Idea's on Excerise and Health

Hi A..... How about yoga? I am a yoga instructor and give private sessions to my clients at there location. So, I can come right to you! Yoga has so many wonderful benefits and the best part is, you are not in any time constraints to get to a fitness center or gym to attend classes at preset times, etc. Also, your children can join you for a session, too. I specialize in yoga for both adults and children. Of course, that is just an option if you choose. The session is your choice! Visit my website - www.totalharmonyyoga.com - to find out more about me, my classes and how to contact me. Hope to hear from you very soon.

Try StrollerFit! I have been going to our local Strollerfit classes since my daughter was 7 weeks old and now she's 6 months. The classes are great and you don't have to find a sitter. Our classes are like a great aerobics workout, plus strength training for your arms and legs, and some pilates type exercises at the end. I have never really exercised in my life, but I'm so glad I found these classes in my area and I really like to work out now. You can check their website www.strollerfit.com to see if there's a class near you. If there's not, there's another company that I think is similar calledl stroller strides or something like that.

Hi A.,

I have a 6 month old and have been trying to get back in shape. I was a member of Weight Watchers before I got pregnant and have gone back after delivery. It is not a diet, it teaches you how to prepare food in a healthy manner, control portions, and change things in your lifestyle to include living healthier life for yourself and your family. The meetings are wonderful support groups to go to and meet people and learn tips and tricks to being successful in your weight loss! I lost 35 pounds before I got pregnant and went a little crazy and gain more than 60 pounds will pregnant. I lost 30 pounds on my own and started going babk to weight watchers and have lost another 15 pounds! I only have 15 more to go and I will be back at my goal!! I have tried all sorts of deits before and always ended up on the wrong end of the yo-yo... :-)

As for excercise, most gyms have childcare rooms so you can do your workout and not worry about your children. If that is not a possiblity try kicking up your cleaning around the house. Do lunges while carrying the laundry basket to the laundry room and back, go for walks, walk around your house at a brisk pace while on the phone, get an excersice video and use it while your baby is napping (I like the Carmen Electra Strip Tease videos... good for making yourself feel sexy!) or one of my favorites, put your favorite music on and dance around the house while holding your baby!! My daughter absolutly loves that and I get the best smiles and giggles out of her while we dance. If you make exercise fun you will want to do it more often!

What ever you try, don't give up!! Remember, slow and steady wins the race!

Good luck! YOU CAN DO IT!!!

S.

A. -

I have lost 25 lbs of pregnancy weight during the last 3 months, by doing two simple things: DANCING and cutting out all sugar. Kids love music and they love to move around. We play some music and while the kids are "rocking out" I also dance and exercise. I sometimes use the kids as weights...laying on my back with my knees at my chest.... they lay across my legs and I lift my legs up and down. Excellent and fun way to do abdominal work!

Cutting out sugar: You could get Dr. Fuhrman's book "Eat to Live," or you could simply not eat processed foods. Almost everything that comes in a box has high fructose corn syrup in it. I think there are long term health problems associated with eating this... diabetes is one that comes to mind. Try eating natural, whole foods and if you eat meat... don't fry it and try not to eat large amounts of it. Your body does need sugar, but you can get natural sugars from fresh fruits.

I truly believe that if you cut out all processed sugars and dance your heart out on a daily basis, you'll be very pleased with the results.

Good luck!

B.

I feel your pain. The one thing that has worked for me is counting fat grams. Stay 30 grams or less per day for weight loss and then when you reach your desired weight you can increase it from there. Think of it like an allowance and you can ration the grams out each day and save up for dinner or an occassioanl slice of pizza (whatever your vice is). Balance including fresh vegetables, fruti and grains but I promise you counting fat grams will work. Eliminate cheese, milk, butter, fast food and fried foods. My background is in culinary arts and nutrition and I am actually writing a book on this very thing with a friend of mine. The diets that eliminate certian food groups (like Atkins) are unhealthy and not diet plans that you cna maintain for the rest of your life. The only thing that will ever work is somehting you can stay with lifelong and it has to have some flexibility otherwise you will feel like you are denying yourself. I try to change my way of thinking in little ways such as "I am not giving up french fries, I am choosing size 4 jeans instead." Which one do I want more and which one will bring me more satisfaction in the long run? An occassional french fry will not hurt you but you have to keep track of your intake for the week. Keep a log of fat grams and track where you can eliminate them. Give it a month and you will see a big difference.

As for excercise, I play soccer so that I have a committment to a team, day and time. I cant wiggle out of going to the gym (which is so boring anyway). Get with a group or sign up for a spin class or whatever you might enjoy but make sure it is scheduled with other people so that you have the obligation to go do it. Dont committ to too much at once, slowly increase the amount and duration of the excercise. I think organized sports are great because it is fun and you dont think of it as excercise. You can get yrou kids out in the yard and kick a soccer ball around too, it is great fun for them and you, keeps you interacting with them and keeps all of you active. Find some moms in your area who might trade time with you to take turns excercising or walking together with your kiddos. Whatever you do make it fun so that it is easier to stay with.

