Easy Weight Loss Tips for Moms and Busy Parents
Weight loss is hard. You know that. You've tried to lose weight in the past and failed, or maybe you're trying right now. Whether you're a mom or dad, I know it can be especially hard when your children are involved or if you have other demands on your time, like work or other family obligations. But we all need to stay healthy and live longer lives—don't we? So here are some simple tips for eating healthy food that will help both kids and parents lose weight. They'll also be fun for the kids!
Don't eat while you're cooking.
This is a tip that seems obvious. If you're cooking, don't eat. But it's really hard to resist eating when you've just fried up some delicious hash browns or made yourself some fresh guacamole, so here are a few tips for keeping yourself from indulging while you cook:
Don't eat standing up. If possible, sit down at the table with your family before serving yourself or making food for others. This will help keep your mind on the task at hand rather than on finishing everything in front of you as soon as possible so that everyone can get back to what they were doing before they had to stop and make dinner!
Don't eat in front of the TV (or computer). This one is easy—don't watch TV while eating! It's too easy to be distracted by commercials advertising delicious snacks or fast food restaurants advertising their newest special deal—and then before you know it, another hour has passed without realizing how much time has gone by...
Eat more protein, especially at breakfast.
Protein is a building block of muscle, so it helps you feel full longer. It's also more satisfying than other foods and can help you eat less overall. Protein helps your body recover after exercise, which keeps your metabolism up and burning calories all day long. In fact, the American College of Sports Medicine recommends that active adults get about 30 percent to 40 percent of their daily calories from protein to support muscle development and strength training goals (this is equivalent to 0.8 grams per kilogram of body weight per day).
To get enough protein in your diet every day:
Eat more meat, fish, eggs and nuts at breakfast; then have chicken or other lean meats with vegetables as part of lunch or dinner.* Make beans or lentils part of any meal by adding them as side dishes or mashing them into patties for burgers.
Change your nighttime snack habit.
A lot of parents are often tempted to binge on sugary and fatty foods, especially when they feel tired. But this is not good for your health, and it will make you gain weight. If you want to lose weight, the best thing that you can do is change your nighttime snack habit. You should have a healthy snack before bed because it will help control your appetite and prevent overeating later in the day.
When choosing a nighttime snack, avoid high-calorie, high-fat snacks; alcohol (including wine); caffeine from coffee or tea; sugary snacks such as candy bars or chocolate; junk food such as chips or French fries (French fries contain trans fats which can lead to heart disease); salty snacks like potato chips; spicy foods like pickles and hot sauce; heavy foods like fried chicken wings that cause bloating after eating them; greasy foods such as fried fish sticks which contain lots of cholesterol that can increase the risk of heart disease if eaten regularly over time; fatty foods made with butter such as cheese puffs contain large amounts of saturated fat which causes obesity if eaten regularly over time
Eat slowly and savor every bite.
Eating slowly can help you feel fuller for longer, enjoy your food more, and avoid overeating. When we eat too fast, our bodies don't have time to register satiety and tell us that we're full. This can lead to overeating or bingeing on unhealthy snacks later in the day. Eating slowly also gives us time to enjoy our food and savor it—helping to prevent over-consumption of calorie-dense processed junk food.
Find a healthy food buddy.
Find a healthy food buddy. It can be difficult to stay on track with your weight loss plan when you're going it alone. Having someone else to support you and keep you accountable will help you stay motivated and focused on your goals.
If you don’t have any friends or family members who want to join in the healthy eating plan, consider finding one online through social media or an app like MyFitnessPal. This is especially helpful if they live far away from you because they'll be able to offer encouragement while not being physically present in your life (and therefore tempting).
Make a pact with your friend/family member that neither of you will give up on each other during times of struggle—no matter what! If one person doesn't want to exercise any more or eat healthier foods, the other should force them into doing so by threatening not only their own health but also their partner's health as well (just kidding… kind of).
Compete with each other! Set weekly goals for weight loss or a number of healthy meals eaten per week or month (whatever works best), then share updates with each other weekly so there's some friendly competition going on between buddies! This can motivate both parties involved because no one wants to let down their buddy—especially when it comes right down to bragging rights at family gatherings over Christmas dinner ("Hey mommy look how much weight I lost this week compared to my sister!").
Go easy on yourself.
If you're a mom or a parent, it's easy to feel guilty about not being able to get back into your pre-baby body.
It's okay if you don't look like you did before you had kids. You have more important things to worry about! You're raising children, which is something that should make everyone proud. Your body was created for this exact purpose—and if it helps your family stay happy and healthy, then why waste time worrying about what other people think?
You should focus on making sure the people around you are healthy and happy instead of comparing yourself with other moms or parents who are slimmer than you are. Even if they aren't in great shape, that doesn't mean that their lives are perfect; remember: there's no such thing as perfection!
Move more during the day.
You already know that you should move more, but it's easier said than done. When you're a busy parent and have to get your family fed, dressed and out the door every morning, it can be hard to find time for exercise. Even if you have time for exercise outside of home, there are plenty of other things that may get in the way: work meetings and deadlines; school projects and homework; parenting duties like housework or laundry; kids who need help with their homework or getting ready for school. So what's a busy parent to do?
Take the stairs instead of riding elevators (or escalators).
Walk to the store instead of driving there (or taking public transportation).
Take your dog on long walks daily rather than sitting down on the couch watching TV at night when he needs his daily walk.
Get a standing desk so that while working at your computer, you're also stepping around throughout the day (this can also be combined with treadmill desks).
Make exercise fun for the kids (and yourself).a
Kids will be more likely to get in shape if they're having fun while they do it. Try taking your kids outside and playing active games with them. You can also go on walks together, or set up a family exercise routine where each person takes turns leading a stretching or weight-lifting session. This way, everyone gets some quality bonding time while also getting their heart rates up and burning off those extra calories!
These simple tips can make a big difference in helping you lose weight if you put them into practice every day.
If you're like most people, you've tried to lose weight and failed. Most of the time, it's because we expect too much from ourselves and believe that the only way to lose weight is by starving ourselves or doing hours of cardio every day. But that's not true! There are a lot of simple things you can do each and every day to help accelerate your progress.
The key is consistency—and small changes that make a big difference over time! So don't get discouraged if you don't see results right away (or even in months). You'll be glad later when they add up together!
Conclusion
If you've been struggling to lose weight, these tips might be just what you need. They're simple, effective, and easy to implement. The most important thing is to start today! If you need some extra help or motivation along the way, see if there are any support groups in your area or consider joining an online community where people can encourage each other on their weight loss journeys.
-Leah Peters
leah@leahpetersfitness.com
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