Being a mom is tough. It’s a heavy responsibility and a lot of work. If you’re a mom, you’ve probably got a lot on your plate, which makes weight loss difficult.
It can be tempting to take dangerous weight loss drugs like Ozempic or engage in other unhealthy weight-loss shortcuts, but it’s never worth it.
There are natural ways to lose weight which won’t risk your health. After all, you need to stay healthy for the sake of your children, right?
Natural ways for moms to lose weight include:
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1. Plan What You Will Eat
You should analyze your diet and track how much food you eat compared with how much food you should eat. Schedule what you will eat two to three days ahead of time. You will set yourself up for success by giving yourself structure like this.
Consider using a meal planning app. Such apps can recommend a daily calorie limit for you based on your weight, height and how many pounds you want to lose.
Find ways you can incorporate your favorite foods while maintaining a calorie deficit, yet not restricting yourself. Figure out creative methods to tweak your favorite foods in order to have them be healthier.
You can lose weight while eating your favorite foods. If you’re craving some ice cream but can’t fit those calories in today, plan the next day out ahead of time and find a way to fit the ice cream into it. Be smart about your meal planning, realizing you can always eat the food you crave later.
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2. Be Consistent, Not Perfect
The best way to successfully lose weight is to adopt healthy habits which you stick to. You make them habits by being consistent.
It’s important to set realistic goals for yourself. Is it realistic for you to eat every single meal at home? Is it realistic to expect to be able to exercise six days per week?
When you start a new diet, you may be tempted to immediately push the pedal to the metal – and it’s not a bad thing to be ambitious. However, you could end up adopting bad habits like binging if the goals you set for yourself are nearly impossible to achieve.
When setting fitness or nutrition goals, begin with small, attainable goals and gradually build on them. If it’s realistic for you to exercise three times per week, start with that. If you like to regularly eat out with friends or your partner, it’ll be more realistic to set a goal of eating 80 percent of your meals at home instead of 100 percent.
You will get better results by creating plans which let you reasonably live with and adhere to your chosen guidelines rather than creating plans which set you on a path toward failure from the beginning.
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3. Exercise During Your “Me Time”
When you get some new exercise equipment, you’ll probably be determined to get every penny out of it. However, if you go too hard with it, you’ll quickly realize you’re going at an unsustainable pace.
As a mom, the time you have to yourself for exercise is probably limited, so you need to commit to exercising during that time.
Make a commitment to exercise whenever you have time to yourself – this is about discipline. It’s what you need to do for your health. You spend so much of your time on your kids, your job, your partner, etc. Make your “me time” about yourself – improving yourself.
If you end up enjoying exercise and how you feel from the exercise, make that your motivation rather than the feeling that you have to “earn” food. This isn’t about being thin – it’s about being strong and healthy for your kids.
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4. Get Enough Protein in Your Diet
Inside protein are amino acids which are essential – they support weight loss, muscle growth and healthy bodies. Protein keeps you full for a longer period of time, helping you avoid the cravings which can create overeating.
Those who follow weight loss protocols without eating an adequate amount of protein will lose fat and muscle, slowing down their metabolic rate, making it harder to lose weight.
The bottom line is that if you want results, you need to eat enough protein.
You should aim to eat around .7 grams of protein to 1 gram per pound of your body weight per day.
The amounts of protein in common foods include:
- 35 grams of protein in four ounces of cooked chicken
- 9 grams of protein in four ounces of tofu
- 6 grams of protein in one egg
When you’re shopping for groceries, consider easy ways of sneaking in protein into your diet, like jerky, yogurt, cheese, turkey, protein powder, etc.
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5. Chronicle Your Weight Loss Journey on Social Media
Chronicling your weight loss journey on social media could end up helping others. You could help others out a lot by helping them figure out how to create calorie deficits while still being able to enjoy things like ice cream and cake.
However, there’s another reason to consider this: if others are watching what you eat, it will keep you accountable. You’ll be more motivated to stick to your diet if your diet is being followed by your family and friends.
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6. Avoid Refined Grains and Naked Carbs
This is a very simple way of helping yourself lose weight which doesn’t require extra planning or time.
One important thing to do when losing weight is balancing your blood sugar levels. In order to help yourself do this, you should avoid refined grains, such as white rice or products made with refined flour, and you should avoid eating carbs by themselves.
By replacing white rice with brown rice, replacing refined flour with whole wheat flour, and pairing carbs with sources of fat, protein and fiber, you can slow your absorption of carbs, avoiding strong spikes of insulin which can create cravings, hunger, mood swings and lethargy.
If you wish to regularly eat brown rice, one way of making this healthier is to cook it like pasta – in plenty of water. When you drain the water, you drain out about 60 percent of the arsenic in the rice with it. Bring a big pot of water to a boil, add the dry brown rice, simmer for 25-30 minutes while covered (depending on if you want it al dente or softer), drain, return the rice to the pot, cover, and let it steam for 10 more minutes, then serve.
Ways to avoid eating naked carbs include:
- Eating nuts with fruit
- Adding banana to protein shakes
- Adding avocado and turkey to toast
Final Takeaways
When you’re a mom, losing weight can be easier said than done. But when you practice mindful eating and consistent exercise, you’re bound to see results over time. That said, don’t be hard on yourself if you mess up every here and there. As long as you make incremental changes, the results you desire will come over time.
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