Mom of toddlers, doing everything right, no weight loss

10BlueDoves

Are you eating your toddler's scraps? This is where my extra calories kept coming from and how I put on a bunch of weight. Cut the crusts off a sandwich, I ate them. MAde 4 mini pancakes instead of the 3 they want and would eat, I ate the fourth. Licked the butter knife after making a PBJ sandwich. The ends of a banana that my son can't stand to even see, ate those too... It was a real eye opener when I started logging calories and added all those tiny nibbles that I hadn't really thought much about before.

Now I have to call myself out. I wrote this post, then got up to get my daughter some cereal, and what did I do that I actually haven't done in a long time? Shoved a small hand full of Life cereal in my mouth without thinking.

FitFoodieMomBillie

I'm sure there are many possible reasons why you have hit a plateau.

As you already stated you are working out (on the treadmill) several times per week then I would ask, is the workout still tough for you or do you just do it and feel good afterwards. I mean do you have the 'i'm not sure I can do this, but I'm going to because I NEED it' thought? If it's starting to get a little easy, find a way to make it tougher for you - you don't need it to be more than an hour a day; what mom has that kind of time?!

I recently added 1.5 lb weighted gloves to my workout. Today I am so sore in all the right places again. Totally a good think as it means my body is changing. You could also try doing a different workout. Cardio is good for loosing weight, but building muscle will increase your metabolism even on the days when you don't work out. It's like getting a freebie! Try lifting weights; you can join a gym, purchase the weights for home use or even start out using canned goods to get a feel for it. Personally I am about to go back to circuit training with a home DVD starting next month and can't wait since I love the way it makes me feel.

Besides your workout, what kinds of food are you eating? Carbs are cardio fuel, but if you supply your body too much they get stored as fat. Protein builds muscle (which helps burn fat) and it also has the added benefit of being more filling than carbs. Also look at the quality of food you are eating. Center isle stuff is generally not the best for you; lean meats, plenty of veggies, and a handful of fats per day is a good rule. Also pay attention to the items you cook with for flavor or add on at the table. Dressings and such can easily pack enough calories for a small snack, and that's on top of what you put it in or on. Make sure you are eating food that has good nutritional value and not just empty calories. Also fat is not inherently bad. Saturated fat is not recommended from today's meat sources unless you eat grass-fed /organic, but healthy fats are necessary for a proper diet. Olives, olive oil, coconut oil, and nuts and seeds are good for you. Water is also very important; are you drinking enough? 8 cups is the minimum. On days you work out or are sweating heavily you should be consuming about 1/2 your weight (as ounces, not converted in ounces) so if you are 160 lbs, then consume 1/2 that would be 80 oz of water or 10 cups. And remember - more if you are in the heat for any part of the day.

Lastly, are you sleeping well? I know, as I Mother, I laugh when I am asked this question. I have children- I don't sleep!! Seriously, though sleep is an important part of health and weight-loss (or fat-loss). Everyone is different, but it is generally somewhere between 6 and 10 hours of GOOD sleep that is needed for the body to do everything it needs to repair your body. I recently added a fitbit flex to my fitness toys; it's an expensive little gadget, for sure but it helps me understand HOW much sleep I am getting. I had no idea I tossed and turned so much! On the days when I sleep sound and for the longest- a whopping 8-9 hours, I will have a nice drop in the scale when I wake up. Not a lot - but a pound or two is worth a good night's sleep at least once a week!

I hope some of this helps you on your journey, and please feel free to friend me or ask any further questions that may have risen from anything I have said.

Billie

tigersword

Thanks, Francl27. It is just such a small gap. I don't want to do anything extreme. We don't have a food scale but I am crazy with the measuring cups and spoons.

Unfortunately, measuring cups and spoons are pretty much a waste, unless you're measuring only liquids. Get a scale.

Hildy_J

Yep. A pair of scales is needed! Well done for all that exercising - fabulous!

jfrankic

OP, how tall are you? How much do you weigh? How did you calculate your TDEE of ~2100? That seems low for all or your activity, but I don't know your other stats. 1800 calories is not alot for a mom who is on her feet all day AND doing extra, intentional hour long cardio 6 days a week. Perhaps you are eating too much by not tracking accurately, but I don't suggest lowering your calorie goal.

I'm on the "eat all the food" team though. For reference, I'm 5'8, weight 158 and eat 2600+ per day to maintain so I lose fat on anything less than that. You may fit in my pocket and not need that much food. :laugh: Gimme your stats if you want some help. 1800 calories does not seem like alot for a mom who is on her feet all day AND doing extra, intentional hour long cardio 6 days a week.

Final thing, please.....please......please do not go to the Dr. Oz website and look for info there on "boosting your metabolism." If you want to boost your metabolism, lift heavy things and eat enough food so your body can efficiently burn fat. That's how. Not eating breakfast. Not by eating every 2-3 hours. Not by following Dr. Oz's "advice."

rosemary98

i am a mother of a toddler. i understand the plateau. my maintenance calories are 1450. i generally eat around 1250-1300. not a signifcant loss, but still should be a loss in a few weeks time. i don't know what to say...but i feel your pain. i log everything...even chewable vitamins. it is like my body has refused to lose anymore. i think i have very poor metabolism.

ValerieMartini2Olives

You said you are breastfeeding. Breastfeeding requires about 500 calories more per day.