To think it’s so hard to be healthy working full time?

[Strawbales]

Probably I’ll be flamed here but what the hell.

So when I was at home FT I could go to the gym and use the crèche for childcare for an hour or so. I went on massive long walks with the children, easily doing 20,000 steps some days.

Now … well. I am tired, all the time, I don’t get to go to the gym, I don’t get to go on long walks and because I’m so tired I’m eating rubbish

Please help me before I gain shedloads of weight.

Try fasting and eating fish instead of meat try going dairy free

@Toottootdrive I get that. And I will try to. But tbf my AIBU was about finding it hard, I’m not necessarily looking for people to flame me for that.

Workout once the children are in bed or wake up before them in the morning and do it then.

I genuinely can’t do first thing - I wouldn’t get back in time for nursery runs and so on.

I have bought a few bits of small equipment so do an online workout in the front room in a morning. Would that be possible?

I just tend to do cardio tbh

I just miss the amount of walking I used to be able to do I think!

[quote julieca]@Bellfor good for you. But honestly, that isn't manageable for most people. Get home about 7 pm/7.15 pm. Straight into making tea and going tidying up. Have tea at about 8 pm for everyone. By 8.30 pm finished and stacked dishwasher. This is with no housework done at all, when I would usually do some in the evening. So go out to a gym for say 9 pm? Back home 10 pm and straight to bed. That leaves no time to do any housework or see my kids. Its just not possible. I have so little time in the evenings as it is.[/quote]

Pretty much, yea. 2x a week I'll only get home, eat, gym, bed. I did say it's only possible because DH picks up the slack. It all depends how much its worth it for you. I had to do something because I'd absolutely piled on weight. If it was just for general fitness/keeping healthy like fuck would I put in the effort.

@Strawbales

I finish before 6, but DP finishes at around 5. But then it’s stressful managing the children until bath and bed time. I could leave DP to it but seems a bit unfair!

Unfair on you? Or are you saying it’s unfair for your dp to have to look after his own children for a bit?

Get on YouTube and do a Joe wicks after work. The kids can be in the same room as you.

It's great that some people can be super disciplined but OP is looking for realistic ideas; small steps. She knows her own temperament and if she says she wouldn't have the energy to get her lycra on after a full day's teaching and the bedtime routine then that's fair enough: I wouldn't either.

If I were you, op, i think i would talk to DH and choose two nights per week where he picks the little ones up and does tea time. You could then get to gym or get a longer walk/run in before going home, and reheat your tea when you get in for say, 6.30pm? You could try getting changed in the PE department before leaving school; quite a few teachers where I work do that.

I used to work out the home about 12-13 a day ft. I bought a treadmill for home use and ate a lot less around working hours. Found this easier because of the automatic routine. Was very very fit, also used to go running at 5:30am in the summer and then get the train to work

Now work pt from home and rather fat! So I think it is possible. You do have to carve out the time though. If I didn't have dh around I had to use the treadmill early in the morning. Very boring regime though and turns out I definitely prefer cake.

It takes a bit of effort but you'll soon find fast healthy recipes. I home-cook everything, but only stuff that takes 45 mins or less. Stir fry, savoury rice with seafood or chicken. Or batch cook stuff at the weekend.

For exercise, running close to your house saves a trip to the gym. You could leave your partner to do breakfast with the dcs and do parkrun on a Saturday morning. Then it's all done by 10am.

I think people over-egg exercise. 20k steps is both healthy and impressive but if by your own admission you're eating crap then that's your issue. I used to run 5m three times a week but each run is only around 600 cals - your walking is probably only slightly more than that. You've got to find a way to get your food right and if anything I've always found it easier in the office, it's the "freedom" of the weekend I struggle with.

Definitely @MrsTophamHat and thanks … I think I’ll start from that and build up.

Get on YouTube and do a Joe wicks after work. The kids can be in the same room as you.

I try to do this a couple of times a week either at 7am or 7.30ish pm. Admittedly my DC don't need dressing etc but some of the 15 min workouts are pretty intense and you definitely feel you've worked out but it doesn't take too much time. (I prefer outside activity but I find this agood alternative when squeezed for time)

You can get a lot of steps in / up your heart rate a lot whilst combining it with family time. Couple of times a week do a really easy dinner (leftovers, jackets chucked in the oven, big pot of fresh or tinned soup with part bake bread), then using the time you save from doing dinner have a crazy "dance party" with the kids. Essentially, HIIT, but it kills two birds one stone. You can even shout spellings if need be to combine further haha. They think you're brilliant because you're having fun with them, and the purpose is get your heart rate up sky high.
In summer it's always so much easier, in summer I would combine family time with a walk on the night but in winter it's much harder. You could also try and combine the weekend with more active activities. Every step counts! Just a suggestion, it may not work, but I get how tough this must feel

It can be done in terms of weight by meal planning, but it takes time to get into a routine.

Re: fitness, I know what you mean, it's bloody exhausting. I've given up booze to enable me to get up a bit earlier or go to bed later and fit in exercise. High intensity in short bursts is actually more effective in terms of fitness than a couple of long cardio sessions a week - HIIT is your friend, although it's bloody hard work.

Kids are only babies really Life - don’t think we are quite there yet!

Meals aren’t so much the problem as being disciplined and not eating crap!

What happens at the weekend? If you can get in two big walks then (plus some weight training: cardio alone isn’t enough) and stomach getting up slightly earlier twice a week (so still majority ‘normal’ get ups) then that’s four times a week.

Weekends are a bit of a bone of contention tbh as I’m finding my DH a bit frustrating but walks would be good.

Having a moan helps. I’m just finding it all a bit tough and full-on.

Could you walk from nursery to work? Might that be quicker than rush hour traffic? Only ask because I once heard someone on Woman’s Hour moaning about how her mile long commute now took 30mins by car…🙄😩

Unfortunately not - it’s still a good 4 miles.

Don’t go for “a walk” at the weekend. Do your errands or whatever by foot…. Ive often done this when staying at people’s houses where there’s no opportunity to exercise:
I’ve ‘needed’ a paper or some orange juice from the shops 2miles away…:)

So long as your weight isn't effecting your health right now, I think you need to give yourself some slack. You're working FT in an overly-FT job, with babies, with a household to run etc. You're burning the candle at every end possible, no wonder you're exhausted. Just sit and think of one little change you can make at a time, with diet, or moving a little more. Just one a day. Turn it from weight loss, to a goal of maintain this weight let's just not let it get worse for now. Remove the pressure and see how you feel as you come up to end of Christmas term, I am almost certain as they get a little older it should get easier (I hope), but if right now it just has to be survival then so be it, don't beat yourself up for it. SMART goals are your friend here. Google it. But also speak to husband and see if he has any suggestions for giving you a little extra time to yourself

Ah thanks @LifeIsTricky, I lost a lot of weight last year and just worried about gaining it!