Those who are fit with kids

[Anonymous]

If you are fit and have a kid under 7, can you walk me through how you do it? How often and when do you work out? Do you cook at home much? Do you work outside the home?

[Anonymous]

Kids are currently 6 and 9, but i have pretty much followed a similar plan since they were young. It has gotten easier to fit in exercise as they have gotten older.

How often and when do you work out? 4-5 days/week, lift 3 days, run 2-3 days, yes I double up some days. I hit the gym at 5 am 2 mornings a week, run 2 evenings a week after kids are in bed (sometime I run 1 morning), weekends- run one morning, lift one morning.

Do you cook at home much? Pretty much always cook at home. Prep meals on the weekends so i have my lunch and some dinners ready for the week. I have pretty much brought lunch to work my entire adult life. We usually go out for dinner once a week.

Do you work outside the home? yes, work full time outside of the home with a decent commute (30min-1hr)

I always say that if you want something enough you will make time for it and figure out how to fit it in.

[Anonymous]

I would say I'm pretty fit.

Kid is 15 months.

Work out early in the morning before kid gets up or at night after kid goes to sleep. I do at-home workouts. I also sometimes do a quick run at lunchtime, or a quick session at the gym.

We almost always cook at home. DH does most dinners and I do most breakfasts because I am the early riser.

Work full-time outside the home but have a short commute and flexible hours.

[Anonymous]

I do Orangetheory every morning at 5am. I’m back home by 6:15. House starts moving around 6:30.

I cook dinner most nights. Heavy on protein and low carb vegetables. I’ll make a starch as a side dish. I make lunches for everyone as well

I work outside the home.

[Anonymous]

Dh works out m-f from 6a-7a. I work nights so Ds (6) goes and plays with the other kids there or hangs out on his Kindle. He loves it and even when I'm home he asks to go with DH. He comes home, gets a quick breakfast of eggs and fruit and gets DS to the bus or camp

I work out M/W 6o-7p. Ds comes with me and again plays with the other kids. Dh gets dinner ready. I also work out T/Th from 8o-9p and either Sat or Sun morning. Tuesdays I get dinner ready while DH is at DS' class. Thursdays we do take out since Dh has a longer commute that day I take dinners to work if I'm working those nights

It's a small self defense studio with people we are very close to. The kids love hanging out. Dh does Brazilian Jiu jitsu and I do a combo of Boxing/HIIT and TRX. Ds does kids BJJ so we joke that it's our second home!

[Anonymous]

Kids are 4 and 6. I ran a marathon and qualified for Boston when my youngest was 15 months old. I work out 4-5 days a week. I work full time. My husband watches the kids when I workout on Saturday and Sunday morning. I try to get exercise 2-3 weekdays, as long as my husband isn’t traveling. I get up and work out at either 6am or 6:30am during the week. My husband gets the kids ready for school. I’m generally too tired at night to work out but sometimes will do it in the evening when my work schedule requires early meetings. I run, bike, lift weights, or take a yoga class.
I do have gym equipment in my basement that I can use when my husband travels. I will let the kids play in the basement while I work out if needed.

I make dinner for my kids almost every night.

[Anonymous]

Kids are 5 and 2.5. I’m five pounds lighter than when I got pregnant with my first. I’m not extremely fit, but I run during my lunch break 3x a week (~2 miles) and go to yoga twice a week. One weeknight, one on the weekend. What really helped me finally lose the weight (the bulk of my weight loss has been this year) has been eating less. I don’t restrict anything - I eat bread, pasta, sweets - but I just don’t eat a lot.

[Anonymous]

I've been a runner all my life. I ran through all my pregnancies and have a double running stroller that I use daily (i run the kids to preschool, the grocery store, bank, library, various playgrounds, etc). If the weather is too bad (we have a high tolerance for inclement weather though), I go for a run in the morning before the kids awake. Skipping a daily run isnt an option for me. It would be like not brushing your teeth in the morning. It helps I like cold temps so I thrive in winter especially those jan/feb weeks where it was bitterly cold and windy.

We eat normally. Everything in moderation.

Self discipline is key.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If you are fit and have a kid under 7, can you walk me through how you do it? How often and when do you work out? Do you cook at home much? Do you work outside the home?

