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jjr0898
jjr0898 Posts: 3 Member
in Introduce Yourself
Hey everyone! I have been doing this going on 3 wks now. Its a daily struggle for me trying to lose weight. I stay so busy with my 4 kiddos that I'm finding it hard for me to walk or exercise and to cook good meals sometimes. Any suggestions? :smile:

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  • sarahcuddle
    sarahcuddle Posts: 349 Member
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    Planning is key especially with a busy life. Make up healthy meals in portions and freeze or find some quick fixes that are also healthy. My favourites are smoothies with fruit and Greek yoghurt for breakfast which you can whiz up in seconds. Might even get the kids having them too, mine do. Turkey steak pizza. Cook a thin turkey steak til nearly done, slice a tomato on top and a sprinkle of mozzarella cheese and grill. Easy, healthy and my kids love em! Can you walk to school?.or part of the way? That's what I started out doing. Now I do all sorts of exercise but at first something simple that will fit into your day is easiest. Just start making some changes and you will notice the difference
  • shyeban
    shyeban Posts: 121 Member
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    It needs to become a part of your lifestyle - in my opinion that's the only road to success. Get your kids involved. Walk when you can instead of drive. Do leg lifts or squats when you brush your teeth...
  • Bull2707
    Bull2707 Posts: 106
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    Both hit it on the head here. It is not something you just wake up to. You have to research it and find what works for you. it is even harder to get your familiy on board but you can win them over. Get to see a nutritionist is another good choice. Good luck and keep motivated!!
  • pberta
    pberta Posts: 48 Member
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    Hello and welcome. Below are a few comments from my experience:

    1) Track Everything. Even if you had a terrible day enter it. It will help you see where you went wrong and identify things that you can do to make things better going forward.
    2) Cut things that you can live without first. If you drink sugar soda, whole milk, juices or desserts replace them with lower calorie options. Switch to whole grain breads and eat more whole fruits.
    3)If you tend to eat at fast food places often make better choices. McDonald's, Burger King, Wendy’s all have better options available like grilled chicken, veggie burgers, salads and apple slices.
    4) Try to eat on a schedule. Even if it is just a snack or protein shake during the day it will help you control overeating because you starved yourself all day. It also helps avoid over eating for convenience

    5) Any exercise is better than nothing. Park a few spaces father from the supermarket. Take the stairs versus the elevator or escalator. Walk to the playground with the kids. If you have a significant other or someone else that comes home from work try to see if you can squeeze a 20 minute walk in by yourself. It will not only help get a little more movement, but also clear your head. (There is only so much Thomas the Train I can take)
    6) Do not think of what you are doing as a diet. You are making life changes. Just as your kids were born learned to crawl, walk and run you are doing the same. There will be days you ‘fall down’, but you need to get up brush yourself off and get back to your lifestyle change.

    As for the family I would not make too many changes to begin with. If you slap a big bowl of vegetables on the table the 1st day you may find all your stuff packed on the curb the next morning. Small changes like switching to low fat milk or whole grain breads make a difference. If you tend to keep a lot of snacks in the house buy single service packages or separate bigger bags into smaller zipper snack bags for easy portion control. Most of all do not get discouraged. You have a lifetime ahead of you.

    Most importantly use MFP to build a group a people who can help motivate you. There are so many great people here that have the same goals and can relate
  • LDragonfly1980
    LDragonfly1980 Posts: 22 Member
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    I would get the kids involved...perhaps do your excersise on the weekends...take them for nice walks or go to a play area and just make yourself more mobile.

    My little nieces love dancing! Turn up the stereo and gett boogying! They poop me out with 40 mins of dancing :o)
  • dani_1977
    dani_1977 Posts: 557 Member
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    Yes yes yes... planning and preparation. I love..love the crock pot. Do you have a pinterest account?? Search frozen crockpot meals. lots of options. You can take a few hours on Sunday and chop, prep and freeze for other days. This will help alot.
  • Florawanda
    Florawanda Posts: 283 Member
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    I know just what it is like with 4 children.... so absolutely agree you need to get them involved. Maybe have a family meeting if they are old enough to explain that you need to lose weight so you are around for longer for them (without frightening them!!!) and get them onside. Make it a bit of a game, and make the changes slowly. Like most of us, you are in this for longterm lifestyle changes, which hopefully will rub off on them, too. And see if they will help you find time to exercise by sharing some of the chores.
    It is a challenge, but will pay off in the long run for you all... but the key thing is to make it all fun .. you are not dieting as a punishment, but finding a new, better way to live. And the compliments the whole family will get will be a rich reward, far better than that tempting chocolate biscuit!

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