How Do You Parents Of Young Kids Do It?

I'd say don't make it more complex than it needs to be. With your plateful, you probably get plenty of activity, especially if you play with your kids and your job isn't all stuck to a desk.

If weight is an issue, try to make small changes that add up to less calories and try to eat a good mix of food groups in proper portions. In some ways it's easier with kids. They need you to set an example, and fix healthy meals for them.

Also, batch cook/prep on the weekend.

Good advice. Keep it as simple as you can and just get all the good habits into your day. Patience helps too.

I have 4 kids and I make it work. It isn't easy but I have my boyfriend's help. I also don't make it harder than I need it to be. I eat the same things, just less of it. I also move more and go to the gym when I can fit it in.

You make your mind up to do it. It's hard, I have a now 3 year old and a soon to be 12 year, work an hour away from home full time and my two kids are 2 worlds apart in their phase of life. I work out at least 30 minutes a day, and some times I use my kids as weights, it gets them involved and helps me keep an eye on them. 70% mind over matter, the other 30% is easy. Start with small changes, and find what works for you. Then before you know it, all those small changes will add up to big changes with big rewards! Congrats on making the first step!

I have an insane 1 1/2 year old so I usually wait until she is tired and getting comfy on the couch or I work out right after she eats breakfast or lunch and have her watch some pbs so I can get my workout in. As for dieting I make my daughter her normal meals and my husband and I have healthy meals. I make a lot of food but clean(ish) and lowered calorie. The trick is to make healthy food taste good. Spices, a little extra cheese on their plates. Once you get into the groove it becomes pretty easy to do this whole health thing with a family.

Hi! Two kids here (ages 2 and 4), married, and working full time.

It dosen't have to be difficult - make yourself a priority. PERIOD.
Slowly make healthier food choices, and try to incorporate them with all family members. I've been at this since August, and now my kids are requesting things like green peppers, protein shakes, and mint tea with stevia. No joke!
It's so easy to get roped into the taking-care-of-everyone role, but make this a priority in your life, and all will fall into place!

I'm still trying to figure out the same thing. We have one 16 month old. In the last months of my wife's pregnancy and then the first 6 or 8 months with our daughter, I was in this implicit crisis mode. I would set aside things like eating well and working out because I'm busy, but soon it will get better. I've come to the realization that it's not actually going to get better. You get through one phase and then there is something else. In a couple years, there will be another one and hit the reset button. Things are not going to get easier for 10's of years. Once you realize that, you realize you can't handle this as a short term thing where life will return to normal.

First, I think there is just less margin for error. Your children take hours per day. If you were already living a super full and busy lifestyle, then you don't have that margin to give to your children. Something has to give. Give up some volunteer activity. Give up a hobby. Probably something has to be sacrificed. You also just have to be efficient. I seriously spent time analyzing what I did during typical days. Made some lists. Figured out how much time I was spending on tasks, projects, and entertainment. I worked on cutting minutes here and there to get some of that time back. I also gave up my volunteer time with dog rescue and cut back on neighborhood association work. I'm more careful about work/life balance.

After multiple failures with weight loss, I've started to structure my life more around my daughter's schedule. I've also started to make compromises on what I used to consider a good workout and a good meal. I used to consider a good workout a 40 mile bike ride or 90 minutes at the gym. If I couldn't do a good workout, I really didn't bother with it. I just can't do that on a regular basis anymore. That's a luxury I will get to experience 2 or 3 times in a month, not 2 or 3 times a week. I'm learning to accept shorter workouts at home. That 40 mile bike ride would be 2-2.5 hours on a bike plus 30 minutes for dress, setup, and shower. That 90 minutes at the gym was also an extra 30 minutes for driving, changing, and shower. I just started P90 and do it in the morning before shower and breakfast. It's 30 minutes a day with pretty much no additional overhead. The sacrifice is getting up 45 minutes earlier.

Same thing with food. Prior to baby, it wasn't a big deal to have 1 hour for prep and cleanup for dinner. If we couldn't bother with doing it right, we would eat out or eat some frozen thing with a lot of sodium and fat and whatnot. Like a frozen pizza. Or we would throw together some spaghetti. Or eat out. Those backup options became the bulk of our eating. We've been trying to find low calorie and healthy options that we can prep in about 20 minutes with less cleanup time. Lots of reading and thumbing through recipe books.

