Single Mom-Need More Support- Less Stress

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paris711
paris711 Posts: 3
in Introduce Yourself
Hi Guys! I can't find time to sleep- let alone get to a gym. I'm trying hard but for now I will take your support and your encouragement

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  • sexylonglegs
    sexylonglegs Posts: 278
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    i'm a single mom of three and i know how you feel! no time for exercise...
  • jennienelson
    jennienelson Posts: 5
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    Hey! I work two jobs, have 3 kids and a husband....I FEEL YOUR PAIN! Except I lucked up. The Phyiscal Therapy practice that I am the office manager at is inside of the best gym in DC...Otherwise I don't know what I'd do. Actually, I do....if I were you I would go for a walk on your lunch break. 30 minutes can really make a difference. You can do exercise with DVD's on OnDemand on cable. I hope this helps. You can do it!!!!
  • amscobra
    amscobra Posts: 73
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    Time is never on our side as a parent, I have 3 kids and although i'm able to stay home with them I still find my days challenging to fit in my workouts. The gym is just not an option for me, considering our budget. I have found that home workout dvds are great, I am currently using Slim in 6 and really enjoy it. Thankfully i do have a treadmill at home to allow me to get on there at least 20 minutes a day if my schedule allows. We could all use encouragement and support, add me as a friend on here.
  • lt3ag4s
    lt3ag4s Posts: 835 Member
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    Take walks at lunch time.
    Youtube aerobics when at home.
    Progym in a bag by GoFit is good for home strength training.
  • CakeFit21
    CakeFit21 Posts: 2,521 Member
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    Add me! I don't step foot into a gym! I do every thing at home and it makes things easier! That may be a good option for you! If not, add me anyway!
  • katschy
    katschy Posts: 67
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    I don't drive and the gym is quite a distance from my home. Besides my evening walks (which I started initially to take down my BP), I have fun with my Wii - "Just Dance" is hilarious and will get you schvitzing in no time! :)

    You came to the right place for support!
  • LLP1225
    LLP1225 Posts: 21
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    I hope it makes you feel a little better to know that weight loss seems to be more affected by the diet than the exercise. Don't get me wrong exercise is very good for you, but I hardly have time to fit any in and I have started losing by simply watching the foods that I eat.
  • Kekibird
    Kekibird Posts: 1,122 Member
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    Single mommy here! You've got my support because I know how it feels.

    Hugs!
    Katie (aka Kekibird)
  • Dammitviv
    Dammitviv Posts: 117
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    I'm also a single mom of 2, desperately searching for a job and can't afford to even think about a gym membership. I do most of my exercise in or around my apartment, and with my kids. I'm here for support if you need it, feel free to add me.
  • paint12345
    paint12345 Posts: 1
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    hi there. single mom here too (only one though). luckily, my son goes to afterschool care at the YMCA so i am able to get there a couple times a week. i do feel guilty though for making him stay there longer when he has already been in school all day and on a normal night we don't get home until about 5:30. if i make him stay there until after 6, it gets pretty late for dinner and homework time too. so i do try, and last year i did so well. from Jan 2009-June 2009, i was down 21 lbs from about 173 to 152 (i am 5'4"). now here we are Sept 2010 and i am back up to 168. the lowest i was this year was back in January (157). i just feel so disgusted with myself. i eat generally well too. i just can't get it off!! i am frustrated, and i hope talking to you girls will help me out. (that is if i can remind myself to check in here daily or maybe at least weekly)
  • live4something
    live4something Posts: 58 Member
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    Single mom here too. I set aside 30 minutes at night to exercise. Sometimes I get it all in, sometimes only 10-15 minutes. There is so much to do between dinner, bathing, homeowner and downtime. I am lucky and have an elliptical machine at home. I blast the music in our little apartment and go for it. While I am doing my thing, my daughter does her thing. She dances, hula-hoops and jump ropes. She loves it! Last night she and I did Zumba together. She loves to be apart of what I am doing! It has turned into our favorite part of the evening. While it make be a workout for me, it is fun to her!
  • sutehi
    sutehi Posts: 36 Member
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    The thing with stress is that if you can figure out *how* to fit exercise in with everything else, it really helps. You won't have more time (alas!), but you will have more energy, and be able to just *deal* with stuff better.

    If you can't find time for a solid block of exercise, remember that you can break cardio up into short chunks throughout the day.

    For instance, I dance while making dinner or picking things up. Every time I go to the bathroom, I take a 5 minute Wii Fit break. Have a pile of things to take upstairs? I'll deliberately take multiple trips, and run as quickly as I can up and down the stairs. All those few minutes add up over the course of the day.

    Keep it up for a couple of days, and it becomes addictive; you'll start seeing opportunities to get your heart rate up all over the place, and it will become easier to find longer stretches of time. The trick is just to start with what you can do (however small), and every day try to make it a little bit more.
  • paris711
    paris711 Posts: 3
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    So much support!! So much "love" . All of you are angels, angels!! It's 11:41 pm and I haven't had a chance to add any of you as friends but I will: EACH AND EVERYONE OF YOU!! This is too cool!!:laugh:
  • mikkimomof3
    mikkimomof3 Posts: 224 Member
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    Hey there! I am not a single mom, but I do feel like it quite often. My husband and I have three small children and his job (military) takes him away all the time..and even when he is home, his hours are crazy. There is no way for me to get to the gym, so I have to do things at home too...feel free to add me!
  • mmtiernan
    mmtiernan Posts: 702 Member
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    I've been a single mom for the last 15 years. In the beginning (1995), I couldn't afford a gym and couldn't leave my baby alone in the house to go for a run, so I got up at 5:00 a.m., turned on the radio (no iPods back then) and jogged laps back and forth in my kitchen. My co-workers have laughed at me for years, but I'm still thinner than all of them! :wink: I still don't have a gym membership and my daughter and I work out together now - still at home - to ChaLEAN Extreme! Where there is a will, there is always a way! Stay positive and strong! You can definitely do it!!
  • jboyd15
    jboyd15 Posts: 3
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    I am single father of two boys. I have stress, but I don’t have time to go to the gym like you. I have a goal of working from home (I write software), once I achieve that goal, then I will have time to exercise. In the mean time, I just watch what I eat and work towards that work from home goal (I drive an hour and a half to work about 4 times a week). I have found inspiration on this site and I am pretty optimistic.

    You’re not alone in that.
    Seems like we got good company.

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