Eating/Dieting with a toddler and time crunch and more

Can anyone help me? I need to lose weight! I am not using my son and baby weight as a full excuse but it just makes it harder. I am so tired I dont feel like doing enything little lone exercising. And my son is an only child so he is very clingy and it's hard to plan out meals. I have been doing the best I can but it's not working! Please help! Also I really want to lose the weight I have been thinking about having a second child but I need to lose this weight before I can even consider it so I can have a healthy pregnancy when I decide to have another baby.

Hi, do you mind if I ask how old your son is?  Mine is almost 2, and I'm expecting again.  I spelled it all out in my bio, but long story short, I gained 34 pounds during pregnancy and was only about to lose 19 of that.  I was stuck when I found CC.  I used the tools on the site to help me lose the rest of the weight.  I actually got down to my goal before getting pregnant again-that was 10 pounds less than when I conceived my son!

Can you involve your son in exercise?  Walking with him in his stroller is what really got me going.  It was easy to do because I could take him with me, and walk for an hour or more on a daily basis.  I also dance with my son in the living room.  I put on music, and hold him as we dance around the room.  He's about 35 pounds, and dancing around the room holding a 35 pound "weight" really gets me sweaty!  Also, he loves to kick his Scooby-Doo ball, so we play soccer in the house (since it's so cold a rainy outside).  He's getting really good at his foot-eye coordination, but the ball will bounce off of the walls, and I'll have to go chase it down to kick it back to him.  That is a good workout in itself!

I also do arm toning for 20-30 minutes at a time, but that has to be done while he's napping.  Otherwise, I get a very involved toddler that want to lift weights too.  I also have a recumbent bike that I ride during his naps, or when Daddy is home and can spend 30-60 minutes with baby.

Meal planning is tricky.  I usually make separate meals for us and our son.  He's super picky, so it's just easier for me to make him the things he likes instead of making him eat what we're having.  I saw a tip in another post in this forum, and I do it too.  He likes to eat our "grown up" food if it's not put on his plate.  I can get my son to eat more food by keeping it on my plate only.  He thinks I have something good, and he wants it, too.  He'll eat off my plate, but often times, if I were to give him the same food on his tray, he'd refuse it.  I think he thinks he's getting something special by eatting my food.  Sometimes he'll even refuse the things he likes, but if I pretend to eat them, then he wants it. 

Good luck with your weightloss journey!!! 

Congratulations on getting started! That's the hardest part. I have a 14 month old daughter, and I've had a really rough time getting on a program that I can stick to. She is also really clingy, I guess in a way that helps me burn more calories, because I have to hold her all the time while I attempt to do things around the house, but mostly it just makes things more difficult. She is the biggest obstacle to exercise, but she is also the greatest motivator. I want her to have a healthy mommy, and I want her to see what healthy habits look like. As she gets older I'm starting to realize how much she tries to do what I do, and I want her have healthy things to imitate.

That being said, I have a long way to go. I weighed about 185 when I got pregnant, which was much higher than usual (I think I gained at least 25 pounds when I got together with her father). During my pregnancy I gained about 70 pounds- I remember gaining 10lbs in one week near the end of it! It was so scary, but I just couldn't get a hold on my eating- there were incredible stresses in my family at that time, and I just tried to eat it all away. After she was born I lost some of it, but here I am over a year later, still at 219. Being a mother is so much harder than I ever thought it could be, and my little girl is not an "easy" baby- she hardly sleeps, forget about naps- we might get 15 minutes somedays. Exercising is still a challenge big time. When the weather is good I try to take her out in the stroller, but I live in Maine, where it's frickin COLD for 6 months of the year.

So far I've been on CC for a couple weeks, and I'm so excited about it. I've been logging all my food, not much exercise yet, but I've still managed to lose 6lbs. Once the weather gets better, or I get a gym membership, I hope to add more activity, but for now I am working on portion size, cutting out processed foods, getting plenty of fiber, and cutting out the late night snacking. It hasn't been easy, but I'm determined to stick with it this time. If you can, try to cut up a bunch of veggies (carrot sticks, celery sticks, broccoli, cauliflower, whatever you like) and put them in individual serving ziplock bags. I keep a bunch of these in my fridge for when I need something to munch on. I dip them in a little ranch or hummus, and it really helps. I know that eating right takes a little more effort than just grabbing whatever's convenient, that's why I try to do as much ahead of time as I can. I wish you the best of luck, message me anytime if you need support, you're definitely not in this one alone!!

        Thanks for the replys! I really am glad I found this site. I have been doing the best I can to cut my portions down. For the most part I have cut it way down, but were I use to eat so much before it is hard. There has been a few times that I have went back for more, but my 1st and 2nd helpings were small. I have been trying to eat slower so I can fell my belly up slower so I don't over eat. Before I would just eat as fast as I can so I could clean or what not while Hayden ate. I alsp refuded to buy snack cakes and stuff like that when I went grocery shopping. Instead I bought lots of fruit and veggies. I did however buy sugar free pudding cups for when I really want dessert.

