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?

[lozster]

I feel your pain. Two and a half year old. Compressed hours on 4 days a week. Get up at 6.00 am. Commute by car. Pick up at 5pm at nursery, two hours of play, feed, tv, cuddles with him then bed at 7. Am desperate to eat by then. Can't eat sooner as don't want to interrupt 'our' time and he will want to eat too if i do although he will have had all his meals at nursery. I may have to do some work in the evening too. I start to go to bed at 10 and try to be asleep by 10.45 otherwise I'm fit for nothing.

I lost lots of weight on mat leave - lots of long walks, an open air gym in the park, a mum and baby fitness group. Fast forward to work and I started with good intentions of rejoining the gym on site at work, going for a run at lunch etc but this came to nothing as I rarely get enough time at lunch to get changed exercise then get showered.

So far this year I am managing to get out for a 'fast walk' - I must look like a loon striding vigorously around On the days I don't even manage that I am doing a ten minute workout at home/'mad half hour' with the toddler. Ten minute workout (recommended by my company employee assistance programme) comprises me doing some exercises (plank, squats etc) with literally one minute cardio in between. Toddler sometimes cooperates. Mad half hour is similar but is more about me humouring the toddler. We chase each other, do silly walks, do some marching or dancing and lark about enough to get my heart rate up and him red faced and sweaty. It's not ideal but I do feel better doing it and its an activity for both of us. Sometimes he requests it when we are in the car coming home!

As someone else said up thread we are in a time limited phase. All thing will pass.

[HeadDreamer]

Yes and no.

I use exercise DVDs. Only takes 20-30min to do something like 30 day shred or davina fit in 15. I do them about twice a week.

Leaves home at 7am every week day. Children starts bedtime routine at 7. Usually finish all the dishes, laundry and pack my lunch and their bags by 8.30. Still time to exercise and have a bit of rest before going to bed at 9.30.

Life is busy but can still fit exercise in.

[DarkDarkNight]

No I don't, there's no excuse, I've just 'let myself go' as the saying goes. I'll hopefully find myself soon.

I couldn't go to the gym or do a regular class as I'm a single mum so don't get to leave the house after toddlers bedtime. I was doing exercise DVDs for a while, but sheer exhaustion seems to have taken over. I am thinking about Slimming World as there is a class on on my day off when toddler is at nursery, but I think 5:2 may be easier for me as I won't have to plan ahead too much.

[HeadDreamer]

And tbh the toddler years are easy. It gets much harder at school age. DD1 is in reception. Nursery does all meals and there is no homework. (DD2 still at nursery). I didn't start having dinners with the DC until last sept.

Now I have to make dinner, have food on table before 6.30pm. DH does phonics and numbers with DD1 while I cook dinner. We have also to fill a water bottle every day, plus numerous demands for shoe boxes, cereal boxes, wellies, costumes, etc. And I also have to pack a afternoon snack for the childminder.

You need to get the time management under control in those easy toddler years.

[Runningupthathill82]

Yes and yes.

For me, running and exercise is really important. It is for DH too, so we prioritise it, and fit it in where we can. I do some form of exercise every day.

So, for example, I run home from work, stopping at the gym on the way - just for 10 mins - to lift weights. I also have a kettle bell at home that I chuck about while DS is watching Cbeebies. In my previous job I worked too far away to run the whole distance, so would get the train halfway and run the rest.

I also fit in a half hour fast run on my lunch break, where I can, and run wherever possible - such as to nursery to pick up DS, or home from meetings etc.

As DH is fit too, weekends are active for us as a family. We might all go to the park and take it in turns to have a half hour run while the other watches the children. Or we'll bike ride as a family.

It's harder since DC2 was born and I'm more tired with night feeds, but it's about squeezing it in where you can. Tonight all I had was a 20-min window while DH was cooking tea, DS was in bed and DD was napping, so I did a fast run then.

Am currently still losing the baby weight, as DD is only 3 weeks old, but with DS I lost the weight in 7 weeks and then lost a further stone and a half.

It helps that DH prioritises exercise as much as I do, and understands that we both need to do something every day.

[snowgirl1]

During the week it's very difficult to fit in any exercise - 1.5 hour commute each way + work full time + bed times + dinner etc.

One evening a week my dad babysits so DH & I can go to a training session.

On Saturday morning (when DH is doing sport) I take DD to a dance class and run while she has her class.

On Sunday morning DH looks after DD while I go and do exercise with a friend.

I don't agree with some PPs that a 30 minute walk a day won't help - anything that gets you moving more will help. I walk up stairs, walk up escalators, walk to talk to people in the office rather than phoning or emailing them, walk to the local shops at the weekend. It all helps.

[enjoyingscience]

I go to the gym while DS1 does a class on a Sunday evening, and do an aerobics type class one evening a week. It's not easy to fit in, but it does help me stay sane (more Important than thin, any day)

DPs work is on two sites, so twice a week he parks at one and runs to the other in the morning and back again in the evening. It's a decent 4k run, and he has to go pretty fast or he'll be late!

Fitting it into the tiny gaps is the key thing. For DP, it only means leaving the house 30 minutes earlier, and he gets to have a shower at work in peace. Lucky bugger.

[OnceMoreIntoTheBleach]

Haven't RTFT but I used to do home workout DVDs when DCs were in bed at that age. Is that an option? It was hard to start with, but soon found a rhythm.

Much harder now my DCs are older and going to bed later, mind

[lozster]

I think different authorities give different advice on time to spend exercising. I know my lunch time walks and ten minute work outs are sub optimum and pathetic compared to what i did on mat leave and pre baby. none the less, the walk gets me in the sun (ok well light) and feeling more positive and the ten minute workout can sometimes be pushed to 15 or 20 minutes so its the start of something and feels useful though I'm not kidding myself it is magic.

