Professional Moms... let's group together!

I have other groups online with working Moms... they help me find cool things to do with our 4 year old... help me keep up with my scrapbooking.  But I would love to get into a group of other mothers that also work full time outside of the home... and are trying to lose weight. 

I respect SAHMs... but it's a different perspective to have to pack lunches, work a full day, make dinners on the go and find time to work out as well. 

Here's a bit about me... and hopefully there will be other professional Moms wanting to team up to get rid of some extra weight!

33, 5'5", CW 168; GW 145.  Married x6.5 years; we have a 4 year old daughter.  I work in healthcare 5 days a week (8-6 M-Th; 8-12 on Fri).

Sounds like we have a lot in common. 

 

33, 5'7", CW 217; GW 155.  Married 8 years with two kids (boy 2 1/2 and girl 15 months).  I work in a veterinary clinic 4-5 days a week (9-6 four days a week and 9-1 every other Saturday).  My husband is a physician and often works 80 hour weeks.  I'm new to CC, been doing Weight Watchers for 3 months and lost ten pounds, but already hit a plateau for last four weeks.  I have been struggling with finding time for myself (to relax or work out). 

I definitely feel better than I did 3 months ago....but soooo far to go...

 

carolyn

Do step kids count???  :)   Cause I have three of those! 

28, 5'8, CW 191, GW 160.  I work a full 80 hour a week job plus a part time gig 20 hours a week.   And hubby works 3 or 4 12 hour shifts each week.     My primary job is currently midnight til 8am  but will change in July from 8am til 4pm. 

I have a very hard time finding enough time to work up a sweat!  But my eating habits are pretty good these days. 

I think if you have to take care of them, they count! 

 

Do I have this right?  You work 100 hours a week????

Welcome to you both!!  I will add you as friends if that is ok?? Feel free to add me and/or post here!

spook... We do seem to have a lot in common - cool!  Are you babies with family or in a day care? My daughter is in a church daycare/preK that we are very pleased with. My hubby is in the moving industry and currently working 60+ hours a week... 80 would be hard.

copper... I definitely think that if you care for, buy for, clean for, organize for etc that they definitely do count! Also.. are you ready for such a change in schedule!  Sounds better (at least to me) but may be hard to juggle.  How old are your step kids? How do you manage working 100 hours/week!  Glad to hear your eating habits are going strong.  Any tips you'd like to share.  Easy prepared is all good w/me!

 

Hi,

I just saw your post and this sounds like a great place for me.  I am 41, oh my goodness when did that happen. haha 

5'2", CW 153, GW 125.  Married 15.5 years.  Three children 13, 9, 3.  Yes, I have the full spectrum dating to diapers.

I work m-f 8-4, however, my day starts at 5:45am and usually does not end until sometime after 11:00pm.  Before I get to work I have already worked out, if I have not been too tired or made some justification for skipping a day.  Done 1 to 2 loads of laundry, feed the dogs, taken care of the kids needs, and done some housework.

Once work is done I place my taxi drive hat on and spend 2 hours picking up or dropping off children at baseball practices, dance lessons or something.  And of course there is always the "mom I have to have this for school tomorrow" trip to the local grocery store or craft store.

Once home it is the usual dinner, homework helping, baths, reading books etc. 

If it was not for my incredable husband I do not know how I would make it through a day.  I am blessed with a man that is a chef and wonderful husband and incrediable father.   He cooks, cleans, helps with homework etc.  I thank God every day for him.

I would love to have some friends to share the challenges of working full time and squeezing in workout time. 

branblow... just reading your post made me both tired and I could relate.  How sweet you dh is able to help so much.  Mine is a sweetheart and does his best...but right now it's hard due to too many hours a work. We make it through...and I'm going to get this weight off admidst it all as well!  Ok if I add you as a friend.  If you keep a journal... I'll make comments... and WELCOME!!

Ciosa

Ha, people on bulletin boards always shorten my name to Spook. 

My kids are in a daycare center (happens to be church-based although we are not religious).  Family is all 2000+ miles away, so no help there.  Fortunately we love our daycare or I would probably be a SAHM by now.  For some reason it was really hard to come back to work after my daughter. 

