Working Moms

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

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.

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

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!

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!

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.

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.

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!

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!!

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!