stay at home moms. how do you do it?

You sound a little like me, I'm a stay at home mom of one also. I just try to have strenght and make the right eating choices. My husband is not trying to eat healthy at all, so we definitely have plenty of bad thing sin our kitchen to eat. I just make sure I have my good things in there too so that when I'm hungry for a meal or snack I can reach for my good things and not his (yummy) bad things. Lately I have been trying to get myself on a schedule where i'll eat breakfast after I exercise int he morning, have lunch a couple hours later at lunch time, have a mid-afternoon snack alittle before dinner, eat dinner, then later in the evening after I exercise and shower I'll have another snack and relax before bed. On the days I actually stick to that schedule I feel good at the end of the day...I'm not hungry or feeling guilty about eating bad things. Now there are days where I'll dig into the not so good for you snacks and fast food, because it's not good to totally deprive yourself of the things you love. That will only make eating healthy a chore and make you want to stop trying. You just have to be strong and keep telling yourself that the hard work will pay off!! I have to make decisions everday, because like I said, my husband doesn't care about what he eats/drinks. Good luck, maybe you can get yourself some good things for you to have next time you go grocery shopping!

I do better keeping fit as a SAHM. I have total control over what food I bring into the house, I am not stuck at a desk all day, there is no temptation from 'office parties' and food days, and I don't have to worry about people always wanting me to go out for lunch with them to a restaurant without healthy options.

It is easy to get stuck in a rut, but there are things you can do. Take your child for a walk, or go to the park. Join an age-appropriate play group and get to know some of the other moms in your neighborhood. I know that my church has a MOPS group and they are quite active. I am not sure how old your child is, but if he/she naps, take that opportunity to put on some music and just dance, or clean house, or whatever you feel comfortable doing. If your child doesn't nap, get him/her involved in your routine. Do fitness activities together.

You have an opportunity to take control of your life like you wouldn't have if you worked outside of the home.

I'm actually counting down the days (literally) to be a SAHM again. I struggle to find the time to exercise properly working FT and keeping up with the house/kids and their activities throughout the week. I plan on walking in the mornings with my girls and being outside and active when the boys are home from school in the afternoons. Remember that exercise can be "out of the box" fun stuff that you do with your kids. Don't make it work - make it fun!

As for the food - it helps me if I plan meals and prep as much as I can for them ahead of time. It helps me curb any snacking or unhealthy eating b/c I suddenly realize that I'm STARVING and I don't know what I'm going to eat.

If you're eating out of boredom - make a conscious choice to do something other than eat when you feel the urge to prowl the fridge or pantry.

I am just now starting to get out of my rut, I have a 2yr old and a 10mth old. I too am caught up in what seems like the same boring routine and it will start to get to you and drive you crazy! I recently started MFP and it has given me the motivation to start a program. The best thing to do is just get out of the house! I try to go for hour long walks with the kids in the morning and have so for about 3wks now and I can't tell you how much my mood and daily energy has gone up. As far as food and eating well go, my motto is "If you don't buy it, you can't eat it" and this is a lot harder to say than do when your boyfriend/husband is not trying to lose weight with you, but in my case, he is just gonna have to deal with not having as much junk food around and for the little treats that are still there, nothing like having stuff around you shouldn't over consume to increase your will power.

My husband knows that junk food comes into our house for special occasions only and I *will* toss whatever he doesn't finish in a reasonable amount of time. Also, he gets his junk food fixes by using his weekly spending money to buy fast food for lunch or snacks at the corner store. That way, I don't have to be around it and it doesn't bother/tempt me.

I feel your pain.

I've been a SAHM for almost 5 years and I crave my husbands constant attention when he's home because I just get so bored and lonely by myself. I packed on the pounds from boredom eating too.

I joined a gym, it's a good way to give yourself a break from your home-prison, kids and your pantry! Plus you get the opportunity to meet new people and make new friends. Make some time in your routine for YOU!

Trust me, having worked both sides of the fence, it's easier to stay at home as you can control more.

You don't have donuts and other goodies brought in to tempt you like you do at work. You don't have lunches out etc. You can control what's in your home at all times and you have the time to prepare meals exactly how you want them.

I've had way more success at weightloss as a SAHM than I ever did as a working mom!

Hi. I am a SAHM to a 4 1/2 and 18 month old. I get rather bored and lonely at times too. I hate being stuck at home all day.
I have made working out the one thing that I do just for myself. Everyday when I put my son down for a nap I do some kind of workout DVD. I love to try to figure out how to make yummy dinners be healthy and low in calories. I log everything I eat, including bite of the kids food. THIS is my hobby, eating right, and exercising.
Are there any mom's groups near you where you can meet other SAHM's and get out of the house for play dates? Getting out around other mom's kept me from getting depressed.

I feel your pain! I'm a SAHM to 3 boys. 7, 4 & 17 months. During the school year my routine is as follows:

7:30-8:30 Wake up, eat breakfast & feed the kids breakfast, take my oldest to school & come home
8:30-930 or 10 Do dishes, start laundry, vacuum etc. (I just get as much done as I can.)
10-11:15 or 11:30 Exercise (Sometimes it takes longer or shorter. It depends on how often I get interrupted by the kids. It's frustrating sometimes, but I just make the decision to finish the workout no matter what.)
11:30-12 Eat lunch & then lay youngest down for a nap
12-1 or 1:30 Shower & nap
1:30-3 Finish getting ready while I watch my favorite soap opera. (I'm lame...I know.)
3-3:30 Go pick up oldest from school
3:30-4:30 or 5 Relax or finish laundry or another task if I need to
5-6:30ish Make and eat dinner & then clean up
6:30-8 Finish any cleaning that needs done or relax with the kids and hubby
8 Put the kids to bed and watch a movie with the hubs
10:30ish Go to bed

Of course this doesn't work everyday because kids always need something it seems, but that's the basic layout of my day. I used to be terrible about eating when I was bored. It was definitely my downfall. I finally made a decision that whenever I was bored and was tempted to eat something that I would go clean something or just do something else. Get myself "Unbored" so that I wouldn't think about the food. I also got rid of all my favorite junk foods and replaced it with other healthier snacks so that if I did give in at least I wasn't eating ice cream.

It was difficult, but I finally just made the decision to do what I needed to be healthy. If the dishes don't get done or the laundry isn't completely done then oh well. I have tomorrow to work on it again. In the long run it's more important to be fit and healthy and to be here for my kids than it is to get everything around the house done.

You CAN do this! Don't ever give up and if you fall off the wagon one day then don't beat yourself up. Just get back on the wagon the next day and keep moving.

If you have a gym with daycare nearby or a YMCA then look into joining. Even of it takes a while to meet people & make "gym friends" getting out of the house can make you feel better. Check to see if there are any stroller fit classes near you, they allow you to workout with your kiddo and meet other moms