Weight Problem in SAHM

My "go to" when I need to lose a few pounds has always been Weight Watchers. I lost 40 pounds on it years ago and have kept it off. Once in a while, when I see a few pounds creeping up on me, I get out my weight watchers stuff and start counting my points. Works for me every time! Also, you didn't way whether this is an option, but joining a gym with a free daycare (most have that option now) is a great way to get a work out in and the kids have a safe, supervised place to play while you work out. Good luck!!

This is what I did. 4 years ago...and still keeping it off.
http://liveitdontdiet.isagenix.com/us/en/company_associat...

B.
Family Success Coach

Fiber. I can't say enough about it! The goal is 30 grams of fiber a day and it's HARD to reach that goal! I use Super Seed Beyond Fiber by Garden of Life. I buy it online at vitacost.

This sounds lame but try Walk Away the Pounds by Leslie Sansone. I thought it was for old people.....Until I tried it! It works!

Also, drink 1/2 your body weight in ounces, every day.
Eat your meals on a salad plate and have snacks planned and portioned out so you are not tempted to keep snacking.

Okay.....so I am going to go take my own advice! :) Here is to health and being a healthy weight!

Check out SparkPeople.com. It's a free site where you track your food, exercise. There's even some motivational reading. I'll let you know when it works for me. I like the suggestion about no food near the computer ... I say that as I eat my lunch at my desk (at work) and usually my dinner at my desk (at home). How about little things like no fried foods and the only treat each day is a fun size candy bar? Again, I'll let you know when that works for me.

i love the suggestion of drinking water when you are hungry...for me it's nighttime when I snack the most and if I drink a cup of hot lemon water, my snacking is TOTALLY curbed. It is amazing!

As far as exercise, I would suggest setting a long term goal for yourself, like running a 5K, competing in a triathalon...there is so much out there, so where ever you intersted lie, there will be something! I have found that having a long term goal keeps me going. It is always better to do it with a friend as they will help hold you accountable!

I am sure you will get lots of ideas and diets and exercise plans offered.
But in the meantime... try this: Everytime you feel hungry, drink 4 or 5 oz. of water and wait 5 minutes before you eat anything. EVERY time (except meals). More often than not, we are thirsty and not hungry. For whatever reason, our brains register the sensation of beginning dehydration as hunger. So instead of eating... drink something (water is best). If you do that, and wait a few minutes before allowing yourself to eat anything, you will likely find that you forget about the food. If you don't, then you might actually be hungry.
Give it a try...

Do you have a YMCA nearby and can you afford to join one? They have free childcare and other classes for kids, etc. You can workout on your own or take a class. You might find a workout buddy there to motivate you too. Some sort of weight resistance training is really important for long term fitness and health. You can do it with machines, classes or even have a session with a trainer who teaches you how to use your own body weight as resistance at home. The Y has been my lifesaver. Sometimes it feels like a "spa day" to me if I have time for the sauna after my workout. Good luck! I'm off to the Y now! (-:

Edited to add: My Y also offers nutrition classes and counseling. Depending on your health insurance provider, many will also offer a discount on your monthly premium if you attend some sort of health or fitness club a certain number of times per month. I need to go to the Y 12x/month to get my discount, but I get $20/month off of my health insurance premium, which helps defray the cost of the Y's membership.

How about getting a really good workout in early in the morning before your husband leaves for work? I started going to Adventure Boot Camp at 5:30am and it has worked really well! In 3 months, I've lost 3" around the hips and the same around my waist. As an added bonus, after doing a really tough workout first thing in the morning, my metabolism is kick-started for the day, and I am unwilling to sabotage my diet/exercise program by having any unhealthy snacks during the day. It is really great motivation. And since it is so early in the morning, my husband is still in bed and so are the kids, so nobody misses me and I have no excuses not to go. (Plus it's really fun, so even though I'm not a morning person at all, I've been waking up before my alarm goes off, ready to go!)

