Please someone give me a kick up the arse

[percypig82]

Before my daughter was born I was really fit. I exercised 4 x a week and had a healthy diet. Fast forward three years. I was pregnant during lockdown in 2020 was healthy and active. After my baby was born my diet went down hill, but I was still active on maternity leave. Walking around an hour or more a day. However, I went back to work full time October 2021, just after my partner walked out.

I do no exercise, apart from carrying ny toddler. I have limited free time and when I do I sit watching TV. I don't eat properly as my daughter sometimes doesn't go down until 8.30-9pm. I eat toast and butter, oven chips and all the beige food. During the day when working for home doing a stressful job I am powered by chocolate biscuits and tea. I need to exercise and am determined to try and get half an hour in every day (lunch break or before or after work). Has anyone got any ideas for overhauling my diet. I'm going to stock up on fruit and veg to snack on but it's breakfasts, lunches and dinners I struggle with. I need something healthy I can shove in the oven or put in the microwave. I've looked up meal plans online but they're really expensive. Any advice really appreciated.... I feel so awful because of my diet.

Think back to what you ate when you were healthy and replicate that. Eat dinner when your child does, then you won't be eating so late. Schedule in a lunch break and workout for 30 mins as a start. You don't need a massive workout for results. And don't buy the biscuits. If they're not in the house you can't eat them

Have you thought about batch cooking on the weekends or whenever you have time? Would you have time earlier in the day to get the slow cooker going or something like a stir fry or omelette would be quicker than waiting for the oven.

I would stop buying the biscuits and either stop snacking or replace them with something more like fruit, carrot batons or the small 60 calorie bags of popcorn.

I have the same breakfast every day and make overnight oats with protein powder to keep me full. I make three lots at a time and it works for me. I would find one or two things you like and stick with those something with a higher protein amount than cereal.

I would try and eat earlier at night as well.

Breakfast could be porridge for both of you, nice and filling. Or greek yoghurt with fruit. No sugary cereals.

Lunch could be omelette or scrambled eggs, or a plate of cucumber and carrot sticks with hummus, a few cubes of cheddar, crackers, some fruit etc. All of which can be shared with dc. Will they eat boiled egg and soldiers?

Dinner doesn’t have to be beige, try and make it colourful by cooking 2 veg and some protein. Last night I had a birds eye chicken and veg pie, so kinda beige, but boiled broccoli and carrots to serve with it. Don’t fall into the trap of making yourself believe it has to be shoved in the oven. You can spare 20 minutes to slice up some vegetables and bake some fish. Pasta bake. Spaghetti bolognese. Chicken stir fry with lots of veggies. Jacket potatoes (take forever in the oven but I microwave them first and it cuts the oven time in half), with baked beans and cheese. As much as possible, cook one meal for both of you, we often find we make really healthy food for our kids, and instead of just eating the same, we then cook a separately unhealthy meal for ourselves.

You’re probably just stuck in a bit of a rut. But make meals at a sensible time that you can both eat, then stop for the night. Don’t have anything afterwards. At first you might feel hungry at bedtime, but that will fade after a few days. You don’t need evening snacks, no matter what time little one is going to bed.