I'm a new mom and work full time, any advice?

I'm 23 years old and just had my baby November 15 2007.  I gained a lot of weight while I was pregnant. 60lbs to be exact.  I work full time so its been tough.   I started my new healthy lifestyle today, and so far I've had the will power to say NO to some very enticing foods today. 

How do I manage a hectic agenda with the need to keep a healthy lifestyle?

THANKS TO THOSE WHO REPLIED. YOU'VE BEEN VERY INFORMATIVE AND HELPFUL!

I am not a new mom but I have a very active 3 1/2 yr old and a full time job so diet and exercise is tough. 

Some simple tips are to plan breakfast and lunch at night, I usually pack it all up to go and eat at work.  Try to plan meals a week at a time including lots of veggies, lean meats, and whole grains.  I try to buy everything I will need for the week and plan them out so I am not stuck making something quick which usually entails some packaged noodles and high fat and calorie meats.

Try to start getting in 10 minutes of high intensity Cardio and strength training in twice a day and work yourself to three times a day if it fits.  There are also some great exercises that you can use your baby for weight and helps with bonding.

Take small steps and don't get down on yourself if you miss a workout or have a no-no food, don't worry and get back on track!  I have been trying to lose weight for a few years and I want baby number two but I have to lose baby number one's weight first!

Keep on track and there is a lot of encouragement and great people on here to help!

Be as organized as possible... prepare bottles, outfits, meals for you, and diaper bags the night before.  Be careful if you are breast feeding though... you need to eat more calories to continue to produce enough milk for your baby.  Don't worry about your extra weight gain too much in the beginning because you are already burning a lot of extra calories just taking care of that baby!! 

Accept any help possible!!  Lean on the dad/family/friends as much as possible to give you some alone time and maybe get in a light workout if possible.   We have a support system if we look hard enough so you may as well use it!!  For some together time I took walks with my daughter and did some mommy/daughter exercises (9 lbs of baby instead of weights works wonders--lol)  We also went to the park a lot which is a work out in itself!! 

Don't stress yourself about being a perfect mom or you will end up in a horrible post partum.... just do the best you can and accept that you can't do it all!!  Do your best to make the time you have together as sweet and precious as you can, but as your child grows remember to keep schedules and rules enforced so your child doesn't end up on Maury for being a terror!!  LOL  I was working 12-14 hour days and we made it through just fine... she doesn't even remember all the time I was working at that time and has grown to be a happy well-adjusted 6 yr old!!  *smile*  Now that she's a little older she likes doing aerobic tapes/karate with mommy... kids always love to be involved when they can so it's good to encourage them!

i gained the same amount of weight with my pregnancy so i know how you feel :)

 Hate to admit it to myself, but the thing that did it for me was ensuring  i didnt overeat carbs, tried to eat at least half my carbs as vegetables and the odd piece of fruit and eat no more than 50% carbs each day.  This is moderate, not low carb but low carb after baby = really really low energy.  Body still recuperating :)  Also mae sure i ate protein at EVERY meal and eat small meals instead of traditional plates. 

AND EXERCISE.  I forced myself to walk 45minutes to an hour each day!!  If i had to wake up early an take my son in the stroller I did. 

 And carrying a LARGE baby worked awesomeas weight lfiting too because i got fabulously defined muscles. 

I know the walking and weight (him!) was a HUGE part of because when i stopped both (he is walking now) i gained back 20 of the EIGHTY i lost - now have to lose it again.,  iT WAS A good lesson though because now i am really convinced of the importance of eating healthy but moderately and how my metabolism (which has always been hideous when not exercising) just geared up after a few months of daily exercise.  I hated doing it but man i learned to LOVE the resullts. I just need to get back into it again, once again its hard for me to fit it in my day but i am determined to find a way - even if its 20 morning and 20 at night. 

I was a sight to behold, overweight sometimes crying from postpartum and huffing as I pushed my little boy around in the stroller LOL  The walking is so fabulous for so many things, health, endurance, the sun for mood (exercise for mood too) and assisting body composition changes (which i now prefer over weight loss...i want to LOOK good not tell people I weigh 135 and look smaller but flabby lol)

 Behind the rambling, in short:  eat in moderation, eat smaller regularly, eat protein with each meal, eat EFAs (help satiate you and in general just awesome for you) and regular daily exercise (i took a weekend day off sometimes two)

Plain and boring and wouldnt sell a million diet books but i have learned thats the way it really works :)  Darn that! lol

 YOu can do it, i dieted my whole life and stayed 20 pounds overweight and it was the exercise i think that made the biggest difference.  Dieting just reduces your metabolism further.  Moderate calories + exercise = WOOHOO

:)

You can do it.  We are in a similar situation.  I just had my second son on Nov. 2.  My first son is 3.  I am also working again, so I understand the time issue.  Generally, I end up working out around 9:00 PM after the 3 year old is in bed and my husband can watch the baby.  On days that I don't work, my 3 year old loves to "exercise with Mommy" and the baby likes to sit in the swing and watch.  I have lost about 40 lbs of my baby weight, but would like to lose about 20 more.  I am breastfeeding, and that makes counting calories somewhat difficult because I am starving all the time!  And I have been at a standstill on weightloss for about 3 weeks now, hopefully it will come off before I wean him.

Angel