SAHM 8/17-8/23

lettuceb
lettuceb Posts: 207 Member
edited September 2024 in Motivation and Support
Good Morning everyone :happy:
Here is the new thread for this week....sorryy it took me a little while to get going this morning!
Hope everyone had a great weekend and looking forward to a good week!

If you have never been here, welcome :flowerforyou:
We are a group of stay at home moms that support and motivate each other and anyone is welcome :heart:
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Replies

  • lettuceb
    lettuceb Posts: 207 Member
    Wow!!! I went out with hubby last night for his bday. We got to go to dinner all by ourselves! lol
    We went to a nice French Country restaurant and we had what is called the Chef''s tasting menu. It was 8 courses of small dishes all very different. It was very good but I thought I was going to burst at the end of the evening! I am going to run this evening to burn some of that food off! Luckily there weren't any really heavy dishes and there were lots of yummy fresh veggies in them!

    My two youngest are still at Grandma's until tomorrow so I am taking my 12yo out shopping for jeans for school today because the child will not stop growing!!!:grumble:

    Have a great day everyone!!:heart:
  • angl421
    angl421 Posts: 47
    hello everyone.

    i am new to this site and finding it very helpful in opening my eyes as to how many calories i really take in. shocking a little.

    i am a wife, sahm to 4 boys (ages16-10), and two dogs. needless to say i am in the kitchen alot of the day and need to stop "tasting" everything i see. i can't even have cheetos in the house - to see them is to eat them.
    i have just quit diet peach tea cold turkey and switched to water . i was drinking at least three liters a day , can't believe how hard it is to stop drinking the stuff. major withdrawal and cravings.

    looking for suggestions as to when to fit in exercise during the summer and vacation. very hard for me to say i am taking this hour now.

    g'day and good luck to all
  • lettuceb
    lettuceb Posts: 207 Member
    hello everyone.

    i am new to this site and finding it very helpful in opening my eyes as to how many calories i really take in. shocking a little.

    i am a wife, sahm to 4 boys (ages16-10), and two dogs. needless to say i am in the kitchen alot of the day and need to stop "tasting" everything i see. i can't even have cheetos in the house - to see them is to eat them.
    i have just quit diet peach tea cold turkey and switched to water . i was drinking at least three liters a day , can't believe how hard it is to stop drinking the stuff. major withdrawal and cravings.

    looking for suggestions as to when to fit in exercise during the summer and vacation. very hard for me to say i am taking this hour now.

    g'day and good luck to all


    Welcome Angl1216! This site is great and the people here are very supportive :heart:
    I too have 4 boys ages 3-18 so I totally understand being in the kitchen all the time. Luckily my hubby likes to cook so he does dinner.

    We all know how hard it is to fit exercise into our busy days. Good Luck and hang in there! Remember we are all in the same boat so to speak :flowerforyou:
  • amypyr
    amypyr Posts: 660 Member
    Good morning!

    Lettuce, it sounds like you had a great time last night. Dinner out alone w/ hubby can be very rare. I'm glad you got the chance!

    Welcome angl! :flowerforyou: I hope you enjoy MFP as much as I do! This thread is a wonderful support for sahm's. I have 2 kids, boy & girl, 16 months apart. My oldest will be 7 next month. A little bit about me: I was a full-time sahm until 2 years ago. I got a job as the Admin. Assistant at my church at 10 hrs/week. I am now up to 20 hrs/week. I am able to bring my kids w/ me to work in a very family atmosphere. And the best part is that since my daughter starts Kindergarten this year, I will leave for work after they leave for school & get home before picking them up. I'm with you on the "tasting" things while cooking. And having the will power to not eat some of the kiddos snacks is hard for me.

