When you’re a mom, you have so many different acts to juggle–the kids and their school, after-school activities, housework and often a full-time job. It can be difficult to try to find the time that you need to lose weight and become healthier. Fortunately, you don’t have to spend hours a day getting healthy. With a few moderate changes to your lifestyle, you can lose weight.
Weight Loss Basics
Weight loss occurs when you find the right balance between eating fewer calories than your body needs but enough to keep your metabolism active. The best way to do this is through a combination of eating healthy and exercising. Counting the calories that you eat can help you stay focused and make sure that you are not overeating. Of course, as a busy mom, it seems a lot easier to pick up dinner at a fast-food place or skip the exercise routine to relax in front of the TV. You’ll have to make some changes to your lifestyle if you want to lose weight.
Eating Right
Weight loss starts with eating right, which means you need to have the right ingredients. Keep junk food out of your home to avoid temptation, or purchase healthier versions of high-fat foods. Aim to eat five servings of fruits and vegetables daily–these foods are low-calorie but will fill you up so that you don’t want to eat unhealthy foods. If you want to have snacks, purchase the 100-calorie packs or make your own. This allows you to have the treat but stops you from mindlessly sticking your hand back in the bag. Cook healthy meals for your family, and make double batches to freeze and eat as an easy meal later.
Fitting in Exercise
It’s hard to find the time to exercise. One way to do it is to wake up 30 minutes early and go for a walk or do an exercise video. It will be hard at first, but after a week, you’ll enjoy the alone time. If your kids are very young, put them in a stroller during nap time to get your exercise. If your kids are older, you can exercise with them, walking alongside while they ride bikes or riding a bike as well. Aim for 30 minutes of exercise a day, but it doesn’t have to be all at once. If you can squeeze in 10 minutes in the morning, during your lunch break and after the kids have gone to bed, it starts to add up.
Misconceptions
It’s easy to think that if you don’t have the time to exercise or make home-cooked dinners, there’s simply nothing that you can do to lose weight. This simply isn’t true. Even eating at fast-food restaurants, you can make healthier choices and still lose weight. If you remain committed, you can lose weight despite your busy schedule.
Warning
When breastfeeding, you need additional calories to supply the milk for your child. Some women have difficulty losing weight when breastfeeding because they are not eating enough. According to Baby Fit, you need an additional 500 calories to produce breast milk. If your weight loss has stalled, you may want to try adding healthy calories to your diet.
