Working out with having kids

How does everyone manage to lose weight and tend to their kids? I am a new mom, my son is almost 5 months old. I also run a home daycare 10.5 hours a day for 6 children counting my son. By the end of the day it takes all I got just to make dinner I am so exhausted. How do you ladies do it? I need some pointers, I really want to get this weight off!

I am at home with a 3 and 4 year old (who think the barbell is cool and want to 'help' daddy or just imitate me) and I still get it done. A single 5 month old would be like a vacation! At least you can put him in a playpen while you work out.

Also a good workout is energizing, not exhausting. (I know it doesn't feel like it before hand, but do it a few times.)

How does everyone manage to lose weight and tend to their kids? I am a new mom, my son is almost 5 months old. I also run a home daycare 10.5 hours a day for 6 children counting my son. By the end of the day it takes all I got just to make dinner I am so exhausted. How do you ladies do it? I need some pointers, I really want to get this weight off!

First thing in the morning would work. If you don't make time for you it's hard to actually find time.

Start small and build from there. You may not have a full hour initially but 15 or 20 minutes will also work. I think we get discouraged when we apply an all-or-nothing mentality. Make the time; your body and mind will thank you for it.

Happy planning!

Honestly I didn't until my kids went to preschool. Just no way. You could still count calories and eat at a deficit to lose weight though, I'm guessing with 6 kids around you're probably burning a lot of calories just moving around.

Yes this would happen in my house as well if I tried to do it at home with my children during their waking hours. My kids are 3,5 & 7 and I still find it difficult. I would suggest before they get up or after they go to bed. Also I have a membership,to the YMCA which has great child care facilities. You will probably need to try different tactics before you find something that works for you but don't give up!!

I think you're asking when should you work out, but you don't need to work out to lose weight. Just eat at your deficit. Of course it's great if you can fit in the exercise but you'll just have to decide where/how to fit that in at some point. Good luck!

It's really hard, no question about it. It sounds like your days are long and it just feels like there is no time.

My DIL is mom to 2 year old twins and a 9 month old and she still gets in her workouts. Granted she insists on a naptime for all 3 and that's when she does her workout. My daughter also works long days and is often "single parent" to her 21 month old because her husband works 12 hour shifts at night. Her solution was to buy a treadmill and she gets on it either when her hubs is home playing with the little one or after the little one goes to sleep.

I have done child care 3 days a week for the 21 month old since she was 8 weeks old and I can tell you that when she entered the picture it threw my schedule for a loop. I haven't been to the gym since she was born!! I finally decided that at least for now, the only way to assure myself of a workout is to plan to do it at home.

I have some dumb bells of various increments to 15 pounds. I just got a Jillan Michael's DVD (there are lots of DVDs out there as well as free videos on YouTube to which you can follow along. I just got a treadmill and plan to log in some walking hours each week.

A big part of it is to just sit down and figure out what you CAN do. Set reasonable goals. A lot of people I've met here exercise every day. Maybe you can't. Maybe you can only do 3 times a week. It's better than not doing it at all! Then it's a matter of deciding how much you want it in order to override your fatigue and the mountains of other tasks you have calling to you in order to get it done.

Good luck!

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I got my kids to join in. My toddler is in a copying faze and wants to do everything Mommy does. If I'm on the yoga mat, he wants to be on the yoga mat. I give him something light that he can pretend is a weight when I get out mine. He'll crawl onto my back when I'm doing planks. I've even used him as a weight. I get my 10 year old to have a competition- who can do the most sit ups/jumping jacks/etc.

I get up at 4:30 every morning and get it done.

My husband and I trade off. He'll watch the baby while I run and get a strength training work out in and I'll do the same for him. I also go to a baby bootcamp (less so now that I'm back at work), where I can bring the little one with me. If we're outside she's in a stroller, but if we're inside I'll stick her in a tractor tire at the gym with some toys and other kids.

I think it's really good for a kid to see you work out! You're a role model for so many of these little ones and seeing you exercise will only be really good for them.

Oh, good points! When it was nice weather, I took my baby for walks in a sling or stroller. And I don't know how many times she did Pilates with me! She thought it was hilarious! There were also times I'd put her in her jumperoo and do a workout like 30 Day Shred.. she loved watching me and I agree, it sets a great example for kids.

Yes it's really tough. I have 6 kids ages 12 down to 6 mths. I do it at like 5 am before everyone gets up and sometimes that doesn't pan out because my youngest wakes up and wants to nurse. When that happens I do it in the evening right after everyone is tucked in. I only do 30 min. An uninterrupted hour would be close to impossible. I highly recommend cafemoms 30min. Cardio for moms. It's on YouTube .

I get up at 4:30 every morning and get it done.

Same here.

Honestly, I totally struggle with this, too. My schedule is awesome when the kids are in school. When they are off school in the winter, I work out when my husband can watch them (which is maybe 1-2 times a week). When they are off school in the summer, I walk the neighborhood while they ride scooters alongside me (makes me go faster). One thing they LOVE to do is Just Dance, the video game, and you can get a pretty good workout from it. You can find kid-friendly songs on there. I think they even make a kid version now.

As others have pointed out, you need a calorie deficit for weight loss. Exercise is for fitness. Track your calorie intake and don't eat the kids' leftovers. Choose healthy snacks and meals for yourself and the kids, get outside with them when you can, or as others suggested, have a dance party! Or, my personal favorites, bench press them or overhead press them. :drinker: I have 4 kids: a 3 year old, 2 year old twins, and an 8 month old (all my own) for 12 hours every day and exercise at night when they're in bed. Yes, I'm tired at the end of the day, but who isn't? It's up you to be disciplined enough to just get done what needs to be done. If the week is too crazy to exercise much, aim for the weekend with just a day or 2 during the week.

I am a single mom of 3 children under 6 and I work and go to school full time. I get up at 5 and work out. It was miserable at first but the more I've lost the more energy I've had to do it. If I don't get up in the morning I do it after they go to bed. I only work out 3-4 times a week but it is worth it. That said, if you don't feel like anything will work for you at the moment you only have to maintain a calorie deficit to lose weight.