HELP! Mommy trying to lose weight w/ 2 kids under age of 5!

ttjones215

Since my second child has been born I have been struggling greatly on trying to get on track with eating clean and exercising. It just seems the scale keeps moving in the wrong direction. It's very disheartening but I have not found an easy balance. Any tips/suggestions?

stelloian

I switch off with my husband. He wakes up early to work out in our home gym in our garage. I get up and immediately put on my workout clothes to get my mindset right. As soon as he is done we flip flop duties. He gets the kiddos I get the barbells (or whatever).

I have found that my caloric intake is the MAIN factor with weight loss. Healthy eating helps me feel good though. So I do clean eating (no dairy and no/super low carb).

I splurge quite often but make up for it with increased exercise that day or bite the bullet and don't see any scale changes.

I also have gotten my kids motivated to be active. We ALL workout some days. It is fun!

I have three under 5

ttjones215

Thanks! I think I'm going to try to get the kids involved so it won't feel so much like a burden but family fun. Also I'm on week #1 of trying to eat clean but I am still continuing to eat dairy...should I stop?

mochi622

I'm in a similar situation with a 2 and 4 year old and 11 year old. I've just started eating healthier but it's going good so far. I've found I really have to stop myself and take the time to think about what I'm eating and not wait till I'm ravenous and stressed and eat everything in sight.
My little one will eat almost anything but my 4 year old wants to live off peanut butter sandwiches. I find it deflating when I make a family meal and the boys won't eat, takes some of the joy out of cooking. I love to cook a clean healthy meal, but sometimes I find it exhausting to keep up with. So far MFP has given me lots of motivation to keep going with the success stories and recipe links. Seeing other people succeed makes it seem more possible for me. I've been carrying my extra lbs since my daughter's pregnancy 11 years ago... gah! Time for it to go!
Please feel free to add me so we can share motivation and ideas if you want. Keep up the good progress you've made. Being healthy and strong for our kids is the best thing we can do for them!

Sixel

It's a challenge. I have two kids (28 and 10 months) and trying to lose all the pregnancy weight. I lose some and then I stall for months, lacking motivation. This is where I am at now. There's also the aspect of sleep deprivation. I try to eat clean and incorporate as much physical activity into my day: cycle to work, go on a walk with the kids,...

RoxieDawn

Why is this posted success stories?

OP you want to loose weight? Simply eat less food. If you are committed to the process, this MFP process works. Not until you have your mind made up that it is time to buckle down and loose weight will the process work. This is a tool, and it cannot loose the weight for you, so just commit and start using the tool.

Also this clean eating is nonsense. Simply eat the foods you love today, and eat less of them. Eat diary, eat anything you want. Restrictions lead to un-success. Do not restrict, this will derail progress as it is unsustainable.

campb2ti

With an almost 3 and a 1 yr old finding the time to get a nice long workout is challenging, so making sure I eat with in my given ca loris makes a big difference. Also having a mentality of "a short workout is better than none" keeps me motivated to try and do something every day.

tomatosoup3

i have two kids under the age of 3. this is what worked for me (i've lost nearly 30 pounds):

forget about exercising and "clean eating". eat less. seriously. the pounds will start dropping.

once you're on your way and you're more motivated, you may add exercise if you wish. this helps burn additional calories and promotes overall health, but you can lose weight without it.

if you start too much at once, you're likely to burn out. just take it slowly and simply!

GetFit_Bre

My sister has 4 son's all under the age of 7. I know it's not easier for her to go to the gym between her and her husband some have to watch the kids while she go. I suggested to her that and can walk up and down the stairs while they are sleep or at school and get some fitness videos. Good Luck!