Hard to find the motivation

[chubby mummy]

Hi All,

Is anyone else out there finding it hard to get the motivation happenin when it comes to doing something for yourself?
I am a single Mum with a 9 1/2 mth old and after doing all i have to do for her I find I am too tired and unmotivated to bother with cooking myself something healthy for meals or doing any exercise. I know this is a catch 22 situation because if I just got off my bum and did some exercise it would give me the energy to get motivated with it all but how do I get started..... or am I just making excuses?

[Diminishing]

I hear you!

I have three littlies (aged 4, aged 3 and aged 2) so my time is pretty much taken up by them..........so it is hard to find time for myself.

I kind of figure that I finally felt it was time for me to be healthy for them, so I can enjoy them in my old age!

Maybe take your little one for a trip to your local library........pick out some board books for you baby and cruise the health aisles for some motivational reading for yourself? (I am just reading "Half my Size" by Susie Elelman, for example).

Good luck!

[Siana-leah]

Hey i know how you feel.
I have a 3 yo boy and 9 month old girl...so i always feel a little tired at least.
Usually i feel like that when i hate my body...i figure i look like cr*p so i dont motivate myself to do anything.
I understand the catch 22 part because when i exercise i love the changes in my body but when i dont i let myself get down even though i know i
should be doing something.
Usually it is just excuses and in your mind they are perfectly justified.
I can guarantee that exercise and eating well will give you more energy and help boost you throughout the day.
Take the opportunity to relax any chance you can get...when ur baby is sleeping or playing on her own.
Also what i usually do is set one day of the week...cook and freeze the meals that i need during the week...so i have little preparation to do during the rest of the week. Make sure you have healthy snacks only in the house so that when u get hungry...thats all there is...my favorite is low fat yoghurt.
Good luck and i hope ur feeling better soon....its just a matter of starting....no excuses!

[chubby mummy]

Thanx for the push people I have offically started this week.

My parents have gone away on a holiday for 8wks and have set myself a mini goal of losing about 7-8kgs while they are away for a bit of a confidence boost when they get back.... I find you always get the best comments when someone hasn't seen you for a while.

My local gym does't have a good child care centre so i have just sold my house and with the money from that I am going to buy myself some gym equipment to help with the exercise part.... it's bloody cold here, so it's hard to get motivated to walk!

Fingers crossed... lets hope the kgs start to disappear!

[anaksedang]

I hear you!

I have three littlies (aged 4, aged 3 and aged 2) so my time is pretty much taken up by them..........so it is hard to find time for myself.

I kind of figure that I finally felt it was time for me to be healthy for them, so I can enjoy them in my old age!

Maybe take your little one for a trip to your local library........pick out some board books for you baby and cruise the health aisles for some motivational reading for yourself? (I am just reading "Half my Size" by Susie Elelman, for example).

Good luck!

Wow, i can't imagine if I had three children just like you. Take care of 2 children had already make me so busy. I found my inspiration through my friends. Some of them still look great in shape although they have 2-5 children.

[shark]

No wonder you don't have much energy to spare especially as you're a single mum to your little girl!

I would suggest exercising by sneaky ways if a "proper" program seems un-doable right now: fit in more walking with your dd in the baby carrier or pram, dance around the loungeroom to the Wiggles or whatever, do 5 minutes of stretches first thing in the morning or last thing at night after she's asleep, etc.

For food, have you tried feeding your freezer? If you can find a block of several hours, you can cook 4-6 dishes and freeze them divided into portions the size you'd use in a day. Then when you're too tired and busy to cook, you just pull out one of your 20 or so casseroles or whatever, pop it in the microwave and mix up a quick side salad while the main dish is heating, and you have a healthy meal in 10 minutes with hardly any washing up. If your child is with you full time, you could get a friend to bring her kids around and keep them all occupied while you cook, then return the favour the next week.

[mumnbub]

Hi, i am also a single mum to a 16 month old boy and i know how hard it is to get motivated with a small one around- but dont fear, you will be forced to be more motivatedto move when you have a toddler running away from you lol.
As your little one starts to really eat a normal diet you will be cooking real foods for her and therefore will be cooking healthy for yourself. I think when you have a child dont cheat and give tinned stuff as you will be to lazy to cook for yourself but if your already cutting up veggies then its no effort to do some for yourself.
Take advantage of nap times, when she sleeps just jump up and tell yourself its time to exercise- thats the hardest part! if you dont have any gym equiptment then get hold of a workout dvd and get moving while she is sleeping- the housework can be done when she is awake, dont feel as though you must get it all done at that time, who cares if the dishes are not done, you need to do this for yourself.

[flaminjo]

i am a mother myself, and my baby is 6 months old, and the biggest motivation was to look myself in the mirror...and it really drove me to the limit that i wanted to shed off all extra i had put on this while...

**Edited my moderator - Please do not link to commercial websites in this forum**

[Nunu]

Yeh i was the same... just the sight of me scared me into action...

but i do find it really hard some days. And when i do finally get into the routine of working out daily, im so bloody fatigued by the end of the day, well the middle of the day, the afternoon is usually a blur..

i only have one little baby, who does not move or even sit by herself. so i cant imagine what it would be like running around after a few, and then working out...

I keep telling myself, it will get easier.. see before im due to work out, i tell myself once i get started i will get into it and i will be motivated to go for miles... but i also give myself the option, that if i dont get into it i can stop. this never actually happens, i always continue, but its easier knowing i only have to try it out for a minute or two.

[shirley5]

Hi Girls,
I am here to tell you there is light at the end of the tunnel. I had been a single mum of a little boy for 7 years before I met my beautiful husband. My weight was up and down all the time a reflection of my life really. We have been married 8 and 1/2 years and now we have another 4 children. I have put on over 20kgs every pregnancy and I am now living the life of my dreams. I have lost every single kilo and my childrens ages are 16, 7, 6, 4 and 2. I don't have a lot of family to help me out with all the children. I have a wonderful husband. I am now 57.5kgs, lighter than I was before I started having children and feel fantastic. I hope this story is enough to inspire you all and keep in mind. Your health and weight is a reflection of the relationship you have with yourself. Keep at it, it is worth the effort. There are some great inspirational blogs out there.
lol shirley