I saw a British Heart foundation poster today about this: www.bhf.org.uk/heart-health/preventing-heart-disease/10-minutes-to-change-your-life

There a ten minute workout in there if anyone wants to give it a go.

[glorious]

I was just starting to get back on track with cycle commuting and running more and then I had a heart scare, several days in hospital and months of tests. Although I'm fine now I got really freaked out and I haven't got back into it. Plus my husband is now working away in the week meaning I'm responsible for all drop offs and pick ups and can't go out in the evening. DD still doesn't sleep either!

It makes me a bit miserable so I really need to try to get into it again. On the plus side though my upper body strength is much better from lugging her around!

[Ifiwasabadger]

Yes and yes. I have a two year old, work full time, am 9 stone ish and 5 foot 9,

I run after I've put DD to bed, around 730. I'm no Zola budd but. It's amazing the difference 30 mins of running a couple of times a week makes. I also do Pilates once a week at the weekend or an evening. It's an hour class.

The rule is its80 per cent diet, 20 percent exercise, so I do watch what I eat...I'm so busy at work I barely have time anyway which helps.

I'm approaching 40 and really don't want to spiral.....of course there's weeks where I am knackered, DD is ill, exercise is the first to go...but overall I do try to stay in shape.

[clockbuscanada]

I gained about 1.5 stone after going back from mat leave to a sedentary job. To address it I've gone from 2 or 3 glasses of wine a week to 2 or 3 g&ts per year, try to stay under 1000 cals per day and certainly never more than 1200 and walk briskly or swim whenever I can (rare, possibly an hour a week on average). None of the above has made any difference so I'm going to take some of the other advice on this thread.

[jemimastar]

OP def join a gym crèche, most Virgin gyms have them, I take DS (2) there on my day off for 1 hour and most Saturday mornings for another hour.
They are open throughout week and weekends untill 1pm.

Utter godsend. He loves it in there, its an hours fun with other kids for him and much needed exercise time for me.

[Twinklestar2]

Thanks for all the tips, I think cutting back on carbs, not snacking all day at my desk and trying to find time to exercise are the key things for me!

[cornishglos]

No exercise but stayed slim due to stress I guess.

[maggiethemagpie]

I also have half a stone to shift and am a working mum to not only a toddler but a 5 year old too. It's one of those 'you make time for what's important to you' things. It is hard to fit it in, often it's not until after the kids have gone to bed that I am free. That said, I do work from home so have some discretion over when I work, ie nothing to stop me taking an extended lunch break or starting a bit later so long as all the work gets done.

I have extra motivation as I am getting married in two months so am going to the gym a few times a week , but once the wedding is over I will probably go back to my gym phobic ways.

[SansaryaAgain]

I have a 2yo DS and have been back at work a year, and will be starting a new job next month. I used to go to the gym everyday but since having DS I had to drop a few days. Fortunately breastfeeding ensures the weight came off and I'm now almost a stone lighter than I was pre pregnancy. DP and I share nursery drop offs and pick ups and I go to the gym after work twice during the week and once or twice at weekends. I also use My Fitness Pal to track what I eat during the week.

[limon]

Nope. I have eaten a whole bag of jelly beans to myself even night for the last three weeks. I'm getting wobbly. It needs to stop. I would love to be able to motivate myself to swim or go to the gym but I just can't.

[PenelopeChipShop]

No. Biggest I've ever been was while working with a toddler, there was physically no time from 6am - 9pm! Only solution was exercise DVDs but that relied on DS being in bed unusually early as I had no energy by 9 o clock. It's just a hard period of time, don't beat yourself up. Focus on healthy diet and try to build in as much walking as you can.

[FelicityFunknickle]

Someone here mentioned the no "s" diet.
Pretty good sense really.
No sugar, no seconds, no snacking
"S" days (saturday, sunday, special days) are exempt, but not an excuse to binge
Snacking is a PITA. It becomes such a habit. I feel so much more in control just not doing that at work anymore.

[snowgirl1]

Those of you that do exercise DVDs in the evening, where do you do them? Do you have a 2nd TV and DVD player? Or do you subject your partners to watching you bounce around in lounge ??

[IfAtFirstUDontSucceed]

Sorry if I've skipped passed the post - do you have an OH.
I have a almost 3 year old and I go running 2-3 night a week.

I've always been slightly overweight, and never very sporty.
I joined an all-women's running group last summer and have lost almost 2 stone.

I have a similar day to you, leave 7:30, get back 6:30. On the evenings I go running DH puts DS to bed.

Those nights we don't bother with big meals, so issues with cooking (just scrambled eggs etc) which also helps with the weight loss.

[toffeeboffin]

There's a lot of people on here who are really into running.

I keep promising myself I'll start, seems like a good thing as you can leave straight from home, it's easy etc etc.

And from what I gather it really keeps the weight off!

[tkndnv]

I get up at 5 and go running.

It's sometimes quote tough but as soon as you've been up about ten mins it's fine.

[mrsplum2015]

In my experience to lose weight it's more about food than exercise so it can be easier to manage if you're working (you can plan what you are going to eat during the day as long as you don't get tempted by colleagues who bring in cakes etc).

I lost a lot of weight a couple of years ago and I do exercise 2-3 times per week to maintain my weight, so that I don't have to worry so much about what I'm eating. When I stopped that after returning to work I have struggled to maintain my weight so I'm going to make it a priority to fit it in again!!! It's not impossible but does require commitment - either get up an hour earlier or get it done as soon as you can be free in the evening (I often used to go out for a walk as DH walked in the door at 6pm and loved it! - harder now my DC are older and usually need driving somewhere at that time...).