So, one of the ways we "deal" is to let the housework slide.  I am only moderately good at this.  Either I spend all my free time cleaning, or I feel guilty when I do something fun without the kids that I should have been cleaning.  Need to get over that, because if people wish to judge me by the condition of the living room they can go hang.  I don't think "But at Least her House was Clean" would be a very good epitaph.  Mind you, I am not living in squalor, we just tend to be cluttered and we go longer than I would prefer between vacuuming, cleaning the bathrooms, etc. 

I try squeezing in exercise during my lunch hour (if I get one) and maybe a little bit in the morning.  It's hard, with so many excuses to blow it off!  I am also trying to be more eco-conscious and do as much stuff by hand instead of using machines (ie walking or biking places, using a reel push mower) so there are lots of opportunities to work in exercise without doing a formal "workout."  Also, I *love* to hike, and here in Salt Lake opportunities for that abound, so I have promised myself, for my mental *and* physical health, that I am going to do more of that this summer.

Branblow - I also get up at about 5:45, I don't have to be to work until nine, and somehow I don't get 1/10 that much stuff done....at that time of the morning I am lucky if I manage to get the coffee made without injuring myself...

Yes my 100+ hours a week is a challenge.   It will come to an end July 1st though.  I am ready for the schedul change big time!   My shift rotates every 3 months.  It's either 8-4  or 4-12a or 12a til 8am.      It's not fun... but I love my job and I'm used to it now.    My husband works 12 hour shifts but has 3 or 4 days off every week.   

His kids are 17,16 and 11.   Oldest two are girls youngest is a boy.   They are great kids!!  The one I worry about is the youngest.  :(   He's extremely over weight and my husband is worried he'll have a bad self image yet refuses to cut off the video games or make him do anything active.  And the only good food he eats is when I am home.   I have given him the education to make healthy choices.  He just prefers to do absolutely EVERYTHING like his dad (who eats anything and everything and never gains a pound).  

I am ALWAYS the one who says  "I bought the good apples why don't you eat that instead of oreos."   And things like that.  

We only have all three kids during the summer months.  Only the oldest stays with us year round right now.  '

Spook... your letting the house work slide is us to a T!!!   Luckily I have teenagers in the house that want money so the dishes don't usually sit for too long before someone wants money.  They do their own laundry too so that is a huge help for me.   But I also wait for too long to vacuum or dust or just plain ole pick up.    I just always tell people  "Don't be offended by my messy house."  No one seems to be offended.  And I remind myself that it's not really dirty.  It's just not neat and tidy.   :)  

I am so glad this post was started!   I added you all as friends too!!  :)

For myself... I pre-plan all of my at work foods.  I have one bag to load up each day before leaving and if it's not in the bag... then I don't eat it.   Apples, carrots, cereal (kashi go lean crunch and soy milk), yogurt, light string cheese, salads, pea pods and cherry tomatoes, all natural fruit leathers, these are my staples that are in my bad almost daily.    And I have a routine with them too! For example:  I munch on the veggies and string cheese the first 4 hours of my shift.  After my coffee though :)   Then comes the yogurt and apple.  And before moving on to the second job I eat the cereal.  There is enough protein in the cereal and soy milk to last the 4 hours I'm at my other job.  But I always have an extra fruit leather and Luna bar just in case.   And it is water in the water bottle after the coffee.      It's all easy grab and eat food and it's all pretty good for me :)    Where I fail myself is..... that's all I eat because then I go home and go to bed.    I have a hard time eating dinner when I first wake up because it's breakfast time to me.   So I can't wait to have one job (except Fridays)  where I can plan all three meals and snacks and eat them in order!  ha ha   And be able to have time for exercising before making a HEALTHY dinner for the rest of the family!   Whew... I think I just wrote you all a hole book!  ha ha  Sorry!

I'd like to join if that's ok.  It sounds like it's where I need to be!!

I am 37, 5'3", CW 153, GW 125.  Married 17 years w/two daughters ages 15 and 12.  I work in the legal field full time M-F 8-4:30p. 

It's hard for me to find time sometimes to work out, but after reading some of the posts, I don't feel like I do anything compared to you guys!!  OMG!! 

