I think I need a pep-talk. I'm a little frustrated.

Where does hubby help in all of this?

A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness industry for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

Start something small. You can do a walk after dinner. This is nice because as the kids see you exercising they will join in. Some people like the Wii for this too. Something for like 10 minutes. In high school I loved TV so I would exercise during every commercial break. It's not a lot but I did lose of course I changed my eating habits.

Another idea is to do a quick DVD after the kids are put to sleep. They have some that are 10-30 minutes and of course try to make it a family affair on the weekends so you aren't dependent on a sitter.

It requires time. Even when you hit your goal you aren't going to be where you want to be. You have to find a healthy way to love what you need to do. 30 min of exercise a day is all you need. Eat a ton of veggies and dont worry about going over on your protein / mfp is low when it comes to what is usually required so if you are hitting 80-100 grams a day its definitely not 'bad' for you. Maybe with TV time or story time make time for a family walk or sports?

you can get some 10 min fitness dvds cheap off the internet. I fit them in whilst im cooking dinner. You can do a 10 min workout or you can do all 5 together for a 50 min workout. Called 10 minute solution and they have all different ones, im using carb and colorie burner and dance off fat fast.

1. Don't worry about your protein intake. Keep your fats down and keep to your cals sand you will be fine.
2. Kids are important yes but there is always a way to make it work. Do you have to drive everywhere? Maybe you can walk/cycle your kids around instead of driving? Can you do a workout DVD like the 30 Day Shred and squeeze it in evenings while kids are doing homework? Make time at the weekends to do a big workout. Remember, you wont be any good to your kids if you die prematurely because you haven't been focused on your health.

^^^ This ^^^ Make yourself a priority!!

Eat more protein!! The automatic values here are too low!! Protein is good. Fat is good too. Not fat from a deep fried something... but fat from nuts and avocados WILL NOT hamper your efforts. Truly the hardest part is the nutrition, so just start slowly, take into account every bite you put into your mouth, and make better decisions. Start with one choice here, and one there, and eventually you will really crave that pear and unsalted almond breakfast instead of the glazed pastry and OJ alternative. Eventually get up 30 min. early each day, take some 'you' time and walk or do a workout video off youtube....... or if nights are better as soon as both kids are in bed, take your 30 min. then....or on lunch break at work.

You just have to remember why you want this, and STICK TO IT!! You can do this for you! No one else will make time in your day to get moving more, or turn down the Kraft Mac & cheese and dice up ingredients for your salad for you. You have to do these things for you, and you can! Good luck!

Have hubby help with kiddos a.m. (breakfasts, packing lunches, cleaning up) and use the morning to get a good work out it. As for limiting macro nutrients. . .eating fats wisely is good, but worrying about every little fat/protein/carb is going to drive you crazy. Measure your foods to make sure you're getting the right serving sizes, plan your food intake for the bulk of the day, and EXPECT support/help from your husband. I wouldn't be able to do what I do without a TON of help from my hubby. He gets our youngest breakfast and cleans up, packs his lunch, reads the Bible with our 14 year old EVERY morning, he makes dinner, he helps drive kids to karate, etc.. . .without his help, I'd be hard pressed to fit in running and other fitness endeavors.

You said you want things to change. . . and CHANGE they must!! Good luck. You really will feel much better as you get more exercise!!

I get up at 4 to workout, but I didn't when I first started on MFP; I also didn't look at all of the macros. I focused on calories to start with, then started tweaking later. So, I wouldn't worry too much about "too much protein."

I know some will disagree, but I found that delaying my first meal until I'm truly hungry helps my "calorie bank" last longer throughout the day. Once I eat, my body wants food every two hours, so if I can wait until lunch, I'm much more likely to be successful without feeling deprived, so the need for snacks is diminished.

The 4am workouts work for me, but when I can't for whatever reason, I try to get in a half hour walk during the work day. If that's an option, I highly recommend it...especially if you've got some similarly motivated work friends. Get fit together while chatting about life.

