Working parents; how do you fit it all in??

[1sexy_mama]

As a working mom of two busy children under the age of two I am struggling to stick to extended induction. I lost 50 pounds on Atkins before I got PG with my son. I was so excited with the loss of weight and the new selection of clothing I could wear. I was overjoyed to be PG and knew I could not low carb to the point I had been (under 30g per day). I tried to eat well and avoided all refined products. I even was a loyal Jazzerciser until 7 months of pregancy when medical problems forced me to quit Jazzercising until after I gave birth. Still I gained the 50 pounds back! SO frusterating!! I think baby weight attaches itself differently! Now I am busier than ever and hardly sit down after I get home in the evenings. Still weight loss has been very slow! I have been walking on my breaks and recently purchased an elliptical machine. :yes Also drinking about a gallon of water per day.

Any suggestions from other busy parents? ensive

I just joined this today. Have been lurking for about a week and decided finally to join! Everyone is so helpful and encouraging! Very cool![img][/img]

[spirittalker]

Sounds like maybe you need to ask hubby to watch the two for an hours after work so you can work out. It is hard to fit it all in and now that my son is 8 I can more easily do so, but I still have other obligations that have to get taken care of but I have been making the time for myself because I realize how important it is. The better you take care of yourself the better you will be able to care for your family.

[sassygoddess13]

You gotta make time for yourself. I just had a baby (she's 4 months tomorrow) and I have a 5 year old. I work 5 pm to 12:30 am M-F AND take care of the kids during the day, running my son to school, etc. So far, it's been a choice of sleep or exercise and I chose sleep.

When I worked during the day, I took the train and I made sure I would speed walk to and from the train and to and from my car to sneak in some exercise. I also have an elliptical at home but haven't found the time yet. So I'm right there with ya. Want to start the exercise but can't seem to make the time.

And I was an avid exerciser before; 4 days a week, weights, cardio, etc. It's not that I don't want to do it, I just need time!!! I'm hoping I can start walking now that it's getting to be spring!

[AWAaviatrix]

Sleep :yes exercise :nono sleep :yes exercise :nono

Kids, work and a husband make it very hard to find time for ourselves it seems. That is my excuse anyway!
I think it really comes down to making the time. Setting the alarm 30 minutes earlier, not watching my favorite TV show, getting off eBay! Just a few things I know I could do to make exercise more of a priority in my life.
Misty

[Pam_C]

I have a 3yr old and I am a stay at home mom. I hav to have will power and not eat what she does. When my husband comes home it is his turn. They will go play a game or watch tv and I get all my exercise in then. When it is just me and my daughter I do not get much done. If it weren't for him I wouldn't be getting much done and would probably be sitting on the couch with a bag of potato chips watching Clifford the big red dog for the millionth time!! :joy

[vikski]

I'm a mom to 3 kids (9 year old daughter, 6 year old son with ADHD, and a son who is 4 1/2 years old). I work full time. Me and my husband work opposite shifts. He has the kids during the day and I have them at night. Working opposite shifts eliminates having to have daycare. Anyways, I exercise either by walking during my lunch break or i'll walk on my treadmill at nightime. I usually bring the kids upstairs with me and have them watch t.v. in their room or bring some toys by the treadmill so that I can watch them. Losing weight is something that I do for myself. It's the only thing I basically do for myself so I have to find the time to exercise. The longer i'm on Atkins, the eating gets easier. They eat stuff wtih carbs and we just usually buy stuff that isn't trigger foods for myself for the kids. My kids usually eat whatever I make for dinner. They get their carbs in at breakfast and lunch so by the time dinner comes around, I don't usually always fuss with making them a carb type of dish such as pasta or rice.

[DebbieY]

Hi, I've been on Atkins since the end of January. I have a 3 1/2 year old. My husband and I are out of the house by 7am and I don't get home until 6:30pm. My husband has a part-time job after his regular job, so he doesn't get home until around 8:30-9pm.

