General overhaul required! Help for the sleep deprived

[Missushb]

Hi all, any tips welcome to generally sort myself out. Baby is 9 months still up twice per night, I’m going to try Gina ford to try and get in to a stricter routine.
Sleep deprivation has led to me making bad food choices, so still overweight 9 months on. Realistically I have three stone to lose.
I joined the gym to get out of the house and night and feel better, so have been going to body combat and metafit which I’m enjoying. I just can’t seem to sort my eating habits out. Any tips on how to look after myself as well as the dcs (I have a 5 year old too). I’m so tired that after looking after the two kids I’m knackered and just graze on sugary junk. I thought maybe meal planning and online grocery shopping might be an
Idea? Just generally, those who eat well and stay/got slim; what do you eat? Three meals per day and no snacks? Thanks!

[Greatdomestic]

Hi Op

I'm currently trying to loose a bit of weight, so am lurking/posting on these boards quite a bit.

Your sleep deprivation is probably at the root of your sugary cravings, but you know that already. Once the baby is more settled you will stop craving so much.

I don't always follow my own advice, but I think:
not having many sugary snacks in treats in the house
always eat x3 meals,
fruit snack mid morning and mid afternoon
only fruit in the evening
cut down alcohol intake.

Keeping a food diary & meal planning is a good idea, and once you get into the groove, it becomes less of a chore.

Well done on joining a gym, and good luck with the weigh loss. WW or SW can be good for group support if that's your thing too.

[Missushb]

Thanks. I was going to ww but the loss was very slow and then it clashed with a Baby group we started going to. I think it’s a good diet though and joined again online. No treats in the house definitely a good idea. It’s so hard, pre-kids you have all the time in the world to shop and meal plan and work out, I just feel now I neglect myself and being three stone overweight and knackered has been the result of that!

[Greatdomestic]

I think that neglecting ourselves is an easy position to get to, whether the reason be work, sick parents, kids, or a combo of all. Before you know it you are busting out of your clothes, haven't had your legs waxed in 6 months and have the pallor of a poorly vampire.

But make the time for yourself. And slow weight loss is ok, it is still a loss, not a gain.

If you are interested, there are normally princessing threads on here, there's one atm about self care, lots of support. Making little changes can make a massive difference to your mood and well being.

[Lesley1980]

I found my problem was I wasn't eating properly during the day so at night I was binging. I found it hard to sit down & eat because I was always doing something for or with the kids. My typical day was coffee until around 2, snack on kids lunch left overs or pick at things in kitchen, dinner & then junk at night from 8 onwards.

I started a diet last year & the biggest change was eating proper meals & ditching the coffee (600 calories of milky coffee some days). I have Heck chicken sausages, egg & slice of toast for 10am breakfast- approx 350 cals. Lunch of salad, chicken, avocado, olives, feta all weighed & around 400 cals & dinner was the same as the family so curry with hardly any sauce but served with veg & rice, cottage pie, steak & veg. Once I got the hang of it I was eating more just by making better choices. I still snacked but I stuck to my calories. I soon didn't want the Costa carrot cake because it was1/3 of my calories & just not worth it- although somedays i
Did but cut back on other food & planned it into my day.

My diet has been more about eating well than depriving myself. If you start weighing cooked meat & veg you can eat loads.

[Lesley1980]

I used myfitness pal.

Also my weight loss was only 1-2lb a week too but I never put on. I lost 42lb in 6 months

[Greatdomestic]

42 pounds in 6 months is massive amount Lesley, well done.

I have cut out the morning lattes, although I still do have one or 2 quite milky coffees at home at the weekends. I never really include them in my intake for the day, but now I will.

[Lesley1980]

Just take it slowly. I went to diet clubs for years & had their mentality of no food is a sin & no weight loss is failure. i was eating all the wrong foods & using up my calories in tiny portions of food meaning I was hungry all the time & more likely to binge. Maintaining weight is not failing & eating an extra bar of chocolate when your diet has been good all week won't mean weight gain. It's a slow process, just keep at it.

[Missushb]

Thanks everyone, I appreciate the advice and taking the time to reply. I think that’s exactly it; I don’t make time for a proper breakfast and lunch, usually make a healthy dinner but by that time I’ve snacked on junk and then more junk when the kids are down. Proper meals it will have to be, and at set times I think, so I’m not ravenous by the time I start eating. 42 pound weight loss, that’s amazing.

[Missushb]

Greatdomestic thanks- I’ve looked at the Princessing threads before, I’ll start following.
It’s been a combination of tiredness, working, having my dad ill the last few years then passing away, it’ll all taken it’s toll. Thanks for the advice I really do appreciate it. I may ditch paying for ww online and start my fitness pal.

[Greatdomestic]

Good luck op, be kind to yourself too.

I've got a friend who is always very well groomed, looks so well put together, despite having 2 jobs and being a single mum.

But, she does put the work in in terms of her diet, meal planning, salon appointments etc. If she has a night out, she plans her calories etc to accommodate it.

I'm going to try to channel her for a while, and see if it makes a positive impact on my appearance

[Missushb]

Sounds like a plan! My sil is like that, though she has no kids at the moment so that may change! It’s definitely a matter of putting in the time and effort.