Exhausted

[Morechocmorechoc]

I need some words of wisdom from the wise mumsnetters please. I've become over weight and it's making me miserable and causing me health issues so I must change it. I cook healthy meals but I am up all night with young kids so I'm exhausted all the time. I am physically too tired to exercise and often feel faint as so tired so I snack on sugar things to keep me going.

If I wasn't tired I know I would go running and eat better snacks. The tiredness isn't going to change yet so I'm not looking for advice on that.

I really need help on what I can snack on when I'm feeling horrendous but need to keep going that isn't going to keep piling on the pounds.

TiA

I'm not sure what to suggest, but maybe plain yogurt over a sliced banana with a tea spoon if honey drizzled on top? Nut butter on dark rye bread, seeded bread toasted with butter and sugar free natural jam, porridge with berries on top and honey? Not all snack food as such but if you're really tired then is good fuel for your body.

Thanks for the ideas. Certainly better than the chocolate biscuits if not as satisfying!!

Do you like boiled eggs? If so, keep some in the fridge. What about boiled ham? With maybe a little bit of (lighter, if you want-tastes no different to the full fat version to me) soft cheese, rolled up?

Or a bowl of pasta with a bit of plain cheese grated over it? You could keep some cooked pasta in the fridge and heat it up. It's not the same as freshly cooked, but it saves a little time.

I've always got a bowl of hard boiled eggs in the fridge.

A brilliant quick protein snack works wonders and I also have protein shake so quite often have one for breakfast after a speed walk.

I try to fill up on as much protein with variants as possible or I'm starving too quickly.

One of the main and first things to address is why you are up all night with young kids

One sleep sorted, everything else has a tendency to fall in to place

Why the difficult nights?

Don't buy the sugary things. It'll force you to snack on better food.

Weight loss is mostly diet not exercise (though the latter helps and is good for you).

I just made a large pot of carrot and coriander soup with red lentils yesterday. Blend it, then soup in a cup to snack on. Keeps you full.

Thanks everyone. Is protein better or cares? Don't like egg but could snack on chicken or pasta?

Love the soup idea. Will try that too.

I think they're equally as important just have different roles to play. Agree with PP, exercise is helpful but it's your diet that really matters. You can't outrun a bad diet!
I wish you all the best

Do you have time to meal plan? Would that be practical for you, do you think? You could factor any snacks in then.
Also, what about cooked sausages, cut up maybe, into pieces as a snack? Or plain tougher mixed with sweetener, and a bit of fruit mixed in? I do that and it gives me the sweet hit I need

Protein fills you up for longer op.

So I marinade and steam chicken breasts and eat them cold as snacks or slow cook a gammon and put it in a box in the fridge for snacking alongside egg.

I do have pasta and rice and potato but a smaller portion of it and a larger portion of the veg and protein.

Pasta and rice and bread really bloats me out and makes me sluggish so my energy levels get low. Lots of tasty easy snack ideas and meals for balanced food

Thank you all very much for.your help