Working Moms

leanna1120

Okay this is my first post here. I am a working mother and am truly struggling to find time for my workouts, manage my meals and the kids/family meals, and not lose my mind. How are ya'll doing it?

kitjos

Hi there, welcome to MFP

Its not easy to do as you say, but you can do it. I have a 4 month old, and ive gone back to work early. I tend to work out in the morning on the days im not at work (about 10am as baby is happy playing or sleeping). If im working, then I tend to do my working outs on an eve (about 8pm) and I ask hubby to look over baby while I power on for half hour or so. Its just finding that time, for you.

Xx

PetulantOne

I have a four year old. I work full time and got to school part time.

I wake up early and work out before he's up. I tried doing it later at night, but by that point I was always too tired to get anything done consistently.

MzGrinch9250

Make it part of your regular routine. I workout right after work Friday - Monday and I have yoga on Wednesday evening. This is part of my regular routine, just like going to work. This is my time and a way to relieve my stress. Everything else gets done after my workout.

dillydally123

work out in the morning and meal planning. I plan and shop for two weeks. Try and do bulk cooking one or two days a week and freeze.

carrieous

Now that its finally spring I will be running with my 3 year old in the jogging stroller and our dog tied to the handle after work

butterfly3703

I have an hour lunch which leaves me 30 minutes to work out on that break. While making dinner I prepare lunches and snacks for the next day. With a little planning the kids won't miss you at all!

doowop713

I work full-time for the state (8-4:30) and I have a 2 1/2 year old "step" son who is mainly with my boyfriend and I. We try to workout while he is napping or after he goes to bed. Getting up before I have to leave for work is too much for me. I've never been a morning person enough to do it! It is super hard though especially after a day of work, any errands, any cleaning in and outside of the house, etc. You just have to map your week or month out, see what time you have that you could be working out (doesn't have to be huge blocks of time) and then schedule it and stick to it. It also helps that my boyfriend and I have all we need to work out in the basement and he is VERY supportive of my fitness goals.

I just started getting into a routine with the help of a fitness coach (free for DE state employees), MFP, and soon, a FitBit Zip!

cheron40

When the kids were smaller, (I have 3 children) all I could do was walk with them in the stroller, as they outgrew the stroller I used a wagon it was heavy pulling it- but it gave me a work out- we would go after dinner- but mostly on weekends=
now that they are out of daycare- I go right after work- and only do 30 minutes, as I still have to get home to do homework, cook dinner etc ect....
its no easy at all to find the time when you have little ones-

afrazier128

Hi! I have a very active 15 y/o. I work full-time and am also working on my masters. I go to the gym up like a block up from my office immediately after work at least 4 days a week, and 1 weekend day. Wednesdays are Cardio Box, which kicks my *kitten* but I don't like to miss it. Make the commitment and do some planning. I do a couple of slow cooker meals during the week and make some larger meals over the weekend for leftovers. Good luck!

Scarlett_S

You can definitely do it. I have been a working mom for 18 years now. I didn't do it for a long time, and I've come to realize the excuses about no time were MY excuses -- my kids would have been fine if I were happier. They are 9, 13, and 17 now and have crazy busy schedules. I work fill time as a manager of a construction company and I work part time (two nights a week) as a karate instructor. My kids attend the classes I teach at.

What works for me is pre-planning my meals on Sunday and making sure I have the ingredients on hand and maybe cooking some things in advance. I prep things to take to work for salads and stuff like chicken breast, tuna, salmon and veggies. I make sure I have a plan in place for dinner on busy nights. I don't buy ANYTHING that is a temptation for me including ice cream, cookies, etc. My kids don't need it either. They get it "out" often enough....I do not feel guilty about not keeping crap food on hand.

For exercise, I get up at 4:30 every morning and I am at the gym by 5:00, and back at my house by 6:10 to wake up kids and get people moving. I have to be at work by 7:30 everyday. If I miss my morning workout, I go across the street to a different gym at lunch time. Typically, though, I do better all day long if I work out first thing in the morning. I pay more attention to my food, I get more water in. If I miss a weekday workout, I will do an extra workout at the gym on Saturday or Sunday. I wear a bodymedia fit and if I don't have enough activity in for the day, I'll make myself go for a walk or run in the evening as well.

