Busy mommy with terrible eating habits and zero discipline...
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AshliElle
Posts: 7 Member
...new to my fitness pal. Mom to a 3 1/2 year old, a 5 1/2 month old and step mom to a 13 year old. Enjoy working out but just can't seem to find as much time to do it between going back to work and doing everything for the kids. First to admit that if I dont stay on top of it, I have TERRIBLE TERRIBLE eating habits and have a hard time sticking to diets. I just absolutely love food and have a hard time not thinking about food. Seriously, I often wonder if I could use hypnosis or something ha ha! But I'm usually very successful when I track my food, and when I have great people around me helping to hold me accountable. I get really bored with eating healthy really fast and could use pointers for sticking to a healthier eating regimen, not snacking with kids, eating healthy when out socially/not being a social eater, trying to have the discipline to eat healthy when the husband and kids are eating pure deliciousness right in front of me, etc.
Happy to brefriend anyone really....but anyone in a similar boat: other busy moms, nursing moms, working moms, people who can share easy, fun, and delicious recipes, and ideas for how to fit working out into a just about completely crammed schedule! & anyone who wants to crack the whip and help keep me from eating myself into a food coma is welcome to befriend me as well :-D
-Ashli, xoxo
Happy to brefriend anyone really....but anyone in a similar boat: other busy moms, nursing moms, working moms, people who can share easy, fun, and delicious recipes, and ideas for how to fit working out into a just about completely crammed schedule! & anyone who wants to crack the whip and help keep me from eating myself into a food coma is welcome to befriend me as well :-D
-Ashli, xoxo
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Very same boat here haha I have a 15 month old! And im getting surgery. A side effect of that is weight gain!!!!!!! Its going to suck but I need to stick to it this time! !!0
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ha ha! Why does it have to be so hard? I literally daydreamed about all the foods I couldnt have before bed last night (popeyes/ hooters wings/ dairy queen). It was just awful @kayleev0715 I really think a lot of my problem is in my mind...like, if i could only stop thinking about food! smh Good luck with your surgery and health/fitness journey.0
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Hi Ashli!
Sounds like you are cutting some of the fun food out of your diet and torturing yourself! I still eat goodies and things that aren't good for me (cookies, cheeseburgers, fudge) by making sure they fit into my calorie goals for the day. I still try to eat veggies, salads, fruits, and healthy foods about 75% of the time.
If I know I am going to be eating out with friends later in the week, I try to build a "bank" of uneaten calories, exercise hard that day to have some exercise calories to eat back, try to find healthier low calorie alternatives on the menu to form the bulk of my meal and then split anything sinful and calorie laden with several friends. By splitting, I get to enjoy several bites of something I truly enjoy but don't feel like I have to eat it all if I order it just for myself.
I know moms that work out with their kids and the little ones think it is a game. The 13 year old may be willing to walk or jog with you too. You may be able to sneak in mini workout sessions of 10 minutes throughout the day a few times each day by doing pushups, planks, squats, lunges, and walking up and down stairs.
Feel free to add me.
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the reason you can't stop thinking about food (trust me, been there, done that, still a struggle sometimes) is because you're telling yourself you can't have those things. Fit it into your day... calorie budget. Think of calories like money to spend and then evaluate if that food you want is really a good investment to your day. That helps.. i literally fit 2 ice cream sandwiches in every day even when I'm cutting..0
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All really great ideas @debubbie. So once I have a small taste of goodies, I tend to go overboard. I can't have just one cookie (although I surprised myself on Monday and did it). But I really need to have more will power. Its very hard for me to allow myself goodies without over doing it. So I guess I tell myself its better to cut it all out for now at least until I'm better with controlling myself.
With the excercise, I was doing c25k on the trail by my house while I was on maternity leave. I got to week 6. But then the weather got cold and the time changed and it started getting dark around 5:30pm. By the time I get home from work now its 6:00pm and I immediately go into cooking dinner, washing bottles, nursing baby/pumping, packing lunch, checking homework, cleaning kitchen, getting school clothes out (hubby isnt that much help most times lol) and by the time all of that is done its 9 or 10pm. I need to be better about working in me time and working out would be a great way to do that...but I have a hard time pulling away from my family to go to the gym for a few hours....esp after being away from them at work all day. So reccomendations for the short 10 minute workouts sound exciting! Thanks for the ideas & keep them coming 0 -
Add me please... Same boat.. Two part times, a 6 and a 13 years old and studying at the same time... Feel with no motivation and last year I gain 10 pounds...(and I was already overweight). Love good and junk food and get bored easily of healthy foods...0
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wow. that sounds amazing! I guess I should re-evaluate how I approach this whole healthy eating thing. Thanks! @allanakern0
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Hello to all: yesterday I tried to start the new healthy habits... So I made a Caesar salad, green beans and baked a whole chicken. I have everything in the table (pretending to be Martha Steward lol) and called the family... Their reaction: yucky.. What is that? I do not want to eat...
