sleep or working out

[coloradomama]

Hi,
I need that hour before my workout to enjoy my coffee and toast, put a load in the washer, clean up, make lunch for my husband etc... I have 5 young boys we leave a crazy busy life. Thank you for your input! I will try waking up bit later, if it means not having my coffee and toast than thats what it means.

You know, once I started working a few months ago, things were crazy hectic for a while (still are sometimes). I get up at 4:45 to work out at 5:30 (gotta have something small before my workout so I don't poop out) so I can be done and showered by the time DD gets up and leave for work when DD goes to school. In the evenings, we get all our things ready for the next day and many nights DH will help me put together lunches. Enlist the help of your DH, whether it is for cooking, for chores, whatever.

What kind of workouts are you doing? Make them short and efficient if you can. As someone who has dealt with insomnia and even just multiple nights of not enough sleep, I can say that sleep is VERY important. Not just because your body heals itself during sleep but your ability to cope with things greatly goes down the less sleep you have. I know this from experience. If you have to wake up so early, make sure you're going to bed early. You need your sleep and it will catch up with you if you don't get enough.

 

[Govtgirl]

I think even 45-60 minutes can be too much. Shoot, 30 minutes of Cathe a day is enough to keep anyone in shape!!Then maybe you could do ONE long workout on the weekend.

You are being WAY too hard on yourself. About 8 years ago, I got in great shape doing the FIRM, 30 minutes a day, 5 X a week, which is no way near as intense as Cathe, obviously. Then I started to tell myself that I should work out more, 30 minutes was wimpy, and guess what happened? I worked out less, because I thought, if I can't do an hour it's not worth tying my sneakers! Duh, wrong!

Now, all I am expecting of myself if 30 minutes of Cathe 5 days a week. I bet I get back in great shape with that, and it's more than 90% of what most people do!

 

[drover]

ya know lulu, you're gonna kill yourself. maybe you need to cut back on some activities w/your kids , too. they dont' have to be involved in everything, AND they can help you w/chores! they SHOULD help you. i used to workout like crazy and then i hit 50. well, my body just shuts down sometimes and says no more. and there is nothing i can do but rest. you better be careful, you're headed for a major breakdown in many areas of your life, and that will be no good to anyone. like someone said, don't be so hard on yourself. and don't think you have to be everyone's maid, taxi driver, and everything to everyone. you don't. you have to take care of yourself, too.
cathy

 

[lulu68]

ya know lulu, you're gonna kill yourself. maybe you need to cut back on some activities w/your kids , too. they dont' have to be involved in everything, AND they can help you w/chores! they SHOULD help you. i used to workout like crazy and then i hit 50. well, my body just shuts down sometimes and says no more. and there is nothing i can do but rest. you better be careful, you're headed for a major breakdown in many areas of your life, and that will be no good to anyone. like someone said, don't be so hard on yourself. and don't think you have to be everyone's maid, taxi driver, and everything to everyone. you don't. you have to take care of yourself, too.
cathy

You know that's exactly what I feel like everyones maid! I leave with 6 boy's and to top it off the children I care for are also boys. Thats the argument I had with my husband I ask them not to sighn up everyone for this club soccer because I new how demanding it would be on all of us, but he won, the thing is he is not the one stressing out about making sure there uniforms are clean, that they get fed appropiatly before tournaments, that the house remains decent throughout all this. Don't get me wrong, I love going to my kids soccer games I know that some day it will all be gone, but at the same time I have no life, no time to do girly things, everything I do revolves around them with the exeption of my exercise thats my thing I let all my fustration out its llike a rush. Anyways I will try and take your advice and see what I could do. Thank you!

 

[morningstar]

Lulu, you have the power to make changes in your life. Only you.

Don't expect others to change their lives to make your life easier - you have to be clear about what you need and demand that your workload and health be taken into account when planning family activities. People will always assume that you can handle whatever you agree to take on - they assume that you will say no if you can't handle it. If you never say no, but just sort of complain quietly and continue to do things the same way, nothing will change and you will turn into a passive-aggressive unhappy person living a life that you don't want to live.

As I know so well, being a person very uncomfortable with confrontation myself, if you don't stand up for yourself, you will NEVER get what you want. Life is not a lottery - you have to do hard things to get what you want, and one of those hard things is telling people that you love that you cannot do it all and that they must help out. They will not respect you for being a doormat, and they won't love you less for not being one.

When everyone in the family works as a team to make everyone's life fun and interesting, the whole family thrives. When one person does it all, resentment builds and unhappiness results. And that WILL come out in the future, one way or another. Martyrdom only works for saints and ain't no one gonna appreciate it here on earth.

