How do you ladies do it? I need some pointers, I really want to get this weight off!
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  • Ninkyou
    Ninkyou Posts: 6,666 Member
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    For weight loss, all you need is a calorie deficit. Maintain your calorie goal the MFP gives you and you will lose weight.

    Exercise is for Fitness. If you want to throw exercise into the mix, with kids, my suggestion would be to throw some music on and get everyone dancing.
  • LiftAllThePizzas
    LiftAllThePizzas Posts: 17,857 Member
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    How does everyone manage to lose weight and tend to their kids? I am a new mom, my son is almost 5 months old. I also run a home daycare 10.5 hours a day for 6 children counting my son. By the end of the day it takes all I got just to make dinner I am so exhausted. How do you ladies do it? I need some pointers, I really want to get this weight off!
    I am at home with a 3 and 4 year old (who think the barbell is cool and want to 'help' daddy or just imitate me) and I still get it done. A single 5 month old would be like a vacation! At least you can put him in a playpen while you work out.

    Also a good workout is energizing, not exhausting. (I know it doesn't feel like it before hand, but do it a few times.)
  • MommyToAllieB
    MommyToAllieB Posts: 56 Member
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    I think dancing is a great suggestion. I only get to the gym on days I'm not working when my hubby can watch the baby. Hopefully you and all the kids could have fun jamming out to some tunes :)
  • Phaedra2014
    Phaedra2014 Posts: 1,254 Member
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    How does everyone manage to lose weight and tend to their kids? I am a new mom, my son is almost 5 months old. I also run a home daycare 10.5 hours a day for 6 children counting my son. By the end of the day it takes all I got just to make dinner I am so exhausted. How do you ladies do it? I need some pointers, I really want to get this weight off!

    First thing in the morning would work. If you don't make time for you it's hard to actually find time.

    Start small and build from there. You may not have a full hour initially but 15 or 20 minutes will also work. I think we get discouraged when we apply an all-or-nothing mentality. Make the time; your body and mind will thank you for it.

    Happy planning!
  • kgeyser
    kgeyser Posts: 22,505 Member
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    The only way I get it done is during nap time or at night when they sleep, and I do workout DVDs that are 30 min or less. I just don't have kids who I can workout around; there would be screaming, chaos, a dog covered in paint and a small fire in the corner of the room by the time I finished the warm-up. :laugh:
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
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    Honestly I didn't until my kids went to preschool. Just no way. You could still count calories and eat at a deficit to lose weight though, I'm guessing with 6 kids around you're probably burning a lot of calories just moving around.
  • GingerLolita
    GingerLolita Posts: 738 Member
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    Some gyms have places for you to bring your kids, if that's something you feel like might work for you. At my yoga studio, sometimes members will bring their kids and the instructors will help the kids get involved with some very light yoga, or just let them play on their own during class.
  • Rochester_mom
    Rochester_mom Posts: 100 Member
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    Yes this would happen in my house as well if I tried to do it at home with my children during their waking hours. My kids are 3,5 & 7 and I still find it difficult. I would suggest before they get up or after they go to bed. Also I have a membership,to the YMCA which has great child care facilities. You will probably need to try different tactics before you find something that works for you but don't give up!!
  • Rochester_mom
    Rochester_mom Posts: 100 Member
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    The only way I get it done is during nap time or at night when they sleep, and I do workout DVDs that are 30 min or less. I just don't have kids who I can workout around; there would be screaming, chaos, a dog covered in paint and a small fire in the corner of the room by the time I finished the warm-up. :laugh:

    Whoops, meant to quote this in my reply....
  • Cortneyrenee04
    Cortneyrenee04 Posts: 1,117 Member
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    I think you're asking when should you work out, but you don't need to work out to lose weight. Just eat at your deficit. Of course it's great if you can fit in the exercise but you'll just have to decide where/how to fit that in at some point. Good luck!
  • nklp
    nklp Posts: 62 Member
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    I am at home with a 3 and 4 year old (who think the barbell is cool and want to 'help' daddy or just imitate me) and I still get it done. A single 5 month old would be like a vacation!

    She doesn't have a single five month old, she has 6 kids round 10.5 hours of the day!

    The other posters are right :) weight loss comes with a sustained calorie deficit, and MFP is great at working out goals for you if you're unsure of what you want to do at the moment :)
  • Resolve2B
    Resolve2B Posts: 86 Member
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    It's really hard, no question about it. It sounds like your days are long and it just feels like there is no time.

    My DIL is mom to 2 year old twins and a 9 month old and she still gets in her workouts. Granted she insists on a naptime for all 3 and that's when she does her workout. My daughter also works long days and is often "single parent" to her 21 month old because her husband works 12 hour shifts at night. Her solution was to buy a treadmill and she gets on it either when her hubs is home playing with the little one or after the little one goes to sleep.

