to ask if you're a working mum of a toddler...

[Twinklestar2]

Do you manage to stay slim or diet or get to the gym?

I'm working full time, leave house at 7.45, get in at 6.30. Feel like I don't have time to go to the gym - I take half hour for lunch so I can leave early.

I have half a stone to shift. Should I just accept I'm gonna be this weight for a while whilst I'm juggling things?

[Heatherbell1978]

DS1 is 18m. I'm out the door at 7am and pick him up at 6pm from nursery. He's in bed and asleep by 7.30pm. To be honest I'm lazy. I could easily go out for a run or a class in the evening once DH is home. I'm naturally slim and back down to pre- pregnancy weight but could do with toning up. I eat piles of sugar as well......thinking of doing Davinas DVDs though.

[Twinklestar2]

Old lady fish - lovely post, thank you

Thinking I could reduce carbs quite easily, have done that before. Not cut completely but definitely reduce.

Like a PP said - I don't know what time to eat to fit in exercise in the evening! My son has just gone to bed and I still feel full from eating around 7 (and then eating chocolate ). I now have to clean kitchen, I've got slow cooker on for tomorrow's dinner and I promised to ring a friend!

[AntiHop]

No and no. My dd is 16 months and I work full time. Like LauraMipsum I use sugar to get me through the day as I'm so sleep deprived. I've gained weight since going back to work as eating to get me through the day. No chance of exercise as I'm out of the flat 12 hours a day as I do compressed hours. Can't go to the gym on my day off as I'm looking after her. Weekends are so packed already. I've no time in the evening after work. I only just have time to eat my dinner and do the necessary house work then it's bedtime.

[ToElleWithIt]

I work full time and go three times a week. One lunchtime- I take a longish lunch but I'm at my desk the rest of the week so no one minds, once a week at 7- I do dinner and bath and leave DH to do bedtime and once at the weekend-Saturday 10 am. I think finding a convient gym is key. I used to try to go after DS went down and that was a disaster. I was shattered. DS isn't the best sleeper.

[toptomatoes]

DH and I both exercise in the house as it is much less time consuming than going to a gym. We settle the kids in bed then he will go on the treadmill in the garage and I go on my step in front of the TV or on the exercise bike. He does go out for a run when it gets a bit warmer. I have to make myself do it most days and it's hard to fit it in but it's half an hour instead of all the extra time involved in going somewhere else.

[Orrery]

I was til recently a ft working Mum of a 2yr old. I went a bit nuts when I went back to work after 6 mnths and tried to pick up all my old exercise, rowing club, yoga, running. They were regular evening and weekend sessions with a club so I felt I had to go or let people down. Im kind of glad I did it, because it helped me to recover physically, but I was also getting a bit stressed feeling guilty about all the time I was spending away from DS so now I just try to fit in some yoga at home in the evening.

I think parents of toddlers get plenty of exercise just looking after them!!

[Blacksheep78]

My B3 is 17yo and so is my 'baby bump'.. Lost it really easily after B1 and B2, but this time it hasn't shifted. I leave home at 5am, work til dark and generally get home around 8-8.30. Brekky is usually healthy, lunch not too bad, but by the time dinner comes around I either don't eat, or get TA. Last year I had 6 days off, (yes, 6 days total) so no way was I going out to exercise!

[ohthegoats]

I couldn't lost weight at all when I was BF - it screwed my diet/appetite up so much, I only lost the baby weight after I'd stopped. Thing is, I'm lighter now than I was 5 years ago, but I'm more than a dress size bigger from being so wobbly and unfit. I used to be really fit and strong, now I'm physically quite pathetic.

[Shenanagins]

I have two pre-schoolers and it was hard at first but now its s way of life, never ever thought that I would think that!

If my oh is here i go to two hiit classes in the evening and at the weekend get up early and go for a run. If he's not here I get up half an hour early and do you tube hiit videos.

As for eating, I do 3 meals a day, no snacking (once I start I can't stop) and really watch my portion sizes. At the weekend I will lighten up a bit and have some wine.

It has been worth it as I do have far more energy than I ever had.

[ManneryTowers]

Nope, no time here. I lost weight by eating 800 cals or less a day and by making DS walk everywhere. Sorry it's not healthy advice but it's the truth!

[honeylulu]

I work full time and commute so a bit of walking to/from station but other than that pretty sedentary. I actually eat a lot less at work as I can't pick and snack like I do when I'm in the kitchen at home.
I do a short fast run (20 mins) two nights a week after toddler in bed and while husband cooks. I work from home Fridays and go to the gym for a lunchtime HIIT class. Saturday I get up early and do a 10k run while everyone else still asleep, takes about an hour - if I doubt I'd do it otherwise. Also do a circuit training class Sunday morning. Plus walking and occasionally swimming with the kids.
I do 10 mins stomach crunches/planks before bed every night, even if I do nothing else all week (this is my problem area). Sometimes after my short runs I'll do some hand weights or squats/lunges in front of the telly, though often I can't be arsed.
I find exercise keeps me fit and toned but makes no difference to my weight. It makes me hungrier so I just eat more. I'm training for a half marathon at moment (hence the weekly 10 ks) and if anything I'm heavier than usual.If I want to lose weight the only thing that works is less food and less booze.
I'm 5 foot 6 and weigh about 8 stone ten at moment which isn't bad for an old bird.

