Cathe.. question about time management

J

JanetD

Cathlete
Hi Cathe...
How are you feeling? I was so sorry to hear about your injury and I hope you are on the mend.
I have been working out to your videos for about 2 weeks now, and I have to say that you are such an inspiration to me and for the first time in years I am actually excited about working out.You're amazing!
My problem is managing my time. I have been following the Body For Life eating program, and one of the things they stress is that for the maximum benefit you need to work out on an empty stomach.
This is impossible for me because I have 4 very young kids and mornings are way too crazy around my house,and evenings are "family time".. so trying to do a focused and intense workout in the morning or evening is not an option for me. I need to workout when the kids are in school and my youngest, who is 2 1/2, is napping. I need my workouts to be totally focused. The only time I can have that luxury is between 12:00 pm and 2:00 pm.
I have a morning healthy snack at 10 am.. workout from around 12pm until 1 or 1:30. If I eat a healthy lunch after working out, will it hamper all the work I had just done? Would it be better to have lunch first, at 12:00, and then workout from 1:00-2:00?
This is something I just never really understood.I want the full benefit of my workouts,but I do have to eat, and with my "alone" time so limited, I have to do the best I can with managing my time. Any advice?
Thanks so much..and I hope you feel better soon!
Janet
 
Hi,
I'm not Cathe, but I couldn't help but empathize with your situation. When my children were younger I was in the same boat. Having a healthy lunch post workout will not hamper your results, I know that they never hampered mine. Keep in mind that you are setting up a positve habit that not only benefits you but your children and family as well as it is keeping you fit and healthy to be the best mom you can be. Also it is ingraining a "pattern of action" of exercising. That pattern is the MOST important thing you can do for yourself....I know it was for me. It's been 6 years now and not a day goes by that I'm not doing "something", either weights, cardio, yoga or pilates. This habit has now been passed onto my chilren who are now teenagers, and are healthier and more fit than any other child in the neighborhood! I am going to be 45 in Sept. and have been mistaken for a 35 yr. old! People can not believe that I have teenagers.......keep the faith and the good work......it will only move you in a positive, forward direction. :)
 
I totally agree with Workingmom914. Regarding eating after your workout, it actually is recommended that you refuel modestly within 30 minutes after your workout, with a good mix of health carbohydrates and digestible, light proteins. That sounds exactly what your schedule is right now. And it is also "disrecommended" (I think that word didn't exist until I wrote it just now) to eat a full meal an hour before a workout of any intensity; your stomach would still have too much undigested food in it, and the circulatory blood needed for digestion rerouted to the working muscles during the exercise bout, causing cramps and possibly nausea from the undigested food.

IMHO there is no One Best Schedule for one's ongoing exercise program. Each person's time demands and availability for exercise are different. It sounds like you've developed a really working system there.

A-Jock
 
Thanks so much for taking the time to reply! I really appreciate the input and advice. You have both put my mind at ease!
I just hated the thought of doing all that work, and then spoiling it! lol
Thanks so much!
Janet
 
Hi Janet! You have gotten great advice already and I just wanted to add that no program will ever be successful if it requires you to do something that simply doesn't work for you. All it will do is add stress to your life while trying to make it all happen. With 4 young children, I think its amazing and commendable that you are able to squeeze exercise in no matter what time of day it is.

Keep up the great work Mom. You're doing great:7
 
I have always struggled with finding time to workout. My husband works long hours. My girls (now ages 5, 6 and 7) are everything to me and I never want them to feel that exercise comes before them. (although it often does!!!) The thing that has worked for me is to include the children in my workouts or just count running and playing around with them as part of my routine. You probably do this already I'm sure. We have run sidewalk lines, have taken turns jumping rope, or have played follow the leader along the parking lot lines in the school parking lot. While training for the marathon last year, each girl would stand on the end of the parking lot and I would high five them and go on to the next set of lines. Winter is always harder, but there's skating, dancing, gymnastics and just playing in the snow! Every spring we rake the yard together. Every chance I get without them, I only do my exercising. No errands. No cleaning. etc. Gosh, thinking of that marathon last year, on preschool days, I would just run for 2 and a half hours. I know this sounds crazy! Anyway, now that they are older, I'm so thrilled. It just gets easier and easier to do more exciting things together. I'm hoping that fitness will be that common interest we have for life. (like those teenagers and their mother)

Cathe, we would still love those mommy/kid videos!
 
Thanks so much Cathe. I appreciate the advice. And thanks for this awesome forum! I learn so much here and the support from all the members has certainly made it easier to stay on track!
Janet
 
Wendy-Marie
Sounds like you guys have alot of fun! That's so great! I take my kids to the park at least twice a week and I love playing on the playground with them.
Today being Saturday they were all home while I was doing my workout, and kept getting underfoot, so I gave them my old step to play with and while I was doing my routine, they were taking turns following along. I didn't get much of a workout because I was too distracted watching them and laughing at how cute they were...really makes you realize how fast time flies and how important it is to cherish every silly crazy second! Of course, if they worked out with me every day I would never get much of a workout! lol
I love that idea of a mommy/kid video!
Janet
 
So let's count all that play time with the kids as being an Imax equivalent. . . ok, maybe not!!!

I'm just hoping Cathe will be filming workouts till she's a Granny, cause we'll all be needing them more than ever when our kids leave home!
 
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