MonicaRenee144 Posted September 27, 2012 Share Posted September 27, 2012 Hi there Whole30 Mamas! I'm on Day 4 of my first Whole30. I've been off the rails with my diet and fitness since my third trimester, and am working on getting back to eating clean and feeling good. For background: My 5mo old drinks exclusively breastmilk, and I'm a working Mom with a 1 hour bus commute. So - that said. How do you Mamas stay active? I'm struggling, big time. (I know Whole30 is more directed toward food, but fitness is a portion of being healthy, yes?). I'm having a tough time with long days, breastfeeding and fitting in that 30-60 minutes a few days a week. The little guy generally wakes up 2-3 times a night still (4-5 on a bad night). I'm up at 4:30 and out the door at 6. I would leave earlier, but I find it works best to nurse him and top up his tummy-tank before I leave. I pick him up in the evening so I'm time constrained there as well. The only time I'm finding is after he goes to bed, but at that point I'm so exhausted I'm about ready to faceplant into my bed! Maybe it'll just be extra tough until he starts dropping some of those night feedings. Thoughts? Strategies? What worked best for you? Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
uponstarz Posted September 27, 2012 Share Posted September 27, 2012 I wish I had some advice.... I'm in pretty much the same boat as you, except I don't have an hour long bus commute... I just have a 30 minute drive each way (as long as I don't have anything else to do before or after work). I have an 8 year old and a 13 month old.. The 13 month old is still breastfeeding (no other juice, milk, or anything but water) and pretty much only eats food while I am at work. He also still wakes 2-5 times a night. I've been struggling to fit the exercise in as well. The time that I would have used before to exercise is now spent making meals for everyone... since I also decided no one else was going to eat out while I am doing my Whole30. Being so tired, I always think back that sleep is probably more important than exercising... but I'm not really sure about that. What I have done is try to maximize every opportunity that I can... If I could be walking somewhere or driving (reasonable distances, of course) - I choose to walk. If I'm doing something and I have an opportunity to do some stretching/squats/or anything else, I take it. I know that I haven't offered much help... just want you to know that you're not alone! I'm on day 14 of my Whole30 (though I should have started over since I committed SWYPO and it had honey)... but this is my first go around so I'm just trying to get to the 30th day and next time around I will be better and stronger for it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CaseyD Posted September 28, 2012 Share Posted September 28, 2012 Do bodyrock workouts (I think it's bodyrock.tv). They are 12-20 minute long workouts that really get it done. I did these a couple times a week for months earlier this year and saw massive progress in exercise performance. Or, do 10 minutes of yoga or 10 push-ups one day, 10 squats the next, and so forth. Fitness does not have to be done in one big, long chunk. If you can, walk to a further away bus stop, or incorporate walking wherever it's possible. (Extra lap in the grocery store, maybe?) Exercise is so much more possible with a little one when you think outside the box. And, since you've got the healthy eating part going, you're 80% of the way there! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jhmomi Posted September 28, 2012 Share Posted September 28, 2012 Thoughts? Strategies? What worked best for you? Thanks! Honestly, my best recommendation is to cut yourself some slack. A 4 month old is a lot of work. Plus you have a job. You are doing great to eat well with a Whole30. Keep up with the good eating. Remember, your body needs rest as much as it needs exercise, especially since you are breastfeeding. Fit in some nice walks on the weekend when you have more time. Do a few pushups before bed. Do some body weight squats with your baby. Jump rope for a few minutes after a feeding. But most of all, relax and enjoy your baby! Looking back I worried too much about doing everything that seemed so important and I probably missed some great moments I could have had with my three little ones. Even now, too often my days seem so rushed with task after task and running around to various scheduled activities that I still forget to stop and enjoy even more of the great moments with my kids. Hang in there! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jrustdc Posted September 28, 2012 Share Posted September 28, 2012 Honestly, my best recommendation is to cut yourself some slack. A 4 month old is a lot of work. Plus you have a job. You are doing great to eat well with a Whole30. Keep up with the good eating. Remember, your body needs rest as much as it needs exercise, especially since you are breastfeeding. Yes, yes, yes! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jennrider Posted September 28, 2012 Share Posted September 28, 2012 I do sit ups and push ups when I wake up. (After a potty stop.) I remember from the hazy days of feeding an infant that everything seemed so much bigger than it actually was. Fit in little things where you can. You probably get more exercise than you realize just keeping up with everything. Your baby won't be eating and waking in the night forever. Enjoy this while you can. Soon they turn into pre-teens. This is stage is giving me grey hair! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lins432 Posted September 28, 2012 Share Posted September 28, 2012 I also have a 5-month old and while I don't work outside of the home now, I did when my 3-year-old was an infant. Back then, it was just sort of a "fit it in when I can" situation. Sometimes I had energy on a Wednesday night and did a workout at home. Saturdays I always did a longer, full-body workout and then tried to do more throughout the week when I could. Things will get easier when the baby gets older and is sleeping more (it looks like you have an older child too, so you may remember that they do start to sleep more eventually!). For now, the best thing you can do is get some sleep! It won't always be like this and I firmly believe that focusing on nutrition is the best thing for now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MonicaRenee144 Posted September 28, 2012 Author Share Posted September 28, 2012 Thanks for all the advice! I have been doing Bodyrock here and there, though I don't have all the equipment for their workouts these days so I tend to do more of Zuzanas ZWOWs. I wish I could get a longer workout on the weekend! My husband has been working on the house, so I don't have any babyless time to really work out on my own. Unfortunately the little guy doesn't tolerate the stroller for more than a 20 minute walk (though I do do those) so running is tough, and he's really not a good sleeper - so a naptime workout isn't working, though I do attempt it whenever I can! He always seems to wake up after the first 2-3 minutes though. The older boy in my photo is actually my nephew, so I'm a first time Mama. I know he won't keep me up at all hours forever - I'm hoping he'll at least drop down to 1 wake-up/night by the time he's a year old. He's growing like a weed, so I know that he won't be this way forever! He's almost 6 months and all kinds of fun. I'll continue focusing on the nutrition for starters. I don't want to add too much new stuff in this first 1.5 weeks or so of my Whole30, so maybe I'll have more energy in week 3 and can squeeze something in! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jrustdc Posted September 28, 2012 Share Posted September 28, 2012 For comparison - I didn't have the time or energy to focus on taking care of myself until my oldest was almost 5 and my youngest was 2.5. You are WAY ahead of the game if you are already fitting in some shorter workouts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Megan Parker Posted December 28, 2012 Share Posted December 28, 2012 It's hard! My twins are both still up at night. My little girl is still up 4-5x a night and my son is usually 2-3x a night, they are 10 months. It just has to be a priority. Some days my dishes don't get washed, but I run. I feel better and happier when I run and sometimes it's OK to take some much needed time for yourself during the day. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Megan Parker Posted December 28, 2012 Share Posted December 28, 2012 I will say I am exhausted pretty much all the time, but when I run I actually feel better. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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