blink1021

I work full time and have two kids one is 9 and the other is 4 months. My workouts are in the evenings after work and on weekends when hubby can help out and watch the baby. On the weekends if its nice out I include my kids. As far as meals my family eats what I do I do not make two separate meals. My husband and my son have both adapted well and there are occasions I will make a special treat for them since their weight is not an issue. I will sometimes make them sloppy joes and I will eat just the veggies that I make to go with it or we will order pizza and I make a salad to go with it so I limit myself to one piece. Its nice to have a treat every now and then and it keeps the complaining to a zero if they have something to look forward to. I am not burger king they cannot have it their way everyday. I tell my hubby that if he doesn't like it he can cook his own dinner and shop for his own food and that usually shuts him up if he feels the need to complain. It is doable and if you have small children its hard because of child care and your own exhaustion, but I do not make unrealistic goals if I only get 3-4 days to workout I consider it a win and move on its not going to be everyday with everything that I need to do and I am ok with that. I am still losing so as long as I see a change I am good.

steph0924

From my experience, you have to get it up there on the priority list. In the 10 years since I've had kids, I've had to adjust the time I work out to work around my kids' schedules. When they were littler, I'd get in a quick workout before I'd go home or pick them up from the sitter each day. As they have gotten older, it has actually gotten easier and harder in some ways. Easier in that they understand why I workout, so they let me have my time for it; harder in that I workout at varying times to work aound their schedules. Sometimes as late as 9 p.m. (But I am not good for working out in the morning, I always sleep too late).

Alot of times other things have to take a backseat like how often I clean the house. I watch practically no tv and I love me some HGTV, so I miss that. Also, don't sabotage yourself like I have by not eating right. I'd say diet is 75% of the battle and I am constantly spinning my wheels b/c while I like to workout, l don't eat right. I am struggling myself right now and am trying to get back into the groove. It's hard not to beat myself up when I can't keep it all together. So also, sometimes you maybe doing better than other times. Just find what works for you can keep plugging along.

ashleyngill

I work full-time (7-4), am a full-time student (online), and my husband is gone Mon-Fri. I understand not having a lot of time, but I have found doing one to two 20-30 minute workouts a day (trying for at least 4 days a week) works better than trying to haul my kids to a gym with me (even if there is a daycare at the gym). I get an hour for lunch, so (up until this week) my workouts consisted of 30 Day Shred during that time. This week, though, I am doing 30DS in the mornings before I wake my kiddos up, and then running for 20-30 minutes during my lunch. I changed it up because I know I will have a PT test here in the next few months, and I need to get used to running at a higher elevation (we moved last fall).

Once it gets warmer, I will probably change it up again and run outside in the evenings with my toddler in the stroller and my 7-year-old on her bike.

LeenaRuns

I work full time, am working on my master's thesis, and have a 2-yo. My husband leaves the house at 4:30 in the morning for work, so I get up at 3:40 every day to work out at home and then go to the gym to lift after work a few days a week. You don't find time, you make time.

Ohwhynot

I was just typing up a response on what I do when I realized... why is it the mom's job to workout, plan meals, go grocery shopping, work full time, cook, etc?

Anyway, I quit going to the gym because my son hated the daycare there so I couldn't get a workout in without being interrupted, and I felt guilty going when I work all day... I felt like I should be home with him, etc. We moved to a nicer neighborhood so now my exercise is taking him for walks. No, it's not 4 hrs of power pump a day, but it's better than nothing!

Christizzzle

I am a single mom who works full time. I always felt guilty if I spent any time at all outside of work away from my girls. I don't know, something just clicked in me that said I need to do this for me. So I signed my older daughter up for an after school program and I leave the littler one at daycare for an hour longer and I hit the gym directly after work.

I have also involved them in why we are making better food choices and we try new things together, so far so good!!

Good luck!

lenniebus

Welcome to MFP!! Being a working mom is crazy hard on so many levels, but I've found early morning works best for me as far as workouts. I either go running or do a DVD workout at around 5 a.m., and then I'm done by 6ish, and can help get the kiddos ready for school (and myself ready for work). As far as eating, this is what I struggle the most with. I've become a big fan or healthy crock pot recipes, and pre-prepping as much as I can on the weekends so that I don't have to worry about it in the evenings as much. My kids are 7 and 10, and they have sports, activities in the evenings, so there's not a lot of time to cook...having stuff ready to go has been a big help. That way, I'm not tempted to resort to quick but unhealthy food.

