Every time I look at the scale, I’m reminded of my youth and how my mother used to tell me it was my fault that she had gained weight. Of course I didn’t know what she was talking about until I got a little older and saw a picture of my mother from a few years before I was born, and I was shocked to see how thin she used to be. My mom was not obese or anything, just plump and round, and that was how I knew her. The skinny, smiling, woman in the picture looked like a stranger, click this over here now.
I imagine that is what my three children think of me when they see any old pictures of me. Hell, it’s what I’m thinking when I see old pictures of me. I now weigh as much as I did when I was 9 months pregnant with my third child, and that was the most I had put on in any of my pregnancies. So how does a mom of three children under the age of 8 lose weight?
I am no exercise guru, and I am admittedly still in the process, but this is what is working for me at this point. First of all, I feel it is important to know my limitations and remain realistic. I am never going to look like Tyra Banks. I’m only 5’4″. I feel it’s important to set a realistic goal of a healthy weight, not a fantastical one. Secondly, I can’t think that I’m going to lose weight by summer time or any other date set in stone. It’s just setting you up for failure. I have no set date that I want to reach my ideal weight by, I just plan to reach it at some point. Thirdly, with three kids and being on a fixed budget (by fixed budget I mean I don’t make enough money) all of the fad diets and programs aren’t going to work. I have to try to make small changes to my diet to eat healthier without breaking the bank. I don’t know why any of the diet books and or gurus ever discuss how much more expensive it is to eat healthy. It’s far cheaper to get McDonald’s Dollar Menu for my family than it is to buy ingredients and fresh vegetables for a meal that I don’t have time to cook in the first place. I started buying wheat bread instead of white, a difference of about $.30 per loaf. I’m trying to be more aware of my caloric intake without trying to count every calorie like an IRS agent after Wesley Snipes. I’m also trying to be more aware of my portion size but that one is hard to come off of. I don’t think many of us realize that the suggested portion sizes on packages are miniscule compared to what you and I normally eat at any given time. Lastly, I try to get in some exercise whenever and however I can. It’s hard to do an exercise tape when your 4 year old jumps on top of you every time you lie down to do a sit-up.
Losing weight has to be about a lifestyle change. A lifestyle change that fits into your desired lifestyle, kids on top of you and all.
