Fitting in exercise

[mostlyhappywithsomelowpressure]

As i always start theses things - sorry if this has been discussed somewhere else!!

Basically I have done well in my weightloss with conscious eating and exercise (30 DS then othe JM DVDs and most recently RI30) however, i have been on a plataeu (a rocky up and down plataeu but...) for 4 - 5 weeks now and i figure the best way to get over it is more exercise.

So my question is, how do you mums that workout do it without neglecting your children. My routine is basically in from school (i work in a school so can pick my DS up most days) read with DS then he goes up to get changed and play while i work out for 30 minutes or less!! But he doesn't like doing that, he'd rather play with me or read with me, and his spellings are only getting practiced on the days my mum picks him up.

I feel guilty as it is leaving him to his own devices while i do what i want to do (ie exercise) but if i need to exercise for longer i'll feel even more guilty!!!

I can't do it in the morning because 1) i'm not a morning person and 2) my DH does his exercise in the morning and we don't live in a mansion (and need actual furniture) so can't do it at the same time!!
Also i can't workout after my DS has gone to bed because i've eaten by then i cannot give the same amount of effort and intensity to my workout.
if i do my exercise later and give my boy the time he needs and deserves then i'm making dinner later and he's going to bed later and that isn't good either!!!

I have thought about putting DS in after school club so i can come home do my thing and then get him (as if i have a job with normal hours) but i went into education so that i could spend time with my child!!! and that doesnt really help with the time spent with him and the later dinner issue!!!

Feel like i'm sinking a bit to be honest.

PLease let me know what you exercisey people do and how to alleviate the guilt :/ because i'm really considering giving it up at the moment :'(

Cheers

How old is DS?

Could he cycle while you run?

Could DH alternate mornings with you? Perhaps at least you could get a workout Tuesday and Thursday, for example?

Don't give it up though you've worked too hard to do that.

Btw you may not need to up your exercise to continue to lose weight/inches, you could change the composition of your diet and/change the way you exercise....

Sorry, I didn't just mean you could just exercise tuesdays and Thursday's, but those along with Saturday and Sunday might mean you are only trying to exercise 2 of Monday,Wednesday and Friday with DS 'helping'.

He's nearly 7.

We recently tried the cycle while we ran!!! It did not go well :/

DH only has time to work out in mornings so wouldnt want to take any of his time away from him.

Am going to try to lower carbs (further) and am even considering a gym class instead of my DVDs though still quite a scary prospect!!

Thank you jelli.

Sorry for quick reply as I'm on my way out but what went wrong with th cycling with DS?

TBH I've just had to compromise other stuff to fit it in!

Is your DH not at home in the evening at all to spend time with your DS? Assume not, as you say he can only work out in morning.

Things I would do:

• go for a morning run/walk while DH exercises - he is there if DS wakes. I k ow you're not a morning person, but if you don't want to do more evening exercise it's the only other chance
• eat a snack in the early evening, exercise hard after DS goes to bed, then have dinner
• get a stationary bike or similar and cycle while your DS does his spelling etc.

It's always hard to fit in exercise because most of us don't actually want to. I only began to fit it in when I decided it was just as important as eating and showering, an deserved the same level of priority. If you don't give it high priority it just doesn't happen.

Oh, and it's not only your DH who only ha the morning to exercise! Sounds like you only really have the morning too. Time for him to share, I think