I'm not making excuses but I need help!

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  • saudade87
    saudade87 Posts: 44
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    I'm gonna go another route here. If you say you "have the diet down", why not just eat at a deficit and not worry about exercise? You'll still lose weight. Unless your goal is to be fit and thinner, I wouldn't stress about fitting in exercise.

    THANK YOU! This is what I have been doing and losing, I just feel bad about not getting the exercise part!

    as a registered nurse, i cannot stress enough how so very VERY important exercise is, as part of your daily life. I have treated 40-50 year olds who watched what they ate, but did not exercise, and ended up having heart attacks/strokes/etc...
    I really truly think it would be best if you and a mom friend could share driving the kids- I bet other moms would love the idea just as much and would appreciate splitting the work!
    Good luck!
  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
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    If you work in a cube this won't work ..... but if you have an office

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WjduJjO1pLg&feature=related
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PnsfbneFQ_8&feature=related
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FqWhX-RB1s0&feature=related

    Rain or shine ..... I can always get a walk in
  • juliec33
    juliec33 Posts: 238 Member
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    Sounds to me like you get plenty of exercise just running around after the kiddos. And for those that say - just get up an hour earlier - well, sleep is a very important part of weight loss. If you're not getting enough sleep it can have a dominoe effect that will impact lots of areas of your life. I do agree that keeping a pair of walking shoes at work and walking on breaks, lunch, etc will help. If walking outside isn't an option does your building have stairs? Sometimes if it's rainy outside I just walk up and down the stairwell to shake off the afternoon sleepiness. Keep up the good work and don't worry so much about the exercise. Diet is the key!
  • gissalm
    gissalm Posts: 41
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    if you are dieting with a low cal intake and you have sendentary as your activity i wouldn't worry about exercise unless you want to tone and build muscle then you have to make the time... what you already do is pretty much active, i can't imagine doing all of this in heels! ...

    I have a 6 year old and I work too and I know it's hard, I can't imagine 3 kids; you are pretty active because you are always going going going ... if you really want to exercise you can do it on the weekends, eventually you will find the time during the week, maybe some push ups before goign to bed, baby steps! :wink:

    I also agree with you getting your sleep, that is important too and rest too!! - i know you can find a balance, but don't feel bad for wanting to take a break and just rest instead of exercise ... as long as you are not eating crap while you do it, it's fine!
    Everybody is different and does this at their own pace. :smile:
  • DonniesGirl69
    DonniesGirl69 Posts: 644 Member
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    Why aren't the kids helping? I've been a single parent. I know how tough it can be. Your 2 oldest should be making their own lunches, and maybe yours too. They should also be in charge of their own clothes. Can one of the kids give the 6yo a bath? My 9yo plays with my 2yo sometimes so I can do things while the little one is playing in the tub. Last night I got to work out and watch my favorite tv show at the same time!


    Can the 6yo do their HW in the car while you're picking up/ dropping off kids? Not ideal, I know...but some kids can handle this.


    Asking other parents to carpool is also another great way to make time reappear into your schedule.

    Take sneakers to walk at lunch.

    I do leg lifts under my desk.

    This too......my daughter has been doing her own laundry and making her own lunches since she was 9.
  • Nerdy_Rose
    Nerdy_Rose Posts: 1,277 Member
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    It is true that you can lose weight without exercising, but exercise has a plethora of other benefits for your heart, lungs, and overall well-being.

    I agree with the following:

    look into rotating/carpooling with other parents for after school activities
    keep sneakers at your desk for lunch-hour activity
    make your 12 & 13 year old kids get their own sports uniforms, and get their own lunches ready

    Also, weekends! Exercise doesn't have to be an every day thing for you to reap the benefits.

    Every little bit counts!
  • BerryH
    BerryH Posts: 4,698 Member
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    If I were to change into what I think is comfortable, (sweats and a hoodie) my kids wouldn't let me out of the house! lol
    Tough, they're not the boss of you. Once you're in workout gear you can grab every opportunity for a mini-workout. Run up and down the stairs, jog on the spot, do squats, triceps dips and crunches, do star-jumps and burpees, throw around some dumbbells or get a resistance band. It all helps!
  • Determinednoob
    Determinednoob Posts: 2,001 Member
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    Well, obviously you are plenty active already. With only 14 lbs to lose, I hope you are set at "Lose 1/2 lb per week."

    It's going to be slow going to lose that last 14 lbs, no matter if you magically find an extra hour in your day, or not. Just work on eating as cleanly as you can. You get plenty of movement already.