    I haven't figured out a really good time to fit in exercise during the summer yet. I generally find right now the best time for me is after they go to bed. I'm hoping to get some of it in in the mornings once school starts next week and I get back into a better routine.
  • angl421
    angl421 Posts: 47
    thank you for your support. i have to admit i did not think i would take to this part of the site but it is nice having people understand where you are coming from. i am like a dinosaur in my community almost all the women work outside the home full time.

    lettuce - i am totally jealous of the husband that cooks. while i do cook huge amounts of food (4 boys) i hate cooking and do it out of love for my children rather than enjoyment of the task.

    amy - all my respect ot you - after a full day, exercising at night is a hard thing to do. i find from past experience that if i don't do it first thing in the morning it dosen't happen - even with the best intentions. of course taking an hour or hour and a half to do something for myself before anything gets done in the day is the challenge of putting myself first on the to do list - hello guilt with a dollop feeling selfish. ridiculous feelings. i need get over it.

    i am also hoping to settle into a morning routine once school starts. that has worked for me in the past. two weeks til everyone is back at school. yay. i need a vacation from their vacation.
  • lettuceb
    lettuceb Posts: 207 Member
    thank you for your support. i have to admit i did not think i would take to this part of the site but it is nice having people understand where you are coming from. i am like a dinosaur in my community almost all the women work outside the home full time.

    lettuce - i am totally jealous of the husband that cooks. while i do cook huge amounts of food (4 boys) i hate cooking and do it out of love for my children rather than enjoyment of the task.

    amy - all my respect ot you - after a full day, exercising at night is a hard thing to do. i find from past experience that if i don't do it first thing in the morning it dosen't happen - even with the best intentions. of course taking an hour or hour and a half to do something for myself before anything gets done in the day is the challenge of putting myself first on the to do list - hello guilt with a dollop feeling selfish. ridiculous feelings. i need get over it.

    i am also hoping to settle into a morning routine once school starts. that has worked for me in the past. two weeks til everyone is back at school. yay. i need a vacation from their vacation.

    angl--I do love that hubby cooks, just wish he wouldn't make such a mess!:grumble:
    I understand the needing a vacation from their vacation...mine start back on the 31st but my littlest doesn't go to preschool until middle of sept and then it is on 2 afternoons a week.

    I just became a SAHM 2 weeks ago. I was working full time but at one pt. in my career I was home with the boys for 5 years and when I had #4 I was home for 9 months with him so I have pretty much done both. I am now consulting whenever my former company needs help (I worked on clinical Trials for HIV/AIDS).

    I find as a mom that yes, there is that guilt whenever we try to do things for ourselves...heck, I even feel guilty when I try and take a relaxing bath at night. I too am going to try and get into an exercise schedule once school starts....can't wait.
  • lettuceb
    lettuceb Posts: 207 Member
    Amy---dinner was fantastic and got to try so many dishes and sauces that I have not had before or in a long long time so it was fun and relaxing.
  • angl421
    angl421 Posts: 47
    lettuce , my dad is also a scientist - retired but he studied the brain. he loved his work. once upon a time i was a social worker. i worked until my oledst was a year a nd a half old.


    i am finding summers as the boys get older to be not only hectic but chaotic. everyone is up till all hours going in all different directions - pure maddness. plus i try to take a day trip with them twice a week. tomorrow i am taking them snorkaling. the good part is they are out of the house and not bored and fighting. the bad part is in addition to the chaos i loose two workdays a week entertaining them. the 16yo dosen't even join us most of the time he's doing his own thing....in the blink of an eye.

    i used to function better in chaos. as i get older i definetly need more structure. circling right back around to undisciplined eating habis. i am hoping mfp helps me form more structured and discplined eating habits. i think the structure will also help with the emotional eating. if this attempt to lose weight is sucessful it will be the 6th time i lose the same thirty lbs.
  • amypyr
    amypyr Posts: 660 Member
    angl, even though right now the best time for me to exercise is at night, it doesn't always happen. I probably get to exercise about twice a week.

    I have to agree w/ summers getting more hectic as the kids get older. This summer just flew by, and the playdates I told my kids they'd have w/ their friends didn't happen because we were all so busy. Day trips w/ the kids sounds like a good idea.

    Well, I've got to go finish dinner. We're having a late dinner tonight. My mom called earlier & even though she said she could only talk for a short time, we were on the phone for 45 minutes! :noway: And they're coming to visit tomorrow to take care of the kids for the rest of the week.
  • lettuceb
    lettuceb Posts: 207 Member
    Woo Hoo! I got in 2 miles of running/walking this evening...now icing the knee and praying there is no swelling. Hopefully I can get back to C25K next week. I love that program and I always hated running:laugh:

    I don't know which season is more hectic for us...having kids that are 3, 7, 12, and 18 have me going from one thing to another no matter what the season. My 7yo wants tod do everything! Soccer is about to start for him and he takes piano lessons when my 12yo takes guitar. The 3yo does gymnastics once a week and the 7yo starts gymnastics in Sept! At least I can send the 18yo out to do some of my errands :sad: pure craziness!

