Looking for Busy People who are struggling to find time.....

Add me - I am in the same boat!

Although I'm not a mother, I have a busy schedule and like you, found it very discouraging to see all these other people fitting in 2+ hours of relaxing cardio or heavy lifts. I work 8-hours, have a 3-hour commute, have a health condition which requires a doctor visit each week lasting 1-hour, plus I cook, clean and run all the errands for my house hold (three people + two fur babies). I try to fit in work outs when possible, the main goal is to make the most of your time - little to no rest while in the gym or doing an at-home session, so you work up a ton of sweat and exhaust the muscles in a smaller time period.

Add in the little things. Park farther away. Take the stairs. Take the long way to the bathroom or better yet use the one on the next floor so you have to take the stairs. Get the whole family to go for a walk after dinner. I do squats & leg lifts while I brush my teeth. None of this is "logged" but I feel better when I skip the gym, like today.

Not a single mom but I did just finish getting my bachelor's while working full time so I know a little something about being busy. Just a few things I learned along the way that might help you:

• It's almost impossible to "find" time to do things, instead, you have to MAKE time for them. Sit down and make a list of your priorities. Those are the things you need to literally schedule into your life. Everything else can fall around them. For me, keeping a perfectly clean and neat house ended up being lower on the priority list than time to run and lift weights.
• You have more free time than you think you do. Figure out what your "time sucks" are and try to either eliminate them or save them for when you really do have free time. For example, I don't browse Facebook unless I'm a passenger in a car, have enough time to sit on the sofa and watch TV, am waiting for an appointment, etc. If I go into my computer room and get on Facebook or similar sites I can lose an hour or two, easy.
• Along with that you need to find a tool to help you keep track of your schedule. A central calendar that your whole family can see or perhaps an app like Cozi.com (what I use) can help you to keep everything straight. Make it a habit to put everything on the calendar (pick a color for each person). You also have to check your calendar every night and again in the morning before you leave for work so you don't miss important things like soccer games, recitals and science fair project due dates. I like Cozi for this because not only will it send everyone a reminder it also has to do lists I could use for my school work and personal tasks and a meal planner built in.
• Exercise isn't necessary for weight loss but it is for your health. You can certainly lose weight without exercise but I'd still suggest making it a priority. I schedule myself 45-60 minutes per day and even did while I was going to school because it was a priority for me. Every other day I run around my neighborhood and the weekdays between I lift at the gym at my work with a friend. You don't need to do even that, though. Use your lunch break to take a walk. Park at the very back of the parking lot. Always choose the stairs over the elevator. Use the bathroom that's farthest away from your desk. Things like that will help you get in a little more movement each day and don't take much time. You can also do things with your kids. Turn up the music and dance in the living room. Go for a walk together. Run around at a park. Exercise doesn't have to be done in a gym, be boring or take a long time.
• Start meal planning and batch cooking. There are a lot of great meal planning sites that can help to get you started. Build a repertoire of 10-15 meals and rotate them around. They are even better if you can use the same things on different days so you're cooking once and eating two or three times. Meatloaf and mashed potatoes on Monday, meatloaf sandwiches for lunch and a shepherd's pie using the mashed potatoes for the crust on Tuesday. Or cook two whole chickens and use the meat for three separate meals in different ways during the week and on top of a salad for lunch. Use your crockpot to make a double or triple batch of chili. Freeze some for dinner in a week or two and have some for lunches that week. It doesn't need to be fancy or difficult as long as it saves time.
• Getting enough sleep with everything going on and the pressure of time can seem impossible. Make it one of your priorities. Short sleep will not only make you irritable and less focused, it can make it more difficult to lose weight.

You don't need an hour. I pushed my wake up time to 6 so I can work out for 30 minutes in the morning while my kids are asleep because I have to get myself and my 2 little ones ready and off to daycare before 8. My schedule might be more relaxed though as I am only going to school full time and my job is just part time evening in home care for my brother. So I have a break during school that I can use the gym on campus.

I work 12-14 hrs a day. Sometimes six day weeks. I try to get 12000 steps a day in and 30000 during weekend. I've found steps are somewhat obtainable with effort during work. Weekends I also lift weights on Sundays. Works for me

Casper9181 wrote: »

Hi all! I am looking for fellow MFP friends who are busy and struggle to get workouts in and who are sometimes over their calorie goal. I am a single mom of 2 boys who works full time. I don't have time for daily workouts let alone 1+ hours at a time. I am sometimes over my calorie goal. When I see people who are able to burn massive calories with a long workout on a daily or even 5-6 days a week, it is very discouraging to me. I feel like my efforts are not good enough. Just putting this out there in hopes to find some people like me :-) Feel free to add me!

You don't need 1+ hours in the gym...you don't need a gym at all...I don't know a single person who can't carve out 30 minutes daily for regular exercise. I schedule it into my day just like I do anything else that is important/necessary.

I primarily cycle...duration depends on what I'm doing...when I'm short on time I do 30 minutes or so at a higher intensity...sometimes intervals, etc. An hour is great when I can get it...I do longer rides on the weekend as time permits. I have an indoor trainer as well so if I'm home with the boys and can't get away or weather is bad I just throw the bike on the trainer and go for it while the kids do there thing. I hit the weight room 2x weekly...sometimes 3 depending...I'm usually in and out in 45 minutes...60 tops.