    I went down to 12% at 2 lbs per week with no muscle or strength loss. 14lbs took 7 weeks. I dunno why 1/2 would be a max.
  • LoosingMyLast15
    LoosingMyLast15 Posts: 1,457 Member
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    Ok, I know a lot of you are going to say that I'm making excuse but I really do struggle with finding time to work out. I think I have the diet part down though. Here is my typical daily schedule. I have 3 kids btw, ages 6, 12, 13.

    Up at 5 am to get ready for work
    6am - wake up oldest son
    6:30am - pack lunches for self and kids, gather sports uniforms for after school practices
    6:55am - out the door
    4:30pm - rush home to fix dinner
    5:00pm - out the door to drop daughter off at cheerleading
    5:30pm - pick oldest son up at soccer
    6:00pm - back home to do homework with 6 year old
    6:45pm - out the door to pick up daughter at cheer then off to Gymnastics
    8Pm - shower the youngest and get him into bed
    9pm - back out the door to pick up daughter from gymnastics
    9:45pm - finally able to take work clothes and shoes off before passing out

    I have no help with running my kids around or doing any of the household chores (dinner, homework, etc) so I'm busy.
    I'm not complaining because this is my life that I chose to live so my kids are active and happy.
    I'm just asking for some tips on exercises I can do quickly throughout the day. I'm aware that walking is good and I would do this on lunch break but in heels and where I work, that doesn't happen.

    Thanks in advance.

    bring sneakers to work and go for a walk at lunch. i don't have children so i'm not going to touch changing your schedule. how about doing mini exercises while making dinner, packing lunches, helping 6 yr old with homework (squats, arm curls, tricep dips, things like this). run out to your car, park in the furthest spot possible when picking up daughter and run to the door. every little bit will help. good luck - and i'd hate to have your crazy schedule. :)
  • kristen6022
    kristen6022 Posts: 1,926 Member
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    Alright, I realize exercise is a very IMPORTANT aspect of life, but the OP is stressed that she can't find time to do so. She's busy, and I was giving her reassurance that it is possible to achieve her goals and not KILL herself.

    Now, would 20-30 minutes 2-3 times a week be better. YES. But it isn't NECESSARY.

    Get out with your kids on weekends and walk. Go for hikes. Get bikes. But during the week when you are BUSY concentrate on eating at a deficit and feeding your body well.
  • pamperedlinny
    pamperedlinny Posts: 1,589 Member
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    there are exercises you can do at your desk at work that are quick & easy. Try looking at fitbolt.com or something similiar.
    Also, I usually walk at lunch time and my morning break from work. I keep a whole outfit & sneakers in a bag under my desk so at lunch I can get a really power walk in without being sweaty the rest of the day (also have deoderant, body spray, etc in that same bag).
  • Capt_Apollo
    Capt_Apollo Posts: 9,026 Member
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    also, if you start bulk cooking it frees up a lot of time. winter meals, such as chilli, pastas, stews, etc really lend themselves to that.


    also, that whole line "945pm finally take off my shoes and get comfortable" kills me. i'd feel like crap walking around in work clothes all day. do you really not even have five minutes to change??

    Someone-Busier-Than-You-Is-Workout-Out-And-Eating-Right-from-Starling-Fitness.jpg


    If I were to change into what I think is comfortable, (sweats and a hoodie) my kids wouldn't let me out of the house! lol

    who cares what kids think??

    also, change into work out clothes. that way maybe when you find twenty minutes that you are free, you are already ready to take advantage of it and work out!!!
  • steph1278
    steph1278 Posts: 483 Member
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    What are doing in the half hour between waking your son up and preparing lunches? You could still wake up at 5, work out for 30 minutes, then shower and get dressed before waking up your son. Then finish getting ready before you make lunches. Or like others have suggested, make lunches the night before or have your oldest kids in charge of that. We all lead busy lives and I don't envy you being a single mom. It's a hard enough job with 2 parents. I applaud you for keeping your kids active and being involved in their lives, but you need to take care of yourself too.
  • bellesouth18
    bellesouth18 Posts: 1,070 Member
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    Wake all of the children up at the same time and let them pack their own lunches and gather their own equipment, etc., while you exercise. They are quite capable of doing this type of thing. :smile:
  • crystalflame
    crystalflame Posts: 1,049 Member
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    Since you're close to your goal, your body's going to benefit a lot more from toning than it is from long cardio sessions. Intersperse supersets throughout your day, like pushups and crunches in the mornings, squats and lunges in your office during the day sometime, and tricep dips and pullups in the evenings. They'll take 5-10 minutes each, and you'll get a full body workout. If you need more time, the carpooling thing definitely, and instead of cooking dinner every night, do a marathon cooking session on Sunday so you can reheat leftovers all week. That will save you a huge chunk of time every evening right there.

