Struggling with Weight Issues

Hi, I've been there myself. I have worked 6pm-6am, then work at another job 0645-0930. This was worked 7 days a week for over 15 years. I raised 4 kids (1-4 years old) by myself. Now they are grown. Working graveyard is hard and I wasn't able to sit I walked the halls working. To keep awake I would eat popcorn and drink pop. I gained weight. I also was on dilantin for SZ activity, and because of a blood test was determined to have a throid deficency. Now I take fresh veggies, drink mixes added to cold water, and lots of bran type food. I also watch my carbo's. With doing leg lifts, this helped to tone up. I also have weak joints, so after they heal each time I sprain one I would run stairs. Drinking cold water: 1) 12 oz each waking up time, 2) And 8 oz of water prior to each time I ate. This helps to trick the metabolic rate. Good luck it has taken me 1 year to lose 45 Lbs. Best wishes.

weightwatchers worked great for my husband. He learned how much is a portion, how to make good choices and he has kept the weight off for over a yr and a half. It is a great program and doesn't make any food taboo nor does it put you on some herb or supplement. It is just good eating choices and activity which is the point system. good luck!

Find a buddy. Now that the weather is getting warmer (for now) you two can take walks together with the kids. But most importantly, she will help keep you motivated.

I watch several kids too and we have "dance" time. I have a few exercise videos and we take half an hour and do one together. The kids love it and they help me say motivated. It is not perfect, but atleast I am not on the couch : )

Good Luck

Hi C.!
That's a pretty intense schedule you have.
It's always easier to workout, I think, when it is in the natural flow of the day. So, I suggest instead of watching TV, go get a workout in before you go to work at 9.
Good luck & good job mommin'!
A

I think everyone has been through weight struggles, so you're definitely not alone! A few years ago, I did the Nutrisystem program and lost 20 pounds in 2 months. I have since gained back those pesky pounds in the past few years :-( I tried so hard to lose on my own, but got nowhere. In January, I decided to ask a few friends (that I knew were struggling w/losing weight also) to join me in a WEIGHT LOSS COMPETITION. So there are 8 of us doing it together... $20 to join, and each week we have a weigh-in (via email on the honor system) and whoever loses the least amount of percentage has to add $5 to the pot. I've got an excel spreadsheet to keep track and I email the results out to everyone with a little pep talk to try and help keep the encouragement going. So far, I've lost 8.5 pounds. At the end of the 12 weeks, we'll all get together and celebrate... the winner gets 70% of the pot and 2nd & 3rd place will get 20% & 10% - money motivates!!! Having to be accountable to other people has helped me and the others so much. I think that's the key - being accountable to someone other than yourself. One of our people has already lost 17 pounds in just 5 weeks - she is so motivated!
(The nutrisystem worked great for me, but it's expensive... hubby got laid off, so we don't have the money for that these days... would love to know what you do 9pm-1am?? If I could find a job like that, it would be great for extra income)

GOOD LUCK!!!

HI C.-Here are some suggestion; Three times a week, instead of watching TV with the family before you go to work, take a 30 minute brisk walk. When you get home from work, spend 20 minutes stretching or doing yoga. This will help you fall asleep quicker. Everyday, write down what you eat. Get to know your habits. After doing that for a week, choose one unhealthy habit or food choice that you make on a regular basis and cut it out. Check online the calories for the food you are eating and start a program limiting your calories to no more than 2,000 a day. And drink lots of water. Hope this helps. K.

Hey, C.. It is so hard to get your body back after having kids, especially if you're pulling double duty of mothering and working out of the home. The only way I was able to fit exercise in was to ask my husband to watch the kids for 30 minutes per day. This was harder than I thought it would be...giving up that constant control I had over our family schedule, but it has really paid off! If you are married, or live with someone else, I would highly recommend it. I know no one can take care of your kids like you can, but for a half hour, you need to take care of you!

Good luck.
Michele

C.,

Sounds like you have your hands full! I would like to recommend a weightloss program to you. I have some information that I could give to you to read. I was able to lose 18 pounds on this program. If you want some additional info you can email me at ____@____.com

Thanks,
C.

