Stay at home moms of young ones. How do you do loose?
owlcake
Posts: 27 Member
Feeling little tired of trying. I had 75 day streak but stopped cause I was loosing and gaining the same lbs. as stay home moms we take care of everyone and house and cooking. I have a one year old and 5 year old. They are always eating. It's hard not to eat with them. They eat healthy too. But I over eat. Also I can't find time just to excercise for me. I just feeling very frustrated. I need some
Help and motivation. How have you ladies gotten a hold of weight loss and put yourself first? Thanks
Help and motivation. How have you ladies gotten a hold of weight loss and put yourself first? Thanks
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Replies
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Have you thought about joining the YMCA? I love it! They have a myriad of activities for children and free child watch while you work out. My little ones love it. They beg to "go the gym."3
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Walking. Get the little one in a pram and the bigger one on a bike or their own two feet, and walk. It's good for them as well as you and it costs nothing.
Cycling is another option, get a baby seat for the little one and the big one on their own bike.
As for not eating their food, I know it's tempting, but no more so than treats people bring into the workplace. At the end of the day, you just have to learn to say no.
Edit: I'm not sure what the point of quitting was - you may not have been succeeding at losing but at least you weren't putting more on. Keep at it and you will eventually find your groove.8 -
You might as well keep trying because the time will pass anyway.
You can't be there for others if you don't look after yourself first.
Don't be a martyr.
Congratulate yourself on maintaining your weight. That's most of the battle sorted!
Don't deprive yourself of things you love. Eat what you love within your calorie limit. Don't fret about dieting according to what the glossy magazines say. They're mostly hype and scams.
Logging takes about 2 minutes per day max. You can do this!!8 -
We go to the park a lot. It's exercise for them and me. If you don't have a park within walking distance and you don't live somewhere that's safe to bike, you could drive to the park and walk around while there. Depending on the park (and the 5 year old) your 5 year old might be able to stay at the playground while you walk around with the baby and check in after each loop.
I haven't had great experiences with the Y's child care-my kids always got colds each time we went, so we were never able to go frequently enough for them to get used to it. It's possible that my kids are just particularly talented at picking up germs, lol.
At 1 I used to put my little in the stroller for a walking nap. The trick is to go early enough that they don't wake up as soon as you're home and tired, but not so early that they're awake and grumbling for the whole walk.
I live in Northern California, and we're able to get outside most days-even when it's cold and rainy it's usually above 40F, so we just put on rain pants and rain coats and save worms or clear storm drains. But on days that it's too miserable to go outside for long we dance together, and play tag in the house, or go to an indoor playplace that allows parents to climb/run too.3 -
you tube workout videos for zumba & kickboxing and i make sure that i walk 15k steps a day all indoors. To cold to go out when it gets nice i will go out for walks with my little one.0
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I'm a sahm of three older kids (8, 10 and 12), but they do their schooling at home, so they're with me all.the.time.
I have a different eating schedule than the rest of my family because I do IF. My calorie window is between 11am-7pm, so no food intake before 11am, and then I set aside time to make my biggest meal of the day between 11am-noon (my favorite hour of the day lol). Kids eat after I'm done. Then I eat a smaller meal after my family has supper, close to 6pm. I may or may not have an afternoon snack, just depends if I want one or not. And then after 7pm I'm done eating for the day.
Having a schedule like this helps me with my calorie adherence and also keeps things running smoothly over here
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crzycatlady1 wrote: »I'm a sahm of three older kids (8, 10 and 12), but they do their schooling at home, so they're with me all.the.time.
I have a different eating schedule than the rest of my family because I do IF. My calorie window is between 11am-7pm, so no food intake before 11am, and then I set aside time to make my biggest meal of the day between 11am-noon (my favorite hour of the day lol). Kids eat afterwards, closer to noon. Then I eat a smaller meal after my family has supper, close to 6pm. I may or may not have an afternoon snack, just depends if I want one or not. And then after 7pm I'm done eating for the day.
Having a schedule like this helps me with my calorie adherence and also keeps things running smoothly over here
We have a lot in common-we have 3 kids ages 10, 8, and 6, and two of them are at home for school this year (our youngest goes to school for kindergarten). I also do IF (loosely), eating about 1pm to 9pm. My lunch is a bit off-set from the kids, plus often I just eat different foods than they do. But I also work from home, so 3-4 nights a week I don't eat dinner with the fam since I'm in my office working.
