Mommies: Need weight loss advice for stay at home mom :)

Bianca - posted on 10/06/2011

I was having a pretty big issue with this as well. My son is now seven months old, and I've only lost 10lbs thus far out of the 40lbs I gained. But I have finally found something that works! I go walking for 30 minutes at least once a day (usually in the morning when it's nice and cool). It not helps me burn some calories, but I also get out of the house for a little bit and it's a GREAT destresser. I have also started to eat better. After having the baby it was hard! I still wanted to eat the way I had eaten throughout my pregnancy. I also go take a full class load to complete my degree. The stress wasn't helping! So, here's what I do:
every morning before I walk I have a protein (usually eggs), a fruit, and a glass of milk. For lunch, I eat 6 oz of salad and another protein, and for dinner I have 4 oz of a protein (beef, chicken, pork, shrimp, etc), 6 oz of salad (which you may have with a tablespoon of a dressing), and 6 oz of cooked veggies. Now, salads doesn't mean it actually has to be all lettuce. It can also be any uncooked vegetable: cucumbers, broccoli, etc. So, I'm eating all this food and so far I've lost 4lbs in 3 days!
I've cut out all flour and sugar and that's not to say you can't cook those things for the hubby and kids because you can, but it's a whole lot easier when you have someone supporting you. My mother in law had done this and in 3 months she had lost over 30lbs!

I hope this helps!

Desiree - posted on 10/06/2011

get a wii, balance borad and wii fit plus! i lost 35 lbs in 3 months after my 2nd was born. my only advice is if possible do it when the kids r napping or pre-occupied with something else. i have a 5 and 2 yr old and both of them want to "help" or "play" and they just get in the way and u end up tripping over them n lose concintration. its a bit pricey to get one but soooo verry worth it in the long run. im now preg with num 3 and i still use it all the time. i def take it alot slowwer then i did and only do the beginner levels but as soon as baby comes and my dr gives me the ok to start again i plan to go full speed ahead!

Tosha - posted on 10/05/2011

I as well have joined weight watchers i have lost 12.8 lbs in 7 weeks i did it before after my first and lost 96 lbs in one year!! If you are a dedicated person it will do wonders for you, and whats nice about weight watchers is as Anastasia said you learn portion control but you also can have some of the foods you love without completely depriving yourself like other diets do you just have to decide what you feel is worth the points!!

Anastasia - posted on 10/05/2011

Here's what I did, I joined Weight Watchers online. In the 8 months that I have been doing it, I have lost 45 lbs. Tey also have a program for nursing women. Weight Watchers worked for me because they teach you how to portion food and all. It worked for me, I have lost all the baby weight and am now working on the excess weight I had before I had kids. Good Luck. Main thing make sure you are eating enough, otherwise your body will go into "starvation" mode and you will still gain weight. I tried that too..

Kylie - posted on 10/05/2011

hey, i read this thing, that sounds great in theory. when you are watching tv, when an ad comes on do thimging physical, walk around, sit ups, anything, and then when your show comes back, watch it. also apparently colder wearther helps weight loss because of all the extra calories needed to keep our bodies warm, so that'll give you an edge what ever you decide.