 

[pixiesis]

I want to add one more thing, and I mean this in a gentle way. You are severely sleep-deprived, and you're taking care of children, which is very demanding, not to mention the rest of your maxed out schedule. Do you think the parents of the kids you watch would be comfortable knowing how exhausted you are? I say this because you seem willing to sacrifice yourself, but I doubt that you are willing to risk the safety of the kids you are watching. And if you think about it, it's possible that you just might be doing that. You need to get adequate rest, not just for you, but also for those who depend on you.

Amy

 

[MAYNARDSMOM]

What state are you in where there is soccer in the winter? I am in the northeast & our soccer season is in the fall. I assumed everyones was also fall but I guess that can differ from region to region.

 

[autumn777]

SLEEP

I am a nanny also and I know that the hours are crazy. And to top in off you have to take care of your own 5 boys, that's alot of work. I would suggest doing a lighter workout routine and gettting your zzzzzz's! You can't function on just a few hours of sleep especially if your taking care of all these children. Maybe ask for an hour at night from your significant other, to go for a run, or jog or to go to the gym, or do a one hour dvd. That would be a great topper to the end of your hard day, ending it with a workout and a hot shower!

 

[lulu68]

What state are you in where there is soccer in the winter? I am in the northeast & our soccer season is in the fall. I assumed everyones was also fall but I guess that can differ from region to region.

I leave in Arizona. 4 of my boys play club soccer, they prepare and train to compete in State Cup coming up in April. Go San Tan Legacy!

 

[lulu68]

I want to add one more thing, and I mean this in a gentle way. You are severely sleep-deprived, and you're taking care of children, which is very demanding, not to mention the rest of your maxed out schedule. Do you think the parents of the kids you watch would be comfortable knowing how exhausted you are? I say this because you seem willing to sacrifice yourself, but I doubt that you are willing to risk the safety of the kids you are watching. And if you think about it, it's possible that you just might be doing that. You need to get adequate rest, not just for you, but also for those who depend on you.

Amy

I appreciate your words. The funny thing is I don't find myselft to be tired at all. Yes, are schedules and life is very hectic, but since I've turn 40 and going to turn 41 in a few months I have been thinking on how me not getting enough sleep would effect my health in the long run. I'm full of energy and I must say I run a good home, yes when its time to hit the sack I go out imidiately, but then again I could wake up at the same time everyday with no alarm clock needed. I think my biggest problem is thinking that I wont have enough time to work out if I put it off for later on the day. Now that I'm older I will definately have to find a way to get more sleep and maybe spend less time working out. We tend to get so rap up on having the perfect body that you don't even relize that your hurting yourself in the process. Thank you!

Lourdes

 

[MAYNARDSMOM]

I leave in Arizona. 4 of my boys play club soccer, they prepare and train to compete in State Cup coming up in April. Go San Tan Legacy!

That is awesome!!! I hope they do well!! You must be very proud! We LOVE soccer!!

 

[kariev]

I think even 45-60 minutes can be too much. Shoot, 30 minutes of Cathe a day is enough to keep anyone in shape!!Then maybe you could do ONE long workout on the weekend.

You are being WAY too hard on yourself. About 8 years ago, I got in great shape doing the FIRM, 30 minutes a day, 5 X a week, which is no way near as intense as Cathe, obviously. Then I started to tell myself that I should work out more, 30 minutes was wimpy, and guess what happened? I worked out less, because I thought, if I can't do an hour it's not worth tying my sneakers! Duh, wrong!

Now, all I am expecting of myself if 30 minutes of Cathe 5 days a week. I bet I get back in great shape with that, and it's more than 90% of what most people do!

Govtgirl i sent you a PM

 

[jgarr44460]

soccer schedule

I just want to respond to the whole soccer practice/game schedule thing. I only have three sons but they all played soccer both club and travel. The practice and game schedules were incredible. They also did indoor soccer tournaments during the winter and travel tournaments up and down the east coast. I can totally relate to this being a full time job itself. We had 6 teams between them through middle school and high school while they played school ball and travel. I don't know how old your 5 sons are but this is what worked for me. As the boys got older to save my sanity and keep on top of household chores I had to tell them that I would attend HOME games only for all of them. This really cut down on a lot of running around. I didn't have any of them feeling like I was picking one over another as it was home games for all. The exception of course were the travel tournaments. I realize that this is harder for you with 5 sons but it worked for me with my 3. Good luck and YES it does end all too soon. Mine are all grown up and I do miss their games. I like the other posters idea of a 30-45 minute workout. I would also walk the track with other parents while the boys team warmed up for a game or while waiting for their practice to end.
Good luck.