I recently had a baby and the biggest issue for me was weight gain. I couldn't imagine how I was going to have the energy to work out.
I try and jump on the treadmill a few times a week, but when that doesn't work - I use my baby for weight training or we go on a walk. Maybe using your kids to help you lose the weight will work. Play with them, walk with them, lift them like they are weights. Any movement helps in the long run. Plus, keep reminding yourself - weight loss isn't an instant thing, keep working and the weight will come off. Also, remember to eat - if you skip meals your body holds on to the fat stores in your body. Small sensible meals help!

I don't have kids yet (one on the way due in May) but, I do have a pretty busy job and didn't have a whole lot of time in my day to squeeze it in either. I think a lot of it is just making a commitment that you want to keep. The best thing that I found was Curves. Within six months of starting the program I had lost 40 pounds and I've learned for the first time in my life how to keep it off. The environment and trainers there are absolutely amazing and keep you motivated. As someone else said, it's a 30 minute workout and the way I looked at it was "I can spare 30 minutes in my day". They have a weight loss class that is sooo helpful and informative. But mainly the awesome trainers are the ones that really helped me. Another great thing is how low impact it is. It really is an easy workout and yet it works! And I would never go home feeling exhausted or sore because I worked too hard. Good luck to you! Losing weight helps you build so much confidence and feel so much better about yourself. If for nothing else, do it for that reason!

It is so hard I still had not lost the weight from my first child when I got pregnant with my second. One way to help is to be inefficient, take the first parking spot you see and walk a little farther, take the stairs, only take one bag of groceries from the car to the house at a time etc. I know it does not seem like a lot, but it will add up in the course of a day, and every little bit helps.

Do something simple like keep a food diary and change how you eat first. Going to the gym won't help if you can't stop eating a bag of potato chips every night before you go to bed.

My in-laws just started a 10-week weight loss challenge for all of the couples in the family. We each put in $50/couple and the set goals for ourselves. Those of us who meet our goals get $30 back and the rest of the money goes to the couple who loses the weight percentage.

I've tried just about every diet, including Isagenix which gave me horrible headaches. This time around I'm doing it all natural and keeping a food diary. A few months ago I did The Master Cleanse and dropped 11 lbs. in 9 days. It was really hard but it was well worth it. I've only gained about half of it back...but I'm still 30 pounds overweight.

Start slow with changing how you eat before you overwhelm yourself and feel like you can't do it. Instead of watching TV maybe go for a walk around your block.

Sleep deprivation contributes to weight gain. When you don't get enough sleep you tend to eat more, too, and like you said, you don't feel like exercising. Strees also makes it worse - the stress hormones (cortisol and adrenaline) tell your body to hang on to wieght in case you need the calories for fight or flight. So the first thing I suggest is to look at those issues. You may need to choose between your night time job and the babysitting (and you are less effective as a mom & as a babysitter when you are sleep deprived).

Then, you need to increase your metabolism (exercise) AND decrease your calorie intake for the best weight loss. It's all the law of thermodynamics - take in more energy (calories) than you use and some is stored (as fat); use more than you take in and it has to come from somewhere else (it uses your fat stores). You don't want to drastically cut calories - cut out a few sweets and watch your portions and you should be good - but most people won't loose weight without "dieting."
For exercise, you really need both cardio and resistance. Cardio gets your heart rate up and immediately burns calories. Resistance builds muscle for a leaner look & more strenght - and it increases your metabolism throughout the day so you burn more calories at everything. Pilates and yoga are 2 great muscle builders that require very little equipment (no dumbells or machines!) and make a long, lean look without the bulky look of a bodybuilder (although women generally don't get that look anyway). I would alternate cardio and resistance - definately don't work a muscle group 2 days in a row.

Good luck!

I teach StrollerFit classes in the West Denver Area and I would encourage you to visit strollerfit.com to see if there's a class in your area. StrollerFit enables you to get out of the house, get a great workout and bring your kids to class WITH you! The kids love it because they are engaged with you the entire class...we sing songs, play games, count in different languages, etc. and you get the benefit of being with other moms, to boot! It's like group personal training. It's so much fun!

Feel free to email me if you have any questions and I'd be happy to give you more information. Hang in there...