    Anyway, we all know that is the story of a mom! So my hat is off to all mothers whether you have 1 or a whole bunch it is the toughest job in the world but also the most rewarding.

    Now, time for some yummy bbq grilled chix and veggies.
  • lettuceb
    lettuceb Posts: 207 Member
    Good Morning everyone!

    My 2 little guys come home today after being with Grandma since Sunday so I need to try to fit in something before they get here....lifting or elliptical, haven't decided.

    Took the 12yo out jean shopping yesterday, boy has he grown. He is almost as tall as me (I am only 5'3" though). He loves those skinny jeans and all I could think was "It must be nice to be able to wear them". :bigsmile: But then again he is a boy without any curves.
  • angl421
    angl421 Posts: 47
    successful day of sun and surf with the kids.

    good food day . when i am out of the house i definetly have an easier time with the food.

    i bring i sandwich each, i bag of chips and fruit. plus it is a very active day.

    the question is do i have enough strength to exercise formally. we will see.
  • angl421
    angl421 Posts: 47
    lettuce - hope you were able to get your exercise in b4 liitle ones arrived. amazing how much you can start missing them.

    while in the kitchen trying to conjure up dinner i had a lapse. the good news is i snacked on bbq rice cakes. the bad news is i ate the whole bag while contemplating dinner. plus 15 choclate covered raisins.

    my 10yo is driving me crazy - he dosn't want what i made but rather some sort of gourmet meal - that i have neither the time to prepare nor the ingrediants. how did he get so spoiled? good luck to his future wife.

    going to try to walk the dogs for a half hour after i finish up in the kitchen.

    i have found in the past if i clean up immediately after dinner (procrastination is yet another of my challenges) and shut the lights no one goes in for nighttime snacking including kids. time to resurrect that habit.
  • lettuceb
    lettuceb Posts: 207 Member
    lettuce - hope you were able to get your exercise in b4 liitle ones arrived. amazing how much you can start missing them.

    while in the kitchen trying to conjure up dinner i had a lapse. the good news is i snacked on bbq rice cakes. the bad news is i ate the whole bag while contemplating dinner. plus 15 choclate covered raisins.

    my 10yo is driving me crazy - he dosn't want what i made but rather some sort of gourmet meal - that i have neither the time to prepare nor the ingrediants. how did he get so spoiled? good luck to his future wife.

    going to try to walk the dogs for a half hour after i finish up in the kitchen.

    i have found in the past if i clean up immediately after dinner (procrastination is yet another of my challenges) and shut the lights no one goes in for nighttime snacking including kids. time to resurrect that habit.

    Angl--thanks I tried Jillian's 30 day shred because it was free on our Verizon On Demand and it was pretty good. Different but good.

    My 12yo and 7yo are picky eaters and drive me crazy so I get that :grumble:

    I love being able to work out early in the day because it gives me so much energy for the rest of the day but it is rare that it happens!

    Off to do my regular chores....laundry, laundry. laundry:sad:
  • angl421
    angl421 Posts: 47
    i agree a morning exercide routine is the way to go. i am trying to plan my schedule for sept 1. probably overthinking it a litttle. in the meantime squeezing exercise in when i can just to reintroduce it to my life.

    i wish climbing mt. washmore burned more calories as it is definitely part of my everyday too.

    also trying to form the habit of sleeping 7-8 hours a night .usual is 3-4 . for me, less tired = less snacking for instant energy. not an easy habit to form for a night owl,

    crawling into bed tonight content with today's food and activity.
    good night
  • amypyr
    amypyr Posts: 660 Member
    Hello ladies! I hope everyone is having a great day!

    I would love to start a morning exercise routine, but as a night owl, I find it hard to get up in time. That's why I'm hoping to start next week once the kids start school.

