Looking for other full time work away from home moms for support!

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PositivelyFlawed
PositivelyFlawed Posts: 316 Member
in Getting Started
I am really finding it a challenge to balance working full time, with being a mom and wife and finding time to work out. Looking for friends who also are facing this challenge :)
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  • lmdburns
    lmdburns Posts: 1 Member
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    Hi! Been there before and facing it again - newest little one is 3 weeks old. I return to work at 12 weeks. For me, each day was different - some days work needed a little more, sometimes home did. It was never the same, and not easy at the beginning. Throw in pumping while working and it was a whole other thing! Working out, I had to flat out schedule in my work out times and stick to them.

    What's your biggest challenge right now?
  • PositivelyFlawed
    PositivelyFlawed Posts: 316 Member
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    Time. Getting up at 4:30am wasn't sustainable and work performance suffered. Working out in the evening i miss out on tme with either my daughter or my husband. The best option is to grab 30-45 mins right after work and go,. but then i have to inconvenience my mother who is nice enough to watch my daughter for the half hour between end of school and end of my work day.

    Thankfully diet wise I am doing ok so I am still losing, but I don't want to be skinny and weak, i want to be fit and strong. :/
  • treas18bailey
    treas18bailey Posts: 20 Member
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    I have recently (last week) started back to work full time since my maternity leave is now over and see the same thing, I have no idea when I'm gonba get workouts in. Once I'm done work we are on the go till kids go to bed then I'm preparing lunches and everything for the next day, after that the last thing I feel like doing is exercising I'm usually ready for bed!
  • PositivelyFlawed
    PositivelyFlawed Posts: 316 Member
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    EXactly treas18! And I only have 1 child (well 2 if you count the husband). I was talking to him about this and trying to figure it out. I think i'll have to bite the bullet and see if my mom will keep my daughter the extra hour after work so I ican go to the gym. Ofc this will only work until end of the school year then i'll hav eto readjust again, but it might be a bit easier with less weekday hustle in the am/pm.
  • kjleed
    kjleed Posts: 2 Member
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    I work fulltime 3rd shift, do part time school, am a single mother, and am going to the gym anywhere from 4-7 days a week for at least 30 minutes. I am finding this to be rather difficult right now, I am hoping once it warms up I can involve my son and we can go to the park and run around and play. I have lost 10 pounds so far this month. My aunt and my grandmother are a huge help in watching my son while I work, go to class and go to the gym but like you, I want more time for my son. I feel like a bad mother for always "pawning him off". I have extremely high blood pressure and my doctor told me if I loose weight it can go down.
  • betsysjl
    betsysjl Posts: 175 Member
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    I have a medicine ball at work, and do exercises with that while on the phone. I just do 5 mins here and there. Now that the weather is getting better, I walk during lunch. If you computer is not blocked, there are a lot of youtube desk workout videos that can help too. Try to do more high intensity interval training, and don't worry about the length of the cardio.
  • IwasSavedByLove
    IwasSavedByLove Posts: 1
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    Hi everyone! I had my second son in June 2014 and have been back to work since September 2014. I was in this same predicament and am just now trying to figure out a strategy. I've basically concluded that, at least in the short term while I'm still nursing I'm going to have to sacrifice a little bit of time with husband and/or by myself. My younger son goes to bed at 7:00. After putting him to bed I will play with my older son (3.5yo) and put him to bed around 8:00. We just bought a treadmill (yay!) and I either use it for 30 minutes or jog outside (as it warms up). Until I'm done nursing I can't even begin to think about 4:30am wake ups like my husband does to work out (little man still gets up at night!). I have also started really tracking what I eat here on MyFItnessPal... it was eye opening! That alone has helped me shave off 2 inches!

    I'm personally not into the work out programs (yet) but I know a LOT of people that love T25 and 21 day fix. The workouts are 30 minutes or less so it's short enough to (hopefully) be able to squeeze it in and still get other things done.

    Good luck everyone!
  • Sbivens2383
    Sbivens2383 Posts: 199 Member
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    Hi All! I am in the same boat as everyone here! I work full time, I am a mom, and I am in school full time. Fitting in workout's can be challenging but I do my best to fit them in to my schedule. I usually try to go to the gym at least 3 days a week (always Saturday & Sunday) and the rest of the week I will do workouts from home. Some of my favorite are HIIT, Kettlebells, and I also have a Zumba DVD that I do from time to time.
  • Tarien_Laide
    Tarien_Laide Posts: 6 Member
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    I have a 7 week old daughter as of today, and I just started back to work. I am having an incredibly hard time even doing laundry and cooking dinner because I feel like I am missing out on precious time with her. I have no idea how I am going to work out without feeling guilty :(
  • ashteinpeacock
    ashteinpeacock Posts: 56 Member
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    I am still trying to figure this out myself. I work from 7:50 a.m. to 5:15 p.m. and normally don't get home till 6. Then when home, I have to cook, feed and bathe my 3 year old, bathe myself, and then after all of that it is time to go to bed. So any advice would be greatly appreciated! I wake up around 6:30 every morning and normally don't get to go to bed till 11 most nights. (Sometimes later than that) I am not a morning person. I push snooze 2 times before I get up, so I can't make myself to get up to work out.
  • sarahharas5
    sarahharas5 Posts: 256 Member
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    I understand where everyone is coming from. I have two boys (4 and 2) and work full time. I'm at work by 7am and usually get home between 430-5p. I've found if I don't plan to work out I end up making excuses.