I was an athlete as a kid. Before I got pregnant, I made sure I was very in shape. I had no weight I wanted to lose, I had the muscles I wanted, etc. Then when I got pregnant I did not treat it as "eating for two" and worked out 5-6 days a week. After giving birth, I drank water every time I nursed and only ate small snacks every OTHER time I nursed. DH cooks a lot. I work in tech, so when I went back to work it was easy to eat healthily at work. I worked out on my lunch hour. There is a yoga instructor, or I run out to a nearby pilates class or go swim laps. Four months after giving birth, when dressed, it looked like I'd lost all the weight. I hadn't, but that's okay.

My kids are 6 and 7. I still work out on my lunch hour. DH still cooks at home - four nights a week. We go out twice a week and I cook once a week.

[Anonymous]

The younger of my two is 7 now, but I have had the same routine for about 3 years, so I think your question applies to me:

I find time for exercise every day. During the week, I get up an hour earlier than I need to and go for a walk or run before anyone else in the house is up (in all weather, including rain and when it is freezing cold and dark outside). I take a group fitness or yoga class three weeknights a week plus Saturdays and Sundays. I pay to belong to a gym with a nice child center that my kids enjoy, as my spouse works shift work and I can't leave them at home with him while I work out. I work full time outside of the home and cook dinner every night - do some prep work on the weekends and always meal plan so there is no last minute scrambling to figure out what we can eat.

[Anonymous]

NP. My DH leaves for work at 5 am; I drop off kids and get to work at 9 am. Work to 530, then get home at 6pm, make dinner (DH picks up and usually has activities and homework until I get home), then kids aren’t asleep until 9. I could maybe work out at 930, but usually have to clean up and do other chores.

How would you fit in an hour of exercise here? No lunch break, sorry.

[Anonymous]

DC just turned 6. Last year I got a job at a company that offers a ton of free fitness classes. I do a cardio/HIIT class twice a week (1 hour after work) and yoga twice a week (during lunch). If the weather is good, I'll go for a short run in the morning of the one day a week I work from home.

Can't do much on the weekend because I'm basically a single parent those days. Wouldn't it be great to have fitness classes on weekends for both kids and parents? I found such a class once, but they didn't get enough of a crowd and shut down. Wish I could find another.

My SO cooks at home every night. I hate going out to restaurants because I have to do it so much for work.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:NP. My DH leaves for work at 5 am; I drop off kids and get to work at 9 am. Work to 530, then get home at 6pm, make dinner (DH picks up and usually has activities and homework until I get home), then kids aren’t asleep until 9. I could maybe work out at 930, but usually have to clean up and do other chores.

How would you fit in an hour of exercise here? No lunch break, sorry.

You can work out on both Saturday and Sunday. That gives you two days. Then try for 1-2 days during the week. Can your husband handle dinner and/or kids bedtime 1-2 days so you can workout earlier in the evening. Or can you run on a track and bring the kids with you (they can play or watch iPad)?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:NP. My DH leaves for work at 5 am; I drop off kids and get to work at 9 am. Work to 530, then get home at 6pm, make dinner (DH picks up and usually has activities and homework until I get home), then kids aren’t asleep until 9. I could maybe work out at 930, but usually have to clean up and do other chores.

How would you fit in an hour of exercise here? No lunch break, sorry.

The only way to do it would be to really prioritize it. Force some room in your work schedule (9-5:30 with no breaks at all is a lot) or work out after 7 pm (DH can take care of bedtime a couple times a week, no?). You don't mention the weekends, but those are good options too - find a gym with childcare or set up playdates for the kids if DH can't help for some reason. Not that you are required to do this, mind you. But I think that's what you would have to do *IF* you really wanted to squeeze in some time for a workout. And you might want to if you want to be around to enjoy your children and potential future grandchildren in 30 years.

[Anonymous]

2 kids - 2.5 yrs and 2 months.

I've always exercised, including through pregnancy.
I don't work outside the home.

Every morning, I take a 1.5 mile walk with the kids (with them in stroller or carrier). Then in the afternoon, I do a workout with weights, HIIT, etc, during naptime. Right now I'm doing momma strong. In the past, my afternoon workout has been things like weight lifting workouts from a Woman's Health book that are about a half-hour long.

Yes, we eat all our meals at home except for maybe once a week. I've generally done all our cooking, but because I have a 2-month-old, my husband is doing a lot of the cooking right now.