    I have picky eaters too, so I can relate! All 3 of mine (son, daughter, & hubby!!) are picky. At least hubby is better now than when I met him 12 years ago.

    I've been having a pretty good day for eating and water. I just need to get that exercise in. I hope my eating continues to be good. My parents are here through Friday to help take care of the kids, and they're taking kiddos to dinner to give hubby and me a date night out somewhere. Not sure where we're going yet, but it better be somewhere w/ grilled chicken & veggies. :smile:
  • angl421
    angl421 Posts: 47
    good morning ladies.

    woke up and walked the dogs 50 min first thing.

    busy day of errands and getting everyone books and supplies for school. 12 more days "not that i am counting." by november i'll be thinking "remeber how much fun the summer was i can't wait till next summer"

    i need some breakfast ideas. cereal - special k- serves me well for light dinners when i can't eat what i have made for the family. i need more in the mornings to get me thru till lunch.

    lunch is a whole other issue that i hope to discuss with you another time.
  • angl421
    angl421 Posts: 47
    had sushi for lunch

    just logged it into my foods, HUGE EYE OPENER. i had no idea how high in calorie it is.

    so much for a "healthy" lunch.

    good thing it was a late lunch as i have 97 calories left and it only 3:30 pm.

    looks like dinner is a couple of fruit. i guess i can live with that
  • Wecandothis
    Wecandothis Posts: 1,083 Member
    I am not a member of this group, but when I realized what SAHM meant I had to come by and tell you that you guys ROCK! You are doing the right thing! What you are doing is not easy, but it's just so worthwhile, so very important to your kids! God bless you one and all.

    I'm a single mother, so my circumstances are different from yours - but I can tell you that being with my daughter was important enough for me that I left a very good paying job that had me working from 7am until 7pm every night because being away from my baby was destroying me. I lost about 70 percent of my income when I began driving a school bus so I could be with her but I did not care. It was worth it.

    I'm back to work now in the field in which I was trained. She's 13 now, and gets on the school bus at my work, and gets off here in the afternoon. I would still be driving that school bus if I did not have the ability to raise my daughter on my own.

    Ack, I got off topic. What I meant to say is that you are investing your time and your energy in the exact place it should be. You are forming our next generation, and I salute you!!!
  • angl421
    angl421 Posts: 47
    thank you kurneckc.

    although i agree with what you wrote, i forget alot. it is nice to here it from someone else. there are alot of people out there who make you feel you are worth less because you don't " work" as hard or bring home a paycheck. . few understand the personal sacrifice involved. many a comment have sent me crying to my husband questioning the wisdom of being a sahm. thank you again.

    p.s. as i understand it this is an open group/thread and all are welcome.
  • amypyr
    amypyr Posts: 660 Member
    Kurneckc - Thank you. As angl said, it is nice when someone else tells us we're doing the right thing. My mil was SO against me being a sahm because at the time our 1st child was born, hubby was in & out of work (during the time when the tech market bottomed out, he's in IT). But even then it wasn't feasible for me to work, between child care & he could make more on a short-term contract job than I could full-time somewhere. I'm an administrative assistant. I now work part-time as the admin. assistant at our church where I can bring the kids w/ me when they're not in school. It has been a sacrifice, but when I see what the children of my "working" friends go through, I am SO glad I have been a sahm.
  • amypyr
    amypyr Posts: 660 Member
    angl, I had sushi too, for dinner last night. I must have done better on my eating somehow because I weighed in this morning out of curiosity & was down 0.4 lbs from yesterday morning. I've been eating higher sodium content foods lately, so I think some of this has been water weight. I didn't use any soy sauce last night. Of course, the rolls were much smaller than what we usually get.

    Hubby and I went out on a "date night" for dinner last night. We decided to go back to this sushi restaurant that's been in the area for at least 10 years. Mistake. It was good, but it wasn't nearly as good as where we usually go. Eez is more expensive than where we went last night, but not by much, and you get twice as much food. We left last night still hungry. Ended up running through Wendy's drive thru to get a double stack burger. Luckily, I drank lots of water at dinner and when I got home. The wasabi was actually better where we were last night, but boy did I need the water!! :laugh: I also got some exercise in after dinner by vacuuming the house. My older dog is a Great Pyrenees, so I have to vacuum often.