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Incorporate workouts with your kids. Push ups, situps, planks, jumping jacks, burpees, any sort of calisthenics. Setup a workout chart and do this with your kids to see how you improve from week to week.
My wife and I have done this with our 3 kids (3, 6, & 9) with great results.1 -
lightenup2016 wrote: »crzycatlady1 wrote: »I'm a sahm of three older kids (8, 10 and 12), but they do their schooling at home, so they're with me all.the.time.
I have a different eating schedule than the rest of my family because I do IF. My calorie window is between 11am-7pm, so no food intake before 11am, and then I set aside time to make my biggest meal of the day between 11am-noon (my favorite hour of the day lol). Kids eat afterwards, closer to noon. Then I eat a smaller meal after my family has supper, close to 6pm. I may or may not have an afternoon snack, just depends if I want one or not. And then after 7pm I'm done eating for the day.
Having a schedule like this helps me with my calorie adherence and also keeps things running smoothly over here
We have a lot in common-we have 3 kids ages 10, 8, and 6, and two of them are at home for school this year (our youngest goes to school for kindergarten). I also do IF (loosely), eating about 1pm to 9pm. My lunch is a bit off-set from the kids, plus often I just eat different foods than they do. But I also work from home, so 3-4 nights a week I don't eat dinner with the fam since I'm in my office working.
We do sound alike 0 -
For me it's setting a pretty strict routine. I only feed my kids 3 meals a day. I'm not a proponent of constant snacking like I see a lot of parents do. It just doesn't work for us. They do eat snacks at school.
When they were younger, we'd exercise and run errands in the morning, then nap and play in the afternoon. I still follow that schedule with my youngest when she's not at preschool. My older ones are in school everyday, but we pretty much do the same on the weekends.0 -
OP--This has been my biggest struggle! If I was single or even without kids, and worked away from home, I feel like I could do better. But we all have obstacles, and there are always those who overcome whatever obstacles are in their way. Personally I just do my best and try to appreciate the great things about having kiddos around!
We have 3 kids ages 10, 8, and 6. I can definitely tell you it gets easier as they get a bit older! Some things that have helped me over the years:
1. We have a treadmill at home for running/faster walking. This way there are no excuses about weather, tired kids, it's too late, etc. I still don't use it half as much as I could, but it's an option if I need it.
2. I work from home, and a few years ago I bought a treadmill desk for my home office. This gets me a LOT of my weekly steps--as in an avg of about 9000 steps a day above my regular going about all day. Even if you don't work at home, a treadmill desk (or stationary bike) can be used while watching tv, surfing the internet, or paying bills online. It all adds up!
3. As someone else said--do some workout videos, or use YouTube. At one point I was doing a lot of Leslie Sansone walking videos on YouTube. They're low-impact and easy to do with kids around.
4. Take the kids outside with you! Have the older walk/run/ride a scooter, and push the younger in a stroller. Now that my kids are older I can take them to the park and either throw a ball or frisbee with them, or let them play and I'll walk circles around the park. Or I drag them along the trail, and hopefully they'll be interested long enough for me to get some steps in.
5. I do a longer workout (long run) on the weekend when my husband can watch the kids. I've also been known to run or walk outside at night in our neighborhood after the kids are in bed. It's a nice bit of "me" time!
6. For food--yeah, that's tough. I try not to nibble on their food unless it's apples, grapes, carrots, etc. But I definitely have trouble keeping away from some of the "treats" that come along with kids. I just log it all and do the best I can. I also try to fill up on high protein foods so I'm less hungry, and I drink a lot of coffee and tea, just to have "something"!
7. Do you have an activity tracker? If not, it's a good way to get more motivation to keep moving, even if it's just around the house!
Good luck--but don't give up! The temptations and difficulties will be there whether you try or not. At least keep working at it. Even if you only maintain, at least you're not gaining! I lost 17 lbs from last July thru Thanksgiving, and have maintained since then. I want to lose about 15 more, and keep trying, but I'm happy that I've at least not gone back up. That's a victory in itself!5 -
Feeling little tired of trying. I had 75 day streak but stopped cause I was loosing and gaining the same lbs. as stay home moms we take care of everyone and house and cooking. I have a one year old and 5 year old. They are always eating. It's hard not to eat with them. They eat healthy too. But I over eat. Also I can't find time just to excercise for me. I just feeling very frustrated. I need some
Help and motivation. How have you ladies gotten a hold of weight loss and put yourself first? Thanks
It all comes down to the way you are eating. You do not need to exercise to lose weight. Exercise is primarily for your health and to stay in shape. Now, what's the point of logging for 75 days straight if you're not logging everything? If you were, you'd see what the issue is. You're overeating. Whether you're overeating healthy foods or bad foods, you are still eating more than you are burning. Try something different. Why do you need to eat with them? Or if you do, just eat less? I've been eating 5 to 6 smaller meals a day. It's the same amount of calories if I were to eat 3 big meals but it helps me because I'm a snacker. Also, try to pre-plan your days ahead of time. If you are taking care of all the meals, you should know what's in them. So, make recipes ahead of time and input that information into MFP. I've logged in for months without losing a pound because I wasn't eating under my TDEE. Be honest with yourself. Find out what's causing the over-eating.3 -
I'm not a stay-at-home mom anymore. Only started working last fall to pay for a new car. All my weight was lost while being a stay-at-home mom.
