9 Reasons Why Moms Struggle to Lose Weight
Nine Reasons Why Busy Moms Struggle to Lose Weight Plus Tips to Help
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Do you ever feel like you are riding the weight loss struggle bus with a one-way pass to failure? Do you wish you could lose weight like the women Instagram, YouTube, or those late-night infomercials?
If only you had a dollar for every time you said you wanted to lose weight. Losing weight is like cooking a delicious meal. It is easy and wonderful when you know what you are doing, but it’s a struggle when you don’t. The good news is that you can end the struggle.
From one busy mom to another, I understand how hard it is to adhere to a healthy diet and exercise. But, it is possible. You may just need proven strategies.
I am so passionate about this topic because I struggled with losing weight after our second child. I learned that a strict exercise routine was hard to follow consistently while working, taking care of kids, being a wife, etc. I would do well for a while, then something would come up with the family or sheer discouragement would set me back.
Thankfully, I discovered safe strategies to help me lose the baby weight, and, I am happy to share my strategies with you.
First, it is imperative to have a solid foundation of 101 weight-loss strategies. So, I created a good place for you to start.
From my personal and professional experience as a certified personal trainer and mom, the following tips will also help you jump start your weight loss journey.
Tip #9: Try High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) Workouts
HIIT workouts are about 20-30 minutes in duration. HIIT workouts are ideal for a busy mom. Research has even shown that short interval activity was just as good for burning fat as a series of 60-minute sessions. If you do not have 30-minutes to exercise- no problem! You can have two 15-minute HITT sessions or three 10-minute HIIT intervals. If you do not know where to begin, I can customize a fat terminating HIIT routine for you. Let’s Talk
8. Stop Eating Your Emotions
Do you tell yourself that you deserve ice cream, pizza, etc. after a day of dealing with your kids? Do you find yourself overeating when you’re stressed or you hear critiques from your significant other?
Eating when you have either high and/or low emotions may likely hold you back from reaching your weight loss goals. Even though you may not think so at the time, emotions (like true happiness) cannot be resolved by eating. Gorging on fried or processed food leads to excessive weight gain and guilt. Calories from bad food choices are like a thief in the night robbing you of your dream body. There is no time like the present to learn how to deal with difficult emotions and stressful situations. END Emotional Eating Now.
Tip #8: Try “Mindful-Eating”
According to Psychology Today, mindfulness “…is deliberately paying attention, being fully aware of what is happening both inside and outside yourself – in your body, heart and mind – and outside yourself, in your environment. Mindfulness is awareness without criticism or judgment.” In mindful-eating, you are not comparing yourself to the skinny mom you saw at the gym. You are not eating while criticizing yourself for what is going wrong a home, work, etc. You are simply aware of and focused on the food entering your mouth. No more sitting on the couch or staring out of the window replaying stressful events in your mind while you overeat.
One study found that relaxation techniques helped obese, emotional eaters lose weight over the course of three months and reduce depression and anxiety. Try this: Set a snack-time for yourself (with a start time and an end time). Put a certain amount of your snack in a bowl so you can see how much you are eating. And, yes the snack can be your favorite chips or ice cream. It is important to sit down at a table and remain mindful of your food rather than being mindful of your frustrations.
7. Get More Sleep
I get it. You stay awake in bed, scrolling social media, or nursing your baby or thinking about your busy schedule for the next day. But, the next time you tell yourself you will skip sleeping and survive on caffeine consider this:
Tip #7: Try Natural Sleep Aids and a Better Mattress
If you are sleeping less than 7 hours consistently a night and all the employees at several Starbuck locations know your name, then you may want to try some natural sleep aids. A study published in Complementary Therapies in Clinical Practice found that ” sleep disturbance is a common problem amongst patients diagnosed with cancer. Essential oils may be helpful before bed. A natural sleep aid for you to try could be bergamot oil, lavender oil, combined with sandalwood, frankincense, and mandarin to induce sleep.
6. Identify Your Health Issues
If your consistent diet and exercise do not seem to be helping you shed extra pounds, then you may have other health issues impeding your weight loss efforts. For instance, your weight loss may be slow due to hypothyroidism. If you suspect this may your issue, call your doctor, and consider all-natural possible options.
Tip #6: Correct Nutritional Deficiencies
First, contact your primary care physician to check your thyroid function. Your doctor will either order a blood test, thyroid scan, or radioactive iodine uptake test. Depending on the degree of your nutritional deficiencies, you may need to make a strategic plan to correct your iodine deficiency or detox from any toxicities you may have, or you may need a body cleanse.
5. You are Stressed
You may have heard people joke about the stress of their job or a divorce making them gain weight or their hair fall out. Yes, stress can do this and release a hormone called cortisol that makes you gain weight. Stress and fat are like diapers and a diaper bag- they just go together. There are symptoms to let you know you may have too much cortisol. One symptom is that you crave carbohydrates. Another symptom is that it hard for you to lose belly fat.
Tip #5: Try Yoga
You may know your own internal stress level tolerance. I know it is easier said than done, but try not to stress about things you can’t control. Yoga can release negative energy and the stresses of life.
4. You are Taking Medication
Some medications significantly affect one’s ability to shed extra pounds. It may make you retain fluid, increase your appetite, or cause your hormones out of balance. All of these things make you gain weight. Birth control, anti-depressants, and steroids are serious offenders to make moms gain weight.
Tip# 4: Work with your doctor/Nutritionist to go Natural
You may feel like the medication is your only option to treat your condition. But, when you take time to research, you may be surprised that there may be natural alternative options that can help your condition without weight-gaining side effects. If you know you are exercising hard and eating clean, but you are not losing weight, then talk to your doctor about your options to try natural alternatives to treat your condition.
3. Lack of Support
Many women, especially moms live by the motto- if you want it done right, then do it yourself. But, this is not the best idea when it comes to getting results in your health and fitness program. This is especially true if you are trying to get results on your own. The up and down emotions of seeing results one week and not seeing results the next can be daunting. All the more reason why a lack of support is a critical component to add to your healthy diet and fitness plans.
Tip #3: Find a Support System
My husband and I opened a new digital gym called Soulful Gym. SoulfulGym offers health and fitness motivation online. This 100% online gym offers different wellness options to decrease stress and rejuvenate one’s soul. And, we also offer a $1.00 seven day trial. Checkout Soulful Gym.
2. Overcome Discouragement
I have listened to A LOT of people who have fallen off the health and fitness wagon. I have heard many moms sound like health and fitness sales representatives- highly knowledgeable and excited about fitness and its importance. Yet, these same moms feel discouraged and hopeless about the possibility to change their bodies three to six months later. In my humble opinion, discouragement is among the top reasons, if not THE number one reason why busy moms struggle to lose weight, especially the mommy pooch.
Tip #2: Forgive Yourself and Start Where You Are
It is important to forgive yourself for past weight loss mistakes, disappointments, and failures. Forgive yourself for the money you wasted on expensive fitness equipment, long gym memberships contracts, and perhaps the negative things you have said about yourself and your body. It is important for you to cleanse your conscience and start building your confidence in how strong and amazing you are- if you want to lose weight successfully. Losing weight is a process for the body and soul.
1. Change Your Mind Change Your Body
Resources are plentiful to address the physical aspects of a healthy diet and weight loss in general. However, there are not as many resources that address the mental aspects of weight loss. But, if you change your mind and how your view weight loss, then you will change your body more easily. You need assistance to get started. Get my FREE List of Nine Affirmations to Say on Your Lose Mommy Tummy journey.
Tip #1: Forgive Yourself and Start Where You Are
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