[eurochick]

I'm struggling too. I have a 19 month old. Pre preg, I was typically at the gym two evenings a week after work and running at weekends, plus walking loads. Then I had a tricky pregnancy, c section at 34 weeks and baby in Nicu. I was desperate to get back to exercise and it was my main question at my 6 week check but when I tried a run everything felt so wrong! I then did nothing for months. The baby wasnt a sleeper do I was permanently knackered anyway.

I now feel up to it physically, but I'm really struggling to find the time. I get up at 6.30 as it is and can't face getting up earlier than that. I get in from work at 6.30pm on a good day and the toddler then fights sleep until 8.30-9ish. I then have an hour to eat supper, do washing, deal with dishwasher and answer work emails before crashing out around 10.

I've always lost weight easily before through calorie counting but I'm not even finding the time to log food at the moment!

I went for a run last weekend and it felt great! I need more than just a weekend run though.

I got a Fitbit for Christmas and that is motivating me to walk lots so that's something. But I still have a stubborn half stone to shift!

[notquitehuman]

No and no. I'm knackered and overweight. I'm doing Slimming World, and hoping that once I drop a bit of weight I'll have the energy to exercise a bit more. Weirdly, I had more energy when DS was a baby. I could do a workout DVD while he was playing in his travel cot.

I feel terrible about it though because other working mums seem to be fit and healthy. My SIL is always posting about how there's no excuses. Agh, I'm just a slob.

[WhoisLucasHood]

Nope I'm fat

[MrsOs]

I leave house 6.45am get back 6.45pm 😕 No exercise here! Seem to be hungry all the time too! I do tidy the house alot so that is my exercise.. I like the zumba dvds but not been arsed to do them for months..

[GingerCuddleMonsterThe2nd]

No and no. I'm a size 12 and should be a 8 for my height.

I am going to try a DVD workout in the evenings just to try and get something done.I'm normally ok with my diet though. I font diet as such just eat healthy and really do try my best to say no to "junk food" but if I really want it, I will have it haha

[rageagainsttheBIL]

Yes and no... I'm extremely lucky to have a ridiculously fast metabolism (or possibly worms) so don't go above a size 10 despite eating whatever I want and lots of it. I do eat healthyish meals but also cakes etc.

DH is often out of the house by 6.45 and not back till 7.30-8, at which time we eat. Our 3 yo DC still wakes several times a night and gets up any time from 5.45, no way am I getting up at 5 to exercise. I go to one class a week in the evening but I'm not fit.

[FelicityFunknickle]

Hi Twinkle
Your baby is still little. Half a stone is nothing.
Enjoy your walking and try to not comfort eat (easier said than done but actually key to the whole business of weight loss imho- should be telling myself) and you will find you have more free time to think and exercise before too long.
Good luck.

[KatharinaRosalie]

toddler and baby and work full time. I do manage to fit a few hours of exercise in, but only because I teach some fitness classes as a hobby, so I really have to be there and I schedule those hours in just like my day job.

But exercise is a very small part of weight loss, if this is your main goal. It has of course other benefits, but to shift that stone, you need to restrict calories. There are plenty of options and various diets available - 5:2 didn't work for me at all, but pounds just dropped off low-carbing.

(I really should do it again but I do like my bread and pasta, sigh..)

[FelicityFunknickle]

I only started to manage exercising when my youngest was 2.5.
Even then it was a struggle, and I don't work ft.
Now (dd is 3 yo) if i get to the gym its quite late, after the dc's bedtime. But I have more energy now because I've reduced my carbs and dd sleeps through mostly

[FelicityFunknickle]

Yy to pp. 70:30 diet: exercise
Exercise is good though, and it has all round benefits. So doing something manageable you enjoy is ideal.
Be kind to yourself

[tonightsthekindofnight]

In answer to the when do you eat, my dh gets in at 6 and my twins go down at 6.30 so usually I run after that and get back to help dh put our eldest two to bed (7 and 2) by 8, and we eat after that. Occasionally I have an early tea with the children at 5. Its hectic and I'm by no means suggesting an easy solution for everyone but I love that 40 mins fresh air and time to myself. It means I can scoff chocolate without too much guilt and I love feeling fast and strong. I'm lucky because I have always done it so its habit, I imagine it would be tough to start. Good luck op.

[KleineDracheKokosnuss]

Nope. I try to eat lots of veg and noy eat too much cake, buy I'm a solicitor who has to work late and weekends a lot I sometimes (like this week) average only 2 hours sleep a night. I simply haven't the time to add specific workout time to that!

[MandMand]

Can you fit exercise into your commute at all? Could you run all or part of the way home from work, or cycle there and back a couple of days a week. obviously harder to do if you have to pick up from nursery/childminder.

[wiltingfast]

My youngest was 3 before I started to regain control

What worked for me was ww at lunchtime from work and walking /cycling some of the commute. I did try Zumba but it was the incremental everyday stuff that made a difference. Plus I don't naturally enjoy exercise so motivation to leave the house in the evening or even go use my dh's rowing machine in the shed was NIL