What Is Your Workout Plan?

Hi there. When I was working I used to get up at 5 every day and go running before my daughter would wake up. It was hard, but I always felt better after I did it. Now that I'm at home with her, we joined a gym, and I drop her off in the child care room 3-4 days a week so I can work out. On the days we don't go to the gym I pack her in the stroller and we walk to the park, which is 1.5 miles each way. I try to get some sort of exercise in every day. But to really lose the weight, what has helped me is eating healthier. Not dieting per se, but just making a conscious effort to eat more fruits and veggies, and less cookies / sweets / chips (you know, all the fun stuff). I've found that no matter how much I work out, unless I also change my eating habits my weight doesn't change.

Good luck.

Hi C.,
When my children were young, I use to take them out for a walk either before or after dinner. When my husband was home, he would join us. As they got older and learned to ride a bike, I would jog along side of them, when they got to that point. I also tried to walk a few days a week on my lunch breaks or morning/afternoon 15 minute breaks. Now, I run after dinner on nights it fits into the schedule. It is also good for your children to see you exercising, they will pick up your good habits! Good luck to you!
C.

I'm sure you know exercise , rest and nutrition go hand in hand. Also drinking enough water to flush your system. All of this needs to work together. I am in the process of doing this now. I am trying to learn what foods help with energy but also once you start exercising you should start to feel more energetic too. IT also helps if you have an accountable partner to push you. My goal has been to eat more fresh vegies and fruits and more of the good meat. Your meat intake should be the size of your fist. I find that protein is very helpful. Get rid of all processed foods and read labels. Reduce your sugar. I started walking 2 years ago and that worked more in helping me feel better but I did not loose any weight. SO I started this year working with a group of women with a trainer. (this helps reduce the cost) I do flexibility training for 15 minutes and then weight training with hand weights for 15 minutes and then the cardio my stationery bike for 20 to 30 minutes. I do these 3 times a week. I have been doing this for almost 2 months and I got my first comment this past week. I did notice my rolls on the sides have started going away and my stomach muscles are getting tighter. I am 45 and have had 4 kids. I wish I had done this 10 years ago because the last 5 I have been dealing with health issues. DO this with your children and for your children otherwise you will see it impact your quality of life. Get a jogger stroller and start walking with them everyday. You will teach them the importance of taking care of yourself and also be exercising together. Once you have more energy it is amazing how you can fit more time for exercising into your schedule. Be creative now that summer is here. Hike at different places. Make it a family affair and include your husband. You are entering the perimenopause time of your life so be prepared that some things won't some easy. If you feel there is something more going on there have your doctor check your thyroid. You may have a sluggish thyroid. This causes extra weight and fatigue. So if the all of the exercise, nutrition and rest don't work talk to your doctor.

Hi C.! If you're anything like me, the thought of having to get up earlier than I have to (to work out)makes me dread working out. I found a neighbor that likes to walk so everynight we go walk together. Sometimes we go before dinner, sometimes after, and sometimes after our boys go to bed. Of course, you have to watch what you eat but don't cut out your favorite things. I LOVE McDonalds so sometimes I'll go and just get a regular cheeseburger, small fry and a regular coke (I don't do diet drinks). I also love ice-cream so if I want some, I'll go get some-just not everynight! If you cut out your favorite foods, you might eventually give up and put weight back on. Cut your portions down and try and walk at least a few days a week and you should lose weight. Good luck!

Hi C.! I am a member of my local YMCA. I go to the aerobics, yoga and pilates classes offered there. I go 4-5 days per week. I take my 20 months old twins with me and they stay in the child watch. I work out for an hour and then am able to take my shower and get ready there. It's nice because I don't have to rush to get ready because my boys are being looked after. They enjoy playing with other kids and I am able to get my work out in and have some "me time." I enjoy taking the classes because you have other people to encourage you and hold you accountable. If your Y or health club doesn't have classes that fit your schedule, you could do the same by working out in the cardio/weight room. It has become part of my routine and lifestyle, which I think is the key. It's not something that you do for a while until the weight comes off. Being active and fit just becomes your way of life. Your kids will benefit, too from growing up in a household that values these things. Good luck!

My son is almost 2 and I still haven't lost the baby weight. I have a gym membership but never use it. Morning workouts are not an option for me. I hate mornings and I love evenings home with my family so I run at night after I put my son to bed, plus it's kind of dark so people can't see how out of shape I am- I find it relaxing, sometimes I walk run for 30-45 minutes. I love it!

