Hello there, our fellow moms! We get it. Being a mom means juggling a million things at once, from morning to night. With so much on our plate, finding time for ourselves can feel like Mission Impossible.

Let’s take a moment to give ourselves a well-deserved pat on the back. Seriously, you’re rocking it, my friend! We all know how crazy life can get, with a gazillion things to tackle every single day. But hey, despite the chaos, we’re doing an amazing job.

Self-care isn’t just about us. It’s about our entire family. When we make time to look after ourselves, we’re not just filling our cups; we’re ensuring we have the energy and resilience to be the best parents and partners we can be. It’s like putting on our oxygen mask before helping others on a plane.

Let’s remember that self-care isn’t just about pampering ourselves. It’s about making choices that benefit our entire family, including prioritizing healthy eating and maintaining a healthy weight. Together, we can create a happier, healthier home where everyone feels valued and supported

So, let’s keep that positive energy flowing and dive into some helpful tips to make life a little easier. Whether it’s squeezing in a workout or whipping up a quick, healthy meal, I’ve got your back.

Let’s begin with shedding those extra pounds without adding extra stress to our busy lives!

I promise to provide practical and achievable weight loss tips and strategies tailored to busy lifestyles because I am living proof. If I can make it you will too.

Challenges in achieving desirable weight loss goal

Losing the extra weight can be a real challenge for mothers. Let’s face it, it’s not easy. The biggest obstacle we encounter is lack of time. We have to handle household chores, take care of our children, and sometimes even work. It seems like a joke to find time for ourselves.

And let’s talk about exhaustion. It’s like we’re running on empty 24/7. With all the demands of motherhood, it’s no wonder we often opt for quick fixes like grabbing whatever’s convenient or collapsing on the couch instead of hitting the gym.

And then there’s the pressure from social media. We see how some mothers manage to lose 20 kilograms right after delivering a baby. It can seem unreal and we may think that they have the resources to hire personal trainers or dietitians to help them achieve this transformation. These post-pregnancy images can affect our confidence and leave us feeling less than confident about our bodies.

It then leads to the next point……..emotional eating! Guilty as charged. When stress levels hit the roof, reaching for comfort food is too easy. It’s a vicious cycle that’s tough to break.

And let’s not forget the loneliness. Trying to lose weight without a support system feels like navigating a maze blindfolded. It’s isolating and, frankly, disheartening.

But here’s the thing. We’re not alone in this struggle. By facing these challenges head-on, we can come up with strategies to kick those extra pounds to the curb. Whether it’s finding pockets of time for exercise, leaning on friends or online communities for support, or just cutting ourselves some slack, every little step forward counts.

Together, we can tackle the highs and lows of motherhood and come out stronger on the other side. Let’s lift each other, cheer each other on, and show those extra pounds who’s boss. We’ve got this, mamas!

What to do to stay focused on our goal?

Prepare to discover my greatest secret, how I lost nearly 40 pounds in just 40 days! Dive into my story to uncover the lessons I’ve learned along the way.

 

1. Setting realistic goals and expectations

With a goal in mind, we can then stream down how we can achieve what we want. But first, we will need to set a realistic goal. Losing 10 pounds in 3days is just absurd not it is not a healthy way to lose weight especially if we are still breastfeeding a baby.

We know that all women come in various shapes and sizes but who doesn’t want to have a hot body so we can fit into our old teenage body con dress again?

Remember our main goal here is not to be extra skinny fast to impress anyone but to stay healthy while losing that stubborn fat.

Be consistent! Never give up. Small progress is still progress even if we feel it is taking ages to work. Embrace what a woman’s can do instead and enjoy the process.

 

2. Plan ahead for success

To achieve our goals, it is crucial to have a well-defined and specific target. This target should be clear in terms of what we want to achieve, how we want to achieve it, and within what time frame. Once we have identified our target, we need to work towards it consistently and persistently. This includes breaking down the target into smaller achievable milestones, creating a plan of action, and tracking our progress regularly. By doing so, we can ensure that we stay on track, make necessary adjustments, and ultimately reach our desired outcome.

