I am really facing a tough time here. I just am not sure how all of you moms do it. Matthew was diagnosed almost three years ago. I have put on a lot of weight, and I am sick of being fat. I work full time and my husband is a long haul truck driver so it is just me and the kids. Plus I am a full time student, and to top all of this off, I am just EXHAUSTED all the time, even when I wake up I have NO energy, and no ambition. I do not have any family or friends who are willing to take care of Matthew so how does a person get out and get some exercise without being so stressed about leaving the kids alone? I mean Matthew has had some really scary moments in the last couple months and I am just horrified to leave him even for five minutes. I really need to get some exercise but I get bored really easily. I have a recumbent bike but I just get tired of pedling in place. I also would love ideas of how to eat healthier on a VERY fixed budget. I have about $80 per week to feed the three kids and myself.
My husband recently lost his job so I got serious about coupons clipping and matching with ads. I am amazed at the savings i was always "too busy" for . Try couponmom.com. As for exercise, I take my T1 with me since regular exercise does amazing things to regulate their blood glucose levels. It's not as boring when you have someone to talk to. We just walk around the neighborhood. It is also a great stress reliever. Good Luck.
I have to say Exercise is a big issue with us as well. We live in Texas and right now the heat is so bad I find myself not wanting to leave the house. I would like to encourage you to take mathew with youn perhaps on walks or to the park. Not only will he get exercise as well but seeing how you care about your health will help him make better choices in the future. As far as eating healthy on a small budget goes I know one of the main things of course is cuts out any non needed extras. Just by not bringing sodas in my house I've lost a good size and a half.
Try concentrating on your fruits and vaggies don't worry about making the main dishes very large. I used to constanty worry about the main dish being large, but then reailzed as long as the kids have a healthy amount of food and have other items on their plate they will not go hungry, and surprisingly we dont throw away as much either.
I agree with the coupon cutting though I've never been able to do it. I know my sister does and saves a tons. She'll get $1 off toothpaste then take the coupon to Dollar Ree and get her toothpaste free, keep in mindthat only works with manufactorer's coupons.
Quoting Scout-Mom:I have to say Exercise is a big issue with us as well. We live in Texas and right now the heat is so bad I find myself not wanting to leave the house. I would like to encourage you to take mathew with youn perhaps on walks or to the park. Not only will he get exercise as well but seeing how you care about your health will help him make better choices in the future. As far as eating healthy on a small budget goes I know one of the main things of course is cuts out any non needed extras. Just by not bringing sodas in my house I've lost a good size and a half.
Try concentrating on your fruits and vaggies don't worry about making the main dishes very large. I used to constanty worry about the main dish being large, but then reailzed as long as the kids have a healthy amount of food and have other items on their plate they will not go hungry, and surprisingly we dont throw away as much either.
I agree with the coupon cutting though I've never been able to do it. I know my sister does and saves a tons. She'll get $1 off toothpaste then take the coupon to Dollar Ree and get her toothpaste free, keep in mindthat only works with manufactorer's coupons.
I hear what both of you are saying. I know I should take Matthew with me. I spend SO much time with my kids I actually get sick of them. In the summer we are NEVER apart, I mean sleeping is the only time I get to be away from them. When I go to work they go with me, when I am home they go with me, during the school year they go to school but If I am not working, the kids are with me. Sometimes it would just be nice to be alone. We do talk short walks together with the dogs but again, I just think it would be nice to be alone for a few minutes.
I will difinitely be checking out couponmom.com that sounds awesome. It annoys me so much because I have about $80 to feed the kids and I for a week when my husband takes $125 off of his check every week just to feed himself and then wants me to buy him stuff too. It is very frustrating.
I hear ya darlin! Trust me! I hear ya! I got $40 last week for groceries yet hubby kept $30 for his lunches only his lunches!
So with the $40 I still have to feed him too!
I also get the always being with the kids thing. Have you looked into diabetes day camp?
The boys went to camp last wekk and I was so happy to have some time to myslef. Next year I'm sending them to Camp Sweeny... 3 weeks of freedom!
3 solid weeks where they will be taken care of by nurses doctors and voluteers and I will have some time to myself.
The best part about Diabetic camps is there are always camperships. I know I ouldn't afford them otherwise.
I couldn't get through my days without regular exercise. It keeps me sane. Yoga literally saved me after Zoey's diagnosis. It pulled me out of a really deep depression. She was diagnosed a few months after my mom died, and a year after my dad died. A few tips I can give is to get a few good Yoga DVDs, Amazon carries them pretty cheaply, and you can do it easily at home. Also, around here there are a lot of playgrounds that have walking tracks around them. If that is the case where you live, let the kids play, walk around the track....that way you have them in close view, but you can also get your workout in. The breathwork, and stress-relief of Yoga is priceless, and something you don't get from other types of exercise. Primarly because you are breathing in and out of the nose, and diaphramatically. I find a combination of yoga and cardio works best for me. Meditation also will help quiet your mind, this is incorporated into the end of a yoga dvd or class, and it just sitting or laying in stillness, and following your breath. Let me know if you have any questions. I teach a lot of yoga to people dealing with stress/anxiety, and have even begun to work with pro-athletes in PGH....and the change in my clients is amazing. I teach because it saved me, and I want to give back as much as I can.
As far as food.....Lentils are cheap and have everything you need for a complete meal. I look often on allrecipes.com for lentil recipes, and one bag feeds my kids for a while. They love them.
Good luck! Take care,
Gretchen mom to Zoey dx 10/03, now age 9, and little Mia age 7.
this is a bit out of the box, but i've been learning some about what happens when our adrenal glands/system become depleted by stress. it sounds like that could be happening with you. if it is at all possible to see a homeopath or alternative medicine doctor, they could likely really help you. just throwing it out there as an idea.
is there anything in your life you can say NO to? really? sometimes things we think we can't let go, we really can. remember: you ALWAYS have a choice in every situation. it's ok to let something go to take care of yourself!
shop the store sales. plan your menu off what's on sale this week (hamburger, chicken, tuna, pork loin, whatever is the cheapest meat). stay away from convenience foods. buy store brands. have breakfast for supper a night or two a week. join the Frugal and Thrifty Moms group on here. visit HillbillyHousewife.com. decide what food is really important to you and spend your money there.....if it's not that important to you, go cheap. see if your community schools offer the summer meal program where everyone under 18 eats lunch for free on weekdays and take the kids there a few days a week.
i am currently losing weight with Weight Watchers. i just had to do it. it does cost about $40/month to weigh-in at the meetings, but i had to prioritize it. that is always an option for you and it does work and is (i believe) healthy.
as for walking (unless your kiddos are really little) i say leave them at home, take your cell phone and walk around the block a couple times. if they are able to dial the phone and content with a movie or game and the door is locked and you're within a couple minutes of being home.....DO IT and have a minute to yourself! a friend of mine has her three year old watch a movie while she walks back and forth in front of the house with the baby.....it looks a little funny, but it works.
i feel for you. we all face hard times and you are not alone in this. take a step back and evaluate where you can make one or two changes and focus on those. an a week or two, do it again. you will get there!
brandie
Celiacs?
- Trisha42276
on Jul. 3, 2009 at 11:57 PM