This Is A Lot Harder Than I thought It'd Be =(

kaybear85
kaybear85 Posts: 9
edited September 21 in Motivation and Support
So I've been doing this calorie counting diet for about 20 three weeks and I must say it is def a lot harder than I thought. I have three children who as of this week have gone back to sports, what this means for me? I don't get home until 9 PM most nights and since eating that late is not that healthy I am eating outside food most of the time. I have been good and actually gotten nutrition information from all fast food restaurants that I frequent and know the exact nutrition information for all the foods I like and carry that in my car but this week I haven't even been able to do all that.

I have read in a few places that eating under 1000 calories a day is bad for you, right now I am averaging about 500 a day. No time for breakfast, gotta get the kids to school, no time for lunch, work is super busy so I eat dinner. With snacks here and there I make it through each day.

Any suggestions?

Replies

  • Samantharose8akaDebbie
    Samantharose8akaDebbie Posts: 407 Member
    Ok, I am going to ask this very gently - What is your husband doing? Please don't take it the wrong way........just a question:bigsmile:
  • CarolynnW
    CarolynnW Posts: 35 Member
    When you know you're going to have a busy day, can you pack a cooler with your meals? I do it for my husband everyday. And also, I keep a cooler full of water in my vehicle to make sure I get that in and not have to buy when out.
  • missboriken
    missboriken Posts: 52 Member
    I have a crazy schedule, also with 3 kids and with a sailor that's mostly deployed I decided that the only time I have for me is by getting earlier & skipping TV altogether. That way I have time to plan, type, bag my lunches & snacks and do some cardio. Otherwise I can't.
  • erickirb
    erickirb Posts: 12,294 Member
    Eating like this will deteriorate your body and system. 1200 is the min that anyone should have, any less than that is next to impossible to get the required nutrition. Also eating so little will have effects on the body as non-essential to life functions of the body may start to shut down leading to a host of problems one of which is that it makes it harder to lose and easier to gain weight. You body will also feed off of your lean muscle making you metabolism slower and yourself weaker. Please eat more. Try getting up 15 min earlier and eat breakfast.
  • ChubbieTubbie
    ChubbieTubbie Posts: 481 Member
    I understand what you're going through. I have kids on the go four nights per week, and I've found the following things help me:

    1--pack a meal. Sandwich, pretzels, drink, fruit. Eat on the go, but not through a drive thru.
    2--exercise while the kids are busy. My daughter has gymnastics for two hours on Monday nights, and I spend an hour and a half of that walking/jogging. Dancing on Tuesdays and Thursdays for the girls means that I get another hour of exercise time in.
    3--eat breakfast! Even if it's something you're muching on when you're walking out the door. Apples and PB are easy on the go.
    4--Pack a lunch for work. Eat it at your desk.
    5--On weekends cook meals to last the week. Freeze some, put some in the fridge. Grab them and go when you are leaving the house. Warm it in the microwave if necessary before you leave, and when you drop your kids off you can eat it in the car.
  • Trelicious
    Trelicious Posts: 5
    My parents were the same way when I was growing up! My sister was a cheerleader and in the drama club. I was a volleyball player and a rodeo girl! So we also had 4 horses! What my mom did when she dieted was she packed a cooler of everything she wanted to eat during the day and took it with her! She got one of those small insulated coolers and a ice pack and would put things like sandwiches, peanut butter crackers, tuna and crackers, granola bars, pretzels, almonds... things she could eat when she was on the run from a cheerleading practice to an out of town volleyball game. She would even eat her sandwich at the games at times. I don't have kids or anything but I was the child in the life you are talking about and my mom made it work! Pack it in the morning, enter it in to your food diary and you are done for the day! Just a thought from what I saw my mom do since she was the exact same way!
  • Bellydance
    Bellydance Posts: 105 Member
    You gotta steal some time from somewhere else for YOU. Plan your meals and make them ahead of time. You are important and you need to treat yourself that way. You have to eat more often and more calories or your body is going to hold on to its fat. I buy cut up veggies or have a 1/2 day that all I do is cook and chop veggies. Put a good low cal dressing on the veggies and keep in a bowl in the fridge and put them in baggies or individual containers that you can just grab them. Cut up cooked and seasoned lean meats and do the same with that. Make YOU a priority cuz your family needs you to be happy and healthy. Hang in!!
  • nisijam5
    nisijam5 Posts: 9,964 Member
    I agree with packing the lunch meat and bread...even healthy fast food is not a good choice...You can pack a thermos of homemade fresh soup...torilla wraps and fruit

