When do moms have time to exercise?!

August 20, 2009 [329 views]

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It has been a little over two years since I had our last child. I decided when our daughter was an infant that I would continue nursing her until at least her second birthday, under the advice of her holistic pediatrician. Our older boys each had allergies and her doctor felt extended nursing would help keep allergies to a minimum. I thoroughly enjoyed nursing her, but I have to admit I was beginning to look forward to her second birthday and finally getting my body back to myself for the first time in six years. Our three youngest children were so close in age, that I was either pregnant, nursing, or both for those years. I wouldn’t trade that time for the world, but it was neat to imagine the new found freedom I would experience again.

I had anticipated the weaning process to be quite difficult, but to my pleasant surprise it went smoothly. She asked for her “diggies” a few times, but I was able to distract her long enough for her to forget. My sudden excitement to expedite the weaning process was due to a strict diet I decided I was ready to tackle.

Since it had been six years since I got pregnant with our second child, I had carried an excess of weight for all that time. I would try to lose the baby weight in the short periods of time I was in between pregnancies, but would undoubtedly fall short of my goal weight. It seems I am one of those very few women that do not easily shed the weight from breastfeeding. It would irritate me to no end when I would hear how easy it was for most nursing moms to get their pre-pregnancy figures back, since apparently an additional 500 calories per day are shed from it. I even have one petite mom friend that would ponder about how anyone could question how quick she would lose her pre-pregnancy weight, seeing that she is a mother of four and nursing. Ummm…what is my problem then, because I’m also in that category and carrying around an additional fifty.

Well, it has been a little over five weeks since I started my diet and I’m very happy that I’ve lost over 18 pounds. The weight continues to drop, however, I must find a way to fit this little extra thing into my day called….exercise. I know many moms find time in their day to fit it in, so where am I going wrong? I honestly cannot find one half-hour in my day to fit this important part in. I’m sure if I really wanted to, I could wake up at 5 AM, like I know many people do, but I think that might just kill me.

I sit back tonight and think about my average days. I wake up, get the kids fed, dressed & teeth brushed, have morning prayer, announcements, read about a Saint or Angel, teach for about 5-6 hours, during which time I have to prepare lunches, pick up, do laundry, then race to tutor, prepare dinner, take kids to football, then possibly attend a meeting for Respect Life, Home School, Homeowner’s Association, or lately I may swing by City Hall to try to convince our council members that they shouldn’t close our rec center. When I finally get back to my warm bed, I curl up to review what’s happening on the Internet, chat with the hubby, read a chapter in my Bible, say my prayers and hit the sack. Only to wake up a few hours later to start all over again. It also just occurred to me recently that I don’t sit down until I either tutor, drive, eat, use the potty, or go to bed. So, I have to wonder, when did doctors discover that moms must raise our heart rates for 20-30 minutes each day to stay healthy? Did mothers really do that a hundred years ago or was it enough to be tending to kids and doing a million chores during the day? I’m too exhausted to think about it anymore. Hopefully, I’ll find time to consider it tomorrow.

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