Dear C.,

Working out is a good idea but to lose weight you have to change your eating habits. You are carrying the extra weight because your input exceeds your output. Think of it in terms of you are starving to death - that your body is keeping you alive to get you through the famine. It does that by having you eat junk food which packs on the fat.

Think of feeding your body not you face. Your body wants high quality protein in the morning because overnight it used protein to repair cells. Make your first meal the biggest with the best protein - meat, fish, eggs all work. Taper off during the day with lunch being lighter and dinner being still lighter. Eating 6 time a day is better then eating once. You will probably be hungry at night so at 7:00 or 8:00PM have a bowl of fruit and bran cereal.

Get rid of all the junk food (which includes all white food - white bread, cake, sugar, soy, white rice & milk - yes, get rid of dairy - good for calfs but not for people.) Diet stuff makes you fat because it screws up your insulin response - don't touch any of it. Drink lots of pure water (Reverse Osmosis is best.) Eat stuff as close to nature as possible (if the list of ingredients is more then a couple of things don't buy it.) and last you might consider getting a consult with Dr. Merkle to get on a supplement plan to totally balance your diet. He uses blood work and is very good at helping people get healthier - www.3000health.com / ###-###-####

God Bless,

S.

Hi, C.! I do this program called Fit Yummy Mummy. You exercise for 30 minutes 3 times per week. That's it! You do 15 minutes of strength training which consists of 6 different exercises (with pictures so you know what to do) and 15 minutes of interval cardio (ex: 60 sec at a fast pace and 120 sec at a slower pace for 15 minutes total). I've been doing it for 20 weeks and have noticed a HUGE difference. This is a program I can do at home with my kids 'cause it's only 30 minutes total. I bought the ebook after trying it out for 30 days for $4.95. I paid a total of $39.95 for the ebook which also has a great eating program. To me, it was MUCH cheaper than a gym membership and I knew I couldn't talk myself out of 30 minutes 3 timer a week. I would become overwhelmed at the thought of packing up the kids and going to the gym to workout by myself for an hour or so then going home and trying to get a shower, ahhhh! This is much easier. The woman that wrote the program is a busy mom and really helps you maximize your workout so you achieve great results in a shorter period of time. Good luck!!

I'm not sure where you live, but I recently started a Fitness Kickboxing class and wow, it's wonderful. I've really noticed a change in my body and I feel great after an hour class. I live in Indiana and take the class up in the Geist area at Geist Martial Arts. I'd recommend this class to anyone. The best part is, you actually put on boxing gloves and get to punch and kick the punching bag!

Hi C.,

I try to get to Curves at least 3 times a week and walk 20 min. or more the other days.

Also I have cut way back on dairy, wheat, and sugar, and find that I am not as hungry. I try to eat mostly fruits and veggies, and some whole grains, with very little processed food. I got the idea to cut back on those 3 from someone named Susie, who posts on Mamasource. She got it from her Dr. (Sandy Pinkham, I think) in Columbus Ohio.

Good luck!

K. Z.

Hi C.,
When my son was in pre-school I found that I could join Curves, get there, work out, AND get a shower before he was ready to come home. Some days, I even managed to fit in a little grocery shopping, as it's next door. I like this because I know the work-out is 30 minutes. period. I can go early, I can go later, depending on the situation at home that day. The thing is, I have made up my mind to do this, and by joining a place like Curves, I am making it known that I want to do this, when I miss a day, I'm asked about where I was. I also feel obligated to work out when my son asks how I did that day at my workout.
I hope you find what works for you, and remember, you are a mom, and a wife, but you have to want to do this for you. Schedule yourself in! Good luck to you.

It's NOT just about finding time to work out! What's your eating like? You'd be AMAZED at what a change in diet will do. NOT an excuse about getting the right things in with kids. They need to be educated and eat healthy too. KEEP STUFF OUT OF THE HOUSE THAT WILL SABOTAGE you! DO NOT MAKE EXCUSES to have cookies, etc in the house. The kids don't need them either.....only on special occasions.

There are TONS of things you can do thru out the day to get some "exercise" in - minutes at a time...1-2 mintues of jump roping or going up & down stairs.....1 minute of jack squats, 2 minutes of jumping jacks, 1-2 minutes of lunges - front, back or both and/or side.

