Don't want to be this big but feel so guilty

[Mingo2010]

If your a mum how much time do you spend on exercise ?
I need to lose over 2 stone but feel guilty spending time working out and walking 10,000 steps as little one has to go in her buggy and she's getting to the age where she doesn't want to be in it for that amount of time

Don't feel guilty. It's sensible to exercise and 10000 steps is really good going. Keep it up.

Are you a single parent? I was just wondering if you can go walking when her dad is home...get some alone time

I'm single but we still live together at the moment, I could do that but by the end of the day I can't be bothered if you know what I mean then end up binging on crap food and then say I'll start again the next day and that circle goes on and on xx

A 40 min walk even is not too long to be in a buggy. 20mins out then 20mins back home. That done most days will help a lot. Some people have to push a toddler in a buggy quite a distance to school and back each day.

To be honest most of it is diet so just change the way you eat and maybe do a at home workout or dance

Diet, and I get up half an hour before the kids and do a HIIT

How old is your little one? My youngest is 3, and our morning walks are about 6000 adult steps. After that, he goes in a carrier on my back for a while. Then another trip to the park in the afternoon, easily 12 000
steps, often more. You can do it, just build it up slowly.

@Mingo2010

I'm single but we still live together at the moment, I could do that but by the end of the day I can't be bothered if you know what I mean then end up binging on crap food and then say I'll start again the next day and that circle goes on and on xx

@Mingo2010 here’s your answer.

Mean this in the nicest possible way but you will always find an excuse not to exercise and lose weight. You have to want it badly enough.
Exercise will energise you, you need to form new habits and that will only happen by taking the first plunge and getting it done.
You’ll also find if you exercise you’ll be less likely to eat crap as you did the exercise.
Don’t bother whinging if you won’t do the work and good luck!!!

I'm in the same boat OP! My son is 6 months and I still haven't lost the "mum tum".
I do think a 40min walk isn't too long, but also diet is a big part of it.
If you have a smart TV and can get YouTube on it there are a lot of home workouts or yoga on there you could do during a nap time.

When you do the walk with the pram try to walk as fast as you can, maybe run a few steps.

The thing is walking isn’t going to get the weight off, what you eat is the key.

I do live online yoga, whileDC is watching TV, asleep, with DH or at nursery.
No 10k steps, takes far too long out of the day!

10000 steps is really not a lot, I’m currently 29 weeks pregnant and 10000 steps is two just over 30 min walks. I work 8 hours. I know it’s harder getting a little one ready but you can incorporate 30 mins into a trip to the shops. For example we have a local shop if we need milk or something but I always choose to walk to the further away Tesco which is 40 min round trip including time walking round the shop.

Not hard at all.

Take a look in you tube for Lesley Sansome.... she has 30 min brisk walk workouts that you can.do in your living room. Keep it up x

I think Pp have been harsh op. Pre children I used to.wander why people put weight on after having babies and tell myself I wouldn't. I cringe at the pre children me!

Ive also struggled to fit in exercise with 2 young children. After baby number one I went to post natal fitness classes, was strict with my diet and walked everywhere 5miles+ somedays into town/ swimming etc) I was fitter than I'd ever been - before I went back to work and then got pregnant again.

Along came baby 2 and that ay of life wasn't possible anymore. Suddenly I had a toddler who wasn't welcome at the postnatal classes like the new baby was. I even found a lovely group for sling walks but again, babies in slings welcome, toddlers not so. They had different nap schedules and needs ( /besstfeeding/potty training!) and not to mention i was dog tired, as toddler was up at 4.30am and baby was waking through the night. It was much easier to use the car to juggle everything. Each time I returned to work after mat leave it got harder again to find that time.

So don't beat yourself up ok, it's hard. My youngest is now 3 and I'm only just finding I can make the time. This pandemic and home schooling haven't exactly helped with that. As they get older different opportunities occur - junior park run etc

Please ask for time though from your partner and see if you can get to a class- online or in person, do your 10,000 steps and address the emotional eatin g which is a huge piece of the puzzle. Paul McKenna 'I can make you thin' book has I go on this and changing your behaviour around food.

What is your diet like? Diet is really the main thing you need to work on to lose weight. Exercise is great but you need to look at your diet first.

If you change your diet, cook healthy meals and limit your junk food content you might find you lose weight without doing much exercise.

I do 10,000 steps in about 60 minutes of walking.
Do two walks of 30 minutes, one in the morning and one in the afternoon, and that’s not too long to sit in the buggy.
Could she have some of her lunch or a snack whIle you walk ?

Food is much more important in weight loss than exercise. You can also take her to the park and run around with a ball etc. Lots of ways to be active. Fitness class on YouTube.

30 minutes of hiit 5 times a week. Often with the kids 'helping'. I've lots a stone in lockdown.

Could you get a proper running buggy and go with that? Occasionally you find them cheap on EBay/ gumtree. I’m trying to lose weight and have found having thick Greek yogurt with muesli helps me stay full.

I have two small DC and fit exercise in when I can - I run first thing in the morning, and do work outs during lunch and tv time. I'd really recommend buggy fit classes or whatever the equivalent is where you are. Group of mums get together in the park and work out while their kids are in prams or playing together. No age limit on the children. I loved doing it when DS was a baby. Or try your own park work out with your DC - run for a bit, stop and do an exercise, then run again. DC can join in, it's fun! I ended up doing sprint runs around the buggy while DS watched me and laughed!

I think it's just about fitting in what you can it doesn't have to be a full on fitness session. Can't advise on diet though, I'm rubbish with that...

Get yourself a baby backpack thing. You get more of a work out due to added weight and toddlers tend to find them more exciting than buggies. Also means you can go walking through fields etc. because you don’t need a pavement,

I lost a stone with WW and I’m now planning to do some home workouts like joe wicks. I wouldn’t feel guilty though as it’s still getting your DC out and about seeing things

Find a swing park that's a decent walking distance from your house, walk there, let your toddler out for some exercise (I let my four year old have an hour in which I push him on the swings, run around the roundabout and basically follow him around everywhere on my feet) then put your toddler back in the buggy, give a drink and a snack and they should be content for the walk back. Toddler thinks they've had an afternoon out and you've had exercise.

I have birth to DD2 on Dec and in Jan started low carb. Realised as a veggie it was too hard and swapped to calorie counting. I was very reluctant as I thought it'd be time consuming but it's actually been manageable. The thing that has made the biggest difference is doing a 20 min HIIT 5/7 days a week or more combined with calorie counting. I've got 2 DDs, 2years and 7 months. I put the toddler on the sofa with a cartoon and headphones and the toddler in her jumperoo, then move them both to the shower room with me and they sit in their little chairs while I have a very quick wash. It's slightly harried but means I get the exercise in. Alternatively I do it when they nap or after bed time. You can do it! You've just really got to set your mind to it and remove mental barriers. That's all they are, mental barriers! 2 stone is definitely achievable.

As well as a buggy walk you could do an online yoga or dance class and your DD could join in (cosmic kids yoga is good). Or depending on how old she is you could go for a walk with her in the sling - ready made weight training! Or if she's an older toddler and good on a scooter you could jog while she scoots round the park.