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Practical advice for a working mom

MelAb8709
MelAb8709 Posts: 140 Member
edited November 2024 in Health and Weight Loss
Hi all, I'm looking for some practical tips. I'm a new mom, I've recently returned to work full time. I'm away from home 7am - 6pm everyday, so when I do get home the last thing I want to do is exercise, because I've been away from my baby all day. She goes to sleep around 7:30 then it's dinner and getting things ready for the next day and I try to go to bed myself by 9:30 because she wakes 1-2x during the night still. In the mornings I'm up at 5:30 to get myself ready, feed her, etc. I would work out at work, but I am pumping and spending a good 2 hours of the day away from my desk so I can't really take another half hour - hour to go exercise.

Obviously, there's the weekend but that's only 2 days. Other moms have to have a similar schedule - what did you do? There aren't enough hours in the day!

Replies

  • Unknown
    Unknown
    edited October 2015
    This content has been removed.
  • 42firm03
    42firm03 Posts: 115 Member
    I would focus on being active in your daily activities rather than formal exercise, for now. It's a short season (pumping) and for now it is your priority. Walking is your friend and baby friendly too. Stroller or carrier. Your choice.
  • suzan06
    suzan06 Posts: 218 Member
    Not exercise, basically.

    If you have time between getting home and bedtime for the baby, take a walk with her in a baby carrier. Its not much, but every little bit helps. My babies were always fussy in the evening and loved an outdoor walk. And I loved wearing them after a day apart.
  • MelAb8709
    MelAb8709 Posts: 140 Member
    catscats222 wrote: »
    opinion: exercise does not drop weight as fast as eating at a calorie deficit does.
    so focus on what you eat.
    i lost weight without a drop of exercising.
    as a mom you move around enough doing laundry, dishes, vacuuming, mopping, picking up toys, grocery shopping, well, you know the list is long.
    at work, during lunch perhaps you you could up and down the stairs a couple of times.
    adding: my answer to how I lost weight "I clean my own house".

    So this is another hard part for me. My daughter has some major gas issues and her ped has asked me to limit my diet to restrict foods that may cause gas - no caffeine, and limit things like beans, broccoli, fruits, dairy ... I had been eating vegetarian but now that I can't have dairy or beans, I have to start eating chicken. It's frustrating that I thought other than dairy, no other foods that I eat should affect my baby but now I'm hearing the opposite.
    I suppose I just feel very much like I'm not in control anymore.
  • Unknown
    Unknown
    This content has been removed.
  • SueInAz
    SueInAz Posts: 6,592 Member
    edited October 2015
    I always went off the assumption that just about everything you ingest has some affect on your breast milk. Some babies are more sensitive to the effect of certain foods than others, is all. You may also find that cutting out the things your doctor is recommending doesn't make a difference at which point there'd be no reason not to start eating them again.

    Chicken doesn't have much more calories than beans by weight (and a much higher protein to calorie ratio) so is it that you have an aversion to eating chicken or you think that it's going to up your calorie intake? If it's the chicken itself, why not supplement with a vegan protein powder that isn't made from dairy?

    Also, as others have said, exercise isn't needed for weight loss, it's all about the calories you consume being less than the calories your body burns. Creating milk for your baby burns extra calories each day, too, so you could simply consider that your exercise for now. Even more important than exercise is sleep, so you are doing the right thing by making sure you're getting enough.
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