Anyway, I logged daily. Bad days, good days and every in between. I used a food scale 95% of the time (I still do). I made workouts a priority. At first it meant mini workouts while the kids were napping. Now if I do a home workout they join in trying to imitate me. My boys are 5 and 2 1/2 years old. When I workout regularly I find that I don't want to graze or snack so much.4 -
When my youngest was 1, I joined a gym with daycare. She's 6 now and has a group of friends of varying ages that she's known for years. Honestly, the gym was good for my sanity and helped socialize my kid. Her transition to school was very smooth too.3
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need2belean wrote: »It all comes down to the way you are eating. You do not need to exercise to lose weight. Exercise is primarily for your health and to stay in shape. Now, what's the point of logging for 75 days straight if you're not logging everything? If you were, you'd see what the issue is. You're overeating. Whether you're overeating healthy foods or bad foods, you are still eating more than you are burning. Try something different. Why do you need to eat with them? Or if you do, just eat less? I've been eating 5 to 6 smaller meals a day. It's the same amount of calories if I were to eat 3 big meals but it helps me because I'm a snacker. Also, try to pre-plan your days ahead of time. If you are taking care of all the meals, you should know what's in them. So, make recipes ahead of time and input that information into MFP. I've logged in for months without losing a pound because I wasn't eating under my TDEE. Be honest with yourself. Find out what's causing the over-eating.
While you don't need to exercise to lose weight, it's a whole lot easier if you can increase your calorie burn by increasing daily activity. NEAT (non-exercise activity thermogenesis) can help dramatically with weight loss. I burn about 1000 cals/day in NEAT (and, yes, it takes a lot of steps to get to that level). I would be a cranky *kitten* if I had to eat little enough to get a 500 cal/day deficit without that extra burn.
I have a one year old and a three year old. I'm back to work now, but I was SAHM while on maternity leave. I cannot sufficiently "Awesome" the posts recommending getting out walking with the kids and taking them to parks. Kids love to be outside. They love to run around and play. Bring a stroller that can carry both kids if they "poop out" on you and walk with them. Go to parks with playgrounds. Go to parks with nature. (Kids love animals.) If it's cold and yucky out, take them to the mall (or similar large indoor area) to walk instead. Let them play on those "put a coin in it and drive the car" rides as an alternative to the playground. (You don't actually have to put money in when they're little. They're just excited to "drive".)
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deputy_randolph wrote: »When my youngest was 1, I joined a gym with daycare. She's 6 now and has a group of friends of varying ages that she's known for years. Honestly, the gym was good for my sanity and helped socialize my kid. Her transition to school was very smooth too.
Yep! I definitely wasn't trying to knock gym daycares in general. It just didn't work for me at the time. Now my "little" is in his last year of preschool and I do most of my exercise during his class. I do still take them both to the park, hiking trail, and bike trail as much as I can get them interested because I was a really lazy kid and want them to enjoy activity more than I did!1 -
I have 4 kids under 8 and lost 90 lbs over the course of a year or so. Some things I did:
Prelogged. I didn't just eat when they ate, or even what they ate. For instance, they love macaroni and cheese but I found that it didn't fill me up and I was hungry within an hour. So I'd make them macaroni and I'd make myself a grilled chicken salad or something. I had my snacks planned out so I wasn't grabbing handfuls of cheez-its. It worked best for me to prelog the night before so I didn't have to think about meal prep or what to eat during the day when I was busy with the kids.
Worked out at home during nap/rest time. I still have one napper so I'll turn on the tv for any other kids at home while the toddler naps. I bought adjustable weights and use fitnessblender videos.
I lowered my house cleaning standards to find time to fit a workout in. I used to clean during naptime but instead exercise at that time. I figured the house will always need to be cleaned with 4 kids but my health is more important.
