I feel so bad! I keep reading about how well eveyone is doing with exercise. I work full time and have three kids, I am so tired at the end of the day that I just want to put on pj's and sit and do nothing. I don't think I get enough sleep because getting up in the morning to get my kids to school on time is hard enough. I am a hairdresser and spend most of my day on my feet behind a chair. I pump the chair up and down all day, I am constantly lifting my arms to comb long hair. I know I'm probably not doing enough. I have exercised around 1 or 2 times a week. Mostly on Sundays and Mondays when I'm off work. I'm just struggling with fatigue and motivation. Please HELP! I also don't like doing exercise by myself. So on the weekends I get my kids to do it with me. My daughter likes it when I ask her.

Gail,

I am a full time teacher that commutes 30 minutes one way every school day. I have a 13 year old, a 3 year old, and a 1 year old. I get up at 5:30 to get the eldest to basketball practice at 6 and then get the others ready. By the time I get home and get them fed, bathed, and pay ANY attention to them, there is no time for exercise. I also feel guilty when I see how much time others are putting into exercise.

On the other hand I did find a dvd at Walmart called walk away the pounds. It has a 1 mile, 2 mile, and 3 mile walk on it. I started the 1 mile this week. It only takes 18 minutes and I can't convince myself that I don't have 18 minutes to give to myself. My idea is that once I work the 18 minutes into my daily schedule, I can then find 15 more minutes a day for the 2 mile walk.

It might be an idea. Start small and work your way up from there.... Good luck

Working on your feet all day is a lot of exercise! Unfortunately, it's not enough all by itself, else you wouldn't be in the position you are in, but I can sympathise with your tired feet. What about Water aerobics? Do you have a pool centre near you? Could get to one or two sessions of that a week? Exercising in the water is so much better for your joints and would probably be a lot easier to manage than trying to walk on sore feet.

How old is your daughter? She would probably love to join in if she's not too young. Maybe you could find an early evening session, so it wouldn't be too late for you both?

Let's face it.... exersise is a dreadful thought! However, making time for yourself and excersise DOES BECOME ADDICTIVE once you get started. I am also a full time teacher and mother of two young ones. Exhaustion is my middle name. But I have set one hour aside m-f for me, for the first time ever. I am loving the time to myself!!!!!!!!!!! and enjoying the benefits of shedding!!!

Just make yourself start!! Thats all I can say!! You'll feel guilty when you miss a day, trust me!!!

I have to give you props for standing on you feet all day It is hard work. But You will probably feel better if you do get some muscle built up because you will lose quicker.

Have you thought about getting an ActiTrainer or Bodybugg? You wear them and they tell you how much activitie you have done vs. how much you have eatten. It might help give you the motivation to get started. I use the time after work to go to the gym...but I dont have kids.

What about using part of your lunch hour to walk or bring some hand weights and do some arm excerrcises.

Or Even get those bands and use them they are light weight you could keep them in your drawer and during your break you could do some arm excercises.

I am working out because I want to tone my body as I lose weight. I am mostly woried about the excess skin and flab after the fat is gone.

I am a teacher and even though I don't have kids, just working and then doing an after-school program on top of it makes me exhausted by the end of the day. But we need to make time for ourselves because it's the only way we're going to get this done. I go to the gym every Saturday and Sunday, and I do a workout dvd at home 3 other days during the week. I really love the biggest loser dvd workouts and I feel soooo worked out when I finish them. It's a lot easier to stick a dvd in and work out while you're at home...definitely easier than getting dressed and out to the gym, but it's exercise and you'll be moving and you will see the difference.

Exercise creates more energy, but it takes a long time to get to that point. I worry about how I will fit it in when I go back to work too, I know that I've just gotten up at 5.30 to run before going out on teaching rounds.

If you can involve your kids then that's good for both of you, you DO have 2 days at the weekend where you've got more time, and personally, I'd buy equipment for home if I could, a treadmill or something and just get on there and DO it. Yes, its hard, yes you're exhausted but what is your ultimate goal? I found I just had to push through that kind of stuff and now that I'm really fit, its something I really WANT to do, really WANT to prioritise and I virtually never have that feeling any more. At least if you're exercising at home, you're with your kids.

As you lose and get fitter you wont be so exhausted. Really, most of us should be able to work and get up to get kids to school without finding it too challenging, you just dont realise how utterly crappy and exhaused you feel when you're very overweight. I promise that horrid inertia will disappear as you get closer to your goal - in fact its probably my biggest NSV. I care more about how much more energetic, efficient and in control I am than I do about what size I'm wearing.

Truly, you'll get there. In the meantime, its horrid but you just have to force yourself. There's no need to do more than four times a week, more is good, but four is more than adequate.

Have you thought about adding ankle or wrist weights while you are at work? Just simply adding those and upping the weight so often will give you an extra boost. Try using a pedometer and see how many steps you take in a day, then work on increasing it little by little. There are little ways to add more movement or strength training, very easily. :smile:

I bought a treadmill and put it right in front of the TV in my family room. It's not the most beautiful decoration for my house, but having it stare at me as I sit and watch TV is enough motivation for me to get up and use it each day. I've managed 25/26 days on it since we brought it home. I try to do 20-30 minutes minimum and if time, or my body, permits I sometimes do as much as an hour.

If you can afford one, or you can get one from family members that might not be using their old ones, I recommend trying something like this.

Good luck!

I got the Hip-Hop Abs work out videos and they are pretty fun. Makes exercising a little more exciting!

I decided that I needed a kick in the butt to make myself work out. My sister was diagnosed with breast Cancer in January of '07, so I decided to sign up for the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer. I will be walking in May 17th and 18th, so I have been training by walking every day and it is actually working. Now I am losing weight and helping a great cause! It is very hard to get motivated sometimes, and sometimes you have to take drastic measures.

How long of a walk is the Avon walk for breast cancer?

It is a two day 39 mile walk. I have been walking for awhile now, but I am still a little nervous. It is a big committment, but I think this is what I needed to start me on the right path to exercising.

39 miles! DAMN! I think I would barly make it 1/4th of the way

There is no way that I could make it now either!!! I am just trying to walk each day and each day I go a little further. It may sound corny, but I get my inspiration from women who have survived or are going through this and yet they are walking in this as well. I can't sit on the couch and say...Not today.

wow Good luck. I am doing amazing when I can walk 1.5 miles I am working up to 2 miles in 30 min