Rests: I eat the food with my husband and the kids end up with cheese sandwich... Uff!0 -
I used to be you, very busy, full time job with two young boys. They are teenagers now and more self sufficient. However, you owe it to your kids to teach them good eating habits while they are young so they don't struggle so much when they get older. I wish I could go back in time and teach my kids better habits and limit the junk, but I can't.0
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You can do it! I used to be a high school math teacher (meaning I never stopped working, even on the weekends!) while nursing/pumping full time. It was so hard, and now I'm at home with my toddler and new baby and still struggle to find time to exercise! What I found that helps me is squeezing in little exercises wherever possible. I used to set goals for how many push ups, planks, and other little things I would do during my lunch break in between tutoring and pumping for the baby. Every little bit counts, even though it seems like nothing is happening.
Also, I found that jump roping burns nearly twice as many calories as running, so if you can jump rope for 10 minutes, that's almost like running for 20! Try to get the most calorie burn out of just a few minutes. Even if you jump rope for 5 minutes in the morning and 5 at night, that's more than you were doing before and that still burns approximately 100 calories.
As far as the food is concerned, I find that I have to be diligent about counting my calories or else I will over eat. But like @allanakern said, think of your calories like money. If I know I'm going to eat ice cream later, I'll be super careful what I eat for lunch. I also find that when I plan and prepare ahead I'm so much better. I used to pack my salad and snacks for lunch at work the night before to help me stay on track, and I always grocery shop with a list. Preparation is so important to keep me from over indulging. Also, find healthy things you enjoy, or can at least tolerate. I hated salad unless it was covered in dressing, but I started eating it because I knew I had to do something. Now, salad is my favorite meal and instead of dressing I usually use just a little balsamic vinegar and I love it. Your tastes will adjust with time, but it's difficult at first. Don't let anybody convince you it's easy, because it's not, but you can do it! I used to weigh 240 lbs and it was super hard work, but I got down to 160! Now, after 2 babies I'm back up to 200 but that's why I got started on myfitnesspal again. It helped me last time when I got stuck at 180 and just couldn't seem to lose any more. Now with two little ones keeping me busy and a husband that loves everything fried, I need the accountability again or I'll never lose the baby weight. Be encouraged and know that you're not alone and you can be successful!
-Laura0 -
Hi Ashli!
Sounds like you are cutting some of the fun food out of your diet and torturing yourself! I still eat goodies and things that aren't good for me (cookies, cheeseburgers, fudge) by making sure they fit into my calorie goals for the day. I still try to eat veggies, salads, fruits, and healthy foods about 75% of the time.
If I know I am going to be eating out with friends later in the week, I try to build a "bank" of uneaten calories, exercise hard that day to have some exercise calories to eat back, try to find healthier low calorie alternatives on the menu to form the bulk of my meal and then split anything sinful and calorie laden with several friends. By splitting, I get to enjoy several bites of something I truly enjoy but don't feel like I have to eat it all if I order it just for myself.
I know moms that work out with their kids and the little ones think it is a game. The 13 year old may be willing to walk or jog with you too. You may be able to sneak in mini workout sessions of 10 minutes throughout the day a few times each day by doing pushups, planks, squats, lunges, and walking up and down stairs.
Feel free to add me.
The above is excellent advice. Also, try not to change everything at once. It can be overwhelming and you won't stick to it. Rather than "dieting", which is temporary and produces temporary results, try slowly changing your habits one by one: increase your water intake, cut out sugary drinks. Then reduce desserts to only once or twice a week. Then cut out snacking. Increase the amount of veggies per meal while decreasing excess carbs. These are just examples as I don't know your current habits, but hopefully you get my point. Best of luck to you. Where there is a will, there is a way.0 -
Have you tried meal prepping to help keep you on track? Whether it's preparing meals in Tupperware or making a menu. I'm a stay at home mom with a 9 year old son and a 3 1/2 year old daughter. One would think that being home all the time would be perfect for eating healthy and working out religiously. False! I'm in the worst shape of my life!!! I was much more active and healthier when I worked full-time, before I had my daughter.. I struggle with binge eating, when I'm in the house all day. I've found that making a menu for the week for myself & family really helps!! I dedicate Sundays to meal planning, grocery shopping, and meal prepping. With little ones around I find that menu's/meal prepping for the week really help!
