Please help

gomsm2

I am 30 years old about 5 foot 7 inches and am around 190lbs. I have been down on my body for about 2 years but havn't gotten off my lazy *kitten* to do anything. I have to for my family and me now.

Half of my reason is no time and also no knowledge. I have 2 kids under 3 and a stay at home mom however my husband doesn't get home till late during the week. We don't have any extra money for me to hire a babysitter or even join a gym. Can someone give me starting pointers. I LOVE to eat so I would like to have 2 snacks a day. What should I be fixing? We can not buy a whole lot of food but want to start somewhere. How many days should I be working out? What should I be doing? Remember not a lot of time. Please help me get a jump start. Once I see weight lose I will feel better. I need to make this happen.

Kimd1972

First and foremost, congratulations on making a decision to get healthier. That is the first step!!! I started by watching Fit TV and actually getting up and doing the workouts. If oyu have Fit TV, watch a few programs, find one you like and DO IT! As far as snacks, you can always go with fruits, popcorn, nuts, etc.

Hope this helps! Good Luck!

wingertonium

First you're doing the right thing by asking for help and using a tool such as my fitness pal.
Stop feeling defeated! You can do it.
Now for at least one week record EVERYTHING you eat.
Don't diet, don't do anything diffently just record.
After the week review what you've eaten. It will startle you.
For instance do you eat break fast? Do you drink your calories?
Are you over indulging in things such as condiments that have a lot of hidden calories that you just don't think about?
What is your water consumption?
Once you see where you are then you can start making smarter changes. If you're a muncher (like I am) keep healthy snacks that you like around the house, carrots, apples, grapes, hummus (which has protien to boot), and track that. Then slowly start excercising. Just a little to begin with, park your car in the farthest space from the grocery store, don't use the elevator etc. You'll be surprised how little it takes to change your body and your body image! Good luck.

bldillar

Maybe you can get a workout dvd and start exercising at home while you are keeping your kids. Also, taking walks with them is a good way. Workout videos at home are hard to stick to because there is no peer pressure or accountability-but you could do it! Taking walks would be good because once you get so far from home, you have to walk that same distance back whether you want to or not.

Snacking is a good thing if you choose the right snacks. Snacks like a small bag of chips or crackers might seem like a good idea (100 calorie packs and all) but they don't fill you up. They actually only satisfy for a short time and you'll be hungry again. Raw veggies or nuts would be a better snack since it provides protein or fiber to hold off hunger.

You might like this website-their are TONS of great tips on how to save money as a stay at home mother, and a lot of cheap but healthy recipes. http://www.miserlymoms.com/


Good luck!

TabiHerbalifeCoach

I am a single mom, active duty military, and I go to school. I know its hard to find time to work out, but you can add little things everywhere, as mentioned take walks with the kids, when they are napping do some sit ups do some push ups, you don't have money for a sitter but do you know other moms you could swap with for an hour here or there 2-3 times a week to work out? use your kids, LOL I do like with my son i lay on my back and push him up and down...he keeps saying again mommy again...he loves it and my arms get a good work out, have them chase you around a yard or play area....kids are actually pretty quick. Hubby may get home late, but he's home see if you can snag 30 min once or twice a week to jog/walk or run- something a little higher speed than you can do with the kids.

of course join a group on here!

Chenoachem

Great start. You are here.

I always involved my daughter in my workouts. Losing the weight is about 80% food choices and 20% workouts. Start by going to the playground and playing with them. Take walks in the stroller. Park farther away from the entrance to the stores. All those things can add up.

It is better for your metabolism to snack on small healthy foods all day than it is to just eat 3 meals a day. Sounds like that would work for you. Try to log your foods and divide your calories up throughout the day. Eating a big breakfast will give you more energy and jump start your metabolism for the day.

Good Luck.

Thick80

I'm a stay at home mom too and having anyone watch my kids so I can go to a gym is not an option. I would suggest taking walks with your kids, running stairs if you've got them, or purchasing/ renting workout dvd's. Netflix has alot of different ones and I pay like $16/ month. You could actually start off by purchasing "30 Day Shred" by Jillian Michaels. The DVD is under $10 @ Walmart and it's a great workout to do at home.

As far as food, the main thing to keep in mind is the less that went into making it before you bought it, the better. When you cook meals, use lean meats. . Make the portion of meat more like a side and make your veggies your main attraction. Fresh veggies and fruits are expensive sometimes so check out the frozen ones. Canned vegetables are loaded with sodium so if you go that route, rinse everything with water to get rid of the extra salt. This site is going to be so helpful for you to learn what you're actually eating. For example, I ate at applebees the other night and thought I made a great choice ordering off the "under 550" menu. Little did I know my Asian chicken crunch salad ( whatever it's called) had more sodium in one salad than I'm supposed to have all day. Salt is not your friend when losing weight

You are in the position to lose several lbs. very quickly. When you first start dieting, you shed alot of water weight in the first week. I lost like 7 lbs in 2 weeks. Of course I was bummed when it stopped, but I'm losing steadily.

You can do this!!!!

xarrium

Hey--welcome to MFP!

There are already a lot of good suggestions here for workouts--get a DVD and do your workouts at home, involve your kids, etc. Always remember that you don't *need* a gym pass, you can invest in some relatively cheap items (resistance bands, a few free weights, a yoga mat) and do all your workouts "for free" that way.

As far as food, I find that buying a lot of the cheap veggies that keep for a long time helps me stick to my budget... carrots keep *forever*, so don't be afraid to buy a whole bunch at once, same for flavour-enhancers like onions and garlic (which are very handy in cutting down on salt, if that's a priority for you). I also agree with the tip to buy frozen veggies--they're just as healthy as fresh and they're so easy to work into just about any dish (I love stirring frozen peas into low-fat cream soups). I also try and ensure that my carbs are whole-grain, so when the bread I like is on sale, I buy a bunch of it and freeze everything so it doesn't go mouldy. Beans (although usually high in sodium) are great protein substitutes and every week I'll have eggs for dinner as an omelet.

Stick to tracking your food on this site and you should see results pretty quickly--good luck, and congrats on starting the journey!

CFAITH_WARD

You can also get exercise videos at the library........Oh and i make homemade soups and grill extra meat and keep them in the frig....so I have healthy food ready. When eating fruit and Veggies think you want to eat the rainbow everyday.. Eat as many colors as possible the color indicated similar nutriunts. Get a scale and premeasure out snacks to take with you....Dried fruits and nut....I even do it for my kids I use the snack bags....bring apples with you. Snacks and premade food is the key....Do this on weekends when Hubby is there.

LainMac

Depending the weights of your kids, you could use them, (in playful way of course) as weight lifting.

Sit on the couch, have the older one sit on you feet, hold your calves, and do leg lifts.

Lay on your back, and raise the younger one, like you are bench pressing.

Go outside, when weather allows, and play "chase me, chase me". Tuck long skinny rags into your waist band and try to get them to grab them. Do the same to them and chase them.

As they get bigger and faster, you'll be stronger and faster too!