HI! I know this is not for everyone, but I like the Adkins Diet. Low carbs, high protein. It's very easy to follow. I like it because every time I've done it, I see results very quickly. The other thing I really like about it, I am not hungry. I'm the type to think about food all the time, but after a couple of days of the Adkins and your body starts to get used to it, I don't feel hungry. You just have to pay attention to how many carbs. You can't go over 21 the first two weeks. A typical day for me would be a few scrambled eggs in the morning, add some cheese. I have to have my coffee so I buy the sugar free creamer. If you don't have a lot of time for one of the meals, then just have a a protein shake. That will fill you up fast and and last for hours. For lunch maybe some tuna mixed with mayo, eat it on a salad or just with a fork. Or a taco salad. If I was in town and needed to stop somewhere, I would just get a salad from McDonalds with a diet drink and that would be plenty. I keep a jar of salted cashews if I feel like snacking or some sugar free lifesavers. Then for dinner I will make a hamburger patty with cheese and all the toppings but just without the bun. I drink water, but if I'm craving something sweet, I like diet soda or sugar free crystal light. I have five kids and have used this diet everytime I needed to get back down. It has always worked for me. Maybe you could get the book,it has a lot of meal suggestions. Ive tried everything myself and I have to say the Adkins is my diet of choice. Add some walking or maybe a workout tape couple times a week and you will notice a difference.

Hope this motivates you!
Good Luck!
J.

I HIGHLY recommend checking out sparkpeople.com. It is a 100% free website, which I actually heard about here on Mamasource. It will help you determine how many calories you need based on your weight and how much you want to lose. It has a food tracker to help you stay within your calorie range, it is a FABULOUS place to find motivation, and it has a lot of other resources. It sounds like the exercise part of it is going to be the hardest for you, given your schedule. Ugh. I don't envy you there. My advice with that would be not to take an all or nothing approach. If you can only find 10 minutes, just exercise for 10 minutes and don't feel bad about it. Just do the little things that you CAN do. If your ankle still hurts, focus on doing some upper body strength training for the time being until it heals and you can get back into the swing of things. Good luck!

Hi C....I hear you sister. Here is a brief synopsis of my struggle. I was overweight my whole life, I finally topped the scale at 270. I had a myriad of health issues, not to mention a serious fast food addiction. The only was I knew how to break that addiction was to become vegetarian. I dropped about 115 lbs in less than a year. I know that doesn't work for everyone...as vegetarian diet may not be something you are in to. However, I can say that since then I crept back up and since January I've been doing Slimquick, the supplements from GNC and maintaining a diet of no more than 1500 calories and 30 grams of fat a day. Watch how many simple carbohydrates you eat, like potatoes, breads, etc. Sara Lee has deliteful bread which is 45 calories a slice. Since January 1 I have lost 35 lbs. YAY!! You have to create a calorie deficit. In other words not taking in more than you can burn in a day. Keep a food diary, write down every thing you eat, even if it's a bite of your kid's snack, etc. You will be amazed at the stuff you eat. I use fitwatch.com a lot too. You can enter ingredients for a recipe into their recipe calculator and it tells you the nutritional content for the recipe. It's amazing!! So good luck, if you want more info let me know, I'd be happy to share what has worked for me. :)

I struggled with weight issues too especially after having children. I tried buying exercise equipment to use at home, videos, etc. I even tried the Lady of America gym. I can honestly tell you I struggled with all of them. My mom suggested Curves and I thought it was going to be a gym for "old" ladies. I was very surprised when I joined, enjoyed every minute of it and found out not only are there incredible women at Curves, but it is an awesome workout I love to go to and don't miss it often even when I am out of town for a meeting or vacation because I love it so much! I joined at first thinking I could lose weight just with exercise. I did feel great, had lots more energy and saw some toning, but finally I decided to go on the curves 6 week solution diet last January. I went from a size 14 to a 6 in about 6 months. The curves fitness coach, Rachel, was wonderful listening, supporting, and offering advice for the regular price of my membership. In July, we got the SMART system and my workout has definately improved. Seriously, working full time, having a house, and 2 young children (4 and 7) I don't do much for myself, but I make it a goal to get to Curves at least 3 times per week for myself. Mention my name if you are near the Broadway and Alameda Curves. I would even love to meet you there for a workout to provide some extra support. D.