But, most of all...hang in there. My weight fluctuates about 5 pounds within the same day, so I never count a weight change unless it hangs around several days in a row (weighing 1st thing in the morning). I had several weeks where the scale didn't budge, then all of a sudden I would be down 3-4 pounds. As long as you're burning more than your taking in, you're going to lose weight, so just keep doing what you're doing...and enjoy the journey as you make lifestyle changes with long-term benefits. You'll see the results soon enough.

You're in a busy phase of life! You're kids will grow soon enough and you'll have a little more you time. Have you talked to your husband about it? Can he help you fit in a little exercise, like take a walk while he bathes the kids or something? Or take a walk together, then you get to talk to each other and the kids get exercise, too. Something is better than nothing, it doesn't have to be big.

Have you checked out the South Beach Diet? He talks more about what kind of food you're eating than counting all the calories, etc.

I have four kids, all over 10 now. I know how busy and tired you feel.

Keep trying, it's important!

I don't see what you are doing over your lunch break on your list...how about a walk or some exercise? Eat some small meals throughout the day at the desk (if that's your kind of work). You have to carve out some time for yourself somewhere and defend it....everyone else has to help!

Exercise is the best lifestyle change.

Eating whole foods in healthy proportions might also be a good lifestyle change. I would suggest you read McDougall's website and books....it could change your life...its not ketogenic, not high protein. and its sustainable...but challenging when you first get into it.

Feel free to add me as a friend if it helps?

Take care!

MFP sets protein too low, usually. Don't worry about going over. Don't be scared to include the healthy fats in with your meals - fat and protein help keep you satiated.

I agree that you will have to do a balancing act with your husband to make sure you get YOUR time, otherwise you will burn out from constantly making everyone else the priority.

It takes time... look up allrecipes.com, skinnytaste.com or browse the 'Recipes' threads here to find low-calorie, nutrient rich options. Try to make extra so you don't have to constantly be cooking. Having extra chicken breast or tuna mix around helps out a lot. Pre-slicing your veggies for snacks and salads will save time. Boiled eggs keep in the fridge 5-7 days, use for snacks or salads.

If your health is a priority, you will fight for it!

Best of luck.

Why do you think those 2 lbs are coming back?
First, you haven't been on the program long enough to worry about minor weight gain. In the short time you've been on MFP, you're on track.
Secondly, body weight can fluctuate as much as 5 lbs for no apparent reason. Personally my weight can swing between 1/2 and 2 lbs from day-to-day but in the long term trend stays on track.

Why are you seeking out protein?
Are you looking to build muscle? The body can only absorb 30 mg per hour so don't consume too much. If you're eating protein because you're hungry, try fruits and vegetables which contain large amounts of fiber. Fiber also keeps you full longer. Finally, after you've been on the program a few weeks, you're body will get accustomed to eating less and hunger problems should go away.

Why would you worry about protein? I have 5 go to snacks, greek yogurt, a protein bar, a protein shake, cheese, and popcorn; and yeah I know that last one doesn't fit but I like it and it's about the only salty snack I eat.

As for finding time to exercise, you have to make it, but if you are eating at a calorie deficit the weight will come off even if you don't exercise. You just have to find out what that magic number is for you because no calculator can truely figure it out, there are too many variables.

Ways I made time even though my week days look every bit as hecktic as yours. Hubby took over dinner and clean up so I could run in the neighborhood. TV time with the kids became Dance time, I made a youtube playlist and we jump and dance around like loons for 20 minutes singing at the top of our lungs. As a family we started taking walks, runs, (keeping in mind my youngest is 2 and we have a jogging stroller) bike rides, hikes, family swim time at the Y, marathon trips to the zoo etc. I bought a kinect for our xbox, you might be surprised how much jumping and stretching you get. After the kids are down I might do an exercise DVD. The point is to be moving not to spend 20-60 minutes at a gym following a routine.