    I have done child care 3 days a week for the 21 month old since she was 8 weeks old and I can tell you that when she entered the picture it threw my schedule for a loop. I haven't been to the gym since she was born!! I finally decided that at least for now, the only way to assure myself of a workout is to plan to do it at home.

    I have some dumb bells of various increments to 15 pounds. I just got a Jillan Michael's DVD (there are lots of DVDs out there as well as free videos on YouTube to which you can follow along. I just got a treadmill and plan to log in some walking hours each week.

    A big part of it is to just sit down and figure out what you CAN do. Set reasonable goals. A lot of people I've met here exercise every day. Maybe you can't. Maybe you can only do 3 times a week. It's better than not doing it at all! Then it's a matter of deciding how much you want it in order to override your fatigue and the mountains of other tasks you have calling to you in order to get it done.

    Good luck!
  • hstoblish
    hstoblish Posts: 234 Member
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    My husband and I trade off. He'll watch the baby while I run and get a strength training work out in and I'll do the same for him. I also go to a baby bootcamp (less so now that I'm back at work), where I can bring the little one with me. If we're outside she's in a stroller, but if we're inside I'll stick her in a tractor tire at the gym with some toys and other kids.

    I think it's really good for a kid to see you work out! You're a role model for so many of these little ones and seeing you exercise will only be really good for them.
  • MonicaA2013
    MonicaA2013 Posts: 753 Member
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  • MonicaA2013
    MonicaA2013 Posts: 753 Member
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    How does everyone manage to lose weight and tend to their kids? I am a new mom, my son is almost 5 months old. I also run a home daycare 10.5 hours a day for 6 children counting my son. By the end of the day it takes all I got just to make dinner I am so exhausted. How do you ladies do it? I need some pointers, I really want to get this weight off!

    OK, so i used to do day care when i had my youngest. I had anywhere from 3-12 kids at a time of all ages including my own 3.

    Depending of the age of the kids how you can attack the exercise. If they are under the age of 5 then just put on music and dance for a few minutes. If they are older then you have more options. If you choose to do your exercise b4 or after your day care hrs. then put your son in a stroller and go for a mile walk/run ( i do 50/50 ) in the morning or evening after dinner. Or during nap/quiet time you can lay down with them all and do a few crunches or leg lifts. Some kids like to join in on exercises if you have a dvd or youtube going. You can teach them how to do the workout as you do it yourself and they will think its just a game. If you have the option take the kids to the park and play with them there. I used to have permission slips for field trips to the park and things like that .

    As some have pointed out just having a calorie deficit will take care of most of the weight ,but having the exercise in place will help and tone your muscles after having your little guy. Once you get started you will have more energy to do more things. Good luck :-)
  • AppleGrapeMSTK
    AppleGrapeMSTK Posts: 16 Member
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    I got my kids to join in. My toddler is in a copying faze and wants to do everything Mommy does. If I'm on the yoga mat, he wants to be on the yoga mat. I give him something light that he can pretend is a weight when I get out mine. He'll crawl onto my back when I'm doing planks. I've even used him as a weight. I get my 10 year old to have a competition- who can do the most sit ups/jumping jacks/etc.
  • preethavijay
    preethavijay Posts: 3
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    Hello,
    Yes I can understand how that will be.. I just got started 3 days back.. It is hard for me to do machine workouts or weight training, as I had a surgery in my elbow a year back... All I do is dancing...I am a mother of two girls who love to dance. I have them as my motivators! So try to fix a time for music and dance as a part of your routine! All the best !
  • 20Grit
    20Grit Posts: 752 Member
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    I get up at 4:30 every morning and get it done.
  • nicoleashley_24
    nicoleashley_24 Posts: 144 Member
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    When my little girl was that young, she was too young for our gym's childcare (and I'm not sure I was ready to leave her at the time anyway) so we invested in a (cheap) elliptical machine and I bought some dumbbells for home. If you can't commit to a solid block of time, break it up... Do 30 minutes of cardio before your baby wakes up in the morning and do 30 minutes of strength training after he goes to bed. It's not always easy to make these changes but it is worth it! You'll have more energy and be a happier, healthier person for it.
  • nicoleashley_24
    nicoleashley_24 Posts: 144 Member
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    My husband and I trade off. He'll watch the baby while I run and get a strength training work out in and I'll do the same for him. I also go to a baby bootcamp (less so now that I'm back at work), where I can bring the little one with me. If we're outside she's in a stroller, but if we're inside I'll stick her in a tractor tire at the gym with some toys and other kids.

    I think it's really good for a kid to see you work out! You're a role model for so many of these little ones and seeing you exercise will only be really good for them.

    Oh, good points! When it was nice weather, I took my baby for walks in a sling or stroller. And I don't know how many times she did Pilates with me! She thought it was hilarious! There were also times I'd put her in her jumperoo and do a workout like 30 Day Shred.. she loved watching me and I agree, it sets a great example for kids.

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