Whether it is a business venture or personal life goals, it is always crucial to start with a solid plan. The next step is to break down the plan into smaller, achievable tasks on a monthly or daily basis. By doing so, we can avoid feeling overwhelmed and stay on track towards achieving our ultimate goal. It is also important to regularly evaluate our progress and adjust our plan accordingly. This way, we can ensure that we are consistently moving closer to our objective.

Most impossible goals can be met simply by breaking them down into bite-size chunks, writing them down, believing them and going full speed ahead as if they were routine.’ — Don Lancaster

Here is an example in our daily busy mom life. We want to cook healthy lunches every day for our family but how are we going to do it if we are working full time. Set a goal, make a weight loss meal plans and execute them by breaking into smaller sections.

 

 

Now I want to be a fit mom. Plan a roadmap and break the targets into smaller tasks

 

 

3. Self-care strategies

As a parent, we are often caught up in the daily juggling act of balancing our children’s welfare, maintaining a healthy relationship with our partner, and prioritizing our physical well-being. However, amidst all these responsibilities, it is easy to forget the importance of our own emotional needs.

By prioritizing our emotional needs, we not only benefit ourselves but also our loved ones. When we are emotionally healthy, we can better handle the challenges that come our way and be more present and attentive to our children and partners.

Let’s make sure we take care of ourselves and our emotional well-being even when life gets hectic. It’s important to not forget about our own needs amidst the chaos of daily life.

Our emotional state is closely intertwined with our eating habits. It’s been observed that when we experience stress or negative emotions like sadness, anxiety, or frustration, we tend to reach for comfort foods as a coping mechanism.

There is a correlation between binge eating and mood, particularly negative emotions such as sadness, stress, anxiety, and depression. A review published by the National Library of Medicine here concluded that poor mood appears to precede binge-eating episodes.

But how do we manage our stress and emotions and not resort to binge eating?

Stress management techniques for busy moms without turning to food

• Schedule daily self-care time into our routine that brings you joy and relaxation. This could be simple activities like reading, taking a bathtub bath, practicing yoga, gardening, or listening to music.

• Incorporate mindfulness and relaxation techniques into your daily life to help manage stress. This could involve practices such as meditation, deep breathing exercises, progressive muscle relaxation, or visualization techniques. These practices can help calm your mind and body, reducing stress levels.

• Do not hesitate to reach out for support when you need it. Whether it’s talking to a trusted friend or family member, joining a support group for moms, or seeking professional help from a therapist or counselor, having a support network can provide emotional support and practical advice during stressful times.

• Instead of turning to food as a coping mechanism, explore alternative ways to cope with your emotions. This could involve journaling, engaging in creative activities like painting or crafting, practicing gratitude, or expressing yourself through music or dance. Find healthy outlets for your emotions that help you process and manage them effectively.

It is crucial to prioritize our well-being when embarking on a weight loss journey. We should always remember our initial reason for wanting to lose weight – to be healthy so that we can better care for our loved ones. By setting an example for our daughters, other mothers, and women in general, we can show them that we are strong and capable multitaskers.

 

4. Intermittent fasting

I love love talking about this topic, YES! I’m a firm believer in the power of Intermittent Fasting (IF). Intermittent fasting is eating at interval windows

In the past, humans had a different eating pattern than what we have today. Cavemen used to eat only once a day and did not consume as much food as we do now. They would hunt down an animal, preserve the food, and ration it for days.

Ordering food has become incredibly convenient these days. It’s amazing how quickly it can arrive at our doorstep, making mealtime so much easier which leads to how we eat so much these days.

The number of meals in a day itself isn’t key,” said Marissa Kai Miluk, a registered dietitian nutritionist who specializes in stopping binge eating.

