working moms...???

Hi everyone. I'm a very on and off lurker on this site and i don't have as much time as i once did to lurk. so hello for those who don't know me, which is probably all of you!! my name is ally and i am the mom of a beautiful little girl who is 1 year old.

i have a question for the working moms. I have been back to work since DD was 3 months old and i'm still trying to balance everything out. with all the crazy things that have come up over the past year, weddings, sickness, family stuff, etc. i am finding it really exhausting to get everything done in one day. the biggest thing for me recently is trying to work out, i haven't been feeling great about myself lately and trying to help it by working out, but after working ALL day, picking up my daughter, making dinner, cleaning up, etc, i'm just exhausted. so i'm interested to know how you balance it all? BTW, my husband is normally a HUGE help but he has been working nights recently which is really taking its toll!!!

thanks for reading if you got this far!!!

Re: working moms...???

I went back to work in Sept and just joined a gym two weeks ago. They only thing that keeps me motivated with going is putting it into my schedule. I have planned three days a week and want to increase it to 4 days a week soon. I go on Wedn, Fri., and Sat. I will go to the gym. Then I just plan around that time frame.

Message edited 1/30/2011 9:28:18 PM.

Re: working moms...???

i work f/t and have 2 kids 3.5 yrs and 1.5 yrs and it is NOT easy to find the time at all!! it really can be done....but you have to sacrifice some things and choose working out if that makes sense. i was carrying around so much extra baby weight after DS and was sick of it. i used to be a runner and was determined to get back to it. for me running is key b.c it doesn't require me much more than putting on my sneakers and running out the door/or on my treadmill. i find that running early before anything else gets in the way is a huge help. my treadmill is a life saver for that since my DH is rarely home and well, with this weather forget running outdoors regularly. i also will go sometimes RIGHT after putting my kids to bed. i have my stuff laid out so there are no excuses. AND the other thing that helps is not putting pressure on myself to do a huge workout or a huge run-sometimes just 20 min. is enough. it's better than nothing. i used to think it had to be all or nothing at all. i figure that i can afford one half hour a day to exercise. i take off 2 days during the reg. week and always go in the early AM on weekends. it sux sometimes but i feel SO much better once it's done and out of the way. it actually keeps me sane and thats the reason i make myself do it.
be easy on yourself! it's impossible to do it all!

Re: working moms...???

great question! wish I had an answer, but i'm just like you.

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I feel the same way as you do. I work full time and have an hour + commute each way to work, not including dropping off and picking up DD at daycare. Once I get home it only leaves me about 2 hours with DD before she goes to bed so I feel like I can't just leave to the gym. I also have a lot of baby weight that I am not happy about as well. I used to go to the gym every day, sometime twice a day (I know that is excessive) before DD. Now, i don't go at all!!! I just can't find the time or have the energy. Thanks for posting...I feel better knowing it's not just me! I'm sure things will get easier for us soon and things will fall into place!!

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I'm still trying to find a balance, 7 months later. DH and I are looking into a cheap elliptical and we're thinking of getting a Kinect for the Xbox. We also have a Wii Fit. DD goes to bed at 8 so we'll do our workouts then. Otherwise I have to go at lunch but I don't always have the time.

DH's best friend recently lost 120 pounds using a Wii Fit and Kinect so we figured it'd be worth it to give it a whirl. Yes, you read it right One Hundred and Twenty pounds. IN ONLY 6 MONTHS!

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Hi!
I'm in a similar situations - my husband works nights 4x a week. It is hard to balance everything. I try to work out 3x a week doing Zunba tapes after DD has gone to bed. It was much easier when the weather was nice bc I would put her in the stroller after dinnder and go for long walks.
iI dint really have any advice since I'm struggling with it myself, but I can offer some because I can relate!

Re: working moms...???

thanks for posting!! i'm 5 mos PP and am struggling with this as well. i have only been able to get to the gym once a week on a saturday or sunday, but i have started attending weight watchers meetings once a week during my lunch break at work at a nearby center. once the weather gets nicer i plan on walking at lunch or with DD after work. this cold weather and SNOW make it really hard to do anything outside!

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I totally understand. Mason goes to sleep at 7PM so that helps. DH and I usually share the responsibility of cooking some quick meals, ordering in or my mom always gives us tons of food so I don't have to worry about a big dinner. I try and work out right after I put Mason to sleep at 7PM. Usually do the treadmill for about 1/2 hour and then DH and I have dinner together. It does help we have a gym in the basement b/c in this cold weather there's no way I'd want to venture out

I always used to go after work, but now my priority is picking Mason us from daycare, taking care of him, his dinner, play, bath, etc. It does help DH is a huge help
Although I'm pregnant now so working out sometimes doesn't happen LOL

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We have an eliptical in our basement.
I do 20 minutes after DS goes to sleep if I can.

It ends up that I've lost the weight running around going to, coming from & at work. Oh... and I shovel snow HARD at least 1 hour a week.

Honestly, for me... it's easier just to alter my diet & be "good" with that: I've started eating frozen meals at work because they are fast & I know an exact calorie count.

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i still haven't found the proper balance. I have time for my kids, work, cleaning, and then there's nothing left for working out.

Re: working moms...???

Re: working moms...???

I definitely understand how you feel! DH doesn't work nights but with our schedules, working out at night isn't an option. Right now, I live in LI and work in the city. My office is about 1.2 miles from Penn Station. Weather permitting (which has been difficult these past few weeks!), my exercise is walking every morning from Penn to my office. When the weather was nicer, I also would get out during lunch and the weekends and walk to do some of my errands. It's not the best, but its definitely better than nothing.

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I think eventually you get into a routine-and sometimes that gets crazy too, but for the most part works.

We pick the kids up from day care and get something in the oven almost immediately. I cook ahead a lot on Sundays and then just pop something on the stove or in the oven that doesn't require a lot of attention.

In my house, dinner has to be on the table within about 20 minutes after we get home or all he!! breaks loose

After dinner in the winter we play in the family room and then do bath/jammies and a show before bed time. We go upstairs around 7:30 and do books, the kids are in bed around 8.

We do a few quick chores, fold laundry some nights, watch a show or play scrabble and then bed for us is around 10. If I am working out, I put in a work out DVD as soon as the kids are in bed. I only do 30 minutes DVDs (like 30 day shred, cardio max). I like to be done with my work out and showered by 9.

I do a big clean most weekends, usually during nap time.

When people are sick or things get crazy-well, that happens but can't help it. We just try to stick to the routine most week nights.

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I was in the same boat as you and I decided that I will join my jobs gym and I go every day on my lunch break I can't find a balance for me just yet

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I knew that no matter how much I wanted to work out, it just isn't an option during the winter months. So instead I went on weight watchers and just started counting pts. Much easier than working out. And I'm slowly loosing weight. During the warmer months I can ride my bike to pick DS from daycare so that's when I do the bulk of my exercise.

Re: working moms...???