If you have a very young family and are a very busy Mum please tell me how you lost weight?

[spad]

How did you fit exercise into your daily life?

Did you follow a particular diet or did you just cut back?

What did you snack on?

tia

[Zillie77]

Oh, I exercised whenever I could, and my husband was very good about covering all home and kid needs when I was exercising. He made it a priority for me to be able to do it. He was marvelous.

[Strokethefurrywall]

I work full time and have a young family - I lost a lot of weight Brent feeding but after ds2 I had more stubborn weight, so I ate strictly no sugar, processed food etc for a month. That was purely for health though and not weight but it still worked.
I now maintain by fasting every other day or at least 4:3 - fasting as much as I do, I now have no tolerance to alcohol or processed food (having just stuffed a giant dairy milk bubbly in my mouth). But I don't crave and after a few weeks of eating close to 500 calls every other day I find it very easy. Even on non-fast days Im not hungry and find it easier to choose better food options.

[Strokethefurrywall]

And I try and run 3 times a week and 100 burpees on the other days.

[duggiecustard]

I find it you really are a busy mum you become very slim as you never eat/sit still. It might be different for me as one of mine as sn.

I never snack, but then I didn't before children. I don't see the point.

[rollmeover]

Walk everywhere and anywhere you can. This creates good habits for the kids too.
Cut out caffeine and snacks. No "diet" food. Try to limit food which has more than 5g of sugar per 100g.
I have no issue with carbs or full fat stuff.
Look at your children's diet - it's probably pretty healthy - fruit, veggies, full fat stuff.
Try and eat 5 a day and base your meals round this - makes it more difficult for bad stuff to creep oin.
And allow yourself a treat every now and then

[Runningupthathill82]

No snacks - fruit if completely desperate, or a mini Babybel.

Avoided "diet food" and low fat anything.

My Fitness Pal set to 1200 cals

Ran at lunchtimes, weekends or to/from work, averaging 20-30 miles a week

Circuits and body pump classes on weekend mornings

That's about it! Got to a 10k pb of 49mins and a BMI of 21.

[SaucyJack]

Yes- as everybody else has said- walking is the best and most practical exercise when you have a small child and limited childcare.

Choose a supermarket a bit further away, and walk at a decent pace and you'll easily burn off the same calories as a fitness class or jog.

And watch the evening snacks- especially the booze! It's easy to get into the habit of using a couple of glasses of wine to celebrate "adult time" in the evening, or rewarding yourself with chocolate, but it won't do weight loss any good.

Now just to practise what I preach ;-)

[shushpenfold]

Low GI finished the process for me after BF. Low carb essentially but I did keep snacking (on a FEW nuts, fruit) Find a good 'easy GI diet' book or something similar. I also went for a run 3 times a week when my dh got in. Felt like it as much as I felt like flying to the moon but did it and got back to 'normal' weight. Frankly, it was more difficult keeping the weight off once I hit near 40.....that was flipping impossible!!

[BoffinMum]

Duggie, that is not the case for everyone. I had four with two SN and my metabolism completely changed. It really was a battle.

[flanjabelle]

I ate 1200 calories a day (logged it on myfitnesspal) ate less carbs, more veg, protein and carbs. Didn't panic too much about exercise, but walked more with the buggy. lost 3 stone in 6 months. You can do it!

[flanjabelle]

Oh and weigh everything that you eat. And measure all liquids apart from water. It is surprising what a real portion size is supposed to look like!

[duggiecustard]

I think it depends on your lifestyle. I very rarely sit down to eat, never snack, don't sit still as work full time and have 3 children. I can't eat anything like chocolate in front of sn child or they will want it so I don't eat anything like that ever.

[RomiiRoo]

I work FT, lone parent, two DC - lost weight on the wonderful low carb boot camp (they are , honestly, on there for support); now maintaining eating low carb. Exercise is minimal beyond what I can fit in daily life but I am trying for 20-30 mins of walking per day.
Pre-DC I was a gym bunny, low fat person - much prefer things now as easier to fit around everything and easier to maintain.

[CinderellaRockefeller]

Myfitnesspal and a Fitbit. Knowing the calories and the sugar in everything made a huge difference. And the Fitbit tells myfitnesspal how many steps/exercise you have done and adds your extra calories to your daily allowance which is hugely satisfying!