    I hope everyone is having a great day!
  • lettuceb
    lettuceb Posts: 207 Member
    I am not a member of this group, but when I realized what SAHM meant I had to come by and tell you that you guys ROCK! You are doing the right thing! What you are doing is not easy, but it's just so worthwhile, so very important to your kids! God bless you one and all.

    I'm a single mother, so my circumstances are different from yours - but I can tell you that being with my daughter was important enough for me that I left a very good paying job that had me working from 7am until 7pm every night because being away from my baby was destroying me. I lost about 70 percent of my income when I began driving a school bus so I could be with her but I did not care. It was worth it.

    I'm back to work now in the field in which I was trained. She's 13 now, and gets on the school bus at my work, and gets off here in the afternoon. I would still be driving that school bus if I did not have the ability to raise my daughter on my own.

    Ack, I got off topic. What I meant to say is that you are investing your time and your energy in the exact place it should be. You are forming our next generation, and I salute you!!!

    Kurneckc---Hello! You are welcome here anytime you like! You are a mom just like us so please feel free to come chat with us and get support and motivation from these wonderful ladies!
    :heart:
  • lettuceb
    lettuceb Posts: 207 Member
    Well ladies I did the first day of the 30 day shred and I am feeling it today because I haven't worked some of those muscle groups in quite a while :bigsmile: The soreness is a good feeling, reminds me that I actually did something.

    My little guys were only home for last night cuz Grandma and Grandpa picked them up this morning on their way home to Chincoteague Island Virginia to take them with them so they could go to the beach for a couple of days. They are bringing them home Sat or Sun morning. We are having a big end of the summer/Jackson's Bday party on Sunday and this way I can run errands and get ready for the party without dragging them everywhere with me :smile:

    My youngest begs to go to the beach all the time so he is really happy.

    I have to take the 12yo out to get a new backpack for school too and I might take him to the movies tomorrow (we don't get a lot of time alone together).

    Hopefully I will get to run tonight when it isn't so hot and humid. That is if my legs will work.
  • lenece
    lenece Posts: 389 Member
    Well I'm here for the moment..I've been on an emtional rollercoaster for the last 3 months..My oldest son is still in the neckbrace from his accident..then we found out hes allergic to everything under the son..then school started last week..talk bout bein a nervous wreck his neck his starting to heal n I'm so scared someone at school is goin to push him down or something n hurt him again..but the kids are really good about watching out for josh n of course I went on the first day of school n talked to his whole class n explained to them how bad it would be if he got hurt again..Also we found out that josh has a learnin issue on top of his ADD..but we are handling all the best I can..

    also over the summer I went through a big thing with me..the drs thought I had cervical cancer and had a surgery they burnt it all out but now I'm having problems again..bad ones..i go back next month for another pap I need a hysdorectomy* but my dr says I'm to young I'm 32 n cant have nmore kids..so just pull the crap out already I'm tired of bein moody n sick from it all the time..

    Then next month it will be a year that my dad has been gone..I've been having a really hard time with as well as my kids..It never does get easier like they say..

    I was down to 190 pounds n then I got up to 235 pounds cuz of all that has been goin on..now i'm back down to 220 pounds still have along way to go before I reach my goal..I'm wanting to start working out on my gazzale but I just look at it..I have been walking the kids to school in the morning but thats only 6 blks total..not much..sorry to have dumped all this all on you but this place has always been like a place of therapy for me..thanks dana:flowerforyou:
  • lettuceb
    lettuceb Posts: 207 Member
    Well I'm here for the moment..I've been on an emtional rollercoaster for the last 3 months..My oldest son is still in the neckbrace from his accident..then we found out hes allergic to everything under the son..then school started last week..talk bout bein a nervous wreck his neck his starting to heal n I'm so scared someone at school is goin to push him down or something n hurt him again..but the kids are really good about watching out for josh n of course I went on the first day of school n talked to his whole class n explained to them how bad it would be if he got hurt again..Also we found out that josh has a learnin issue on top of his ADD..but we are handling all the best I can..

    also over the summer I went through a big thing with me..the drs thought I had cervical cancer and had a surgery they burnt it all out but now I'm having problems again..bad ones..i go back next month for another pap I need a hysdorectomy* but my dr says I'm to young I'm 32 n cant have nmore kids..so just pull the crap out already I'm tired of bein moody n sick from it all the time..