    Low on time, can you have home delivery of groceries and shop on-line...I did it for a while...it's a wonderful service

    Also, when the kids are in sports...I watch for a while and then I am selfish and walk the rest of the time to get the exercise "I NEED"...remember, it not all about the kids, hubby, work...there's a "YOU" to think about
  • chichi1967
    chichi1967 Posts: 54
    I have kids & lots of errands to do as well...Keep your snacks on you at all times including fruit...I get the bacon ranch salad at mcdonalds alot (I dont eat their chicken just cause I dont like it) with basalmic vinager dressing...it all totals 180 calories. If you go to restaurants - get kids meals. I know its hard but if you plan your meals & snacks you'll do great. My kids pack my snacks for me before we go anywhere. Get your family involved on helping you.

    Eat fruit for breakfast or on the go healthy bars...Dont forget to drink tons of water.
    Make a plan on what restaurants you will not absolutely stop at even if your kids want to.

    Hope this helps a little

    Lynda
  • sorellabella
    sorellabella Posts: 133 Member
    From one mom to another yes, it is hard however, you may want to plan your meals so you are not starving your body. That is going to just work against your weightloss.

    I have a similar schedule so I use my crockpot especially during soccer season and cook double one night and have leftovers for another night.

    Hope those tips help some and you find something that works for you...:flowerforyou:
  • AgeTaylor
    AgeTaylor Posts: 14 Member
    On the weekends, or whenever it is you've just gotten back from the grocery store, make up a bunch of chicken & salad wraps or something of the like. Wrap them individually and store in the fridge. As the previous poster said, put yourself a cooler togeth with some water, throw in a wrap and a few other snacks that'll get you through the day.

    Another idea is to get individual serving sized containers to put leftovers in from cooking. If you'll be somewhere with a microwave people usually don't mind if you borrow it for a minute to warm up your food.

    Planning & preparing ahead is the only way to tackle those kinds of busy problems. 500 calories will leave you weak, light headed, irritable and forgetful, and you're too busy of a mom for that!
  • nhendri
    nhendri Posts: 236 Member
    Plan Plan Plan Plan!!!! Oh and Plan. It will take sacrifice like getting up earlier or staying up late but in the end you will benefit from it. Also I have a question. If your eating on the go (fastfood) is this also what your kids are eating? If so you realy need to plan ahead and pack lunches. Im a firm beleiver that fast food does not give anyone the nutrition they need. You kids and you deserve and need more!!!
  • missboriken
    missboriken Posts: 52 Member
    Oh yes! The savior of the busy mom! The Crockpot!
  • DancingDreamer
    DancingDreamer Posts: 520
    oi being busy like that is hard :c but its actually surprisingly easy to make it easier for yourself!

    pack ahead. this is the best advise i can give you. pack yourself a breakfast, a lunch, AND snacks all in a nice large lunch box (if you dont have one they have these REALLY nice ones at Target that are round and have three different colored compartments, one can be breakfast, one can be lunch, and one can be healthy snacks! (if you cant tell i REALLY want one of these, but...i have no money...at all XD) they're not that expensive either, and the colors are cute and you have a few different options) if you do this the night before you ALREADY know in the morning how many calories you are going to eat for the day (easy to log in here, you can even do it the night before, when you make it) and then making yourself some food doesnt become a hassle for you during the day because you've already made the food.

    a question: do you pack lunches for your kids? if you do then when you make those lunches make your own as well, there's no reason mom cant get a lunch too!

    good luck and i hope this helps!
  • melodyg
    melodyg Posts: 1,423 Member
    Definitely planning and packing healthy portable snacks is the way to go!

    Breakfast: can you eat oatmeal at your desk at work? Even the instant packets are better than nothing! Yogurt? Grab a piece of fruit to eat in the car on the way to work? Are the kids eating breakfast... because if you have time to make breakfast for them you have time to grab something for you too! (I've been eating an apple and low-fat cheese for breakfast. I buy a bag of small apples and a block of 2% cheese, cut the cheese into individual servings when I get home from the store and just have to grab on those hectic mornings. Yes, I should probably be eating more for breakfast but that at least gives me a quick mix of carbs/fat/protein to keep me going for a couple of hours)

    Lunch: Again, go with quick and easy! Peanut butter sandwich on whole wheat, fruit, cut up veggies with hummus or italian dressing. String cheese? Tuna salad (with mustard or low fat mayo) on whole wheat?