Hope that helps a bit, and GOOD LUCK!!

nicola1141

I'm still working on figuring it out, but here's what's been working for me.

Working out in the morning. The baby (7 months) is up at 5:30 or 6:00, so instead of fighting it and trying to get her back to sleep (or trying to sleep on the couch while she plays nearby), I've been using that time to workout. A major personal victory for me was last week when I got up even before she did (she slept in that day) and still worked out. I've been working out at home while she plays around me. I have an elliptical, or use the Wii, or the sworkit app on my iPhone. On the weekends, I'll try to get out for a run (this weekend my 4 year came along on her bike).

For meals, I have lots of easy "throw together" stuff for my work lunches. I like to snack a lot at work, so this mornig I threw in a bag: Dole Live Right double dark chocolate bites, Skinny Cow Dreamy Clusters, an apple, a tupperware thingy of raspberries, a Babybel cheese, carrots and hummus, a tuna snackkit and a turkey pepperoni. I feel like I've been eating all day and am quite full. Plus, it was all pretty much ready to go in the morning and was pretty "grab and go".

For dinners, I plan out 5-7 meals on the weekend and shop for them. Then I have a list on my fridge of those meals that can be cooked quickly and so I can choose which one I want when I get home and know that all the "pieces" are there. Sometimse I'll pre-make meat sauce for spaghetti or something.

duckiec

Welcome!

I have 3 young kiddos, and so far my tricks have been to get up ridiculously early to get the workout in before they (or most of them) get up. Alarm starts going of at three-freaking-45, up by 4. TOTALLY SUCKS but it's what I gotta do, I know I won't workout at night. I work out at home (DVDs, online resources, jogging around neighborhood, etc) so I don't have a gym commute to add. I'd like to add a gym membership soon, in which I'll go right before work, probably; get to public transport right when they open, assuming hubby can flex his schedule a bit. We are also starting to add more active things now that it's getting nicer here- walks to/at the park. playing outside after dinner, etc. I also insist that hubby watches them Sat. mornings so I can go to a Zumba class. This has helped both with fitness goals, and with me resenting him because I never get any ME time. I'd rather be getting a pedicure, but baby steps . When we go out as a family, I make sure I'm either carrying the youngest (22mo) in a Ergo, or pulling one or two in a wagon, to add some resistance, since a 3yo's pace is less than aerobic. I don't really count that as exercise, but as bonus active time.

As far as food, I just buy the same basic things every week and eat those pretty much every day. Really boring, but they're known quantities. I also planned out some go-to meals at the local lunch places (mostly chains) in case there's a "lets go out for this meeting" - that way I know what to get before I get there. It does sort of make me feel restricted/deprived, but I dont go out often so I try to look at that as a treat in itself. No, it doesn't always work .

For dinners, my hubby actually is the one to get dinner started, but when hes out of town, this is pretty easy- another set of go-to meals to pick from and make. Or, if I know the kids won't want broiled fish again, I'll make us all a big salad (they like that) and make them something (i.e. homemade fishstix or chicken fingers) and make myself something similar but better for me. Likewise, sometimes its just a mac-and-cheese kind of day for them, and I have a stock of freezer meals

You can do this!

steph0924

I was just typing up a response on what I do when I realized... why is it the mom's job to workout, plan meals, go grocery shopping, work full time, cook, etc?

^^I agree! Although my husband has been working 3 jobs (1 FT and 2 PT b/c he has the opportunity at this time) so we can feel like we are at least getting slightly ahead, but it is really hard to schedule meals around him and it has been a source of stress for me.

andiechick

Its hard, I work part-time, do a college course part-time and have a hubby who works shifts, but what I find works best for me is to do my workout as soon as I get home from work. I put the tv on in one room for the kids then go in the dining room and use my computer to play my workout. I can't do this everyday but I try to aim for 2-3 times a week. I also swim on one of my days off while my little girl is in nursery. As for food, I buy a lot of frozen veg and that way it saves on prep time and I always have it in ready to use. It's better than having fresh veg wasting away in your fridge cos you're short on time x

mrsTravo9112

I had a hard time adding it to my schedule also. My kids are older, but I had to sacrifce my mornings...AND let me be clear I'M NOT A MORNING PERSON! I work from 10:30 -7pm & school 2-3 nights a week from 6-10pm - so to make up the hours that i leave early, i go in earlier to work. ANYWHO! I wake up anywhere from 6:30 to 7pm to get a workout in from 30-60 mins, shower & then usually cook the family dinner (Popping dinner in the oven to cook, while i workout) & tidy up. before work - to include assigning everyone else the task needed around the house so that we work as a TEAM...