Hi A.!
Go to meetups.com or to mymommyconnection.com and sign up for mommy groups that walk together. You excercise while strolling your baby and you get to socialize at the same time with other mommies. It's more fun to "workout" with someone else and it's also great motivation when you know you are expected to meet up with someone.
Have Fun!
D.

what about putting your youngest in daycare while the other 2 are in school and hitting the gym for an hour 3x a week?
i've never done a diet but i know people who've been helped by dr. phil's book (i forget the title)
i just usually do an exercise routine at home consisting of lunges, squats, crunches, push-ups, leg lifts, stretching, etc. i also try to walk several times a week. if you work out a routine you can do at home, you can always put the baby in a playpen or something or even let him watch a baby einstein video while you work out

I have the same problem! (Although I have two kids at home). My husband works two jobs so he's gone LONG hours and I have absolutely no time to myself. I have been looking for the same kind of advice, so I don't really have anything good to offer you, but let me know if you hear of any miracle exercise cure!

Hi A.,

I agree with a couple of the responses. The gym memberships with daycare are great, if you can afford it. The worse part is the deposit (but, they usually have specials on those around Christmas time), and then the monthly can usually be drafted from your bank account. The Spectrum that we used by us had their kids area all done over. It was amazing. They also had areas for the really little ones too! Then you have a choice of what workout that you want to do that day instead of the same old thing every single day. You could do the elliptical, a yoga or Pilates class, or swim. Then you could hang out in the hot tub for a little while. Lots of time for just you.

I found that I was cleaning a little too much during the day. It was my excuse to not do anything else and I thought that it was stuff that needed to be done. My loneliness and any anxiety or depression that I was feeling fed off of it and forced me to think that I had to do it. My house had to be perfect. Now with working, going to school, doing almost everything in the house, taking care of my kids (my husband and my daughter), I just let it go. Not to the point of disgusting, but to the point of if there's dishes, I'll live, I want to go give myself a pedicure.

If you don't want to pay for the gym, invest in a running stroller. They're so much cheaper and lighter now. The front wheel also turns! (a big problem for me six years ago) You can go up and down bumps smoothly and you could even go on hiking trails without steep inclines or declines.

The worse thing for me was when I signed up for a type of place that only does one type of workout. They may switch it up a little, but I was so bored. I was so sick of seeing the same old people everyday and already knowing what to expect. I was sick of talking about the same things everyday depending on the crowd. Either baby talk or being old - I wasn't looking for either.

My friend is in the army and she did Weight Watchers. It worked really good for her. She could still go out and have a piece of pizza. All of the foods that you can eat and could eat at just about any restaurant are on a point system. Once again, money though, but not as expensive as the gym.

If I diet, I just mentally keep track of an estimate of calories and make sure that I'm eating balanced meals. We switched all of our white starches to 100% whole wheat and we don't eat white potatoes. Make sure that you don't do too much protein because it will turn into fat (like just about too much of everything does). My husband ran the physical training unit for his Air Force squadron of over 800 for about a year, so I get daily lectures. Control your portions and get yourself out and about so you don't think about eating. Canned veggies? I grew up on them! Typically useless except certain types of beans (watch for fat!), tomatoes, and yams. Usually they're just a filler. We buy them fresh every couple of days, but frozen ones retain just as many vitamins and last longer so I will be switching. The weight watcher friend introduced my to the "It can't be butter" spray to flavor my veggies and rice or plain pasta. It's virtually fat free and just a couple of calories a spray. I love that stuff! Plus my daugther thinks she's actually getting butter on her food.

If you screw up, don't beat yourself up over it and do treat yourself after you've had a good few days!

Good Luck!

A.,
Hi there well ok everyone hates to hear "this works for me" or "you just need to do this" but what i have found to work is...follow the eat breakfast made for a king...(biggest meal of the day)....snack mid morning, eat a sensible but balanced lunch with your little one....snack then for dinner eat something lite such as the suggestion of Special k cereal with skim milk. In the morning after you get your school children off go for a walk with the little one in a stroller....or attach a carrier on a bicycle and go for a bike ride. You obviously have plenty of work at home after that but still you need your exercise. Hope the suggestion works.

Hi A., have you considered putting the baby in the stroller and walking around your neighborhood or nearby park? You'll both enjoy the fresh air and sunshine. The weather has been gorgeous! Best of luck!

Try doing something while you watch TV--walk or jog in place, then run as fast as you can to the end of the driveway and back (or around the back yard) during commercials. Or skip the TV shows and do an exercise video instead. And then take a warm shower to relax before going to bed.

For diet, try eating more raw fruits and veggies, cut out sugar. Eat balanced. Don't skip breakfast, and eat a light supper (easily digested foods like crackers, fruit, yogurt).

Hope that helps.

I have the same problem, almost, I only have 1 girl and one on the way. Try to go to the park with your little one early in the day, or invest in a treadmil. I am 24 and need to lose wieght for health reasons so I have access to nutrition experts. If you would like to get together some time let me know. My email is ____@____.com.