Is Godiva – or Dove – your best friend? Are french fries your escape from reality? Is food in general your source for meeting your emotional needs? Moms have a lot on their plates – pun intended. Many days, reaching for some chips is easier than taking a deep breath and thinking about what we really need – a hug, a friend to talk to, some rest! So try our Six Baby Steps to Get Fit and start one positive habit a week that can help you achieve lasting weight loss.
Then I got married and became a mother. Now I have to squeeze in exercise early in the morning or late at night. I have to prepare food for others and try not to eat the snacks meant for my children and my husband.
Such is the life of a mom. We give up some things, to get so much more in exchange. Unfortunately, quite often, the “so much more” includes more weight! So, here are six weight loss baby steps to help us moms in our efforts to get fit and slim, and stay that way.
Week 1: Be Kind to Yourself
Yes, you might want to lose weight to fit into a smaller size, but you’re still a great person just as you are. Be kind to yourself about your weight. Studies show that guilt and shame are not good motivators for slimming down. So, this week, do something nice for yourself. Here are some options:
- Get a new hair style or just have your hair blown-out or styled.
- Buy a new outfit. Don’t “punish” yourself and make yourself wait for new clothes until you lose weight. Get something fresh and new that gives you a boost.
- Have your make-up done. Go to a cosmetics counter (avoid Saturdays – stores are too hectic on the weekends) for a makeover.
- Give up one of your trigger foods this week. Don’t deprive yourself of “treats” completely, just try to give up one food. Remember, you are more powerful than a twinkie!
Week 2: Friend Someone
- Have a friend join you on your journey. The most successful “losers” don’t go it alone. Tell someone about your plan and goals. Find someone to whom you can be accountable.
- Ask a friend to meet you for exercise. At the end of the day, call or text each other to share your eating highs and lows. Find a friend who will let you call her when you’re facing an urge to binge. If you offer her the same support, it will actually help your efforts, too.
- Give up one more of your trigger foods, and congratulations for what you gave up last week!
Week 3: Get it on paper
- Keep a food log. Write down everything you eat. For some reason, this helps us realize that everything we put in our mouths “counts.” Studies show that this is one of the habits of people who keep off their weight long-term. It’s not a difficult thing to do, and it can really help.
- Also, start reading ingredients. Realize how yucky a lot of the ingredients are that you’re putting into your body.
- What food can you give up this week? You can live without m&ms.
Week 4: Add 10 Minutes
This week, pump up your physical activity. Add just 10 minutes of exercise to your daily routine. By the end of the week, you will have added more than an hour of exercise to your life.
Here are some suggestions:
- Go out your front door and walk for 10 minutes. If you have to wait until the kids are in bed, tell your husband you’re stepping out for a few minutes and go.
- Turn on some tunes, or turn on a video music channel and dance around for just 10 minutes.
- If you have stairs in your house, go up and down them for 10 minutes. Even if you go slowly, 10 minutes of stair climbing will get your heart pumping!
- You’ve given up four of your trigger foods, so now add another one! This week, replace the trigger food with a substitute. You love brownies? Try a really chocolaty protein bar instead.
Week 5: Plan and Simplify
This week, plan out what you’ll eat each today. And keep in mind that it’s okay to be boring in your food choices. Research has found that people who eat the same breakfast, and the same lunch most days, lose weight more easily. So, find some healthy and tasty foods and be loyal to them.
- Before you go to bed, plan out your food choices for the next day.
- Simplify and “slim-ify” your pantry and fridge. Even if you think you can ration out “goodies,” go one week without any tempting food in your house and see if it makes it easier to eat healthier.
- What will it be this week? Is there another trigger food you can say bye-bye to? I had a habit of getting a doughnut and coffee every morning before work. Now, instead of going for the coffee and donut, I go straight to work, get coffee there, and skip the doughnut.
Week 6: Celebration Station
Look back on five weeks of changes and pat yourself on the back!
- Buy a new outfit and feel great. Check out a discount store or even a thrift shop.
- Go out to dinner with your slimming buddy or your husband. Plan ahead for a food you can really savor and enjoy. We’re not saying order the chicken-fried steak, but do have something that feels like a treat.
We hope these baby steps help you on your journey to better health.