Valerie - posted on 10/05/2011

I agree that with the other mom who said 1200 is too few for you, especially if you are nursing. I'm about the same height and weighed more than that after having my son over a year ago. Like you, I was desperate to lose the weight but going to a gym wasn't really an option, I hate to work out, and I stay home all day with my son and no help. By the end of the day when the hubby is home, I'm too exhausted to want to work out anyways. However, I was able to lose about 75lbs and am now down to the 150s!!
Here's what worked for me.
1. I did start to watch what I ate. By that I mean, I tried not to eat out and if I did, I picked healthier options.
2. I'm still nursing and I've heard it can burn up to 500 calories a day.
3. I also counted calories and looked for items that would be filling without a lot of calories. For example, while not the healthiest options in terms of salt, etc...a party pizza has about 600 calories. If I eat one for lunch and maybe have a 150 calorie granola bar for breakfast, I could still have about 750 to 1000 calories later in the day.
4. Try to eat snacks that help you lose weight. Apples and celery are negative calorie snacks, in that your body requires more energy to digest them than what is in them!!
5. Swap out sugary drinks (and foods if you can) for water. This can be hard because if you are like me, you may need that huge cup of sugary coffee or soda to get you through your day. But, they do make you more tired in the long run than if you just drank water instead. Plus, most sodas have about 150 calories in them and why waste those calories on a drink.
6. The biggest thing I did though was get Jillian Michael's 30 day shred workout system. It's just a DVD with different levels and is about 30 minutes long. I would put my son in his bouncy chair if he was awake and just do the video. If he was asleep, I'd do it then. But I made myself do it almost every day and now I feel great. Her moves are easy enough to do but they really burn calories.
7. Another thing to try is not eating after 7pm. Why? Because your body isn't going to burn off those calories before going to bed.
8. Make sure you are getting plenty of rest and not getting too stressed out. Both of these things can help you retain weight which I'm pretty sure no one wants to do.
9. If you can't find the time to do a workout, consider asking a sitter/friend/spouse to take the kids for an hour. You need time for you otherwise you will go crazy.
10. Make your workout convenient. By this I mean, put your shoes, weights, DVD near each other so when you get time, you don't spend it looking for what you need. I also tried to do mine before showering so that I would be annoyed with myself until I was clean. For me, it was a very relaxing reward to have a hot shower or bath after working out.
11. Treat yourself to something after losing a few pounds. By this I don't mean get a snickers bar. Instead, a new shirt in a smaller size.
12. Don't go shopping when you are hungry. Also wear snug clothing to make you conscientious of your size. I try to dress up a little for the grocery store so that I feel good about myself. When I feel like this, I don't want fatty food but tend to opt out for a healthy choice.
13. Plan a menu for the week. Some things we like to eat are tacos, vegetables and cous cous, grilled veggies and burgers or chicken, baked asparagus or broccoli. Vegetarian times posts all their recipes online for free and most are low fat and healthy.

Sorry this was long but hopefully it helps!

Desiree - posted on 10/05/2011

I cut out all wheat and cow dairy and dropped 15lbs in about a month (with a cheat day/ meal twice during the first month) I did no more exercise then my normal running after little ones. I make sure to always have sliced carrots and celery in the fridge and started making real meals ie not premade or just add water type meals. These things have worked for me. I've not only lost the weight I wanted but have been able to maintain it better than usual. Good luck

Karen - posted on 10/05/2011

I couldn't lose weight if I ate more than 1200 cal, and that was while I was nursing. As long as you are still able to have a happy baby eating that, I think it's fine. I used weight watchers to start teaching me how to eat healthier. I have a 8 kids and I have to make time. I joined a bootcamp and made the hubby watch the kids for an hour. It's great just to 'get away' and helps you feel better emotionally. Substitute for whole grains and drink at least 8 -8ozs of water a day, and eat more fruit and veggies (I perfer fruit). I tried to eat more filling foods like oatmeal, oatbran ect. I also tried to kick start the weight loss by substituting my dinner meal with a slim fast shake. good luck, I understand how frustrating it is.

Jamie - posted on 10/05/2011

Great advice from everyone above! I have lost 65 lbs all at home doing body weight exercise mostly and eating around 1600-1700 calories/day. I laid off the sweets and doubled up on protein and veggies. Most of my carbs are earlier in the day from whole grains/fruit (paired with protein as suggested above). You can find tons of free programs online to set up short body weight programs for yourself. Check out fityummymummy.com or do a search for body weight programs to get yourself started.

Keli - posted on 10/04/2011

small portions of food,especially supper. personally im feeling the same frusterations.i recently started the Visalus body by vi shake diet where you have 2 shakes a day and whatever you want for supper. ive heard alot of good about it but it is pricey. also try drinking more water,or sugar free beverages.

Maggie - posted on 10/04/2011

add an extra 500 calories for nursing if you are still nursing. eat smaller, more frequent meals Around 6 per day. Switch to wholemeal pastas and rices don't eat too much of it tho, also eat as many greens as you want and do some light exercise at home. My husband is really into his nutrition and calorie counts, he worked it all out for me and I lost all the weight by the time my son was 12 weeks.