    I typically wake up every morning at 4:45am and do some sort of work out DVD. I've taken up jogging on the weekends. I will try to add in a walk here or there in the evenings since I can take my boys. 4:45am sounds crazy and it is a lot of mornings. But, it's the only time I could find where I could actually get my work out done. I just plan to get my work out done. If, for some reason I skip in the morning I make a plan to work out when I get home.

    It's tough to fit everything in a day. I'm still trying to get the hang of it. Anyone can feel free to add me for support!
  • carakirkey
    carakirkey Posts: 199 Member
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    Feel free to add me. My kids are a bit older (8 and 4). I was on track while still on mat leave with the 2nd (we get 1 year in Canada, don't know how you Americans manage with 6 weeks mat leave!!) but once I went back to work, the progress slid back downhill. Back on track now- going to the gym in the evenings- either hubby watches the kids or they come with me to go to child programs running at the same time (YMCA). Once it gets warmer and lighter out, I can walk once the kids go to bed. Also starting to fit in playground workouts- chase kids around the playground and bodyweight strength training (lunges, squats, push ups etc). I can also fit in at least a 30 min walk at work on my lunch break. Priority is still the gym as that is the most effective workout for my time and its the only ME time i get! lol.
    - My tips would be- see what you can fit in with the kids (stroller walks, playground, childminding at the gym) and if you can fit in a workout while at work. I find that once I prioritize exercise, the other time I spend with my kids is more quality time. Good luck
  • PositivelyFlawed
    PositivelyFlawed Posts: 316 Member
    edited March 2015
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    WOWzA! Look at all the hard working Mamas in here!

    @kjleed You're a rockstar for even finding time with that school and work, but I too feel the guilt of "pawning" but now i'm wondering, for me, if the guilty of an early grave is much worse. I am prorably going to ask my mom to help out an extra hour 2 times a week and work out on the weekend.

    @betsysjl I hadn't thought of walking on my lunch. I could probably fit 15 mins of high intensity speed walking in and have time to eat my lunch still.

    @Iwassavedbylove I wish i had the space in my house for a treadmill or an elliptical. i have been doing at home workouts when I can, but don't feel the intensity is there working out to the videos.

    @Sbivens2383 Amazing!

    @Tarien_Laide Do you have a sling, this was my saving grace when my girl was little! You don't want to miss those baby moments as they definitely go by fast, but as mamas we have to take care of us too!

    @ashteinpeacock This sounds like me to a T except it's 3 snoozes and still trying to find time to watch Walking Dead and Arrow with my hubby!

    @sarahaharas5 I am still setting the alarm to 4:30am hoping that one morning I can suck it up and push through. I do get that little bit of excercise trying to be lightning fast to jump out of bed and bound across the room to hit snooze tho!

    @carakirkey I don't know how they do it US side. I couldn't imagine going to work after 6 weeks. I too am from Canada and at 6 weeks was still trying to get the hang of this whole mom thing! I do wish I'd used my time wisely back 6 years ago and lost the weight in my year off!

    Phew so many wonderful dedicated ladies here. I am adding everyone! Please friend me if I accidentally missed you :)
  • badgerbadger1
    badgerbadger1 Posts: 954 Member
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    I'm a single parent to a 13 yo and work full time nights. I've learned to make working out a priority to be a good example to my kiddo who is quite supportive of this journey. Add me if you want!
  • KHaverstick
    KHaverstick Posts: 308 Member
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    I'm a working mom of 2 small kids (5 and 2), and my husband is on the road most of the time. So I can relate! I try to fit in small bits of exercise where I can. I'm not in a phase of life where I can spend an hour at the gym 3 times a week. If I can fit in 15 minutes on my lunch break, or 20 minutes when the kids get in bed, or a walk with the family, I'm doing good. I have to be at work at 6:30, after getting all three of us ready and the girls to daycare, so working out in the morning doesn't really fit for me. It's easier for me to do it at the end of the day, after they're in bed, or occasionally in the evening while they're playing (or exercising with me).
  • enterdanger
    enterdanger Posts: 2,447 Member
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    Hi. I work full time and have an hour commute each way. My sons are 2 and 4 and daycare is by my work, so they also spend a lot of time in the car. We usually leave the house by 7:30am and get home around 6:30pm. I know what you mean about not wanting to workout during your time with them.

