I'm not making excuses but I need help!

tobejune

I know there are a million replies but they almost all sound centered around adding exercise in somewhere, making more time for it. I didn't read every one though so maybe this has already been suggested but one option could be to add in exercise while you're doing things....

*****Blow dry your hair in the morning? Great, add in some squats or calf raises while you're standing there. Or while you're brushing your teeth. Not advisable while applying makeup though

*****While you're making lunches or dinner, add in some bicep curls with the gallon of milk or a soup can or whatever you pick up.

*****Sit all day at work? If you're on the phone frequently maybe try simply standing up to talk, or with a headset you could possibly walk around your office a bit. Also maintaining good posture will engage your core muscles.

Good luck. And really, don't stress too much because it's obvious your children are very important to you and they grow fast. In a few years you'll have more time.

cbirdso

My advice would be to not worry about exercise, just concentrate on eating healthy during the week. On the weekend, you could do some activity as a family, like swimming, hiking, playing in the park, etc. Since 80% of weight management is food related, I wouldn't stress on what you can't fit do or control. You can however choose healthy meals and eliminate processed, high calorie foods from your diet.

Robin_Bin

Haven't read all the replies.

But to the people saying "get up earlier", there's quite a bit of research showing that being too short on sleep will hinder weight loss. It can also cause other issues.

Try squeezing in bits of exercise. Does the travel take all the time between 6:45 and 8 pm? Could you walk around the building? I would expect places where you do gymnastics and cheerleading to have good floors for walking around or even jogging the perimeter. March in place any time you can... while brushing your teeth, cooking, making lunches, etc.

Twelve and Thirteen year olds are old enough to make their own lunches, and it's good for kids that age to start learning how to do some household chores. For a relatively cheap price they'd probably also be willing to make lunch for the 6 year old. At first that's more work for you, but it should eventually make your household run more smoothly and prepare them to function effectively as they get older. At twelve when I was growing up we were expected to make our own lunch everyday, to cook dinner for the whole family at least once a week, to help out with laundry and many other basic household chores. Twelve and thirteen year olds can also look after a six year old for some time so you can exercise, even if it's at home instead of going to a gym.

While it's nice to have the luxury of being able to go to a gym for a solid chunk of time, small bits of exercise add up. It addition to things like marching in place while doing other things, I'm sure you've heard many other ways to "sneak" in exercise into regular daily activities. Things like park farther away and walk across the lot to the store, school or work, take the stairs instead of an elevator, walk during lunch, get up frequently to walk down to the coffee station, bathroom or a colleague's desk. Use an exercise tape for 10 minutes at a time multiple times during the day. Even 5 minutes of push-ups or lunges is quite a bit when you first start.

You will need to get creative, but you can do it!

cocobuny

Im going to be real.im tired from readung all u have to do.and im not getting up at 3:00am.i cant. maybe u can try yoga at 10:00pm for 20min.it causes u to settle your self and work in slow motions so u can relax before bed.just think of it as stretching from your hard day.you prob see great results

stephaniemejia1671

Your 2 oldest can help you around the house and the youngest. It seems that you do everything by yourlsef, I think that will wear you out. Working out gives you a moment by yourself to clear your head. Take 10 minutes here and 10 minutes there throughout the day.

Mr_Excitement

Buy the kids bikes and let them haul their own behinds around town. Is that feasible, or are you too far from the activities?

mjhedgehog

not sure if you're still looking for answers or not (this thread looks pretty old) but your 12 and 13 year old should be able to get themselves ready in the morning. my parents made my siblings and I wake ourselves up and get ready by ourselves when we were 10-11

rayvynn5374

Ok you posted a while back maybe you don't need help anymore but here is my "solution"
Prepare and cook meals for the week on the weekend. Pack lunches for the week as well. Toss meals in crock pot possibly.
Teenagers can gather their own sports equipment after all it is their activity not yours. If they mess up they will learn from it.
Youngest is old enough to shower himself.
And all of them are old enough to lay out their own clothes for school.

I have 2 children and they help with all daily activities such as doing their own laundry, cleaning bathrooms and doing dishes. This prepares them for the adult world. Mommy will not always be there to do it for them. We also have Thursday nights that THEY cook.