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nld410
nld410 Posts: 36 Member
How do you find the time to:

a) make healthy meals

b) exercise

Replies

  • amybrauch
    amybrauch Posts: 250 Member
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    I haven't yet. My twins are 9 wks tomorrow. My eating habits are terrible. I am finding it very hard to get back on track. I am about 12 lbs from pre-pregnancy weight.
  • Jenny_Rose77
    Jenny_Rose77 Posts: 418 Member
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    How do you find the time to:

    a) make healthy meals

    b) exercise

    Hahahaha!

    No, just kidding (sort of). My son is 6 months and I am only now just finding the time as he gets on a regular nap schedule. I make things in the slow cooker, so I can put it all in there when he takes his AM nap. Then we have dinner for that night and leftovers for lunch or other dinners.

    I also just joined a gym with babysitting. I wanted to wait until he had all his shots up to 6 months before putting him in babysitting. He really loves it there. He starts making happy noises and motions whenever we walk in the gym. Knowing he is having a good time helps me to relax and get a good workout in.
  • stellcorb
    stellcorb Posts: 294 Member
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    Not easily, that's for sure! I still don't have it down, but it getting better. I'm fortunate that my husband takes the kids to daycare around 7 and I am salary with a general start time at 9, so I can squeeze in a half an hour most days then. Food is a bit harder in ways b/c my husband is pretty much in charge of cooking b/c I don't get home from work until 6:30 or 7 usually. I make sure to pack a fairly healthy lunch and know that dinner will be a harder hit for calories (not the best, but you do what you can). Sometimes work-out DVDs are nice, especially the 10 min interval ones.. I'm not too proud to say that I sometimes still bust out my prenatal workout DVDs and I'm over 12 mos post partum! Basically, you can do what you can... your health is important, so it's worth the time and effort, but it's not going to be easy. Start small and build momentum and good habits.
    Good luck on your journey!
  • doubletnurse
    doubletnurse Posts: 108 Member
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    With our first we used to all go for a walk pushing him in the stroller or the front carrier when my husband got home from work. I would make sure to feed him first then head out the door right after we were done. With this one I have more success doing a workout DVD in the mornings after the little one has eaten, gone back to sleep, and her older brother is still sleeping since my husband leaves for work at 5:50 am.

    As far as eating goes, I remember making a lot of things in the slow cooker with my first. With this one I subscribed to emeals (so I don't have to plan my menu and grocery list) and try to prep things as much as possible so when my husband gets home he gets time with the kiddos while I cook.

    With my first I was much more exhausted, than I am this time around (not sure why), but anything you can do to prep meals before hand helps a ton. It is never easy, but it does get better as you both learn a routine and the baby doesn't eat as often.
  • MermaidMY
    MermaidMY Posts: 8
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    For meals we have meat and 2 veggies usually. Sometimes DH grills, sometimes I put it in the crock pot, sometimes I put it in the oven. Anything that doesn't require constant monitoring.

    Exercise is walking my daughter to school, doing calisthenics during nap or with DS (squats and leg work) or during tummy time (plank, push ups or crunches right by him) I also have a FitBit and just try to move more and get my steps in. At 3 months I can take him to the Y and when he starts only waking once I will start getting up at 5:30am.

    But really since I am BFing I am not stressing anything. Baby and milk first. Fat butt second. Some days I have success. Other days takeout. I am successful more often than not.
  • Rosered3333
    Rosered3333 Posts: 171 Member
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    My baby is just 4 months old and I work full time so I'm just now starting to figure out how to do this. I just made breakfast burritos last night while my mom watched the baby and we use the crock pot.

    One thing that has helped is we have a set menu each week and we have certain food on certain days so there's no trying to figure out what to eat. For example, Taco Tuesdays.

    For exercise, there is a BIG hill by my house so I have been putting the baby in a stroller and walking up it with her. I won't be doing that this week because it's 95 degrees out every day this week and that's too hot for me and DEFINITELY too hot for baby. I also bought Jillian Michaels 30 day shred and I've done one day so far. I need to exercise more often though because exercise has always been the best way for me to relieve stress and lord knows I have a lot of that now. I also know that as soon as she starts crawling, that's going to be my exercise.

    I'm still trying to figure out both but I'm being gentle with myself because I'm also EBF and that's a lot of work too. She won't be this dependent and little forever so I know I'll have some time to get slimmer... right before I get pregnant again.
  • chickybuns
    chickybuns Posts: 1,037 Member
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    I don't eat healthly, just haven't figured out how to make time for it yet. I eat too much fast food while at work and at night it's a lot of frozen meals. I workout usually at night, or sometimes my mom will go for a walk with my baby so I can run after work, but it's been too hot lately. I decided to focus on the exercise, still haven't figured out the eating thing. I think the only option for me is to make meals one day a week like Sunday so they are ready to go. Many days I'm gone 12+ hours so I do not feel like cooking when I get home, plus it's 7 or 8 usually. So I usually try to eat a bigger lunch and just eat a small meal or cereal for dinner...my husband doens't like it but tough! I don't like to workout too close to eating!
  • RBXChas
    RBXChas Posts: 2,708 Member
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    Both after my first baby (now 2.5 years old) and this one (8 weeks in two days), I eat healthy by eating stuff that's quick and easy. Sandwiches are big, as is Greek yogurt. I have been eating steel cut oats in the morning. I soak them overnight (with cold water) and then nuke them (they MUST be watched in the microwave!) and add stuff like honey, brown sugar, peanut butter, etc - whatever you want!