    This isn't for everyone, but I workout mostly after the kids are in bed. I got to the gym around 8:30 most nights. I do have a crappy gym with like 3 old treadmills, 2 ellipticals, a stationary bike and some hand weights at my work. I'll do that on my lunch if I'm stressed out or need a last resort.
  • kamakazeekim
    kamakazeekim Posts: 1,183 Member
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    Hi! Welcome! I have a 6 year old girl and 3 year old boy and we are currently trying for number 3 :) I am a mental health therapist. I work in 2 different school districts with kids ages 5-19. I drive almost 2 hours each day. I almost always have to do paperwork at home during the evenings and weekends :(

    I've been trying to workout at night after the kids go to bed and I put my food for the next day in ziplock baggies or tupperware containers. My house looks like a disaster and I have tons of neglected laundry...I'm struggling to find balance with everything!
  • JenNicole11
    JenNicole11 Posts: 1,834 Member
    edited March 2015
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    I feel your pain! It's definitely NOT easy! My husband is out of town for work three weeks of every month, I work full time in a position that is often highly stressful and very demanding, I have a six year old who is competitive in marital arts and has practice and tournaments all the time (some tournaments are out of state), and he is also in academic activities with his school that take extra time and effort on a daily basis, and we have no family living close to us, so I am completely on my own unless my sister comes to help, but she lives 2 hours away so that is not very often. When we get home from work/school/practice, I'm cooking, feeding the animals, helping with homework, then bath time, then bed time snuggles and reading, then dishes and/or laundry... the list goes on. It's usually 10pm or later by the time everything is done and that's when I'd like to get in bed!

    I have found that having a Fitbit has helped me tremendously to track my daily activity. I make sure that I reach my Fitbit goals 90% of the time. I park on the highest level of the parking garage and as far away as possible from my work building and take the stairs, or at the end of the parking lot when at a store. I have weights at work that I will sometimes use when I think I won't be able to workout that evening. I keep moving while making dinner, helping with homework, or any other task I have to do. If we go outside to play, I play basketball with my son instead of watching him. We go for walks around the neighborhood. I let him "teach" me his karate moves for exercise. I have him do jumping jacks with me... or we will make it a fun competition and race each other doing some type of physical activity. If I have time and I want to catch up on my TV shows at the end of the night, I will walk, do lunges, tricep dips, squats and/or pushups while watching them instead of sitting. If I know I won't have time to catch up on any of my shows, I'll do those exercises while dinner is cooking... when waiting for the chicken in the oven to finish or for the pasta to boil. I do different exercises between any daily home task I have.

    Fitting in 5 minutes here and there throughout the day is much easier than blocking off a 30-60 minute timeframe. It also takes away my excuse of not having that extra 30 minutes to workout... I mean, I can't make an excuse to not do a set of lunges when waiting on dinner to finish when I'm standing there anyway... or when I'm walking to another part of the house to do something else... I just turn the steps into lunges :smiley: it takes no extra time at all! When I add a set of 15-25 squats or lunges or any other exercise in here and there throughout the day... it definitely adds up and before I know it I've done more than I would have done if I'd found that extra 30 minutes! :smile:
  • Katiebear_81
    Katiebear_81 Posts: 719 Member
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    Good day! I work full time, as well. I have my children in a 50/50 custody agreement, so my schedule is a little bit different then a lot of you. I ride the train to work, so I find that I get a little walking in before and after work as I commute. However... it's not enough to be called exercise.

    I do have a fitbit Charge HR which keeps me motivated. I also have access to a small crummy gym over lunch hour, so I utilize that as much as I am able - I try to go all 5 days a week. I, like the OP, didn't really have time before or after work to get to the gym. I also know that once I get home in the evening... I'm not going out again. I use my fitbit to make a point of making sure that I get the 10,000 steps in each work day. If I'm short, I'll walk on the treadmill at home for half an hour, and that usually finishes up the goal for me.

    As for you, I'd definitely try to do some walking at lunch, and climbing stairs is such a good activity! Sometimes I'll do that for 5-10 minutes instead of going to the gym - I'll burn just about as many calories because the work is so much harder! Personally, I set a timer at my desk and make sure I walk for 5 minutes every hour, just so I'm not trapped at my desk, not moving all day long.

    Anyone is free to add me as a friend! I'm happy to chat with other mamas. My girls are 5&7, and my boyfriend has 2 older kids, so we're busy! :)
  • jjmontgomery12
    jjmontgomery12 Posts: 1
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    Count me in too! I'm a wife, mom and full time employee. I get up at 4 am to be at work between 4:30-5 am so that I can get off when my daughter gets out of school. I used to get up and walk the dogs in the morning for 20-30 mins but that has halted I'm just too tired. I used to walk at lunch at work but of course my work load has picked up so that rarely happens. I used to do walking videos after my daughter went to bed (my hubby is usually asleep already because he gets up at 1 am to go run...yeah that's about the only time he can find to get his workout in) but again that seems to have slipped too.

    After work, making dinner, doing homework, getting things ready for the next day I'm just plum exhausted.

    BUT in the last year I have put on 10 lbs...so, it's time to jump back on the horse and get moving. I'll probably have more energy in the long run and the pups will be happier again.

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