Motivation for Mothers/Fathers... How do you do it?

i have a 5-year-old, a 3-year-old, and a 4-month-old . my income is also limited as i'm a single stay-at-home mother, but i've learned to work around that . my exercise is walking to faraway playgrounds, walking to zoos/museums/aquariums (i have memberships to all three - it's an investment in my sanity and health lol and after three visits, it pays for itself), or just grabbing a ball and going to the park . location is for the kids, the walk is for me i also have just dance, which is more for fun rather than exercise . love the bollywood versions haha .

to actually answer your question, i use a misfit shine to motivate me to get as many steps as possible . i used to have a pedometer, but i liked the simplicity of the shine . oh, and i also bought a couple of dresses two sizes smaller for extra motivation . it helps soooooo much that they're absolutely gorgeous !

also, i am sleep-deprived because i'm a full-time cow lol but i've learned to work on auto-pilot . another year and a half to go and i can retire from being a cow

it's currently noon and i already have 10 000 steps from walking to the playground, walking around as i monitor the kids, and then walking back but taking detours to go home the long way .

the hard part is getting out of the house with little ones . i'm not awesome, some days i just don't want to leave . but once i do get up and out, i feel so much better mentally .

good luck, you can do it too . just find what works for you

I am also a sahm, I do have a gym membership so that I can get out of the house and have some "me" time. I stay motivated by knowing that by taking care of myself, I can take better care of my little one. Also they see what you do and start copying it. On days when I cannot go to the gym I do youtube videos and my little one has started copying jumping jacks and push ups, which only motivates me more. Dealing with limited sleep, I sometimes nap when my daughter naps or I have a cup of coffee before my workout time.

My kids are 5 and 7, and I have to say that it was easier before they started elementary school and their extra-curricular activities. I am a working mom, so my situation is not exactly the same. But man, I know it's exhausting being a sahm. I work from 6:30am-4:00pm, then it's homework and kids' activities, dinner at 7:30-8pm, shower and get ready for bed by 9-9:30pm. I work out after that. I just have to make myself do it. Try to find something that works for you, and stick with it. Good luck.

I have to get up super early to get some gym in before work. Cause if the mrs finds out ive been gyming over helping her out... im dead

I concentrate more on eating the right foods and just trying to fit in a set amount of activity every day. I live in a temperate climate in a safe neighborhood, so we try to go on 3 20 minute walks a day while pulling my kid in a wagon. Then I try to use my exercise bike, elliptical, or YouTube videos for 4 15 minute intervals throughout the day. My child won't sleep without me, so I'm screwed for naptime. I'm also still nursing so I'm really careful to make sure I eat and stay hydrated. If I don't eat when I'm supposed to I end up starving and binging. I don't really have a set-in-stone weight goal. I just want to be healthier and model better health behavior for my kids. My next goal is to start running twice a week.

I would try to get a walk in everyday with the kids. Even if it's just a 10 minute walk or out to the end of the driveway and back (if you have one). I have 4 kids. Only one is under 5 though. But still a challenge for me to do anything for myself. I am also a SAHM and my 8 month old is very high needs. Lol. So clingy and we EBF. He snacks so much throughout the day!

You can also stop and do 20 squats or sit ups or burpees, etc at random times. Or everytime you get a glass of water do some lunges, etc. You can always incorporate exercise during the day! You can totally do it mama!

I'm not a SAHM or SAHD, but I am a full time employee and father of 2 children. I have several reasons for me to stay motivated to exercise and eat healthy. First, my family history isn't that great. High blood pressure runs in my family. Luckily, I have not been diagnosed with high blood pressure, but I'm still staying on top of things. My second reason for staying motivated is vanity. It was depressing when I had to keep buying larger size clothing. The fact that I can still buy the same size clothing I wore in high school is very motivating.

I'm able to keep up my progress because of my current lifestyle. When I have a lunch break at work, I noticed that I was only eating for about 10-15 minutes and using the rest of the hour to watch videos on youtube. Instead of wasting this time, I go out for a run at the beginning of my lunch and eat afterwards. I prep my meals the day before or make something quick at work such as oatmeal. Working out at home isn't a problem since my kids enjoy watching their dad lift heavy weights. I think they enjoy watching my drop weights and the noises that the weights make. I can continue to make healthy meals at home because my children genuinely enjoy them. I'm making burgers and pizza, but I'm selective about the toppings and types of meat.

I think I got very lucky. I'm very open with my family about my exercise and eating habits. I notice that when people segregate the weight loss goals from the rest of the family, they get demotivated. Probably because everyone else is enjoying themselves while you are doing something different. I'll admit that I wasn't too confident introducing my diet to the family, but when I did, everything was so much easier. I was even told that they didn't realize that my diet food looked like normal everyday food. I used to either exercise only during my lunch break or after the kids/wife went to sleep, but quickly realized that this takes away too much sleep from me. Decided to suck it up and exercise in front of everyone. The first time I did this, it felt like my daughter was cheering me on during every rep/set. She was clapping after every rep/set. This itself was very motivating.