    Dinner: Having good nutrition info on restaurants is a good first step. Can you throw in some on-the-go options too? Eat a piece of fruit or a sandwich while you are watching the kids at practice. Or get in some exercise for you while they are getting exercise!

    The crock pot is great too!
  • Jena_72
    Jena_72 Posts: 1,057
    the other posters have said it all YOU ARE NOT EATING ENOUGH!! If you don't put yourself first noone else will either! I finally had to come to this conclusion a month ago now I lock the kids out of the house literally until I am finished excercising! You have to eat waaaay before dinner! I dose not have to be a big production but it has to be something! Yesterday I grabbed 2 slices of bread threw on a tbs of light mayo 10 slices of ham (1 serving) and ripped off some romain lettuce and that was it it took less than 3 mins to make and come lunchtime I had something to eat and it was GOOOOOOD! You have to take the steps to be prepared for your day. The healthy food will not get into your fridge by itself! I hadn't went shopping at the end of last week and struggled with what to eat because I needed to go shopping!! I finally went and I was so PROUD of the way my fridge looked clean and full of fresh fruits and veggies! Sara Lee has a low cal bread only 45 cal a slice. I am a busy mom too but if I want to be here for my family I have to do these things! And so do you! Good Luck NOW GO EAT!!! :tongue:
  • kaybear85
    kaybear85 Posts: 9
    Samantharose8akaDebbie - No worries my husband and I own a business , aside from my full time job and he runs it from the labor point of view. He works very hard and because that is our main source of income he is always busy =( He is a very strong provider but because we have only been doing our "own business" thing for a few years its harder to deal with everything. I feel like I help him by taking the kids to everything... it may be time for a restructure though =)
  • kaybear85
    kaybear85 Posts: 9
    Thanks everyone, I guess I do have to find time to actually do what I need to do. I work for the government and I have literally 15 minutes to eat in between meetings and such. I think that I'm gonna try the snacking thing throughout the day and see how that pans out =) Thank you all once again.
  • nisijam5
    nisijam5 Posts: 9,964 Member
    Thanks everyone, I guess I do have to find time to actually do what I need to do. I work for the government and I have literally 15 minutes to eat in between meetings and such.

    Can you get a little fridge by your desk, or a little microwave for frozen dinners?

    My hubs and I switch turns on taking kids to sports/event...he will go for the first hour and I go to the second

    Oh, do you have a place where you can prep a week's worth of meals to freeze...another great option...it only takes an hour
  • kaybear85
    kaybear85 Posts: 9
    I have to check and see if we're allowed fridges her, I doubt it, we're not even allowed space heaters.

    I have thought about frozen dinners but have always been told that they are not too tasty... Any suggestions on which ones I could try?
  • TateFTW
    TateFTW Posts: 658 Member
    If your choices are slowly digesting your own muscle and organ tissue to survive or having a frozen meal with a little too much sodium along with an apple and a couple meal replacement bars, I'd recomend choice #2. But that's just me.
  • nisijam5
    nisijam5 Posts: 9,964 Member
    Space heaters are a fire hazard...hopefully, you are allowed a mini-fridge...don't tell my kids I said this...easy to ask for forgiveness than permission...lol

    I like the healthy choice...lower sodium, my favorites are beef tips merlot, mashed potates and baked apple desert, turkey with mashed potatoes, squash, apples and cranberries...bring a bag of salad and dressing...basically, you can buy a whole meal...I really don't like any other brand...maybe start a new thread for ideas
  • KarenBorter
    KarenBorter Posts: 1,157 Member
    Planning & preparing ahead is the only way to tackle those kinds of busy problems. 500 calories will leave you weak, light headed, irritable and forgetful, and you're too busy of a mom for that!

    Not only will it do all that but you won't lose any weight either :)

    I know it seems like you don't have time but you really do ... it doesn't take that long to put stuff together. I have been avoiding bringing lunch because I didn't have time. I MADE time last night and it only took me 15 minutes to put together my lunch for today and snacks AND log it into my food diary :)

    You can do this ... and remember to take some ME time!
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