single parent weight loss help!

[Abby2431]

Hi,

I'm a single mum to a 3yr old & 2 mo old and am currently 2 stone overweight!

I would love to lose this weight but am having issues despite ebf! I really would love to go to gym or swimming but have no childcare or respite! Am literally with my kids 24/7! I do some waking but my eldest can't walk that far without saying he's tired and I can't carry him and push the pram!

I also struggle making healthy meals for one adult! I normally don't bother because when my kids are in bed I'm so exhausted to cook for myself! I do eat stews etc but sometimes
I would just rather go to bed! My youngest is up 4-5 times a night!

Any advice would be welcomed ! I know I need to do something! I'm just finding it difficult to get going!

Thankyou in advance! X

I bought a running buggy and have taken up running! I've lost nearly a stone and feel great in my head and body! I couldn't recommend it enough! If you're on fb look at run mummy run group, it's very inspiring!x

Batch cook healthy meals so that when you have a bad day you have a home made 'ready meal'. Buggy board so the eldest can hop on when tired and you burn more calories pushing.
Take up a crafting hobby in the evenings colouring, knitting , crochet so you are less tempted to snack plus you could use it to make presents for friends and family.
Borrow a dog children are much more likely to walk further with a dog to occupy the rather than thinking about their legs.

Bit late but hopefully still might be useful!

My dd was 3 when I had ds, and she still needed to use the pushchair (wouldn't walk miles). I got ds a sling as I COULD carry him, and I could then also still push the pushchair(and the pushchair could carry our stuff for us)...and we got out and covered miles this way for a couple of years (and I got quite a bit fitter!). Unless you're luckier than me slings have a bit of a learning curve both ways - but they pay off in so many ways. If you want to get out more this could be a good way to do it for you too.

If you're around for the kids mealtimes then eat with them, I could never have managed to make a meal for myself after I'd got the kids to bed either...OK for a while my meals were often cold (still spoon feeding others) and sometimes questionable(kid-pleasing food yuk), although the microwave bags of veg were a quick/cheap/easy way to make my meals healthier. Over time it got much better too as the kids grew and began feeding themselves.

And meal plan. Obsessively, in spare moments, even down to snacks. At first it's a bit tedious and time consuming, and hit and miss in my case, but you build up a base of meals and it gets very easy then. And it saves you time and money at the shop and helps avoid buying junk food (and these days makes my on-line shop a breeze).

These things stopped me gaining weight because it was possible to be more active and control what I ate better (while still being an exhausted time and cash poor single parent). If you're not a sugar junkie like me you'd probably lose weight! Going gluten free/mostly grain free (for other health reasons) was what made me lose weight though - 3 stone in 2 years just as a side-effect!!

Same problem here - so I eat when the kids eat, either pick at a little of theirs or make a quick stir fry at the same time, and no more eating later on.
I try to do an exercise dvd before leaving for nursery and work in the morning, and I have a cross-trainer in the kitchen which I hop on whenever I can spare a few minutes, like while waiting for pasta to cook or while the kids are crafting.
But your youngest is very young, so be kind to yourself and take it slowly, no hurry to lose it, it will come off slowly if you're sensible.