Moms taking on weight loss - support appreciated!

awsb06

Working mom of 3 (17, 15 & 9) - I'm only 2 weeks in but feel pretty dedicated so far. Even in the times my mind is saying "heck with it! I won't last, might as well go ahead and binge eat now." I'm still sticking with it. I would love to lose 35lbs but I'll celebrate losing 5lbs at this point!

For those of you who have been in this for a while, what is working for you all? It is the support? (Making a lot of friends, etc.) Is there a magic balance to it? Has this really worked for you all?

Whatever it is, I need to rally the troops! Any insight/support is greatly appreciated! I'll try my best to return the favor (as I figure out how to myself!)

pluto2626

Just do it.... seriously you will thank yourself. A year from now you will be thinner, healthier, and have created a new healthy lifestyle for your family. It will no longer become an inconvenience and you will impress everyone with your crazy ability to know how many calories are in about everything!

From one working mom to another, you can rock this!

SpartanSoldier801

You can do it!

maasha81

Planning my meals and consistently exercising is what helps me.

On weekends I usually have an idea what meals I will be prepping for myself. I usually eat a protein and vegetables as core meal cooked in various ways. I also include another side for my family. Packing lunch and healthy snacks helps a lot. Of course I include treats within my calorie allotment

As for exercise, you need to find an activity you enjoy so you will consistently workout. As tired as I am, I negotiate with myself and workout for at least first 5 mins and then decide to continue or not. 99% of the times, I continue and complete my workout.

I also have learnt a lot from the community forum picking sense from the nonsense. It's great motivation reading person's success stories and getting tips.

Best wishes and you can do this!

jamie_teresa

I've been in my baby weight loss journey for almost 2 months. I've lost about 10 lbs and have 25 to go. I think support from other moms really helps. Our situation is unique and it takes a lot of planning, dedication, and support. Please feel free to add me (anyone reading this). I could use extra support too

sceleratis

Meal planning and prep is seriously so important. I take the time every morning to sit down and actually think about what I'm going to eat during the day and plug it in to MFP. Obviously, sometimes things need to change, and that's OK! But if I have a rough idea, it gives me something to go by and mentally for me that is a big deal. I also always make sure I have appropriate snacks/meals with me if I know I'm going to be away from home for a lengthy period of time. This means I don't have the option to say 'Oh I don't have anything to eat so I might as well have X.'

As for exercise, finding something you love is vital. The other part is making sure it becomes part of your routine! When I first started working out I HATED it, but that's because I was spending WAY too much time on the treadmill and not enough time lifting weights. Now? It's the complete opposite and I am much happier. I found a serious love for weight lifting. Find your passion. It really helps! Good luck on your journey. You can do it!

robot_potato

I have 3 kids, 11, 7, and 5 months. I used MFP a few years back to drop 85 pounds. Fell off the horse, gained 20 pounds, had a baby, now I am 35-40 above goal. Support is important. The things that help me most are pre-logging meals ( that way I can tweak stuff to fit my calories and macros), drinking water, and using a food scale and measuring cups. That is my biggest thing. Guesstimating usually means you're eating more than you think.

Good luck to you, you won't regret it!

GemimaFitzTed

I am a working mum with two kids - 4 and 2.5 years old. This is my second attempt at getting back to my pre-pregnancy state. I'm 33lb (15kg) into my journey.

I pre-log both my food (I usually make my breakfast and lunch the night before work) and exercise (will change the no. of cals burnt after my workout), own TWO digital food scales. Most importantly, I make sure I put myself first, meaning my weight loss, fitness and wellbeing goals aren't second behind my family. Luckily I have a very supportive husband and family.

Good luck, and feel free to add me.

michelerich77

Hi! I'm a mom too! I gained weight after a great weight-loss, so now I'm back on the diet train.. lol.. You can totally do this. What kinds of food are you planning? I have a picky family so I cook for just myself at times because my family loves pasta and so forth lol...

wilow420

I came up with the "power of 10" system. I wanted to lose 100lbs but that seemed so unobtainable, that's ALOT of pounds! So I told myself that I just needed to lose 10lbs, 10 times and gave myself 10 months. I took a piece of paper and wrote the number 10 on the top and taped it to my bedroom mirror. I only weigh myself once a month. The first month I lost 13lbs, so I crossed the 10 off and wrote a 9 underneath and so on. I'm getting close to crossing the 6 off soon. Counting down from 10 instead of 100, tricked/trained my mind into feeling like this weight loss journey wouldn't be such a looong, miserable one. And it's totally working. I started October 1st and am actually ahead of schedule. Write a 3 or 4 down and do the same. Seeing a 3 is much easier to deal with mentally than looking at a 30, don't you think? If you keep your calories at 1200 and workout 30 minutes a day, the weight will be off in no time. I have a 13yr old son, had surgery 4 weeks ago with another one coming up in a month and I'm still losing weight every week. It's all about mind over matter. Good luck.

awsb06

Thank you all for the replies (encouragement, advice and all!) I wish I was able to "like" responses.

I guess I just needed to hear that this is possible (& that there isn't some magic, unobtainable "formula" to be successful.) My goal is to lose 35 lbs.

I am a picky eater, so I worried I wouldn't be able to find a variety of foods I liked to keep from burning out but so far so good! I've increased the amount of water I'm drinking daily. As far as exercise, I'm moving more (fast-paced walking) and working on building my arm strength (mainly beginner workouts from Pinterest using 5lb weights.) I also got a simply fit board and I'm finding it is something I can do and I don't even dread it. I just hope it is helping...

Thanks again!!