Also I would say, why not save your chores for the times when your kids are napping (or even do gardening outdoors)? Then your hands are busy doing something else at the time when you'd normally crash in front of the computer and snack. Just a thought!

There are really only 2 surefire ways to drop weight...exercise or change your eating habits. If you can't seem to find the right workout for you, then you'll need to change your eating habits. I never keep any chips, cookies or sugary foods in my house. I keep a lot of fruit, cheese, yogurt. Find more protein based snacks. That is a big one. I like to have cheese and grapes when I need a snack or those cottage cheese doubles with fruit you mix in. Many people don't like bars because they think they are too dry and gritty but they have come a long way. Try a few different ones. They make great snacks as well. Go for a Balance Bar or Zone Bar that is balanced carbs, fats and proteins versus an energy bar packed with carbs. The last thing is dedication and your frame of mind. I kept saying I wanted to lose weight after my son but had no motivation until one day I had to go to a larger size and that's where I drew the line. You have to be 100% committed to it. Once the weight is off, you can still treat yourself every now and then but don't go crazy.

Noodles-- well- eat less of those-- HA.
Awesome that you walk daily.
I just posted for Angela above you-- so check that too.
It took me some time to learn too..........used to eat low cal, low fat and got larger even though I worked out 5 days a week, 2 hrs each time. A trainer friend of mine noticed and gave me some great tips. Then I found better nutrition, and started wellness coaching part time.
Eat for color-- the only thing on your plate that is tan , is your lean meat or cottage cheese. That is the easiest way to make eating healthy and take off that 10 lbs. Not sure on your height and weight, average woman, 1200 calories/day, 5-7 servings fruits and veggies, half your weight in water, 75 gm of lean protein/day, one starchy white flour (like one piece of bread, 1/2 potato etc) per day max. Basics.
If you want more personalized info-- feel free to email me at ____@____.com

check Angelas' post-- several have given great ideas.

B. J

I am a stay home mom and my husband works alot... so to get me time I joined an athletic club(nice gym) that has child care on site, as well as kids exercise programs and swimming lessons for kids. The kids love the child care and I met alot of moms and see them regulary and the kids see the same kids regulary too..
Lenc

I too am a stay at home mom, have been for 20 years. My advice? If you don't want to or can't get a job outside the home, do other things that take you out of the house. Walk at the mall, go to parks, go to the library, anything that will get you away from the temptations. I have put on at least 70 lbs in the last 20 years, and its much harder to lose it when you are older. Get involved in a Weight Watchers group. Form a walking club with other stay at home moms, take the kids with you. Staying at home is what packs the pounds on. The computer doesn't help either. Try to limit yourself to the amount of time you spend on it. Of course, put healthy foods and snacks in your house so that if you do eat its healthy food. Drink lots of water. I have a 64 oz cup I got from Kum n Go that I fill with water at the beginning of each day. Once I have drank all of it, I allow myself a diet pepsi which is my favorite drink. You'd be surprised how fast that water goes down knowing that diet pepsi is waiting for me. Thats all the advice I can think of at the moment, Good luck!

I was at home for almost 18 months. And it is so easy to snack at the computer. I made a rule that absolutely NO food is allowed within 5 feet of the computer. This helps the unknown eating, which is pretty much what is happening. You are on the computer and not paying attn to what is being eaten. Do not allow yourself to eat any food, water only, when on the computer. Also, do some other types of exercise. I have the same problem with videos so i try to take the stairs more often, purposely forgetting something when going down to do laundry so I have to come back up to get it.