Sarah - posted on 10/04/2011

Beachbody has a lot of good workout programs that can be done from home and don't require alot of time, they all have meal plans too that help... Slim in 6 is a good one that is pretty short. Check out my website:



www.beachbodycoach.com/sarahlegros



We also sell Shakeology-- that stuff is amazing, it is super healthy, tasty, and a great meal replacer to lose weight, lower cholesterol and overall feel super better!!! I am 5'11" and weighed 195 after the birth of my daughter, i am at 147 now, just from using their products and eating healthier.

You can order straight from there, or if you have any questions, feel free to contact me anytime!!

Rebecca - posted on 10/04/2011

I lost 3stone after the birth of my baby...But went on the injection and have put it all back on now :( stay away from the injection it is evil! Anyways all I did was play on the wii for a couple of hours a night...Then I swopped my wii for Kinect for Xbox which is basically the same thing except the Kinect will show u how to do it properly and you can do it while the kids are at home and they can even join in if they so wish! Plus u don't have to travel to a gym u can do it right at home...To loose weight a work out 5times a week for about 1 hour a day would loose you 2lbs a week! EATING SALADS AND CRAP WONT TONE YOU UP IT WILL HELP TO LOOSE THE WEIGHT...BUT IF YOUR LOOKING TO LOOSE BABY FAT' then your best bet would be exercise 4-5 times a week for atleast an hour a day and eating small portions of salads and live on apples lol :D xxxxx

Megan - posted on 10/04/2011

Splenda

Megan - posted on 10/04/2011

I have lost 50 pounds so far on whole grain low sugar (sugar busters) and using my stationary bike and walking with my stroller. Also hot tea with a little milk and sole da is great with meals to curb hunger. I also use my fitness pal on my iPod. Great for easily seeing calories taken in and burned. Also Zumba is good and doesn't require leaving the house. I agree that with breast feeding you do need to eat more calories as the baby is taking 300-500 from you a day with leaves your body in starvation mode. This will crash your metabolism and isn't great for the babies nutrition. The whole grain has better vitamins, minerals etc for your baby too. Plus my 2 year old eats all my food with me and likes it. Good luck!

Chantelle - posted on 10/04/2011

Have you looked into Paleo or Primal? Pretty much no grains, processed sugars, or legumes. Eat lots of meats, fats, and vegetables, as well as fruit and nuts. That's what I have been doing, and once I got over the 'low carb flu' I suddenly had more energy, and could keep up with my toddler and 2 month old. Mark's daily apple has some fitness suggestions, but the majority of the change for me has been a change in diet. I don't always bother with the fitness portion. I don't own a scale, but I have definitely seen a change in what clothes I fit into, I've had to replace my wardrobe twice in the last 3 months, and I fit into things I didn't before my first baby. With this you don't worry about counting calories, though most will suggest you watch a nutrition calculator while you get the hang of it, but eat when you are hungry, stop when you aren't is the general idea. You typically drop 5-10 pounds in the first week or so, and then a steady 1-2 pounds of fat after that.

Alison - posted on 10/03/2011

First, I think 1200 calories is too few for you, especially if you're nursing. I don't know if you are or not. Plus, depriving yourself can hurt your metabolism, make your body want to hold onto the fat not lose it because it feels like it's in survival mode, and/or make you binge eat later. You can limit refined sugars and eat healthier snacks like fruit, pretzel sticks, vegetables dipped in ranch, fruit smoothies, whole wheat bagel and cream cheese, hard boiled egg etc. I recommend the book The Belly-Fat Cure for more on that. If you have stairs in your place, you can make a goal to climb them so many times a day, rotate through some workout videos if your baby will let you.

Kate - posted on 10/03/2011

Try eating lots of smaller meals - that worked for me and it's healthier too - keeps your metabolism going constantly rather than trying to digest larger meals.
Also, if you can, try not to eat too late in the evening (so not after about 7pm) - it's harder for one's body to digest food at night.
Another little tip I learned - mixing carbs with protein 'burns' slower (fuller for longer) so eg if you have toast don't put honey or jam (jelly) - rather have cheese on it.
Best of luck.