Take my kids for walks and try to do active things with them.
Started drinking coffee in the morning because damn. Mama's tired.6 -
I have 2 kids pretty much the same ages as yours, 5 and 18 months.
I take them to the gym with me first thing every morning. I eat my meals right before feeding them, so I'm not tempted to eat their mac n cheese or pb&j leftovers.
Almost all my meals are pre-prepared, so they can be assembled or heated quickly, so I don't get so hungry that I make a stupid choice while waiting for food to thaw or cook.
After I finish eating, I immediately chew a piece of sugar-free gum, so the idea of grazing off their plates sounds gross to me. I chug water like it's my job, so I don't feel snacky, and I tape encouraging notes to myself next to their boxes of crackers and cookies and the candy bucket to keep myself on track (little index cards that say stuff like "will it even taste that good?" and "stay focused!")8 -
Thank you baby mamas!! I needed this encouragement and reminder it's doable. I had a bad few days with sick kids and rain and stuck inside, i was feeling crappy. Today I'm back on my game. I just to make some more changes to see the difference!! Thanks again.7
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Homeschooling SAHM to 4 boys 7& under here.
I get up before the kids and do some yoga, fold clothes, pray, sometimes get in a short session on the mini elliptical. Important: train them not to bother you/come in your room
Joining a gym is great if you can--mine has great child care/kids fitness classes, so we go often. Otherwise, I run on weekends when hubs is home, sometimes i will work out in the garage at night. Point is, it's a priority and I make time for it, even if it's inconvenient.
Food wise...I log it all--that usually keeps me under control. If I feel myself slipping there, I make sure if it goes in my mouth I log it. Makes me not want the hassle of getting out the scale for a few bites of cheese, a handful of chocolate chips, etc.2 -
I keep my food scale out on the counter to make it easy to quickly weigh my food throughout the day. I have an 8 month old and an almost 5 year old. I generally do intermittent fasting until 11am/noonish, then I have a go-to meal (protein oats) to break my fast. Even though I'm at home, I like to prep a few days worth of food to make my lunches/midday meals (chicken, taco seasoned ground turkey, rice, etc) and then I'll add my veggies in. I like stuff I can just throw in a bowl all together and douse in hot sauce lol
I'm perfectly fine with repetition, so this works well for me. If you want constant variety it takes more work.
The nice thing is that you are in control of family meals. So we all eat the same thing, I just weigh mine, or there might be a sauce I skip on my own plate, etc. Also I know what dinner is going to be so I can plan the rest of my meals around it if necessary.
I try not to snack, or if I do then I'll have things on hand that will fit well within my day's macros. I save enough carbs & fat to have chocolate or some other treat at the end of the day after the kids go to bed - which helps me put off any midday hankerings when I know I'll get to eat it in peace without the kids asking for a bite
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I have a 9 month old and 4 year old at home and no gym membership.
I'm strict with my calorie intake, and don't depend on exercise alone for weight loss (there are some days where it just doesn't happen).
I eat a small breakfast (a protein like hard boiled egg and a small fruit), small lunch (egg salad or chicken salad sandwich), minimal snacking, and decent sized dinner (heavy on protein and vegetables, minimal to no grains). I don't cook extra special meals for myself or have a separate eating schedule from my family because I'm on a diet.
I've lost 70 pounds with 6-ish left to go.3 -
I've been a stay at home mum in the past with little ones and you just stick to your cals and play with your little ones if youve chance walk them daily parks great with a ball
Ive also been an out to work single mum and an out to work married mum
I'm a work from home mum now and it's harder tbh I do everything in the home all the washing cooking cleaning shopping DIY gardening lay all the bills make all the food for 5 of us
If we want something bad enough we will go get it Hun
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I work and do most all of the stay at home activities (cooking, cleaning, homework, activities). Good news is to lose weight you just need a calorie deficit. Exercise and activity increase NEAT so you could eat more but isn't necessary. Exercise is for physical, cardiovascular and psychological fitness. Get it in when you can but don't stress it if you dont. It took me several years to find me time (5am) to get in my workouts.
Weigh your food. Log everything you eat ans drink. Find a reasonable goal and stick to it (0.5-1 pound a week is good for most people). Have patience.3 -
jjohnstonlni wrote: »...don't depend on exercise alone for weight loss (there are some days where it just doesn't happen).