Also, i took my own advise...I require the kids to gather all their clothes & accessories (clean socks & undies, earrings, necklaces- to avoid the 'mad search' each morning) for the week & place them on hangers on Sunday night! This causes all of us to look at the news together & make decisions on what to wear to AVOID the total headache in the mornings! :mad: - just in case anyone oversleeps! the kids are to shower before bed, tidy their rooms & bathroom clean (before bed) so they only have to make the beds in the morning, brush their teeth & put on their clothes.

It's not a perfect system, but it seems to work for us (MOST DAYS) but life happens, depending on the age of the kids you can adjust accordingly.

the #1 rule is make your workouts a priority, if you don't the family won't think your serious & they won't either... As mom's we tend to consider everyone elses time as priority & ours as flexible... HOWEVER, just like their practices or lessons, our workouts should be placed on the calendar... Life Happens, so when things don't go according to plan, don't panic.:flowerforyou:

the BEST TO YOU! Super-MOM ~ We all have to stick TOGETHER!

mrsTravo9112

As far as meals... I try to bake everything (usually putting it in the oven while I work out) & while we are watching the news for the weather, i am also planning the meals for hte week - that way everyone can pitch in to help... my class nights either my husband will cook or i bake something that morning for that nights dinner. Everyone eats pretty much the same. I use to do 1 meal & the only alternate was pb & j - like my mom did us, to avoid running myself crazy trying to fix 3 different meals ... My hubby knows if he doesn't like whats on the menu - they can all agree & change it AND MAKE WHATEVER else they wanted. That's my rules. I'm eating healthier, so Mom Rules!

JenMc14

I work full time outside the home and have two kids, 12 & 4. My husband and I work in the same building, so we carpool most days. He goes to the gym in the mornings, I workout at home while the kids are still sleeping. (It is this way because he was going to the gm at 5am long before we started dating, and I'm the one that decided am workouts worked best for me, too. He would gladly watch the kids if I wanted pm workouts, and has for me in the past, but I digress.) He gets up at 4, I get up between 4:15 and 4:30. He's out the door about 4:45, that's about when I head to the basement to workout. I like to be done and have everything logged by 6. Sometimes th LO wakes up and she'll watch a show or play while I finish. I hit the shower, I flick on the light in my 12 year olds room. If the LO's not up, her light gets flipped on. I get dressed. I might eat, I might makes a breakfast to make at work, I might make lunch for me and/or my husband (12 year old packs her own if she wants it taht day). I cater to the whims of the 4 year old. I get the 4 year old dressed. I make sure the 12 year old is actually up. Husabnd comes home around 4:45, we try to leave for daycare and work by 7. We get home around 5:15, Big Kid might need to be picked up if she had an after school thing that day. I make dinner, typically the same things each week, hubby usually does the dishes, sometimes I do. He does the laundry on the weekends, I do the grocery shopping on the weekends. I do the shuttling to gymnastics (which is fine with me because I get in an extra workout that day at their girls' gym!) I usually do bathtime for LO, I usually put her to bed after her insane bedtime routine that includes hugs and kisses and glasses of water, but hubby would take turns with me if she'd let him, it's always, "I want moimmy to put me to bed!" We make sure 12 year old has homework done and clarinet practiced. We all hang out or hubby and I hang out and she watches TV in the basement or messes around in her room. I'm usually in bed around 9 or 9:30. We all just hang out on the weekends.

This is what works for us. We have a fairly split division of labor, and we have a 12 year old that can help with her sister or the dog or whatever as well. Our house is never spotless, but usually picked up. Working out in the morning is what works for me because there's too many excuses in the evenings and on the weekends. Having a supportive partner who helps around the house is huge, imho.

emjaycazz

Bumping and adding myself to this discussion. I work full-time and have a 12 year old son who has after-school things 4 out of the 5 days of the work week, and then always a soccer game or 2 on weekends. My husband is very busy as well--he also works full time, and is a race director (on a volunteer basis) for a regional auto racing association.

