40yo Mom looking for other moms/advice/suggestions/support network/friends

[Missy530]

Ok, so I'm 40, peri-menopausal, self-employed, and exhausted.  I have a full-time job in my office/my husband's business, 3 very busy kids, and a husband who is unavailable quite a bit due to work obligations (travels, dinners, political meetings, etc.).  I have exactly one night a week that I get to just pick up the kids from school and come home.  Getting up at 5am to work out is not an option for me - my 4yo boy won't sleep in his own bed through the night & usually ends up in my bed, resulting is little to no sleep for me.  Most nights we run home from school, drop one off at gymnastics, grab snacks for the other two & head out to skating or tae kwon do.  And we don't get home until 8pm.  

I KNOW I am not the only person dealing with a crazy schedule & horrible hormones.  How on earth do you manage everything AND still prepare healthy meals & find time to work out?  I'm just at wit's end, and now my husband has informed me he has a surprise trip for me this fall that may or may not involve a bathing suit.  I have a good 50-80lbs to lose, and I'm just getting so discouraged.

Anybody have any suggestions/advice?

[au_naturale]

Hey , I'm new to fit bit but not new to a healthy lifestyle. I've been a pescatarian ( vegetarian who eats seafood)  for over ten years now.  Im turning 36 this year and I need i loose at least 60lbs. I have a 13 year old daughter who is very active in and outside of school, not to mention I work 8 hours a day. I got my fitbit charge for Christmas and already I've lost  8lbs! Maybe we can exchange healthy recipies as well..

[Missy530]

That would be great!  My kids are pretty young (4, 8, & 12), and they and my husband are VERY picky eaters.  My hubby just recently started at least trying new things.  He is trying to lose weight & get healthy, too.  I've started (again) trying to incorporate more vegetarian dishes & healthier swaps in recipes to get the kids to eat.  Ex:  I maid home-made "chicken nuggets" for them for dinner last night - only I used whole wheat flour for coating instead of white.  I try to cut my hamburger recipes by using half veggie crumbles.  So far, nobody has noticed.  The only place I get caught is in my baking.  Banana bread just isn't the same with Splenda & whole wheat flour!  Luckily, holiday/baking season is over, so if I do bake it will just be once in a while.

I have some paleo & vegetarian cookbooks, but I would sure welcome any recipes you have that you think would work with my kids.  Unfortunately, though I love fish & seafood, nobody in my house will eat it.  😞

How do you fit in exercise?  That's the other place I'm struggling.  I get my steps in by just running the kids & doing housework, but that alone doesn't seem to be enough.  I don't gain, but I don't lose either.

[Sunshine79]

Just an idea...maybe try walking or doing some stairs when you take the kids to their activities? I know moms in my town who get a walk in around the hockey arena together.

Also a neat cook book for picky eaters is Deceptively Delicious by Jessica Seinfeld. She has some neat idea for hiding good food in the average dish! Hope this helps 🙂