To be fair, I just started. I may have no idea how to do this.

I have to get up before everyone in the AM and exercise. I had to stop eating what the kids left and leave on their plates, buy healthy snacks (for when there's really no time for me to eat), an do a little pre-planning for meals (I eat different things than hubby and kids, a lot of times). It takes ALOT of determination to stay motivated when the kids are s young. I really had to get in the mode of thinking that I'm worth the effort as is my health :-)!

I'm not going to lie...it's exhausting.

I do a bunch of meal planning on the weekend. I try to make things that everyone will eat or that have shared components...but the kids/hubby are picky. For example tonight is fish sticks and tater tots for the kids, a piece of haddock and tots for hubby and haddock with a sweet potato for me. Sometimes I'll cook a couple different types of pasta. Or I'll do hamburgers for everyone else and a veggie burger for me. We all still sit down together and eat.

My youngest is nearly 4, so exercise has gotten easier. It's at home workout videos and the 4 year old gets to play with my extra weights/stretch bands ONLY while I'm exercising...so it's new and exciting. I've found that I can only squeeze in 30 minutes. Anything more than that is just too hard.

My oldest is nearly 9, and he's started doing some of the workouts with me. He also asks all kinds of questions about food and while he loves his sweets and junk food, he is starting to recognize and enjoy healthier food.

Good advice. Keep it as simple as you can and just get all the good habits into your day. Patience helps too.

THIS!!! ... i have a 6 Y/O and a 2 Y/O and I have to make sure they get their exercise in too. Some times i feel bad because i dont want to go out for walks with them because i dont feel like im getting the work out i need but i have to remember that they need to stay healthy too... So I basically end up running the house on schedule and if it gets messed up.. i cant stress about it. Tomorrow is another day.

As a mother of four young children, (one with multiple health problems) who also works part time, the only answer is you have to want it badly enough. I make time for me, because I NEED it. My workouts are my only "me" time and I value them highly. If that means getting up at 5:30 so I can work out before tackling my other responsibilities, so be it. it does get easier the longer you stick with it.

You have to schedule time. Just like any other appointment in your life. Schedule a 30-60 min workout. For me, I have to wake up early. If I try and wait till I get home from work, I feel rushed and don't feel I get a quality workout. I get up before the kids and get a good workout in the quiet of the house.

Also, find ways to use your kids as part of your workout. So many things you can do - especially with the 8mo old. Squats, bench press, etc.

i used to play "Monsters" with my kids in which they'd stand on my bed and run at me. I'd grab them and toss them back on the bed. They thought it was hilarious, but it was akiller workout!!

It can be done!!! You have to want it. Don't use mommyhood as an excuse!!!

You need to schedule time for yourself. If you do this you will find that you are an even better mom. You will have energy to play and commune with your children. You will find that when you plan for yourself and get healthier you will somehow have the time for other things.

I schedule my exercise like I do any other appointment and stick to it. I am also very fortunate to have a stationary bike in our living room, so I will jump on the bike while my LOs are watching tv and colouring.

When making DD's lunch for the next day, I make mine at the same time and we talk about healthy eating and what kinds of good snacks we can put in our lunches. The same DD will sometime scome with me when I work out in the basement and will do some light "weights" and do some stetching with me.

For me, it's all about making your schedule (and life) work for you and not against you.

Hope this helps!

I also work FT and have three small children of my own (5, 3 y/o twins).

Its exhausting, but this is what we do :

1. Very strict schedules for meals, naps and bedtimes. Kids thrive on routine.
2. My gym time is after the kids go to bed. Many days its the last thing I want to do, but you never regret it.
3. Meal plan every single meal the Saturday before the week begins. Also, I often prep the next days dinner the night before so making dinner goes much faster when I get home from work.
4. Only buy healthy snacks for the kids. That way, if they are begging for food 30 minutes for dinner you know they are getting their nutrients. And you wont be tempted to snack on unhealthy things if they are not around.

Good luck to you!