This is sensible. If there's one thing you can be sure of with small children, it's that you never know exactly what's going to happen. Food is easier to control than exercise in the face of chaos, and then you can add exercise as and when.5 -
I had almost 3 year old twins, a 6 year old & 8 year old when I first decided to lose weight. Back then I walked a lot with my twins in their pram, and I put a cheap exercise bike in my living room where I had to walk past it constantly, which basically meant I used it in order not to feel guilty.
I organised for my husband to watch the kids in the evening too, so that I could get an extra walk in with my mother. I had to do it because she was coming. It was hard to leave the house! I was not a big fan of exercise at all, but I worked it in. My twins liked to copy what I was doing, so I found workouts on YouTube and did those, and let them do it too.
As for food - I started telling myself that I'm not a garbage can. If my kids don't finish it, it's rubbish. And the proper place for it is in the bin, not in me. It doesn't do me any good to eat of their plates, because I've had my own food. I think when this really sank in was a few years later though when I must have been slipping back into old habits. My son was maybe 5? And he said to me that he wasn't going to eat all his dinner because he was saving some for me to eat after. That's it. Cold turkey, and not the kind that I could mindlessly eat.
My husband and I both cook for the family, and we generally make healthy food that we can all enjoy. Sometimes they'll have something that I just don't want, and my go-to is chicken with a nice big salad and some sort of carb. Pre-logging and knowing what I'm going to eat in the day is key for me. I like to know when I'm going to eat and have something in my day to look forward to. This always works the best when I'm at home, although I can tweak and alter what I'm eating to make it fit.
Fast forward a few years... I'm maintaining at roughly 140 lbs lighter than I was back in 2011. I'm a qualified personal trainer. I do regular training sessions with my kids (now 8, 12 and 13) and my kids know about portion sizes, can use a food scale (although they don't often, despite thinking its fun), and know about eating all foods in moderation. I don't force them to exercise, they love it! They all play basketball, and I've been involved with coaching my son's team as well. Something that 300 lb + me never thought would happen!
It's been an evolution though. I had to remember and force myself to put ME first, and that meant relying on other people to look after my kids sometimes so that I had the time I needed. So I incorporated the kids when I could, and planned around them when I had to. I went a whole 18 months where I got the kids to kinder/school and immediately went to the gym. I worked from home for a long time (up to 60 hours/wk), but when I went back to regular employment I set my alarm for 4.50am and got up before the kids did so that I could get in my exercise. People thought I was nuts. Sometimes I thought I was nuts. But I got the results.
The time is there, you just have to find it.3 -
I am usually so busy I don't have time to eat! But yea I duno I mean, the kids mostly eat when and what we eat. I keep the real goodies out of reach, in the basement or freezer. Pre-log your day can help..drink coffee, tea or water. Meal prep healthy snacks and keep them within easy access.
I workout when the littlest one (1 year) is down for a nap, and the older one (3 years old) I set up an activity or put on a movie, sometimes she even works out with me. Also.. walking.. playing outside, dance parties, group yoga, walking up and down the stairs 100x (I am very forgetful, not sure if that is a good or bad thing lol).2 -
I make time to exercise at home (even if it's late at night after I finally get my 3 year old and 9 month old in bed), and I eat what fits in my calorie goal. A lot of it is just being determined enough to say "no", and tossing leftover food in the trash instead of eating it myself. I drink a lot of water during the day too, so I'm not really hungry between meals. 1
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My mom stayed home until my little brother was 10 and didn't have any issues with her weight. She was very active though - we had goats until I was 15 and she had a large vegetable garden as well as a flower garden.
My sister stays home, is not as active, and struggles with her weight.0 -
First of all, never quit. M FP can help you be accountable if you're being honest and you're logging. Even if you are just gaining and losing the same amount, you can at least start to see a pattern and recognize some areas that you struggle with. Never give up on the process at all. Your health is worth it. Your little ones need you to stick around, and it helps if you are healthy and active with them.
I am a stay at home mom. My son is six, and he just started school in August. I started losing weight this summer before he went to school. It was tough, but I came up with a process that worked. We walked a lot. We went to the playground. We were active. I did very easy workouts that he could do with me. It's good for him to see me exercise and to learn healthy habits. The same can be said for food. I know sometimes it is tempting to eat with the little ones eat, or when they are eating, but we have to practice self-control. I didn't go on a fancy food diet, I just ate the right amount of the food that we normally eat. I have lost 60 pounds this way.
I'm going to request you to be a friend on here. I think you need the extra motivation and support, which I am willing to give. If anyone else would like to add me, feel free. We can all support each other.2
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