SAHM diet & fitness

[seeyouinanotherlifewhenwearebothcats]

Hi all, I am SAHM with 3 kids. Youngest is 5 months and still not sleeping through. She is EBF. I am wondering how do other SAHMs manage to prioritise their health and weight loss? I have a lot of weight to lose, 5 stone to get me to health BMI. I’m high risk of type 2 diabetes (gestational diabetes with all pregnancies) I’m terrified of cancers because I have weight around my middle, I have fat around my liver (identified at a scan). I have ALL the reasons to get this weight off but I feel so overwhelmed and don’t know where to begin. It feels like a mammoth task and when I’m so underslept I’m eating rubbish. As we are living off DH salary solely there really isn’t money to spend on gym membership. Is anyone in the same boat and had success? What do people eat in a day? How do you get exercise to get weight off? (I do school runs but our school isn’t in walking distance).

Thanks in advance.

I walked a lot with DS in carrier as two dogs. Don't underestimate the benefits of walking, especially if you do have a fair amount of weight to lose. 8
Other than that, tried to just be a bit more moderate with food etc.

Don't be too harsh on yourself - you're setting yourself up to fail and for a miserable time if you drastically cut calories / go for a mad exercise routine whilst you're sleep deprived and breastfeeding.

Start small - make some healthier swaps in your diet, drink lots of water, eat more fruit/veg, do more walking (with pram / baby in sling), try some home workouts? Joe Wicks on YouTube is good.

Walked a lot, built it into my day. Home workouts on You Tube and Zumba. Walked up and down the stairs more than I needed to. Cut things out gradually, so one week focused on eating less chocolate/crisps etc. Stopped buying treats. Meal prepped so there wasn't temptation to just get a takeaway in the evenings.

As to what do people eat in a day - when DS was that age (& bear in mind I didnt have other kids at home so fewer responsibilities than you!)

I drank lots of water and tea (nothing else, because I ); breakfast was Weetabix and fruit or a smoothie, sandwich lunch, a slice of cake in the afternoon, dinner was meat/fish/cheese & veg (very rarely any carbs in the eve). It was during Covid so went on lots of walks in the local park and carried DS in a sling at home. I prioritised sleep over food as the nights were so bad, so anytime DS consented to sleep somewhere not on me I slept too, with a bottle of water in reach - this helped me lose the baby weight. I did any chores when he was awake. Go easy on yourself x

Ooops posted too soon - just wanted to say drank water and tea, because I am boring and don't really like much else!

Im a sahm. Kids 5 and 2. I'm 8.5 stone. I start every day with hot water with a slice of lemon in and walk absolutely everywhere very briskly with the buggy - would recommend these 2 things! Could you park further away from the school and walk some of it?

I also run twice a week but I know that's not for everyone. Even on a non-running day I'm active with the kids. Davina McCall YouTube workouts are also good and she does lots of beginner friendly stuff.

Healthy breakfast ideas - porridge with peanut butter, banana and seeds. Overnight oats with berries. Shredded wheat, marmite on toast. I also have a protein shake but again not for everyone.

Lunch - avocado and chickpeas on toast with veg, beans on toast, jacket potato, soup.

I always have a small afternoon snack - nuts / fruit and alpro yoghurt.

Dinner - I love pasta with chickpeas and pesto, stir fry with tofu, vegan shepherds pie which is made with loads of veg, all sorts of things.

I went vegan 6 months ago and honestly it's been a game changer. I feel so healthy and energetic. If you don't feel able to do that I would strongly recommend cutting out animal products as much as you feel able to, there are so many calories in them.

Good luck.

I would also say don't put too much pressure on yourself especially when the youngest is a baby. My youngest was a terrible sleeper and 5 months in I was binge eating chocolate daily so I understand how it is.

I’ve just bought a jogging buggy so I can get out running with dd. I used to enjoy running before I was pregnant… I’ll admit she’s 2 now and it’s taken me this long to get the energy to even contemplate running again!

Thank you all so so much. I truly appreciate the kind words and words of wisdom. Walking is absolutely doable and I can park further away from school and try and get more steps in. I did Zumba up until about 28 weeks with DD3 but unfortunately it’s at 7pm which is when I’m now feeding and trying to get baby settled. I will look into the YouTube videos of it for sure. Great meal ideas as well, thank you all