25 answers

Weight Lose - Riverdale,IL

Hi Moms,
In the last couple of years I have put on a lot of weight, maybe 40 extra pounds. I’m starting to get really upset when looking at myself in the mirror, photos, going shopping, etc. This is the biggest I’ve ever been in my life; I was smaller nine month pregnant with my daughter. (I cannot even use the excuse that I just had a baby because she’s nine). I have several questions for you moms since you guys are always so helpful.

1. How do you manage working out with your busy schedules?
2. How often should you work out?
3. What suggestion do you have as far as losing weight?
4. How did you start changing your eating habits?
5. What exercises did you do on a regular basis?
6. Could you suggest any healthy snacks and exercises?
7. How did you boost your metabolism?
8. How did you stay motivated and what could I do for energy?

A little background information, I am a single mother. I work full time and go to school full time. Besides work and school I have weekend running around to do with my daughter. I find myself snacking on junk food and not eating, or eating late at night, or snacking while studying. I would like to lose my love handles, belly and tone my arms. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

What can I do next?

Featured Answers

I just quit drinking soda two weeks ago and am already feeling better (less bloated and sluggish) and wouldn't doubt I've lost some weight as well. That might be a start? Good luck to you!

A lot of newer research shows it isn't the exercise, it is the food. And yes that is really hard. You need to work out what constitutes less than 2000 calories a day, possibly less than 1500 per day if you want to loose weight and then stick to it. Snacks can be rice cakes and celery. but really you need to think about alternatives to using food as a comfort. I know it is really hard. The exercise can help firm things up but it generally lead people to eat. So it will not be the weightloser, forgoing the food does that. Good luck.

More Answers

http://www.qualityhealth.com/eating-nutrition-index/eat-l...

try this website has amazing recipes and tips

cut the sugary drinks(coke,pepsi)

and drink a lot of water

1 mom found this helpful

Consider joining Weight Watchers Online. I did just under two weeks ago and it's great! I lost three pounds the first week and ate regular foods and wasn't hungry. It really teaches you which foods to eat. The online program is really easy and takes just minutes a day.

As far as exercise, that won't take off the weight. You want to exercise to stay healthy but don't tie it to losing weight or you'll get frustrated really quickly. I've been very good about working out 4x a week for over a year and lost nothing, even with a lot of cardio. Now, I do it strictly for the health benefits and I'm much happier. Get the exercise in by taking a long walk during your lunch break as a starting point.

My motivation is wanting to stay healthy and be around for my kids as long as possible. Getting my weight under control is key to better health and life expectancy.

1 mom found this helpful

Hi M.,

My husband lost weight by taking an absorbable multivitamin/mineral complex. Nutrition absorbing is the key to the body doing and being what it is supposed to be. You are not supposed to be carrying 40 extra pounds.

After my husband lost 60 pounds, he got excited about his weight loss and started running. (The first 60 pounds came off with no diet change or activity change.) He used a fat burning bar that actually uses your own fat for fuel and doesn't allow the body to hoard it when it is going into a different mode. When he started feeling better, his eating habits changed on their own. Not that he was eating really bad, but there was room for improvement.

I recommended this vitamin to my sister in law who lost 15 pounds, my husband's best friend who lost 50 pounds and a friend who gained 10. She was wanting to put on weight because she couldn't keep it on. (Not MY problem, lol) Nutrition truly puts your body where it is supposed to be!

Let me know if you'd like some information on the vitamin. It's the only one on the market that is guaranteed to absorb, and without creating free radicals.

God bless,

M.

I joined a running class to keep me motivated, i tend to do better in a class setting that pushes me to be more accountable. If that doesn't work with your schedule or going to the gym doesn't work with your schedule then maybe try something like workout videos at home or the wii fit which is fun and you can do whenever - my kids will even do it with me.

It sounds like you might be eating a lot because of stress. try drinking an entire glass of water before snacking it it is not meal time and that helps too. Weight watchers is good because it is all about portion size.

For the foods that i can't seem to leave alone, like chips or the like, i just don't buy them. Can't eat it if it is not in the house. There is a great website/book called Hungry Girl which has lots of easy low calorie ideas for meals, snacks, etc. too.

It is hard but try to think more about setting a good example for your daughter and focus on how being healthy will help you reach goals instead of focusing on the weight loss side so much. As actually does make it a little easier since it keeps you thinking about what you have achieved and not what is left to go. Good Luck!