5:30 a.m. is my workout time. I gather all of my workout gear and put it in either the hall or the guest bedroom the night before. I am finishing up a 60 day DVD program that varies from 30 minutes to 60 minutes in length. I would not be able to fit it in if I didn't do it in the morning, and it gives me energy for the rest of the day.

wordyroo

I take my son with me when I do my C25K. And every Wednesday, I leave work about 20 minutes early and meet with a trainer while he's still at daycare. He ends up being there about 40 minutes longer that day, but it gives me some time to myself!

TedStout

You can definitely do it. I have been a working mom for 18 years now. I didn't do it for a long time, and I've come to realize the excuses about no time were MY excuses -- my kids would have been fine if I were happier. They are 9, 13, and 17 now and have crazy busy schedules. I work fill time as a manager of a construction company and I work part time (two nights a week) as a karate instructor. My kids attend the classes I teach at.

What works for me is pre-planning my meals on Sunday and making sure I have the ingredients on hand and maybe cooking some things in advance. I prep things to take to work for salads and stuff like chicken breast, tuna, salmon and veggies. I make sure I have a plan in place for dinner on busy nights. I don't buy ANYTHING that is a temptation for me including ice cream, cookies, etc. My kids don't need it either. They get it "out" often enough....I do not feel guilty about not keeping crap food on hand.

For exercise, I get up at 4:30 every morning and I am at the gym by 5:00, and back at my house by 6:10 to wake up kids and get people moving. I have to be at work by 7:30 everyday. If I miss my morning workout, I go across the street to a different gym at lunch time. Typically, though, I do better all day long if I work out first thing in the morning. I pay more attention to my food, I get more water in. If I miss a weekday workout, I will do an extra workout at the gym on Saturday or Sunday. I wear a bodymedia fit and if I don't have enough activity in for the day, I'll make myself go for a walk or run in the evening as well.

This! I doubt there is anyone on here who hasn't had an excuse to not get in shape. Its your choice, your life. If its important, you will find the time. You CAN do it. Yeah, its hard...its hard work for everyone, not just working moms. You definitely have other, different challenges than I do, for instance. But I have had to overcome MY challenges to make it work. 4 am, 5 days a week to get in the gym...sucks...but its worth it.

run_way

I work full time and have an 11-month old. I prepare mine (sometimes my husband's) and my daughter's breakfast, lunch, and snack every evening before I go to bed, I go the gym at 5am so that I can shower and get back in time to get her up and fed and ready for the day so we can leave by 7:15 and have a few minutes to be together in the morning. I usually have to grocery shop on e a week because I get a lot of fruit and it would spoil otherwise - I usually do this on Fridays when I leave work a little earlier.

I try to make a lot of things ahead of time so I'm not cooking every night - like I will grill 4-6 chicken breasts at a go so I can use them for whatever I need. A big pot of spaghetti, stir fry, etc. I put our little girl to bed at 7:30 so that my hubby and I have at least a couple hours alone together and hopefully keep our sanity a little longer

I am not trying to say I've got it figured out - for example, our house is a total wreck because I would rather take any extra time to hang out with my husband than clean, but I'm trying to get better at this, I am not a neat person But preparing meals and exercising in the mornings has worked the best for me.

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emjaycazz

I am not trying to say I've got it figured out - for example, our house is a total wreck because I would rather take any extra time to hang out with my husband than clean, but I'm trying to get better at this, I am not a neat person But preparing meals and exercising in the mornings has worked the best for me.

There is a book called Good Enough is the New Perfect that hits this point--more women are letting go of the notion of being perfect (perfectly clean house, square meals for everyone, etc.) according to other people's standard and looking more at what you want for yourself. I work VERY hard at not letting the mess on my kitchen table or the tires from last weekend's race sitting in my hallway bother me!

stellcorb

I am a full time working mom of a 3.5 year old, a 10.5 month old and I consider my mind completely lost. My husband actually has to be responsible for cooking dinners because my hours are crazy and I normally don't get home before 6:30 or 7... and he is not a very talented cook... but I have to appreciate it. As far as working out, its all about forcing the time into your day and making it a priority. Sometimes that means less sleep or less downtime, but it's worth it in the end. I haven't been able to work out for a while because I had hip surgery the end of February (6 weeks on crutches was BRUTAL), but I'm looking forward to getting back to it soon. I was able to squeeze a half an hour in on the weekdays in the mornings after my husband left to drop the kids off at daycare if I wanted to sleep in until 6:40 and get into work by 9. If I needed to get to work earlier, I need to get up by 5:30 so I could be home in time to get the kids ready. Its hard... but it does pay off.