    As far as exercise, after my first, I didn't exercise really at all until he was 7 months old (I did C25K). This time my little guy hasn't given me much of a chance to work out because he doesn't like to be put down! I live in SC, so it's been mega hot and humid every day since before he was born (think 80 degrees by 8AM), so I haven't even been going for walks :( I figure within a month or two he will let me put him down long enough to do something indoors (I have a Wii and a Spin bike), and by then the weather will be nicer in the mornings and evenings for walks/runs. I don't like running with a jogging stroller, either, so I will probably wait until our older son is in bed then leave my husband at home with the baby while I run. I only run 3-4 miles, so I'm not gone for that long.
  • RBXChas
    RBXChas Posts: 2,708 Member
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    Additionally, my husband usually grills twice a week, and he always cooks too much on purpose so that we have leftovers. I grocery shop with a pick-up service, so that makes it quick and easy. I'm not sure where you live, but the supermarket is Harris Teeter, and the service is called Express Lane. I just pull up to the store, and they come out so I can pay and they load up my groceries. It does have a fee, but it's negligible considering the convenience, plus I get codes all the time waiving the fee.
  • nld410
    nld410 Posts: 36 Member
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    Thank you all!! I appreciate all the ideas. I think we have an added challenge because I am home alone from 6am-7pm and bubby doesn't liek to be put down etc. Also I am a vegetarian, so it's hard to use the slow-cooker.................
  • laurab1217
    laurab1217 Posts: 123 Member
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    It's hard but I've learned you just have to try to make do with the little time you can find....for example, when deciding between a 30 min nap or a workout.....I choose the workout most of the time....usually while my two month old is napping...although sometimes I can't squeeze in the workout until he goes to bed at night....

    cooking has gone out the window! sometimes I can manage putting chicken or steak on the George foreman grill, and I make salad and wraps out of that for the next couple of days. A lot of turkey sandwiches, greek yogurt, apples with peanut butter...granola bars...frozen dinners....and still too much fast food!
  • RBXChas
    RBXChas Posts: 2,708 Member
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    I am home by myself from 7AM to 6PM every weekday, and my son HATES being put down. Sometimes you just have to do it (even if he cries) to take three minutes to make food. I'm not a vegetarian, but I don't eat meat that often.

    Today I ate:

    Steel-cut oats with PB
    Protein shake
    Coffee
    Cheese sandwich
    Greek yogurt with chia seeds added

    All of these things (except maybe the yogurt) are fairly easy to eat with one hand once you pick the baby back up after preparing the food. The other option is babywearing, which I have seriously considered.

    I do remember having this issue with my older son when he was a baby. Eventually they are able to entertain themselves on their own so that you have both hands free and can do things like eat and exercise :) (Now to get this little guy sleeping on his own...)
  • RBXChas
    RBXChas Posts: 2,708 Member
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    Also, almost every day we go on a car ride. 95% of the time he sleeps, well, like a baby for the ride, and probably 75% of the time he stays asleep for at least a half an hour after we get back (I just bring his car seat/carrier in the house and leave him in it). I seriously take advantage of that time to get stuff done! I also sometimes get food while out and about, though that's admittedly tough to do while eating vegetarian.
  • blueeyes25s
    blueeyes25s Posts: 78 Member
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    My baby just turned 12 weeks and I am struggling to find the time to workout so I am focusing on eating healthy. Which isn't easy but since I'm bfing I feel that should be a priority. I usually go grocery shopping once a week to stock up on fresh fruits and veggies. Then I wash and cut up my fruits and veggies so they are easy to grab when I'm hungry. Breakfast I keep it simple and have oatmeal add a little brown sugar and blueberries and pour hot water in it or microwave it, and for lunch; lately it's been either sandwiches or left overs from dinner.

    Good luck! I know it's tough.
  • FitMama2013
    FitMama2013 Posts: 919 Member
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    My son is 6 months old today and I feel like just recently have I gotten into a better routine. Sunday morning before church I sit down and plan out dinner for the week - lunch is always leftovers. After church, we grocery shop and do any prepping necessary for the week. We are both being furloughed starting in September and can't afford to waste money eating out, so cooking is non-negotiable to me! As a result, I don't let junk come in the house. My husband is on board and this helps so much - he helps cook dinner and always cleans up, and he washes bottles/pump parts every night while I'm nursing the baby and washing diapers.

    As for exercise - I hate working out at night, but it's my only opportunity. My son is usually asleep by 8PM, so I have been doing Jillian Michael's Body Revolution because it only takes about 30 minutes a day. That gives me time to work out and shower and get to bed at a decent hour. On the weekends we go on family walk/runs both Saturday and Sunday morning if we can!