It's also hard for me to eat healthy when the rest of my family (who in NO way need to lose weight) can and does indulge in ice cream or doritos or anything of that sort.  I've done well to stay away from it, but sometimes I just give in....I try to keep it in check and not binge though! 

We let the housework "slide" at my house as well.  Between me working and cooking and working out and my husband working and going to school, it's hard to keep up.  I've got one teen that will help pick up if she's told, and a pre-teen that doesn't care one bit if she dropped something on the floor, so that's always a struggle. 

How you ladies can get up and get laundry done or chores is absolutely amazing to me!!!  Kudos to you! I wish I could do it!!!

 

Hi Everyone,

It has been a nutty day and I am exhausted, however I wanted to say hello. 

I started my day off great.  Worked out, eat scrambled egg whites and skipped the bacon I made for the kids.  I even got in an extra 30 minutes of lap time in at the pool while my son had his swimming lesson.  Unfortunately, it was down hill from there. 

By this evening I was blowing it right and left.  Tortellini with cream sauce had the bread and topped it off with ice cream.  I think I took in close to 2000 calories today. 

Ok, I just caught myself staring at my computer.  Ha ha I think I need some sleep.  Have an awesome evening!

Hi All!

 This is a great idea. My SIL is a stay at home mom and brags about all the time she spends at the gym and how great she looks from working out. But she doesn't understand the challenges working Mom's face.

I am a 32YO married woman who has been married for 3 years. I have a 10 YO son from a previous relationship. My current weight is 225 and my goal weight is 130. I am a case manager for the Department of Mental Health in the state I live in and I work Mon-Fri 8am-4pm and have a 1 hour commute home on the subway. My day starts at 6am and runs until 12am, 1am sometimes. My husband sometimes has to work evening shifts (he is a store manager) and gets in late. I cook and do half the chores and deal with him and my son and various stuff. I am the breadwinner in my house and my job is very stressfull. It was getting very hard to find time to work out, but they opened a 24 hour gym near my house and so I go after my son is in bed and when my husband comes home. So far so good. I have lost 15 lbs in the past 6 weeks.

Hey all!  It's fun to see there are so many of us facing similar challenges!!  :)   Proves it can be done!!

Nursewratchet:   How in the world do you survive on 5 hours of sleep all the time?   I can't survive for more than a day if I don't get about 7 hours!      I wish they would open a 24 hour gym in my small community!!  I wouldn't have any issues then!  ha ha   Way to go on the 15lb loss!  Keep up the good work!!  But don't forget to drink lots of water and get good sleep so that your body can recover from the awesome workouts! 

Runningbellydancer:  I work in the legal area sorta... I'm in emergency communications  :)   I love it but it can be very stressful!!    So what do you do when you are off at 4:30pm?  Could you get a workout in before you cook dinner?  Even 45min worth?

Branblow:  We all do that at least once.... don't fret about it and start fresh in the morning!!!  :)  I hope you enjoyed the meal though!! 

I am just starting my day (11pm) and so far so good.  I'm a bit sleepy but ready for my jobs.  I'll be done at noon tomorrow and a nice long walk with my jack russell is in order.  My shoes are laid out with the dog harness and iPod so that I will see it as soon as I get home and hopefully that will keep me motivated.  My issue is if I'm tired... I'll just want to climb into bed.   One more day of the night job and then I'll get to sleep at night when the rest of my family does!  I'm looking forward to those two days!  :)

I am a paralegal in a local government prosecutors office.  It can be very stressful at times.  When I am off at 4:30, I am home by 5pm and I almost immediately start making dinner (after I change clothes).  My family eats early (obviously) so I usually don't work out before dinner.  Then I have been running kids to softball games and practices and sometimes school stuff.  But now that school is out, and softball season ended last weekend, so I think I'll be finding more time to work out.  So, I see a light at the end of the tunnel!!!  I just don't like doing it too late or I can't get to sleep.  Which is a vicious cycle if it happens b/c then I'm tired the next day and don't feel like running or whatever.  You know? 