I was a SAHM and did the same thing except I went from 115 to 160+ in about 3 years. The whole thing is I didn't realize that I had gained the weight until one day I looked in the mirror and I looked like I could deliver anyday. It has taken me a year but I am now down to 120 appx.. it fluxs 2-3 lbs either way. I am still at home but looking for work. For me this main issue for not loosing the weight was the stress of taking care of my terminally ill husband. Bad sleep habits, eating when I could etc etc. So now I try and stick to a regimine that fits my life style. I get plenty of sleep, drink plenty of water and cut back 1/2 of the my previous food intake. I still enjoy the occassional hot fudge sundae or candy bar and I don't feel guilty about it. One thing I have found that helped me is when I get that bored wanting to eat feeling I find something to do with my hands. For me it is cross-stitch needlework. or I will do dishes or clean the floor. Anything that will keep my hands busy and off of putting food in my mouth. Yes it was difficult at first but don't get discouraged I went up and down for the first 6 months but then it became a habit to eat right, splurge now and then, drink a lot of water and try and walk when I can. Good Luck.. you can do it!!

Have you tried drinking smoothies when you get the snacking urge? I use the Weight Watchers smoothies mixes but you don't need them. I usually use yogurt or a sugar free pudding and add fruit (fresh, canned, or frozen) and ice cubes. I also add some milk sometimes. One of my favorites is to use a chocolate pudding and powdered peanut butter. It's fun to experiment with different ingrediants. They can be very filling and they help take care of the munchies.

For me, who was never an athlete, running has been the best solution! I get up before the kids (and while my hubby is getting ready for work), and run for 30-40 minutes. All you need are a pair of shoes and to step out the door. The caridovascular benefits are great, I feel wonderful from the endorphins, and I've lost all of my baby weight.

If this doesn't sound like an option for you, why don't you consider ways to get a little workout in during your regular day. Try putting the kids in a jogging stroller or if they're old enough they could ride their bikes while you walk. Play in the back yard or at the park with the kids - chase them, race them to the fence, play soccer/baseball/football, dance. Set up an obstacle course (jump over this tree branch, do 5 jumping jacks, run to the tree, do 5 push-ups) and compete with your kids. Even just adding this stuff in a few times a day for 10 minutes will make a major difference in your weight and how you feel!

Good luck and hang in there - you can do it!

hello
try Weight Watchers.. It's a great program and so easy to follow. Depending upon your weight, age and every day activity level, you are given a specific amount of points. The thing is, the points get you away from thinking in terms of calorie intake, but rather begin to have you become more aware of portion size. Once you begin to lose the weight and become more aware of how much you are actually eating each day, you begin to see where your weaknesses are.. You have to keep a daily planner of points used and after awhile you begin to see that some foods have more points and little nutritional value while others are just the opposite. What that does is cause you to become more aware of what you are about to eat... and at least you have choice of , do I eat this and use up all my points or try and level it out throughout the day. Lastly, if you go to a weigh in each week in person, that too can be fun in that as you begin to lose the weight, it makes you more inclined to stick to the program so that the next time, when you weigh in, you'll have lost even more. Also, the group leader hands out things for achievement and everyone claps.. it's a supportive environment.. However, if you decide NOT to join weight watchers.. maybe at least begin to keep a nutrition journal and write down EVERY THING!! even as weight watchers calls it, the BLTs... bite, licks and tastes << it's those that add up...... e.g... one mozarella stick.. about 70 to 90 calories.. all fat... my point is.. it may not be the main meals but as you say.. the snacking...... that will def add up..
wishing you the best

I had a psychologist who taught a college class I took point out that we respond to Pavlovian triggers just like dogs do. And that the first thing he suggests to people who need to lose weight is that they only allow themselves to eat at the kitchen table, because the body triggers "it's time to eat" chemicals and processes in association with locations where it has been allowed to eat before. So he said you should never let yourself eat at your desk or the couch or wherever else, because sitting down in those locations would start to trigger the munchies every time.

I've never had a weight problem and I do stay at home. I drink tons of water everyday. I eat what I want, just in moderation.

I know this sounds bad but when you open our fridges, there is a pig noise. It is a reminder "am I really hungry". I also have a picture in the pantry of a grossly obese woman.

Those 2 things work wonders for me.