This is a great program if you're interested:

Rebecca Ballstaedt
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She's been doing her training program for years and has great meal advice/plans!

E.

All I can say, is wow!! You're amazing to take on all of that and still wants to improve your life. I must say that if you were able to feel better about your body by exercising and eating healthy, it would give you the physical and mental boost that you're in need of for your hectic lifestyle.

I have had quite a bit of success doing a couple different things. Here is what I did.

After I had my son, i did weight watchers - the core plan - counting points but having A LOT of "free" foods to choose from as well. I wasn't ever able to get into a routine of exercising and was just too exhausted to expect it from myself at that point. I was trying to be realistic with what I could handle. The change in my eating habits was drastic enough and an improvement that I was able to lose about 35 lbs. Now that I'm closer to my ideal weight, it's not coming off as easily. I still need to lose between 15-20 lbs.

Just recently I switched from weight watchers to just counting calories. I realized that even though I was choosing healthy foods with weight watchers (skim milk, an apple, etc) the intake of calories was still a lot greater than the amount of calories I was burning throughout the day. The basic theory that you need to burn more calories than you consume for there to be a deficient and in turn you lose weight. I was scared at the idea of counting calories because it seemed so tedious, but it's really not that bad.

www.thedailyplate.com has a way to just search for every food out there including fast food and you can keep track of what you eat and it'll subtract it for you. It will figure out how many calories you can eat in a day in order to lose weight. You can track your weight as well. You can enter calories manually if it's a recipe that you've made. I use www.sparkrecipes.com to enter my recipes and the serving sizes and it will tell me how many calories is in a serving. i save it and just add one recipe a day and will eventually have all of what I use in there. It seems like a lot of work, but I think it's worth it.

With weight watchers you would need the info to know how to get started. obviously the meetings wouldn't be practical with your busy schedule, but you can join online and get the info on there (really you could just join for a month, get the info you need, then cancel since I think it's pretty pricey).

Anyway, good luck to you. Oh and I do TurboJam as a work out (only the 20 minute work out for now because life is hectic. I hope to work up to the 45 min work out). I really enjoy it. You can order it online with amazon or beachbody.com

I feel for you. I know what you mean. Just can't find the energy to get started. I'm anxious to see what advice you get. The weather is turning nice so that will help. walking is good if you can stand the cold which I don't care for so I am going to start walking when it gets nice.

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Hi C.,
Well, I can see why you have this struggle! If you are working five nights a week until one am than you aren't really staying home, you are a working mom! And I don't mean that in a bad way, it's just that you are working hard to help your family! Is this job AND the care of the other child totally neccesary! We all need balance, it's hard to make time for you with all of those responsibilities! And food is a comfort under all that stress! My reccomendations are:1, weight watchers, it works! They have mom and me meetings where you can take the kids.2, join a gym and put the kids in the day care, yes I know this is expensive but you are working your Aa#@ off girl , you deserve it! 3, walking, it works! If the kids are babies put them in the stroller, baby back pack, whatever, and walk at least a mile to start, I know it might be hard but you can do it, losing weight is hard, you can do it! If they are big enough let them ride their bikes! And finally, the kids will emulate you, so if you want them to be healthy and fit than you be healthy and fit! Hang in there, you really are working so hard! Oh yeah, maybe set a weight loss goal and reward yourself with some new clothes! ( And you don't have to spend alot, Target has really cute stuff these days!)

You have received tons of diet and exercise information. I would like to add another piece.

Much of the current research is showing the undeniable link between our belief systems and our bodies. A book I highly recommend is "Do I Look Fat in This?" by Rhonda Britten. She supports you in looking at your thoughts and feelings about your body.

You mentioned "I am just so fed up with my body." That is a common feeling we have towards our bodies and as long as you carry a thought like that it will sabatoge any process you use. I have come to a place where I question all my beliefs about my body. I use curiosity to inquire about what I am really believing and if that belief system is serving me. Constantly beating myself up for how I "thought" my body looked didn't work. Having compassion with myself and learning to be gentle and caring of myself did work.

