Im stuck in a vicious circle.... can anyone help???

[charlotte121]

Im very fed up/depressed with the way i look, now admittedly dd is only 6 weeks old so obviously my body hasn't had a huge chance to recover but even when i try to eat healthely I fail miserably.
To make matters worse im really struggling to make ends meet and junk food is a hell of a lot cheeper than fresh fruit and veg.

Does anyone have any advice. I need some simple exercises that I could do to tone up, cheep meals that will help with weight loss but are suitable for a 1 yr old and some motivation. I hate the way I look.

AHH DONT BEAT YOURSELF UP ABOUT IT( sorry caps)
if you want to do excercises why not have a look in chraity shops for a cheap video or dvd to do at home. i ma sure your little ones would love watching you do it and would entertain them as well as helping you feel better.

yeh thats not a bad idea. thanks

also look for some cook book for ideas for recipies.

no one ever looks as bad as they think

I just feel gross. Im a 12/14... but i want to be a 12. I think i could do with losing 1 1/2 stone which isnt that hard. Im thinking maybe I might start slimming world but its £5 a week which is a lot when your skint. achhhh had a really bad day so perhaps thats why I feel so despondant. My mum took me shopping and i tried on loads of clothes. everything looked so horrid on me and it left me feeling horrible.
Thing is i dont think it would be that hard for me to lose the weight and tone up but its just finding the motivation not to eat crap. I also spent the whole afternoon searching for a gym that has a crech facility. I found 1, but its rediculous. You have to book a week in advance.... its only for an hour and its £1.80 a child. that means if i were to go for a swim I would have to pay £3.50 and then £3.60 for the child care... it works out pretty expencive to go swimming twice a week!

If I were to go to slimming world and then swimming twice a week it would cost me nearly £20!!! I cant afford that!

Aw charlotte, your baby's only 6 weeks old! It's totally NORMAL to not feel good about your appearance when you've just had a baby.

I felt exactly the same, but with a newborn I didn't have the time, money, or energy to do anything about it. And thats normal too (unless your Posh Spice ).

My mum always says it takes 9 months to put pregnancy weight on, and it takes 9 months to lose it.

It takes time. Don't expect too much of yourself just now

I agree with exercise video / dvd. And walking helps loads.
I walked everywhere (pushing DD in buggy), sometimes it was easier than struggling on a busy bus with the buggy. I'm sure that helped.

get as much sleep as you can, otherwise your body will crave carbs and there goes the vicious circle.
Dont stock up cheap biscuits. you'll eat them all before bothering with healthier option.

Eat hot porridge in the morning.

Eat beans, grains and pulses (buy dry - is cheaper and soak night before). Cook in tomato sauce (tins of peeled toms) & spices.

Buy bulk frozen veg & meat(as nutritious as fresh) and seasonal fruit.buy green leafy veg such as cabbage. cheap and superhealthy.
stir fry with 1 clove garlic and soy sauce. 5 minutes tops. Or cook as a casserole. throw everything in pan, lower heat and simmer 2 hours while you study or play with DC

Make a habit of eating healthy and wean your kids on healthy food. win-win for the whole family

lol ds eats a much better diet than me. Some times Im so skint that i buy mince cook it and make a variety of different dishes for ds that will last a week and just eat beans on toast myself. I do try and go to my mums if money is tight but i cant expect her to cook dinner for us every night.
I think i just need to sit down and plan my weekly shop very carefully and perhaps cook meals and freeze them.