single mom can't find time & motivation to work out

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  • Anthonydaman
    Anthonydaman Posts: 854 Member
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    I would normally say there is always time to exercise, but you my dear have a full plate. Maybe a daily walk in the evening with your little one?
  • trina433
    trina433 Posts: 96
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    oh sweetheart. i am with you. i understand its hard. i am a single mom of two kids 3 and 6 i work and got to school. i find short 30 min workouts to be the best to fit into my schedule. jillian micheals 30 day shred is my current workout. IT WORKS!!! TRUST ME. good luck and feel free to add me :):)
  • JolieJemmaMomma
    JolieJemmaMomma Posts: 54 Member
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    i also have a tight schedule with my 2 girls..... I have to get up at 4am if i want to exercise. It sounds aweful but you get used to it and it really helps wake me up and my energy level stays elevated throughout the day.
  • AmyFett
    AmyFett Posts: 1,607 Member
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    I have two little girls, 2 and 3, and I'm a full-time college student, and taking additional classes apart from that, no I don't have a 'job' but I'm BUSY keeping up with everything else. In my honest opinion, if you want it bad enough, you do what you have to to make it work.
  • ghimm
    ghimm Posts: 38 Member
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    If you're looking for home exercises to try to squish into your schedule somewhere, check out the beginner body weight exercises on nerdfitness.com. Its a pretty good site for exercising anywhere, anytime. Good luck!
  • fuhrmeister
    fuhrmeister Posts: 1,796 Member
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    I'm a single mum of 3 (9yrs, 7yrs and 2yrs).

    Jillian Michaels 30 Day Shred. Even if I'm tired I tell myself it's only 20 mins after they go to bed and if I want to get in shape I need to do it.

    If you want to find time you will.

    I'm not a single mom but I second the Jilliam Michaled 30 day shred. 20min and done. in the am or righ tbefore bed. it combines cardio and weights. Also taking a nice 20 min wak with your little one before or afterdiner 2 or 3 nights a week might be fun.

    Lots of luck!
  • HypersonicFitNess
    HypersonicFitNess Posts: 1,219 Member
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    Do you get a lunch break? Even if it's 30 minutes, can you take sneakers to work (and if you're afraid of sweating, a t-shirt and whatever else you might need to feel fresh after). Go for a lunch time walk, you'll be amazed at what a lift a lunch time walk will do for you, physically and mentally. Even if it has to be a 15-20 minute walk, you're getting out there.

    Don't think of exercise as a must do all at once.

    Think of this....

    If you can get up and do 15 minutes of something before work
    Do 15-20 minutes at lunch
    Maybe a 15 minute walk with your toddler before starting dinner at night (it really clears the head); it'll go a long way

    You'll be surprise what a walk will do and in the morning you can always do a short dance video or just dance around to some music, do some jumping jacks, pretend jump rope (any type of calisthenics, you can do a 15 minute ab routine a couple times a week)

    Losing weight is 99% what you eat....but you can still fit exercise into an active single mom life.
  • cheekydeeky
    cheekydeeky Posts: 146 Member
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    i'm a single mom and i work full time. i MADE time. it's my health and my family. :) good luck to you!
  • weird_me2
    weird_me2 Posts: 716 Member
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    If you're looking for home exercises to try to squish into your schedule somewhere, check out the beginner body weight exercises on nerdfitness.com. Its a pretty good site for exercising anywhere, anytime. Good luck!

    I recommend the body weight exercises from nerdfitness, too! I took his beginner plan and adapted it to fit my needs, and now I have a plan I can do in about 15 minutes WHILE watching my favorite shows. It's not my only or even my main exercise, but I was looking for a way to do some strength work without a gym, and I like it. I hope to progress to more difficult exercises and the advanced workout over time.
  • JulieDive
    JulieDive Posts: 29 Member
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    Why don't you try and work out when watching TV. Every time the ad's are on walk in place for the entire time they are on. You will be suprised how much you can do!:wink:

    I wish I had time to even watch TV :( thanks for the suggestion
  • AmyFett
    AmyFett Posts: 1,607 Member
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    Do you work like 80 hours a week? If you want to tone, you won't get there without making time for yourself... Not trying to be rude or mean with my comments, just truthful. You need to make the time, you said yourself, if you get up earlier, you can do it, so if that's the way to do it, why not?
  • itali614
    itali614 Posts: 53 Member
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    Then don't exercise.

    Being a mother, and working, you probably are spending a few extra calories than purely sedentary people would anyway.

    I would suggest getting the extra sleep (Will make you feel more energized throughout the day, making you probably spend a few extra calories every hour).

    Create your weight loss goal through a caloric deficit.

    You will need to add weight training to firm things up, but if you already have trouble with time, that may be an issue.