    Edited to add that I vote against you waking up earlier - sleep is just as important to being healthy as exercise is. You need that.
  • eve7166
    eve7166 Posts: 223 Member
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    I'm gonna go another route here. If you say you "have the diet down", why not just eat at a deficit and not worry about exercise? You'll still lose weight. Unless your goal is to be fit and thinner, I wouldn't stress about fitting in exercise.

    THANK YOU! This is what I have been doing and losing, I just feel bad about not getting the exercise part!

    Why would you NOT want to be fitter, stronger and healthier? Sure you can lose weight by just eating at a deficiency…but don’t you want to have a healthy heart, look good &feel strong?

    I second that. Sounds like you just wanted someome to tell you it was OK NOT TO excersice.

    You have 2 hours from the time you wake up to you get out the door. Im sure the older kids get dressed alone or you can squeeze a 20 minutes excersize in there somewhere before you wake them up. Also you can take clothes to change during lunch you dont have to walk in your heels. Lastely while the 6 year old does homework for 45 minutes you can fit in a 20-30 minutes workout. You really can be near him if he needs help but im sure he can do alot on his own.
  • xSCiNTILLATEx79
    xSCiNTILLATEx79 Posts: 245 Member
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    I am up at 3:40 every morning to go work out. You do what you have to.

    This^^ bring sneakers to work for lunch hour walk. hide in an office and do squats/situps/jumping jacks...every time I get up and go to the bathroom I stay in there a little longer and try to get out 20-50 squats or lunges, maybe a few jumping jacks. they add up, every little bit help. I also have a heavy resistance band at my desk I can take out and do arm excercises with.

    Try starting with waking up 30 minutes earlier even if you get just that in its a start. I've slept in my workout clothes before just so I can roll outta bed ready if im crunched on time....what about weekends?
  • Akimajuktuq
    Akimajuktuq Posts: 3,037 Member
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    youre up at 5.
    get up at 4.

    This......it sucks balls, but on days that I know I'm going to be working both jobs and running my daughter around, I have to do it because NOT getting the run in is simply not an option for me.

    "If it's important, you'll make time. If it's not, you'll make excuses."

    (please don't think I'm being mean, I'm not....that's just a quote that REALLY helped me :happy: )

    Sure, exercise is important, but not at the expense of sleep. No way. There are many, many studies and info out there on the importance of sleep and I never, ever do anything at the expense of sleep. (I'm a single mom too, but my life is much less hectic since I live in the Arctic.)

    I'm getting a used Bowflex for weight training at home. Even a few minutes, here and there, of weight training is highly beneficial. According to a recent study (Appl Physiol Nutr Metab. 2012 Sep 20) a few minutes of weight training may be more beneficial than 30 minutes of cardio.

    Please mom, eat well, get your sleep, look after you and your kids, and then add in what you can. I think you are likely getting lots of exercise just doing your day to day stuff. :flowerforyou:
  • ArroganceInStep
    ArroganceInStep Posts: 6,239 Member
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    I'm up between 4 and 420 to catch my train to work. I go to the gym either in the morning in the city or at lunch. It's not terribly conveinent but I have to do it if I'm going to get to the gym.

    You can get in a pretty killer workout in under 10 minutes if you push yourself:
    Pushups to failure
    Inverted rows or chins to failure
    Bodyweight Squats to failure

    No rest in between, repeat the series ad nauseum until you're out of time.
  • senyosmom
    senyosmom Posts: 613 Member
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    I have a tight schedule as well....

    I keep a pair of flip flops at work so I can take off my heels and do a 20 minute walk during my lunchbreak but still have time to eat.
    Do your kids have activites EVERY weeknight? If not, ry going for a walk or jog on those nights. And if you have to - put a lot of exercise into your weekends. Kick the ball around with the kids, ride bikes with them, etc.

    I can only sqeeze in a hour of gym twice a week (and that is with my husbands help with the baby) so I try to get a little extr in on the weekends if possible.

    Maybe you have a friend or family member who could help you out one weekday night so you can find time for yourself.

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