    Then next month it will be a year that my dad has been gone..I've been having a really hard time with as well as my kids..It never does get easier like they say..

    I was down to 190 pounds n then I got up to 235 pounds cuz of all that has been goin on..now i'm back down to 220 pounds still have along way to go before I reach my goal..I'm wanting to start working out on my gazzale but I just look at it..I have been walking the kids to school in the morning but thats only 6 blks total..not much..sorry to have dumped all this all on you but this place has always been like a place of therapy for me..thanks dana:flowerforyou:

    No problem!! You can dump all you want and we are here for you:heart: That is what makes this place so great. Hang in there......things will look up :happy: You are doing all things that are possible and good for your family.
  • lettuceb
    lettuceb Posts: 207 Member
    I managed another 2 miles this evening and ran more than walked...I actually did one of the week 3 C25K sessions and the knee held up :happy: I made sure I stretched afterwards and then iced it for 20 min. I hope that if I keep taking care of it like this then the tendonitis won't come back.

    I want some chocolate so bad! I had a ground turkey breast taco for dinner....the older 2 kids and hubby ate it too!

    Going to try and do another session of the 30 day shred tomorrow and maybe some xtra lifting but man am I tired!
  • amypyr
    amypyr Posts: 660 Member
    Dana - I'm glad to hear from you again. You've been in my prayers. I hope everything works out for you soon. Don't feel bad about dumping things on us. That's what we're here for! :flowerforyou:

    Lettuce - Good job on the running! :flowerforyou: How was the taco? That sounds good.

    I did decently on food today, and I did well on exercise because we went to the pool this afternoon. I haven't gotten all my water in for the day yet. Don't know if I will. I have 3 more to go, and at almost 11 pm, I don't see drinking that much.

    Have a great night everyone!
  • angl421
    angl421 Posts: 47
    dana - i totally sympathize with you. i go crazy when one of my kids has a 24 hour stomach virus so i totally get worring about your son at school and giving up control over his environment for a good portion of the day. if only we could raise them in bubbles. for many many reasons.

    i lost my mother in law when i was 27. i had known her since i was 15. she was not only a mother to me but also my example of who i wanted to be when i grew up. there did come a time when i would smile when i thought of her instead of cry. allow yourself to greive. a year is not that long. you will smile at the memory of him one day. be as generous with yourself as you would with another who lost a loved one. lock yourself in your room for 15 minutes and cry instead of eating - then go remind your children of a great menory of their grandpa. only time heals this particular wound.

    to be dealing with all this and going through your own medical problems is hard. get yourself healthy so you can go back to caring for the people relying on you. i know from personal experience how hard it is to take care of a family emotionally and physically when you don't feel well and really need to be laying in bed. we are here for you.
  • angl421
    angl421 Posts: 47
    lettuce - i looked up the 30 day shred online.

    no wonder you are sore it looks killer. if you continue you will definitely see results. i heard you can see results in your arms within 2-3 weeks from doing this type of weight lifting.

    i need more gentle and stick to yoga. took an hour class this morning. always feel great after.
    i don't know why that great feeling dosn't motivate me to do it more consistently.

    amy- when i put the sushi into the food dairy it said each peice is like 25 cal. i could easily eat 24 peices. i will say i was full the rest of the day and only had one of my planed to fruit for dinner. so i stayed within my calories.

    i am not ready to say sushi is not alllowed though. i think it is healthy the nori has alot of calcium and other nutrients and what could be bad with all the veggies and a little fish (i only like salmon). i do wish i could find a place that made the sushi with brown rice - then there would be no guilt at all.

    when i lost weight last time we went out for sushi all the time it was one of my go to places so i wouldn't "cheat on my diet". even with the best of intentions take me out for italian and i can't resist rosa (tomato/cream) sauce dishes.

    i think i am 10 hours ahead of everyone so i will check back in early afternoon.
    i am taking the kids on an afternoon evening trip today (season finale) b4 school starts.

    wishing everyone a good day.
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