Advice for busy stay at home moms?

jessp2011
jessp2011 Posts: 40 Member
in Getting Started
I'm currently a stay at home mom with a toddler and twin babies. I know I need to completely change my eating habits and quit drinking pop in addition to starting exercise. Currently, I am totally on my own with the kids for 12-13 hours per day 5 days per week while my husband is working and commuting. What tips do other stay at home moms have for how to successfully lose weight and get healthy?

Replies

  • rlilly697
    rlilly697 Posts: 201 Member
    Use anything around the home you can for exercise!? Even if it means doing squats carrying your toddler! Ditch the pop n start drinking water! put slices of lemon or orange in it to add taste. iys a start n its all about tiny little steps to begin with!
  • Chef_Barbell
    Chef_Barbell Posts: 6,644 Member
    Go to the gym the times hubby is not working.
  • Rufftimes
    Rufftimes Posts: 349 Member
    Get some home DVD's! I haven't hit a gym since I started my journey!
  • Luna3386
    Luna3386 Posts: 888 Member
    Make 1 change at a time.
  • Poisonedpawn78
    Poisonedpawn78 Posts: 1,145 Member
    Develop a technology for little kids to burn off older peoples calories. I am sort of positive that might be worth a few bucks.
  • kommodevaran
    kommodevaran Posts: 17,890 Member
    Don't buy pop. You don't need pop. You need good nutrition to be able to take care of yourself and your children. And they need good nutrition too. So find out what you need to change, and why, and decide how, and then just do it. Taking care of three small children should burn some calories. If you aren't playing with your toddler already, start doing that.
  • Ironandwine69
    Ironandwine69 Posts: 2,432 Member
    Chef_Barbell wrote: »
    Go to the gym the times hubby is not working.

    This!
    It will give you a much needed little break too
  • suenewberry81
    suenewberry81 Posts: 241 Member
    I would rather be a stay at home busy mum than working full time and a mum
    I never have time as I'm working all day and housework cooking etc... in the evenings,
    You can go walking with the babies? Does your toddler go to nursery? Like people have said dvd's set up a fitness plan outside as the weather is good
  • daneejela
    daneejela Posts: 461 Member
    I am not a mum, so this might be totally wrong, but sometimes we get more creative when dealing with hypothetical situation then dealing with the real one. So, here is what I imagine that could be helpful:

    - Walking outside -I am not sure how old the twins are, if they can walk I think it's a nice exercise pushing or carrying a stroller through the park. Kids usually love being outside, exploring word and I think they'll sleep better afterwards also :)

    - Set up a dance time - put some dance music on and shake that *kitten* :) Kids usually love that kind of spontaneous activities and I think after few times they'll remind you that it's a dance time.

    - I am not familiar with it, but I've heard there are a lot of active pc games where you need to move to play, so that could be something interesting to try with your twins.

    - Try to prepare lighter meals with more veggies and fiber. I heard it could be hard to get kids to eat that, but I think you have greater chances if you include them into process of food preparation. My little nephews used to love anything that would make them feeling involved. We made jams together, pasta, veggie noodles, homemade salsa...of course, it was easier to do it without toddler to take care of too, and it's much easier to have patience for it when I know that I can return them to their mum :D

    - Not so much an weight loss tip, but I think it becomes useful in the weight loss field also - give them responsibilities appropriate for their age and learn them to handle part of daily chores, like picking up their toys, putting off dirty clothes, fixing their bed (depending on their age). I think both you and them would benefit from it, you would have some more free time, and they would have a great base for adult life.

    - Don't think of a weight loss as of something that you do exclusively in your free time, instead of make it a family project where you are building a healthy base for your kids too, from meal choices to active lifestyle.

    - Don't get stressed and upset with all things you should be doing and you can't at the moment (like eating x time a day, eating special diet, following a fixed x time a week exercise schedule) and just focus on those things that you can do. Weight loss does not come from the great effort, but from cumulative effect of many small choices over time.
  • Chef_Barbell
    Chef_Barbell Posts: 6,644 Member
    Ironandwine69 wrote: »
    Chef_Barbell wrote: »
    Go to the gym the times hubby is not working.