I also find it hard at times to fit exercise in. I've found that I could do 20 minutes of BowFlex before I get dressed for work and before I wake up my husband and daughter. I also have been trying to get in 30 minutes on my stationary bike at night. My daughter ends up drawing in my room or I let her watch tv for a little bit.

But, I do understand, it is hard to do. Especially since we have a lot of food in the house that I can't touch since my husband and daughter are allowed to have items that I am refraining from. We still have bags of Easter candy that my mom pushed off on us before we left my parent's house! Every time I walk by this huge ziplock full of robin eggs, I just want to grab a couple of them.

I just wanted to state that I understand entirely.

- Debbie

[leasmom]

I work full time, go to school and I am a single mom

My daughter is 8 and I used to go to school full time (Grad School), and to work full time plus have my daughter. I stopped going to school because I couldn't handle it all, but recently added a class that meets two days a week on top of being a single mom. As far as doing Atkins, I've been doing it over 1 1/2 yrs so its just aart of my life, but excerise I am having a hard time fitting in. I work sometimes 6 days a week, so during those times I'm exhausted on my only day off. Then I have to also catch up on housework and laundry and get ready for the next work week, plus now its mowing season, so I have to mow my two lawns once or twice a week. They take 2 hrs to do, so I count that as excerise because I'm pushing up hill and down hill and I'm walking 2 hrs pushing. I would love to walk at least some time during the week and to play basketball even on my only day off, but I haven't gotten to that point yet due to time and exhausation.

Now, I am dealing with two diets, mine and my daughter who must have a high fiber diet due to gastrointestinal problems. So, I have to buy different foods for her than myself. Currently I try to keep it simple, I don't get to make a huge variety of foods, but I make sure to have salad daily, and breakfast for me ranges from me cooking scrambled eggs sausage/bacon to picking it up from Hardees and buying their low carb bowls. I also buy their low carb burgers. I buy Hood's LC OJ and have coffee for breakfast-(sorry but it has to have caffeine in it), and I use sugar-free creamer and splenda to sweeten.

Lunch is anything from leftovers to lettuce wrapped sandwiches or with lc bread to salads. I've even taken Low carb soups-(in the can) with me and Low Carb fruit cocktail to blueberries/strawberries sweetened with splenda mixed with sour cream just like yogurt. And I take water with Crystal Light-(walmart brand)-flavored water to trick myself into drinking water. I have cut out alot of soda. Dinner is usually meat and some type of veggie, I love mashed cauliflower-(mock potatoes), and steamed broccoli, and salads is something I grew up eating daily, so we have that nearly daily anyway, sometimes we just have cucumbers and ranch dressing, something simple because I don't have alot of time to cook, esp. on the days I go to class, but I keep it low carb always, even if its stopping at Hardees.I have lost over 100 lbs and still have another 100 to go. I went from barely squeezing into a 5x and I am now about to fit into a 1x. So, I've got more to go but it's nice feeling good and being healthy!!!

[JESTEROO]

What works for me . . . I go grocery shopping on Saturday evening . . . I spend a lot of Sunday evening prepping food ( cleaning and chopping veggies ) and putting together some meals for the week ahead . . . that way I don't spend as much time in the kitchen during the week. I find this give me an extra 30 minutes or so a day . . . sometimes more . . . that I can use to exercise . . . or garden . . . or whatever.

My sister . . . who has six children . . . trys to get the kids involved in the exercise. She pops in a tae bo . . . or aerobic type exercise video . . . cranks up the music . . . and has the kids dance around with her while she exercises. It is a great way to get them involved, keep an eye on them . . . and get your exercise at the same time - not to mention . . . help to wear them out a bit!

Hope this helps . :nod

Jesteroo

[1sexy_mama]

Thanks everyone for your help and suggestions! The elliptical I bought recently really has helped! I have to look at it in my family room and have been using it for 1/2 hour every day no matter what! I find now that I look forward to the awesome workout! My daughter (2 years old) trys to use it too to exercise just like mommy.

Debbie--I love that picture with you and your daughter! Too precious! They grow up so fast!