I went out a bought a 'Biggest Loser' workout DVD for the days that It's too cold out to get motivated to go to the gym. My children love to do it with me! I find it easier to try to include them in an activity then to try to get to the gym in the evenings. Yesterday we had a snow-day and both kids were out shoveling snow with me. Do you have a Pinterest? I'm obsessed with Pinterest and look to it frequently for meal ideas and also bodyweight workouts. YouTube is also great for at home workouts. I'll hook the laptop up to the TV and the kids do it along with me.
Hope this helps a bit- know you're not alone!0 -
I'm experiencing the same as all of you. I was on Weight Watchers a couple years ago and was very successful at it. But then life got in the way and I had to quit. Unfortunately, I didn't take my lessons learned, was stressed out beyond imaginable and gained all the weight back. I can't afford Weight Watchers but Fitness Pal seems to have a similar program... tracking things, etc. I'm hoping I'll take what I learned the first time around, including time for myself which is the hardest thing for me and be successful at it. With it being so cold, I need to figure out activity inside. I know there are apps out there, but need to find ones that I don't consider "exercise" and more "activity." It's all about the lingo for me. It can't be "diet", it's "change." and it's not "exercise", it's "activity." Have to psych myself out to make it work. Like I said, I'm new to Fitness Pal so if anyone has tips, I would really appreciate it. Thanks!0
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Great advice all around! I'm in the same boat - I'm a food blogger so I think about food ALL the time. I also have 2 kids, husband, yada-yada. I have to set boundries - I may let myself go somewhat on the weekends, but then I need to dial right back in and eat healthy during the week. Also, nothing can be forbidden - that'll just make you want it more. For me, it's much more about portion control , and planning ahead, and just having the right mindset - you can enjoy it but just be reasonable. The word "diet" should be outlawed!0
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Mother of a 2 yr old and 6 month old! Nursing too befriend me 0
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I'd be glad to befriend you. I am in a similar state. Mother of 2 (ages 7 & 13), work full-time, foodie, and not very consistent with the working out. Don't get me wrong. I don't hate exercise. In fact those rare moments when I do get on a roll, I very much enjoy it. It's just that those moments are too sporadic to make a difference in my weight loss efforts. Also, my favorite thing to do is go out to eat and to the movies (concessions!!!!) with my boys. Hopefully, we have something good to offer one another on this fitness journey.0
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Some people have given some great advice!
I'm a mother to 3: 9 years old, 7 years old, 3 years old. I work full time for the government and go to school part time. To say my life is busy always seems like an understatement. BUT I always go to the gym. Usually 6 days a week. Why?
Because I want to lead by example for my kids. I want movement and nutritious foods to be their "normal."
All 3 of my children know why we don't eat fast food very often. They all know they HAVE to eat their veggies at dinner. It's not that we don't get treats, because we most definitely do, but they understand WHY we only get the treats every once in awhile.
As a busy mom, I'm in better shape AFTER 3 kids than I was before getting pregnant with my first when I was 18. The struggle is there. It's hard and it takes work but I know that I'm worth it. My kids need me. How can I be there for my kids if I am slowly killing myself with a "normal" American diet?
You can all most definitely add me. You will see I struggle every day but even 1 baby step in the right direction is better than doing nothing at all.
Much love for all us hard working mamas!
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I am in the same boat! Starting another new year with hopes of staying on track and losing the baby weight!0
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Hi! I'm a mom of two girls age 7 and 5 both very busy with soccer and Girl Scouts...and a step mom to a 18years old and just got a new 4 legged kids(a puppy) and with cookie season starting here in Texas next week I'm already going crazy with trying to fit my runs in.. but like one of my very close friend says you have to make time.. schedule a hour a night or even 30 minutes each night and thats your work out time... your you time. that what I do.. my husband has learned not to b**ch about it cause it what I want to do to make myself better... I have my plan printed out and hung up so he know when and what I'll be doing durning the time. he helps with the kids... as for the food... prep your meals once or twice a week.. I do snack and lunch prep on sundays for my week and come up with what I'm going to cook for dinner and make sure I have the food on hand so I don't just go to a drive thru.. Hope this helps
Friend me if you would like to!!!0
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