I know...excuses, excuses!!  LOL

Coppertop_4:

Thanks for the praise on my weight loss. I went to the doctors today and am down another 2 lbs which is very exciting for me. As for sleep....it's tough. Coffee in the morning. I do take a nap in the late afternoon...like 30-60 minutes to recharge. It helps. I want to have another baby and need to lose some weight before I can go on additional fertility meds to help (I have PCOS).  It's something I have accepted that I have to work very hard to get though the end result will be worth it, no matter how tired I feel now! I get to sleep early the other 3 days I don;t work out. I sleep in on weekends. I drink tons of water. I cut soda out of my diet last January as a New Years resolution and it has forced me to drink water all the time. I have my morning iced coffee, but I drink water the rest of the day.

Yeah, the 24 hour gym is great. I am so psyched that I can go when I can and have plenty of time to work out. It's not big and fancy like Equinox or Boston Sports Club (I am in the Boston area), but it has lot's of equiptment and is very no frills and inexpensive and meets my needs.

I;m glad to see my quest for finding other working Moms was a success. It is harder to work and have a family.  All the other female professionals with me... are all newly graduated (2 years to 2 weeks) and while some have boyfriends...none have daycares to run to or husbands to keep up with.  I'm the big sis of the group... having now had 12 years post college...and am a few of life's steps ahead of them. 

My saving grace though is a woman named Marybel.  We live on Mexico/USA border... and she helps me with the house for 45$/week.  She buses 2 hours each way to my home... for this $.  She does it all.  That's all the cleaning of the house plus laundry.  It's easily the best $ I spend a week...and it allows me to enjoy my family.  I know for those of you that are trying to keep up with homes... it's so much harder.  Too bad I can't clone my Marybel.

copper... your plan of attach regarding work snacks is so much like mine!!  We have similiar palates.  I'm always looking for new low cal ideas though... please feel free to offer up new ideas... that goes for anyone in the group

til next time... keep on keeping on and keep your goals in sight.  I even wrote an "anonymous" 145 on a sticky on on my computer at work... so I could remember at work.

Nursewratchet:  I hate it when other people talk about how much they work out, and don't understand that some of us are busy taking care of other people.  My office-mate is one of those ultra-athletic types.  She doesn't exactly brag, but she is very loud and she likes to talk about how many miles she ran the day before and training for this and that and her target heart rate.  Then she blows off work early to go to the gym, annoying when I only leave early when it's my turn to pick up the kids.

By the way, I lived in and around Worcester for ten years.  I really miss New England.

 

Ciosa:  I thought about getting someone to clean the house...we actually had a housekeeping service for a while, but it proved to be too expensive.  My husband really questions whether it is worthwhile, but I think he cares a lot less about how neat our place is. 

 

Hmmm...healthy snack ideas...I really like the Pria bars (only 110 calories) for a sweet treat, and recently I discovered a Clif bar for kids, which is smaller than the regular ones and full of healthy things.  I like apples and low-fat cheddar, or a slice of toasted low-cal high-fiber bread with 2 tsp extra-virgin olive oil with some fresh ground black pepper, yummy and the fat keeps me satisfied longer.  Hardboiled eggs are a good portable snack with staying power too.  I also keep a stash of low-fat soups at work, for days I forgot my lunch.  I have the unfortunate tendency to drift toward carbs when I know darn well that healthy fats and proteins will sustain me longer.  Oh and for those "mindless munching" times I got one of those big bags of pre-cut and washed carrots, cauliflower and broccoli and I let myself go nuts with 'em.  Probably going to have some quality time on the can for that one...

 

Lest you think I'm all righteous, at the very end of the day I caved in to my nemesis....birthday cake....