Although cavemen ate less, they were still very strong and had longer lifespans, which boils down to the point where intermittent fasting is very healthy. It’s like giving our bodies a break from constantly digesting food, which can have some positive effects.

Yes, there are debates about whether women should eat more to avoid interrupting hormones because we are inherently built to nourish another human being, and I agree. However, in the context of intermittent fasting, we’re not advocating for starvation; rather, we’re simply training our bodies to digest food within specific periods. It’s essential that once we break our fast, we prioritize consuming nutritious meals.

Here is a friendly reminder for pregnant mothers to refrain from attempting any drastic methods that may lead to starvation of the fetus. Our goal should be to provide nutritious food for our baby’s growth and development. While an adult may not require a lot of food, it is important to ensure that a pregnant mama receives all the necessary nutrients for the proper nourishment of their baby.

I’m not an expert, but this method is something I learned from a doctor who researched the struggles and challenges faced by women with a significant amount of visceral fat while trying to lose weight.

I love combining this method with point 5 as below. For me, as someone with PCOS, it’s undeniable that intermittent fasting has been the most efficient method for losing weight healthily. I’ve never experienced weight gain during my efforts to lose weight.

Several popular methods

There are different ways to do it.

1. 16/8 method – This means we fast for 16 hours each day and only eat during the  8 hours window. How do we achieve this? Easy, eat when we are awake for example, 8am. During these 8 hours we eat all the way till 4pm. Who eats when they are sleeping?

“A 2022 study supports this: Researchers found that eating later in the day increased participants’ hunger, decreased the amount of calories they burned, and led to greater fat storage.”

2. 5:2 diet – This involves eating normally for five days of the week and restricting calorie intake to around 500-600 calories on two non-consecutive days.
3. Eat-Stop-Eat – This is alternating our fasting days. Eat for a day, stop for a day. This can be done once or twice a week.
4. Alternate-day fasting – This involves alternating between days of normal eating and fasting. On fasting days, you might consume no calories or limit your intake to around 500 calories.

Method 3 and 4, in my opinion, are more advanced approaches. It’s important to take things slowly and gradually so that our bodies can adjust. I don’t recommend fasting for more than three days at a time. We want to prioritize our sanity and happiness and avoid depriving ourselves, especially since we still need to take care of our little ones

Benefits of Intermittent Fasting

• Weight loss
• Improve metabolic health
• Enhanced brain function
• Increased longevity
• Some even says improve the health to the heart
• Mentally focused

 

5. Healthy eating on the go

If you know the term calorie deficit. This is how it works. It is simple maths. The equation goes like this

Work out more > eat = lose weight   Work out less > binge eating = gain weight   Calorie deficit is we work out/move more than we consume. Hence the weight lost

We are what we eat – Ludwig Feuerbach

 

When the body is in a calorie deficit, it tends to utilize stored fat for energy rather than relying primarily on insulin. This means that instead of using insulin to process glucose from food, the body turns to fat stores for fuel, leading to fat loss.

Healthy eating is not just about following fad diets or cutting out entire food groups; it’s about making informed choices that prioritize nutrition while also being mindful of the types and amounts of foods we consume.

What we eat plays a significant role in controlling our weight, with some estimates suggesting that it accounts for as much as 70% of the equation.

By prioritizing these nutrient-dense foods, we can ensure that our bodies are getting the fuel they need to function optimally, supporting everything from brain health to immune function.

This underscores the importance of adopting a balanced and sustainable approach to eating, one that focuses on nourishing our bodies with the nutrients they need while also being mindful of our intake of unhealthy carbohydrates.

In addition to nutrition, other factors also play a role in healthy eating. These include things like portion control, weight loss meal planning, and mindful eating practices. By being mindful of portion sizes and planning ahead, we can avoid overeating and make healthier choices throughout the day.

