New mum - changing the way we eat.... is it possible?!

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hbunting86
hbunting86 Posts: 952 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Hi

I've been a member here for a while and life has changed a lot since I first joined.

I was previously single and living in New Zealand - now I live with my partner and 4 1/2 month old baby in the UK. A lot has happened in a short space of time, including a lot of weight gain for me!

I think the major difference has been living with someone else (a chef) who has entirely different food habits to myself and I've picked up those so I eat entirely differently.

My problem is this: I would like us to eat as a family and my son is starting to be weaned and of course I'm making food for him myself with lots of fresh fruit and veg. It's just my OH still likes to eat in his old routine, which is lots of pasta, eating late at night, lots of cheeses and cured meats and wine etc... (he's Italian). I really WANT to shift some weight - I can cook, the problem is doing 3 separate meals!

I guess I'm looking for support/advice that it can be done and how I should start. I've lost all my previous knowledge and motivation re: losing weight and now I've had a baby I feel even more clueless about how to even start.

Ideally I'd like to get back down to my pre baby weight (well, a few years before baby arrived) but for now even showing a slow and steady decrease and a drop in dress sizes would be wonderful.

Thanks
H

Replies

  • IvyLuci
    IvyLuci Posts: 117 Member
    edited October 2014
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    Sit down and talk to your husband. Get him to agree to a structure of some sort. If your husband's schedule is such that late night meals suit him better, make sure he still has those, and work around them.
    Now write out a week plan. 3-5 meals a day, depending on what you are used to. Make it full of things you can make fast, that are not to difficult. Now scale down the quantities and add veggies.
    Try it out for a week, try measuring everything and logging it to set up a baseline. So, don't go out of your way to reduce calories, just eat what you planned.

    After the first week go back and look at the diary. How much do you average in a day? How much does MFP / TDEE calculator say you should be having? What can you remove or substitute to be closer to that number? Are there some things you need to rework completely? Is there something that you wish to add? Can you incorporate your husband's late night meal into your goal (if you wish to do that)?

    Another thing to add is some type of exercise. Take walks with the baby when the weather allows. Find half an hour in the day to do bodyweight exercises (things like pushups, situps, planks etc. I'm sure there is a program on youtube somewhere). Maybe there are some mother-and-baby type activities available?

    Don't try to change everything at once. Don't completely cut anything out (except when allergies/intolerances are in question). If you think in advance everything can be incorporated into your plan. Good luck!
  • hbunting86
    hbunting86 Posts: 952 Member
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    Hi thanks so much for the reply! That's a good idea looking on youtube for some exercises to do at home. I'm usually out and about with the pram daily, so I will work that in too.

    Regarding meals, I wouldn't incorporate my partners meal because he is a chef and doesn't get in till gone midnight - too late for me to eat! Weekdays are a little easier as he's in a bit earlier, but I'm not sure how it would work out. If I eat at 'regular' mealtimes then I think I'll be less likely to choose unhealthy options. Plus, my day is pretty full with the baby!

    I'm off shopping today for some healthy choices :)

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