I'm a personal trainer and nutritional consultant. WHERE do you live? I would be MORE than happy to sit down w/ you and give you a guideline and options based on your schedule and time. I'm in Fishers, IN

Hi C.
What stuck out of your email request was "lose weight again" The plan I use is a plan to reduce to where you want to be and then maintain by knowing that eating is a way of life not a part of life and that's why we yo-yo with our diet. My plan is with Shaklee and you can go on my web site and check it out. www.livingwithsolutions.com EVERY diet works if you work it Shaklee just makes it easier to stay there. I also have a wii fit that I use almost everyday. It's something you can do with your kids or by yourself and it is important to take the time for yourself.
To Your Health
S.

I'm trying to lose about 7-8 pounds right now, and to do so am keeping a food journal. It creates a sense of acknowledgment and responsibility of what I put into my body each day. If I have a cracker, I write it down, so it's really cut back on my snacking just for the purpose of not having to write it down! It makes me not want to eat really bad things because I know I'll have proof on paper of those bad choices. So far it's working pretty good. I started out wanting to lose 10 pounds and have lost 2 so far. It's just one idea of something you can do to get started. As far as working out, when I had my second and had about 17 pounds to lose I was working out 3 times a week with 20 minutes of cardio and about 20 minutes of weight lifting. Cardio doesn't have to be all at once, you can do jumping jacks while the kids are occupied, you can do lunges when you're walking to another room. There's all kinds of ways to incorporate exercise in your daily routine. When my kids were really little, I used to lay on the floor with my knees up to my chest, put them straddled on my feet and lift my feet up. The kids loved it and it's great exercise for your thighs. You can also swing them from side to side in the same position to get some workout for your butt. Also, for arms I used to lay down, and lift them up above me like an airplane. Even just holding them up like that will work out your muscles. Kids love it, mom loved it, it worked out great! While the kids are busy, grab some weights and do some curls. During naptime get out a jump rope, which is a GREAT cardio workout.

Hi. I had a baby 3 months ago so I am trying to loose the baby weight. I am back at work and my schedule is crazy so working out is hard. I find that the morning is the best time for me to work out. I get up at 5am and do the Jillian Micheals 30 Day Shred video which is 20 minutes long and then I get in the shower and get ready for the day. I take the stairs at work instead of the elevator and I also walk during part of my lunch hour at work. I wish I could do more but there is just not enough time in the day. I have lost about 4 lbs so far. I have also changed my eating habits which is helping a lot also.

Check out Body For Life and The Gabriel Method. Body For Life will give you a well rounded and balanced approach to fitness and nutrition. There is even a cookbook for the method, that I use frequently. The food tastes good and is very quick to prepare. The Gabriel Method will address your mindset regarding your weight. I think it can be very effective.

Also, the Fat Flush Plan has some great components to it too. It was written by a biochemist who really understands our body chemistry. Have fun searching for the fitness and nutrition program that fits you best!

I can totally relate to the 5am problem. In a perfect world I would LOVE to get up at 5am and get my workout and house maintenance and shower out of the way before kids get up at 7am. But like you, at 5am I just want to laugh and say, "yeah right! There's no way I'm getting up!!!!" I've been doing the Body for Life diet and exercise regimen for 4 months now. I get up a few minutes before the kids and get my work out stuff on and then the kids get up and I feed them and we go straight to the gym (YMCA). There's a kids watch there and I get a whole glorious hour to work out and listen to music all by myself. The glitch is that sometimes it's hard to work in a shower later in the day. I haven't really worked out this kink yet. On weight lifting days I will sometimes shower before the kids get up. I don't get as sweaty on weight days as I do on cardio days. Then I can just do another layer of deodorent and change into my regular clothes and be on my way.

I have made exercise a non-negotiable part of my day, just like washing my face, eating or brushing my teeth. This has really helped me to stick to my regimen. if I don't exercise I'm moody and easily frustrated. It's amazing what kind of endorphins you can work up by working out. Good luck!

Hi C.,
I have a variety of different workouts that I do. I have a boxing fitness game that I use on our WII system that is a great workout and very fun. I power walk on my treadmill and lift weights. I do these when the weather is bad. When it's nice out I ride my bike or go for walks in the evening. I recently started taking a Zumba class once a week and I love it. I try to get in some form of excercize every day. If I don't have time to do a full workout, I will just go out and run in the back yard with the dog. Take advantage of the down times. If you find yourself sitting and watching t.v., get down on the floor and do some stomach crunches or lift some hand weights. Try to do a variety of diffrent workouts so you don't become bored. I have alway's been a very active person, but I recently started seeing results from my workouts. The reason is because I started drinking more water and I started cutting my food portions in half from what I usually eat. I feel much healthier and I have more energy during the day. It takes dedication to follow through, but in the long run it is worth it. Good Luck, T.