Truth is I only count total calories, I never eat my exercise calories, I don't care about any of the macros except for carbs becasue I'm a diabetic in remission. While you may need to find what works for you, you are absolutely correct that it has to be a life long change not just until you lose 30 pounds. Start small pick one thing that you can do different and once you have that under control make another change, or if that's not your style go big and cold turkey. That's what I did with sugar, I've been sugar free since May. You know you better than anyone else, so don't be frustrated, be determined, and kick some life style *kitten* so that you can be the best you, and the you that you want to be!

i echo the above sentiments, sometimes you have to have some give and take. When i started to get serious about this I told my husband, I AM going to the gym at least 2x per week. You ARE staying home with the kids while i do this. My idea of staying home with the kids means that he helps with homework, he does baths, gets backpacks ready, etc. That is not always his idea of staying with the kids. Does it frustrate me when he doesnt do those things? yes, i know I could say forget it, Im not going to the gym because xyz needs to be done...i have decided that is not an option for me. you have to make yourself a priority.
I have a first grader too...do they really have that much homework every night? Mine doesn't. 15 minutes 3 x a week is about the most. Just trying to hold you accountable and not let you wallow in excuses:) One other thing that seems to help me is I love making my kids lunches, my husband has offered to do that part since he is up hours before the rest of the family, i declined because I like that task, however, i usually make lunches at night before bed. My little kid does not eat sandwiches so I can easily make her lunch and not worry about bread getting gross or anything, it keeps all night no problem....when my big kid takes her lunch and wants a sandwich, i get everything else ready and packed, making a sandwich is seconds compared to making 2 whole lunches every morning...this could open up some time for you in the morning to fit in a quick dvd or wii workout. its all the little things..you can do this.

Where does hubby help in all of this?

I was going to ask this same question. If for whatever reason there is no way he can help with this (and even if he can) below are some things that have helped me so maybe they would help you. Some of them are just the smallest little changes, but combined, and over time, they make a big difference.

- Take a walk on your lunch break at work - even if it's only 10 minutes, it's something
- Rather than calling a coworker with a question, walk to their office - if you do that each time, it adds up to quite a bit of walking
- Invest in a pedometer. There are pretty inexpensive ones out there - for the first day or two, continue in your current routine, and take note of how many steps you take in a day - Then the next day, try to get 100 more steps in
- Park your car a little farther away from the building - each parking space is 2-4 extra steps each way
- Invest in a good water bottle - having a water bottle you like will encourage you to drink more - For a day, take note of how much water you're drinking currently, Then the next day, try to add 10 more ounces - You should be drinking AT LEAST a third as many ounces as you weigh in pounds (ex. If you weigh 180lbs, you're minimum water intake should be 60 ounces)
- Track all your food - at the end of the day, take 5 minutes to review your food journal and reflect on how it went (hunger levels, sweets, etc) - Come up with at least one thing you would do differently next time, and execute it the following day
- If the weather permits - take the family for a walk after dinner, even if it's only once around the block - it's not just for your benefit, the kids will get into this habit too, and it's great family time!
- Look online for short exercise moves you can do in your living room (crunches, jumping jacks, push ups, using dumbells, etc.) - do them during the commercials while you're watching tv with the kids - You could even make it a game with them too (maybe to see who can do the most of a specific exercise before the show comes back on) - Or even let them invent new exercise moves to try out
- Pay attention to how often you're eating processed carbs (bread, pasta, etc) try to limit it to once or twice a week, or less if possible
- Online you can buy plates that are divided into sections that reflect serving size for each part of your meal - This can help tremendously with portion control
-On the weekends or any free evening time you might have, prepare some meals for the week - Pancakes or egg casseroles can be made and saved for the week - Dinner meats can be cooked and then saved for a few days at a time - This would cut down on some of the cooking/prep time for meals which could allow you to fit in a short workout.
- Crock Pots are wonderful inventions - You can throw a bunch of veggies, and lean ground turkey if you want, into a pot and let it cook all day while you're at work, and poof, there's dinner!! - Crock pot liners are great for quick, easy clean up!




This is all I can think of for right now. Please feel free to add me!!! I'm always looking for new MFPals, and we could all use extra support. Good Luck!!

Erika