Losing weight as a mom is in a different league. It’s twice as strenuous and twice as difficult. While breastfeeding you should never go on a diet and not all mothers lose weight through breastfeeding. Yes, there are a few, but I also know a lot of mothers, the pounds stayed stubbornly in place while they were breastfeeding and only fell afterward. You don’t have that in your hand. But what comes next!
Losing weight as a mom is exhausting and tough. We mums have: a) usually little or no time for sport and fitness b) often stress and lack of sleep and thus weaker nerves and a higher potential for frustration (the famous reaching into the biscuit box … you know that ..) and c) little time in the kitchen because everything always has to be done quickly. After my last pregnancy, I had way too much on my hips for weeks and months after the birth. (By The Way: on legs, bottom, face, and arms too;))
Strangely enough, that didn’t bother me at all for the first few weeks and months. Even with all the extra pounds, I felt comfortable all around. I breastfed for two months and then kept losing weight without doing anything. It was very slow and sluggish, but it was totally ok for me. At some point, however, I was suddenly annoyed. I didn’t feel like wearing leggings and tunics anymore. I wanted to wear tight jeans, my beloved blazers, bras that didn’t pinch, in short: my wardrobe heart pieces that I had been forced to ignore for more than a year. It was the moment when I was described as “slightly obese” during a visit to the doctor. Slightly obese. Slightly obese…. ” The new ‘fat’ is slightly obese”, I thought to myself. And that’s exactly what I didn’t want. In the past, when I had no children, I would starve or fast for a few days when I felt too fat. But that doesn’t work with children. Once the body needs its energies so that we have strength for everyday life. And: we also have a responsibility as parents and that shouldn’t be starving in front of the children because mom feels too fat. It is impossible to imagine what triggers such behavior in children. So we moms have to eat and cook. And if we’re already cooking, why not healthy. It doesn’t even take longer if you have the right recipes. I know: healthy cooking is also quick!
MY RULES
1. Away with the scales. Or: weigh yourself at the beginning and then again at some point. Just not every day! That creates a bad mood and we all don’t need that. Life without Libra is less stressful, believe me! But I also understand those who say: control helps me and motivates me! Then I would invest in a good scale that also shows body fat.
2. Candy attacks are prohibited. Now the motto is fruit instead of chocolate! Because the fructose from the fruit disappears the desire for sweets. If it doesn’t work out, you can nibble nuts. For example, I always have almonds at home.
3. Exercise helps. I am now doing Aqua Zumba (I was ALWAYS a bad guy, but THAT is my newly discovered love of movement). But I haven’t done any sport for a long time. If you don’t have the time, just take the baby or child for a walk a few steps faster. That is also sport! I can recommend a very good book for everyone who cannot keep appointments and has to do sports at home. The book is called: Fit without devices * for women!
THE PLAN – that’s how I picked up
In the morning: fruit or vegetable smoothie – I put everything I have at home in the blender. For example, I always have frozen raspberries there. There is also a variety of fruit, for example, pears, pineapple, pomegranate, kiwi, blueberries, strawberries, mango, apple, and always a leaf of fresh mint
Lunchtime: Healthy food of your choice – I have lunch with my older daughter, so of course there are sometimes pasta dishes on the program. And of course a pizza too. That’s why I put a lot of vegetables or salad in the sauces or side dishes.
In the evening: In the evening I almost always eat a low-carb meal, i.e. little to no carbohydrates. At the moment there is always asparagus. I like green asparagus best because it can be prepared so quickly and I save myself the peeling. I prepare it as a salad with strawberries or with cherry tomatoes and parmesan. Otherwise, I like to eat chicken with salad or various summer salads in the evening.