Ooooo a house keeper for that kind of money is so worth it!!  Don't forget to up her pay by $5 after a few months to make sure she knows you appreciate her!  :)     Living in Alaska, and working in Law Enforcement... it's really hard for me to trust people  :(   it's sad... but I won't even let room service into my hotel room if I'm not there.  I have had shoes, money, clothing, ect taken in the past and I just can't take the chance anymore.    My husband hates it since "Staying in a hotel is supposed to be easy and that's what they get paid to do."    But... unless I'm taking all my stuff with me I just can't do it.   A bit off topic.... but oh well!  :)

I told myself I was going to walk the dog when I got home at the end of job #2 today.   It didn't happen  :(  I actually left work a few minutes early because I was so tired I was worthless.  Luckily my boss at job #2 understood and sent me home.  I climbed into bed and was out in under a minute!  Slept a solid 8 hours and woke up feeling pretty good.   It's my Friday (from the night job) so I will go home at noon, catch a nap (1.5 hours) and then get up and get my house chores done and cardio done.   Then I will feel better! And I'll actually get to sleep in the same bed as my hubby!  ha ha   It's the simple things in life...

So now that we have established that there are a group of us who deal with similar challenges.... what should we do next?  Does anyone have any good ideas?   Challenge ourselves at all as a group?  I have never done it... but I read posts on here all the time from groups who do.    Assist each other in accomplishing a new goal or taking a new step towards bettering ourselves.  It doesn't have to be diet and exercise... it could be anything!   Anyone have any ideas?

hmmm... interesting copper...challenges??  

A challenge or goal of the group.  Let's see... who's around?... ciosa1020; coppertop_4; spookrepitus; branblow; runningbellydancer; nursewratchet75.  I think that is all so far... 7 people.  What are peoples hardest areas? getting time/energy for enough exercise?  That and staying motivated are mine. ?? I'm open for ideas...and am not the best planner.  

We used to worry about and watch the housekeeper like crazy... but in August it will be 2 years she's been with us and for the last year or so -- she's had her own key and comes when we are at work.  We definitely do trust her... and are planning to keep her around for quite sometime.  It's the norm here... that working Mom's have one.  Guess that's why it's casual.  She does get raises...and lavish birthday/christmas gifts.  She's sweet... and does a much better job than I ever did.  Anywho...

off to watch a movie (in house... dd sleeping)... with dh.  hope all are well...

 

 

 

 

off to watch a movie (in house... dd sleeping)... with dh.

 

I can't remember the last time I actually went to the theater to see a movie.  Too expensive, considering we have to pay a sitter as well as the cost of the tickets....so we watch mostly at home.  This time of year, I would rather be outside anyway...at least until it gets too hot.  And when it gets hot here, it *stays* hot until 9 or 10pm. 

 

I think a challenge is a great idea...was thinking along those lines myself.  Maybe something about taking time for ourselves, or tracking all our food religiously.  Although the workout one is good too, seems like a common theme is finding the time. 

 

Speaking of which, I rode my bike to work today!  Sort of.  Mind you, I work 15 miles from my house, so it was more like bike (coasting down the big hill) to the bus stop, ride to the city where I work, then bike to the clinic.  In reverse at night, except I took the bus up the big hill!  (When I say "big hill" I mean 500 foot elevation gain in 1 mile!  There are lots of super-fit types around here that bike or jog up the hill, but I am not there....yet!)

off to go sit on the porch and smell the flowers....

Hey Spook.. congrats on the bike ride!!     I just did a 7 mile one myself!!  :)   We bought a new truck and so I took the old truck to park it at the bank (everyone does it here) to see if anyone was interested.   So I took my bike and dropped the truck off and then biked home.    Needless to say... I have the most uncomfortable bike seat in the world!  I'm going to be upgrading to a great big nice cushy one here real soon!  ha ha    I will be hurting tomorrow.   It only took 36 minutes to do the 7 miles.    And I can do the elliptical machine on lvl 5 for 45 minutes without too much problem.   So... I will be adding more biking to my week routines.    I'm on the count down... 3 more weeks of working two jobs with no days off..... to only working the 2nd job on Friday's from 8am-2:30pm on a when needed basis... three more weeks three more weeks......  which means more exercise for me!!!  :)    

Let's find something that we can all do.  For example lets set a date to start with.  For example:    in (x) number of days lets all try to walk for 30 or more minutes twice.     I don't know where you all are on levels of exerceise.   It could be 20 minutes and we can all designate out own intensity.  Or if someone is a runner they can run.     Then after we hit that goal we can move on to something else.  Or add something new.    Or vow to try one new food that we know is good for us but never really played with before. 

What do you all think?