1. I get up earlier with the sunrise. This gets harder as we have less sun.
2. Every day I do simple stretching, breathing and meditation exercises. I think of this as my 30 minute tribute to my body.
3. Listen to your body more than your emotions. The body carries us through the day and endures an enormous amount of punishment but still responds to carry us through until disease takes over.
4. I hated the way I looked in the mirror and had to come to grips that my body was collapsing under the weight of my choices. Therefore if I were to get better, some part of my attention had to come to my body without excuse. That meant water, veggies, fruit, and some mitigation of my emotional response to my circumstances.
5. Like I said earlier, isometric stretching and breathing focusing on the core muscles where your vital organs reside. 30 minutes a day loving the body you have and letting it recover from the over exercise of the emotions.
6. I take unsalted nuts, spray with a bit of olive oil and do one shake of salt to satisfy my palette. A piece of fruit and some fruit in season. I also incorporate vegetables into breakfast and dinner. Seasonings are important because in older communities in the world this is how they make meals palatable. Turmeric, paprika, cumin, garlic, onion. pepper are all died seasonings that can used to enhance the flavors of meats, vegetable and brown rice.
7. Only movement and change of movement can stress the body enough to change metabolism. Just as the lack of movement changes metabolism increasing movement does the same.
8. Constantly I have to get to me. My mind, body, spirit, family, career. I am the author of my life. I must be precious to me so I can give what I wish to that wish I love. Without I am lost. I have also found that water has a lot to do with the picture. I use alkaline based water for drinking and making teas, coffee and hydration. I also use it for cooking. I use acidic water for sanitizing fruits, vegetables and meats to eliminate the contagions and extra elements that are present in our food. Sometimes I love life, get through it and pray that this too shall pass. And I breathe.
My answers may be ambiguous simply because we each need to find our own balance and just like each snowflake is individual so are we. We must find our own peace through simple principles of mindfulness, love and practice.
My best to you.

Wow, what a busy schedule! Impressive, I don't know 'how' you do it. I work out at a club and do group aerobics 5-7 days a week, I can eat pretty much what ever I want but try to keep it to 2,000 +/- cal. a day. So, run, do tapes at home, available at Collage video online, mic cardio: kick box, dance with weights as often as you can. Muscle burns calories in a rested state plus you'll be tone ;) Mix it up, You can take in 12000 cal per day at an absolute minimum, loose weight and be safe. I didn't 'count' them I was just mindful. I simply decided today was the day and I changed it all. I keep all junk food out of the house, I have no control so that's how I control it. I buy snacks, that don't turn me on, that the kids like to minimize temptation. Drink as much water as you can. Stop sugar pop, for sure. Do what you can every day and you will make it, I did! Good luck.

1. Get up at a God awful early hour Or walk during your lunch hour if you work. Don't make it a production. 30-40 minutes of vigorous walking will do.
2. Most days of the week. I do my best to work out Monday - Friday and often one day on the weekend, but if I have a day during the week that I want to blow it off I allow that with no guilt knowing I can do a day on the weekend. 5 days for sure!
3. http://www.cinchplan.com/healinghappens this is healthy and it works
4. one day at a time.
5. Walking and some weight bearing exercises that I squeeze in here and there.
6. this goes with #3: http://healinghappens.myshaklee.com/us/en/products.php?sk...
or 1/4 cup almonds, rice cakes, carrots or fruit. Be sure to get some protein
7. #3 has a supplement
8. Feeling great helps to motivate!

I do not diet now, but try to eat well. I used to snack like crazy in the afternoons, but adding protein helped. This energy shake allowed me to completely give up snacking: http://healinghappens.myshaklee.com/us/en/products.php?sk...

Michele,
I understand how hard it juggle work, school and single parenthood. I"m a single mom to a two year old boy, and until I graduated in December I was working and going to law school as well. It is a lot of juggling. It's hard to make time for yourself, when there's so much responsibility on your shoulders. I constantly have to remind myself that I can do my other jobs better if I'm healthier. It's not so much a matter of weight, but of health.

I have found two main ways to keep myself healthy. First, I eat what I feed my son. Since I'm careful to make sure he gets fresh fruits and vegetables at every meal, to make certain he he eating whole grains, and that he isn't eating sugar- and - fat-laden except on special occasions, I apply that to my eating as well. When we sit down to have dinner, we both eat a healthy, balanced meal. I eat fruit and yogurt with him in the mornings. And the lunch I have for him is the lunch I take with me to work. I always have cut-up fruit or carrot sticks as snacks for both of us if we're running errands. My son, for instance, adores raw zucchini, and I've adjusted to eating it a couple times a week, too. And I don't sneak "mom treats" unless I consciously choose to. I check with myself to see why I want it - if I need a caffine boost, I have a plain black coffee. if I crave chocolate, I allow myself a piece - no guilt! And before I do any of those, i drink a glass of water - sometimes I find I was actually just thirsty.

Second, I sign up for athletic events, generally ones that benefit a charity. I find that I cannot motivate myself to exercise for myself - I have to have a goal. After almost three years of not exercising, I've just signed up to run a half marathon which will benefit a charity.

It's hard to fit the exercise in to my schedule - Since my son is young, I can still occasionally talk him into getting int he jogging stroller so i can go for a run. that's not going to work with your daughter. But, if she has activities afterschool, like soccer or music lessons, or drama class, you might be able to find a nearby area where you could go for a walk or a jog while she's doing her activity. I also do a lot of walking with my son - it's a good way for him to learn good exercise habits, plus it gives us time to talk about whatever he wants to talk about. I also do things like making myself do two or three situps between chapters while i study, or leg lifts during commercials if I'm taking a break and watching TV. i also watch TV sitting on an exercise ball, which helps my posture and uses my core muscles.

And, importantly, I don't pay attention to how much I weigh. i pay attention to how i feel, physically: how much easier it is to run after i've done it a few times, how may more push-ups I can do on a break than I could when I started. And if there is a special occasions, or if I've had a bad day and want a treat, I have it. You don't want to make it into an unpleasant, deprivation ordeal, you want to be healthy for the long-term.

Good luck. You've got a lot of stuff going on in your life, and you're doing great. Remember that you are the only one who's going to take care of yourself, and give yourself some care and attention, too.

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