 

6. Stay active, stay fit

As moms, we’re always on the move. We are constantly juggling tasks and running around. That’s where that saying “Move to live” really hits home. It’s all about recognizing how important movement is for us.

Even with all the craziness of motherhood, we’ve got to carve out a bit of time for exercise. Maybe it’s during those precious moments when the kids are napping, or maybe we set that alarm a little earlier in the morning.

Whatever it takes, fitting in some exercise is key. It doesn’t have to be anything fancy. Just a quick workout or some stretches can make a big difference. And you know what? It’s not just about staying fit, it’s about feeling good too.

Make moving a priority, not just for ourselves but for our families too.

How do we do it?

1. Incorporating exercise into a busy mom’s routine.
2. Strategies for fitting in physical activity throughout the day.
3. Effective at-home workout routines for busy schedules.
   • HIIT (High-Intensity Interval Training) workouts
   • Bodyweight exercises that can be done at home
   • Incorporating exercise into family activities
   • Utilizing short bursts of activity throughout the day

7. Prioritize sleep for weight loss

Adequate sleep plays a crucial role in weight management, making it essential to prioritize a healthy bedtime routine despite our hectic schedules. Establishing a consistent bedtime routine

1. 1. Can help signal to our bodies that it’s time to wind down, making it easier to fall asleep and stay asleep throughout the night.
   2. Can further enhance our ability to get quality rest.

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How do we do it?

• • Reading a book

• • Taking a warm bath

• • Practicing relaxation techniques

• • Investing in a comfortable mattress and pillows

• • No screen time half an hour before bed

Finally, if despite our efforts, sleep disturbances persist, it may be beneficial to seek help for sleep disorders such as insomnia or sleep apnea.

 

8. Accountability and support

Losing weight can be a challenging and often frustrating process. It’s easy to get discouraged when the results don’t come as quickly as we’d like, or when we slip up and indulge in a bit too much junk food.

That’s why having an accountability partner or support network can be so helpful. When we have someone to hold us accountable, it makes us more likely to stick to our weight loss goals.

Whether it’s a friend, family member, or even an online community of like-minded individuals, having someone to answer to can provide the motivation and support we need to stay on track.

For me, my mom has always been my biggest critic, but also my biggest cheerleader. While her constant critiques can be tough to hear at times, they have also been a great motivator for me. Knowing that she’s checking in on my progress pushes me to work harder and strive for excellence.

When we know that someone else is counting on us, it can give us the extra push we need to overcome challenges and stay focused on our weight loss goals. That’s why I believe in the power of a support network.

Whether it’s a group of friends who are also trying to lose weight, an online forum, or a blogger community, having people to exchange insights and experiences with can be incredibly valuable. So, if you’re feeling stuck or discouraged in your weight loss journey, consider finding an accountability partner or joining a support network. You might be surprised at how much of a difference it can make!.

Conclusion

The key strategies for busy moms to achieve their weight loss goals must be simple, efficient, and adaptable to fit into our demanding schedules, whether we’re stay-at-home moms or full-time working mothers.

I vividly recall those hectic days when I couldn’t even find time to change into workout clothes; I’d exercise in my office attire. Surprisingly, it worked for me as long as I achieved the desired results.

Despite the challenges of motherhood, it’s crucial to prioritize self-care and health. Don’t give up, even when progress seems stagnant. Remember, we’re undertaking this journey for our own well-being, not for anyone else.

It’s important to pay attention to our bodies and avoid overexerting ourselves. Seeking advice from a medical professional, such as a doctor or nutritionist, is a smart decision, particularly if you have any pre-existing medical conditions.

Has this method truly helped me? Yes, it has, as I haven’t experienced any rebound weight gain even after nearly three years without intense exercise. However, I do have some regrets, as mentioned in this post but don’t lose hope.

If you have any questions or need guidance, I’m here to support you on this journey.

This article serves as a guidance for busy moms who want to lose the stubborn fat without compromising too much of their time with the family. It may work differently on different individual.