       Hayden is 20 months old today! It is impossible to walk in a stroller with him. First he won't stay in them, and second I live in the country so there is no place to walk. Except to the mailbox, but I won't take Hayden because I don't want him to think he can go near the road. Over the summer I tried hiking with Hayden in a carrier through the woods. That was a big mistake! I about broke my ankle tring to walk up and down the hills with him, and had a severe back ache afterwards. He is still so small to hike on his own without being alot of trouble. Also I live at least 25 miles from the nearest gym and can't afford the extra gas, babycare, and so on to go. We are a single family income. I am a stay at home Mom. I am taking a writing course that I do at home through tex books and the mail. When I am not orking on my writing I keep really busy. I constantly try to be cleaning, playing with my son, or taking care of the dogs.

       I have exercise stuff I have resistance bands, exercise ball, a pilates do gym, lots of videos from taebo, pilates, dancing exercise, misc. stuff, and am buying a treadmill when taxes get in. The problem is time between my son, school work, trying to get stuff wrote for publication submissions, housework, and arrends. Plus my son is so clingy. I try to use my exercise stuff, but he tries to do it too. So he is always under me. I am afaid I will trip over him and one or both of us will get hurt, or the exercise stuff will hurt him. So I give up trying to use it. It feels hopeless at losing my weight. Especially since my son don't sleep much, he hardly naps, won't sleep much at night, and gets up early. And I am to tired from the day to workout at night while he is asleep.

       I have either lost a few pounds or inches because my skinny jeans are lose. It is not a huge different, but enough to know that I can tell. Around the waste and thighs they are lose. Hopefully with what I am starting to do now it will help alot more. I haven't been drinking pop except diet zero here and there, and lots of water. No snack food, and eating lots of veggies. I haven't got a scale at home so I have to wait till I go to visit my Mom and use hers till I can get my own. I will post it when I do. Thanks again............

 

I am 21 years old, full time student trying to carry my 4.0, employed part time and mother to a 20 month old daughter. and I am exhausted all of the time, the only thing that helps with my exhaustion is eating right and exercising.

the big things that help me are eating six small meals a day, this is especially helpful because my daughter gets better nutrition this way as well. And most importantly of all is my hour of working out at night, even if it means that I have to stay up late to do it, it helps give me the energy I need to finish cleaning my house and homework for the next day.

Other than that, things that I have learned along the way are; putting my daughter in the hiking carrier while I clean the house, this keeps her happy, adds resistance to my cleaning and helps keep my hands free so I can get it done quickly. I will sometimes even take the trash out that way. I often times use my daughter as an excuse to keep moving, between walking at school and work and then running around with her, be it in the back yard, at the park, swimming at the pool, etc even if it isn't exercise per se it keeps me moving and burns calories.

And perhaps the most important thing is remembering that your health and lifestyle effect your childs health and lifestyle. I don't want my daughter to be obsessed but I do want her to be active, eat in moderation and be able to enjoy healthy foods along with the occasional snack.

Yeah!  People with the same problems as me!  I have son who will be one in 10 days (gasp!) am a full-time student, work 32+ hrs/wk, and also have an internship at my university.  With all that, time for exercise is my biggest problem.

I wonder if you aren't tired because you have a sensitivity to a food.  That was suggested by a friend of mine who is big into nutrition.  I cut way back on wheat products and sugar and feel much much better.  Big ones are wheat (gluten), sugar, dairy, and artificial sweetners.  Also make sure you drink lots of water.  I read somewhere recently that the amt of water you should drink every day is your weight in pounds divided by 2.  I never make it but it's something to shoot for. 

Also, I highly recommend avoiding artificial sweetners.  High fructose corn syrup is the evil!  I have a few ingredients that I avoid like the plague and it really helps to eliminate things that are not healthy.  For me, its high fructrose corn syrup, partially hydrogenated oils and palm kernel oil (or palm oil). 

When you eat more of the right food, you can eat a LOT more of it!  I've had four good sized meals today and am still under my calories just because it was all healthy!

Hang in there and let us know how you're doing!

Mother of 2 here, one is 7 and the other is 11 months.

Stroller, stroller, stroller. That's a good idea, but my first wouldn't stand to sit in it for long.

I had to involve her in my exercises. We took a "mommy & me" gym class. That was fun. We did aerobics together. We also swam in the pool together. We go to the park, and we both just play together. Good workout.

My second is a ham. He likes to go jogging in a stroller. He also likes me to do pool laps (i.e. leg kicks) while he is in his float. He's more laid back, but he hasn't started walking yet.

Crockpot on food. You probably have 10 minutes in the morning. If you can put in cut up sweet potato, skinless chicken thighs, sweet onion, and a small amount of honey mustard dressing...you'll have a delicious dinner. Plus, the time you'd spend cooking, you can be out in the park. Get a god cookbook. You can cook low fat & nutritious foods in a crock pot.

Paper plates too. Don't waste time & water doing dishes.

Eat nutritious foods. Exercise/play every day. Sugar & chips will wear you down, as will the soap operas/tv. You are in a position to teach him, and he will learn by your doing.

That being said, if you are overly tired...get a check-up. My best friend has a slow thyroid. Her weight gain & tiredness had a serious, medical reason.

Hello! Have you all heard of Stroller Strides! It's THE BEST! I am a stay at home Mom of a 2.7 yr. old boy and we have been strolling for over a year! It's SUPER!!

http://www.strollerstrides.com/

 

I still struggle with my food - that's why I am here but I work out now - it's like having a personal trainer - new friends - and play dates for your kids all in one!