    This!
    It will give you a much needed little break too

    Very important at least to me as a SAHM. To keep my sanity.
  • deputy_randolph
    deputy_randolph Posts: 940 Member
    I joined a gym with a daycare when my youngest was a year old. Before that, I bought an exercise bike and would squeeze in exercisr when the kids were napping. Sometimes, I could use it for an hour...sometimes 10 minutes.

    I also kept a food journal, so I could target my "bad" behaviors...and I changed those behaviors.
  • 4legsRbetterthan2
    4legsRbetterthan2 Posts: 19,590 MFP Moderator
    I would just stop buying soda and other unhealthy snacks you struggle with. Its easier to just not have them around than to have to look a them and say no all the time.

    Losing weight has more to do with what you are eating vs burning than it does with exercise. So for that part, I suggest just focusing on what you eat and staying within your calorie goals.

    That said, exercise is great too, so fit it in however you can. As already suggested go to gym when hubby is home or join a gym with a kids center/daycare. There are many of those out there now, and alot of moms find their kids love going to the gym just as much as they do. Mom gets a mental break and kids get to play in a cool new environment. If that isnt a option you may be able to find exercise you and the kids can all do together. Go for a walk, head to a local schools track and set the kids up with a ball or toy of their choice to play with in the field while you do some laps. Go to a park and do body weight exercises while the kids are playing on the jungle gym. Sometimes you just have to think outside the box a little bit :)

    Good luck!
  • mitch16
    mitch16 Posts: 2,113 Member
    Don't be a plate cleaner! That was my downfall when my son was young--eating whatever he left on his plate...
  • JulesShamblin
    JulesShamblin Posts: 5 Member
    mitch16 wrote: »
    Don't be a plate cleaner! That was my downfall when my son was young--eating whatever he left on his plate...

    So true! I have twin three-year-olds and I do so much better on days when I absolutely don't let myself even touch their leftovers. Sure, one bite won't completely set me back but it's almost never just one.

    Also, as a fellow twin mom, but with no other kids, I can't imagine how draining your days must be. Good luck to you and twins get so much easier once they start playing together. That first year for us was pretty brutal but now I have a lot more time to focus on my needs as well. I'd say just find a few things that work for you and keep doing your best!
  • ShrinkingViolet1982
    ShrinkingViolet1982 Posts: 919 Member
    When I was at home with my son, I was alone with him for a very large part of the day as well. It will depend what you like to do, but I found walking outside, home exercise via calisthenics and/or dvd's (find cheap ones on Varagesale/Kijiji), and just portion control/cutting crap was enough to lose. Do you have a favourite exercise you can start to engage the toddler in?
  • Sunshine_And_Sand
    Sunshine_And_Sand Posts: 1,320 Member
    If u can afford a gym membership, a lot of gyms offer childcare at the gym.
  • kcmfitness
    kcmfitness Posts: 2 Member
    I am in the same boat as you, I have a 2 year old and a 1 year old. I decided to quit my job and am now going to school to start a new/safer profession. My husband is also gone 12 hours for work almost every day and we do not have any family members nearby, so it's just me. A week and a half ago, I decided to get back on track, so that I can get my body back and just get back into my old healthy lifestyle. I wake up around 7am, get my kids ready with breakfast in their high chairs and workout where I can monitor them. Sometimes, I will also put on their favorite movie and put my youngest in the playpen and workout in the same room as the. I have been eating clean and exercising and have already lost 3lbs, so it is very possible to start your fitness journey even in the busy,hectic stay- at-home mom lifestyle. I make sure to eat a lot of protein and foods with fiber, so I stay fuller longer. I do not buy any unhealthy snacks, drink only water and unsweetened tea, and using the food/calorie tracker on this app has kept me on track lol. It has helped me become aware of everything in my food, so it has been easier to make better choices. I also started following fitness instagramers and youtubers, so that also helps with staying motivated.
  • chessachanning
    chessachanning Posts: 11 Member
    I am a stay at home mom of two 7 and 5. I've lost 51 so far. My best advice is water and don't cut out things. Just adjust how much you eat. I still have ice cream with the kids but a small or one cookie. Then try to eat better choices.

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