I also recommend Byron Katie's work. She has many books and a great interactive website at www.thework.com. She has a beautiful system to support us in questioning our thoughts and belief systems. In support of You, T.

I would say get the kids involved in fun activites that involve exercise so it's fun. Go for a walk, go swimming, bike riding, roller skating, or turn your back yard into a disco. The kids will love spending time with you and that will motivate you, and it doesn't seem like exercise when it's fun!

Look up website: slimbodycoach.com. They have a wonderful program that has free website help with people going through the same thing. They only charge for the products that they sell, which may I add are the best you can find out there because his mission is to provide things without bad ingredients (like high fructose corn syrup, etc.). I was the Round 1 2007 winner in their contest so I know it works. 5 clean mini meals and exercise 6 days a week for an hour, and resistance for 20 minutes at night is what did it for me. This is the best way to lose weight and a great lifestyle change. Drinking 10-12 oz. glasses of water per day and eating at least 100g of protein is also my "secret". Best wishes to you! I am living proof that it really does work.

Herbalife changed my life. I dropped 5% in body fat percentage and have now maintained it for a year and a half. More than anything, I feel so much better. I can keep up with my two little kids now because I have more vital energy. I coach people now to achieve their health and weight loss goals by personalizing nutrition programs for them. If you'd like to take a look, please contact me. My email is ____@____.com. I have coached a client who went from a size 20 to a size 10 in 8 months. Another client of mine lost 10 pounds and 40 inches in 5 weeks.

Since you have so many responsibilities, you must make yourself a priority as well. Mothers are notoriously not good at this! You keep your house "healthy" because shelter is vital. You wouldn't let your car go all to pieces; then it couldn't do what it needs to do. You're even more important than those things! If you don't think you have a billion-dollar body, just look at how much it costs to get seriously sick! Looking after your health isn't selfish.

I know you'll receive lots of good advice from other moms. I'll just add this: keeping your health a priority doesn't mean skimping on anything else (except maybe junk food or TV).

Observe yourself. How much do you move and how much do you sit? What do you eat when you're not thinking about it? Begin journaling every mouthful of food, and don't cheat (when I started doing this I didn't want to admit to myself that I was eating so much junk). Once you know where you are, you can start substituting healthier food for whatever isn't so healthy. Don't go hungry - but make every calorie you take in do something good for you.

Weight loss happens when the amount of calories you put out are greater than the amount you take in. Calories are just measures of energy. So as you make the calories you take in healthier ones, figure out what you can do to burn up those little critters. If you can get to the gym and work out, great! If you can't on a particular day, do little things that involve more walking, more standing, more going up and down stairs. A short exercise DVD might help you on the no-gym days, if you'll use it. Get out in the fresh air with your kids whenever you can. It'll tire you out at first, but keep at it; you know already that moving more gives you more energy after a while.

Don't think about how you've got to lose weight. Think about getting healthy and staying healthy.

Tiffany S & Karen G have the best advice. Coming from a woman who has lived 1/2 century & struggled with weight & also being a working Mom. Good to question your belief systems about your body that have held you back. Do exercises that you can & love. Find the support within yourself to accomplish your goals. Best to you!

It's sounds like your schedule's WAY TOO FULL. Nobody expects a woman to be a full-time mom all day AND work every night. (Let alone watch someone's else's kid.)

I suggest forgetting about fixing your weight, and instead focus on fixing your schedule, which appears to be the much larger problem. It's incredibly hard to lose weight with a schedule like that, not only because you don't have the energy to exercise, and you don't really have the proper time to exercise, but stress levels can also keep us from losing weight. If you fix your schedule, you'll have more energy, more time AND lower stress. That will be a good environment for weight loss.

Here are some suggestions: (Assuming that this is a financial problem:) To solve the problem of stretching yourself so thin with all the non-stop work, your and/or your husband could work jobs that pay better wages, or he could work more hours. You could cut back on expenses, vacations, presents, etc. You could sell stuff that you own to raise cash. You could move to a less expensive place, for example, from a house to an apartment.

Sometimes this isn't a financial decision. Sometimes a person takes on all this work because they can't say "no", or because they have an idea in their mind that if they don't have a "job" (with income) they're somehow not contributing and worthy.