    I agree with this. I am a mother of a 3,2, and 9 month old. Two days per week I babysit another 3 year old and a 7 week old. I say Kudos to single moms!!!! My friend lost tons of weight on here just following the calorie deficit (she has 6 kids and her opportunities to exercise were minimal). Having said this you may be a person who needs that outlet and will feel better. As a single mom there aren't as many outlets for whatever gets pent up. I walk as many days per week as I can with my kiddos. I wear the 9 month or 2 year old and the other go in a jogging stroller. Perhaps you could try that a couple days per week after dinner. Best wishes. Hope it works out!!! and GOD BLESS!!! Your task of parenting is a very tiresome one but worth it when your children "Arise and Call you Blessed!!!"
  • Cwilliams8676
    Cwilliams8676 Posts: 300 Member
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    i find it really hard to believe you dont have 15 or 20 minutes 3 times a week to squeeze in a workout. If something is important to you you will make time. I hope you find the time and meet your goals. Maybe do as the others suggest and just do it through diet alone.
    best of luck to you
  • lowbodyfat
    lowbodyfat Posts: 37
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    I dont know what Im talking about. Im just a dumb guy but maybe fit in a 20 minute workout during that little window of time when you get home but before dinner. Make it something with weights. Go buy weights, heavier ones, not light ones, you havent much time. :) get that Abs Diet for Women book, i think the program is based around 20-30 minute workouts. Dont drop the weights on your toddler. :)
  • MemphisKitten
    MemphisKitten Posts: 878 Member
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    I know what it's like to be a single working mother to a toddler! My youngest just started Kindergarten, but being a full-time college student and single mom isn't much easier except for I will get a couple extra hours during the day to do homework while the kids are at school. What you have to do sweetie is MAKE time for yourself! I say this to my best friend all the time: "You have to take care of your child's mother FIRST!" As mothers, we are always so busy taking care of everyone else that we often forget to take care of ourselves. But is your child going to be proud of you when your health starts failing because you didn't take care of yourself? How is she going to feel when college rolls around and she wants to go hang out with her friends and have fun, but instead she has to go take care of her mother because her mother did not take care of herself when she had the chance? How is she going to view herself as she grows up and starts developing her own body image? Are you going to teach her that taking care of herself is not important, and that being overweight and/or unhealthy is an acceptable way to live her life? Or are you going to teach her that her self-esteem will soar if she takes only 30 minutes a day to herself to exercise and make good food choices? It is YOUR decision what you model for her; we are our children's most important role model, and it is our responsibility as parents to teach our children how to live happy and productive lives! Good luck to you dear, and I hope you make the RIGHT choice! :wink:
  • tabinmaine
    tabinmaine Posts: 965 Member
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    Maybe give us a little more detail about your timings... it seems that you get off of work at 4-5pm, go home and have supper, could be out on the road with the stroller by 6:30pm, bath for toddler and shower for you at 7:30, bed at 8pm.... ???

    What time do you work until, what time do you go to bed? What time does toddler go to bed ?
  • lowbodyfat
    lowbodyfat Posts: 37
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    Dumbells.
  • Jipples
    Jipples Posts: 663 Member
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    I am a full-time single mother to a toddler. My daily ritual is wake up about 5:30 get both of us ready for school and work, work a full day, pick up the little one @ school, go home make dinner, prepare for next day and go to bed. I previously had the flexibility to go to the gym at 5am before my daughter started pre-school 5 days a week. I absoloutely loved going to the gym to work out, but that no longer has a place in my busy schedule. I am a infomercial queen and I have bought several fitness routine DVDs over the years, some are still wrapped in their original packing. The only option that I really have is to get up earlier in the morning and do some kind of fitness routine in 45 minutes or less. I just can not get the motivation to get my butt out of bed to do it. I try to be as active as possible every other weekend when my daughter is with her father, but that tends to be catch up time for me to do the chores that are put to the way side.
    My fitness goals are to lose 25-30 lbs, drop 3-4 sizes and tone especially abs, butt and arms.
    Any suggestions would be appreciated.

    Sounds to me that there's really nothing you can do, and that diet and exercise just isn't in the cards for you. But, at least you gave it all you had. Oh wellz.....
  • kevin3344
    kevin3344 Posts: 702 Member
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    Most of this thread is focused on "make time" or "carve out 20 minutes a day". However, weight loss is not about working out. If it was, everyone in the gym would be fit. Weight loss is 99% what you are eating, and 1% exercise. You can achieve your goals without working out by eating clean and watching your calories.

    Of course, if you can add exercise that's even better, but it's not mandatory.

    So let's put your focus where it should be, and that is on your log. Everyone has a couple minutes a day to keep a log. It usually takes me 2 minutes to do mine. Later, you can work in exercise if you like. But it's not about exercise at this point. You can negate your exercise by one bad meal or cheesecake for dessert!
  • AmberJslimsAWAY
    AmberJslimsAWAY Posts: 2,468 Member
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    I'm a full time SINGLE mom with TWO children. If I can find time, you can too.

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