[millionsofpeaches]

I have done weight watchers from when dd2 was 6 months old. I have lost 4 stone, but still have about 1.5 to go to be a healthy bmi. Smaller portions is my thing and just being more aware of what I'm eating. In the first 6 months I didn't really do any extra exercise as dd wouldn't go in the pram (literally screamed continually) but I now walk whenever I can and do two dance classes a week.

Someone said to me the other day that you just kind of have to accept that this is the time in your life when you will be least active and walking at toddler pace, but that will soon pass and you'll soon be running to catch up with their scooters!

[Minesril]

I absolutely love 'buggy fit' - all the other mums there have their own body hang ups so I can forget about my own flat-but-still-wobbly-and-stretchmarky-tummy. Also you get real one to one training from the instructor who can tell you when you're not doing the moves properly. It's a full work out - I really ache the next day!

[RomiiRoo]

millions, so right - the time between being out of the pram but not yet able to scooter/cycle is the worst for getting any exercise -had not really thought about that, but that was my hardest bit weight-wise.

[Despondentlyyours]

Slimming world and on maternity leave I walked into town every day, really fast if it was raining!

[MrsMook]

I don't do diets and have lost the baby weight twice (1.5 to.2 st each time):

Rebuild my muscle with exercise. SPD trashes my body so that's starting from walking 100m. Add in Dvds, buggy fitness class, general fitness class as my strength returns. This can either be done with children around or when DH can have them. Both babies were bottle refusers but from about 4-5 months they lasted long enough between feeds.

I don't do reduced fat/ sugar / low calorie.

Going for a breakfast with a low GI to fill myself for longer. Similar with snacks, proteins like cheese to avoid sugar lows.

Drink water and fruit teas- naturally sugar free, no aspartame headaches!

Be patient. Between losses, STS and the occasional gain it probably worked out at about 1lb every 2 or 3 weeks, but it's a sustainable lifestyle. I am not deprived. I've stayed at under my pre pregnancy weights consistently.

[Despondentlyyours]

If I have another I plan to use a sling/baby carrier more

[LostMyBaubles]

I started with slimfast but no snacks apart from a handful of grapes.

Wanted to push myself more.

Im not doing sf anymore.
I have a cuppa in the morning. Dinner and cuppa in the evening. No snacks.
Might sneak the extra cuppa in but im eating less than 900 cals a day and I actually feel ok. Dont get hungry like I used to.
Ive lost 2kg so far. Current weight is 110kg
the one thing that helped me was
food is for fuel not for fun
I drink plenty of water too

On special occasions I will join in a little. But not make it a habbit.
2weeks into now and feel wonderful

[slightlyconfused85]

I have breakfast and one other meal, eat the same portion sizes as my 3 year old, don't snack and jog round the block every evening if my husband is not on a work trip!

[Buttwing]

I have 4 dc and 3 of them are under 5. I do slimming world, I joined when youngest was 6 weeks I've lost almost 3 and a half stone. It's just cook from scratch healthy food. We all eat the food I cook and everytime I cook I make extra and freeze it for the nights I can't be bothered to cook. I meal plan at the beginning of the week and do a combination of on line shop and aldi. It does take abit of planning but the whole family eats so much better. Eating healthily gives me so much more energy (much needed)
The next part for me is to fit in some exercise at the moment I do nothing :(

[duggiecustard]

When mine are at toddler pace I will purposefully go out on long distances. I usually then carry them back a few miles. That is really good weight training. I usually manage that until they are 3/3 and a half.

Where I am is all hills as well so if you can go somewhere hilly even better. If you are working carry them back from nursery.

[hookedonamoonagedaydream]

How did you fit exercise into your daily life?
I don't massively, I do try and walk a lot though (and try and reasons to walk), then there is all the running around after them/playing football and general stuff that means you don't sit down much. Once school starts I put the youngest into the creche at the gym and do a class.

Did you follow a particular diet or did you just cut back?
Weight watchers.
Cut out wheat and potatoes, because I feel so much better when I don't eat them.
Cut out refined sugar and make other treats instead.

What did you snack on?
Oat cakes with almond/nut butter.
A few nuts and dark chocolate.

I've been losing a nice stead 2lb a week since April.

I will also try and sleep more instead of pushing through as being tired is rubbish for weight loss, so I'll get back into bed when the baby naps if I have to (when the older ones are at school/nursery).