There are many ways to make a dent in solving your schedule problem. The weight loss will be a natural result of solving problems, being a pro-active person, and developing more peace.

My dear,

I totally know what you're talking about. I have two girls and watch two babies 4 and 5 months every day. Even though I do not work I cant find the time or motivation to work out. So the few things I can suggest you do are: DO NOT BUY cookies, sweets, or other junk that you'll turn to when you have a second to relax. That will save you tons of money and you won't feel guilty about the things you've eaten. Do not drink soda, not even diet soda, that gives you cellulite, you are going to love drinking water (add some ice and a bit of lemon for a twist)
While working remember that if you weren't working you'll be sleeping, therefore not eating. I bet you have dinner before you go to work, Make it a nice meal, filled with flavors and colors from different veggies. Your kids will also like these changes I promise you will not be the only one benefiting from the change of eating habits. If you tend get take out or go to fast food places, try to buy a salad or a chicken sandwich, no soda, get the fries but do not eat them all.

Satisfy your cravings, if you want chocolate get a fun size piece instead of a full bar, you want ice cream, get a small one. Now that the weather is getting nicer, go our and play with your kids, take them on walks and play tagged with them. Go to a park or any where away from your pantry.

Maybe this is getting too long for you, but let me tell you that these changes have helped me so much. I have been doing this since September and have lost almost 10 pounds, it doesn't sound much but for me that's a lot and I feel way better about myself and even though I am far away from having a bikini body I like what I see on the mirror.

I hope your foot is doing better. Keep it up with the TaeBO, lift some weights...kids make really good weights LOL! but most importantly fall in love with yourself girl. Put on some make up every day and throw away your sweat pants and old t-shirts. Dress up even if you are not going to leave your house.

Good luck with everything.

Love, G.

C. S,
I know of a place that will give you a 90 day challenge or your money back, it is much less than jenny craig, weight watchers and all of that. It is called vitality for live and is amazing, I went from a size 18 to a size 12 and still working, my goal is a 8. It has taken me 6 months but I am toning at the same time with body flex. I had gained weight when I was in an industrial accident, still can not do my taebo, but body flex is awesome too. You can call me for details if you would like ###-###-####

I would suggest Pilates. I started using PIlates (Winsor) after my 4th baby, and it truly is the reason that I've been able to get back to my pre-children weight after each of my babies since then (#7 is 7months old-I will admit I'm still working on 4lbs from this one! lol). I need the "fun" factor as well-I used to love Tae-bo too. : )

I'm not sure how your ankle has recovered, or how long ago that happened, but Pilates would be a great non-impact type of training for you so you wouldn't have to worry about reinjuring. There is a basic Winsor Pilates workout that is only 20min long, so it is super easy to sqeeze in to my day. Plus it's fun and easy, doesn't make me too sweaty (so I don't have to re-shower if I do it in the middle of the day), and miraculously brought my abs back, which I truly never thought would recover after this many kids!

GL-find something fun, watch your intake as well of course as many of the others have mentioned.

Hi C.

ugh, tell me about it... it seems near impossible to squeeze that extra time in the day to exercise... but remember every little bit helps.

I am a big fan of weight watchers.. mostly because my biggest problem has always been portion size. for the most part I eat pretty healthy, but always too much food. anyway, for me, w.w. helped shine a big ol spot-light on the things I eat (especially when you need to measure and weigh out your portions t first.

also, try exercising in small bursts... like 10-15 mins at time.. I'm not sure how old your kids are, but is there a park you can walk to from your house? even that an help... there are also exercise videos that you can do with kids, they might think it is fun (and good exercise for them too). my daugther is 2 and thinks it is funny when I do yoga or whatever... we also try and take a walk (as a family, weather permitting) before dinner. it helps my daughter get her last ya-ya's out and is relaxing.

you don't need to be sweating through an aerobics class to get the good vibe going. start small and you'll find more energy.

my last suggestion is trying curves... it does get a little old after a while, but is a good way to get started. it's only 30 mins, I can get there, work out and be home within an hour. plus they go by measurements as well as weight loss, so you can feel good that you are making progress before the pounds come off.

I feel your pain though.. after I have my baby, I've got at least 25 pounds to lose... so I'll be right there with you.

good luck!