As a working mom, you know how difficult it is to manage everything. You are expected to deftly juggle work, family, and personal needs, all while maintaining a healthy work-life balance, and that too with a beaming smile on your face. And then there’s the added stress of trying to maintain a healthy physique!
I’m not sure how many of you needed to hear this, but to the working mom who thinks that losing weight is impossible because of her hectic schedule: You Are NOT Alone!
Being a mom who wants to lose weight is not something to be ashamed of. Your current shape may be the best it can be, but that doesn’t mean you couldn’t also strive to make it better. You shouldn’t beat yourself up for wanting to lose weight. After all, you are in charge of your own body, and you get to decide what works best for you!
While having a family history of a chronic illness or witnessing a close relative struggle with obesity is a powerful motivator for many women to make lifestyle changes and shed excess pounds, some women would like to improve their health so that they can be more physically present for their families. It all comes down to making smart choices if you want to have a long, happy life.
So – working moms – if you’re struggling with weight, stop playing around with the fad diets. If you need to lose weight and keep it off, you need to adopt some healthy eating habits that will help you succeed. And so, here are some recommendations to kick-start your weight loss journey and make some positive changes to your daily routine.
Table of Contents
- Prepare A Meal Plan
- Prepare Your Meals In Your Own Kitchen
- Eat A Balanced Diet
- Pick The Good Fats
- Make Salad Your Best Friend
- Ask If Sauces And Dressings Can Be Served On The Side
- Cut Back On The Booze
- Have Some Fruit For Your Noon Snack
- Eat Extra Greens With Every Meal
- Don’t Neglect Breakfast
- Stop Eating After 9 PM
1. Prepare A Meal Plan
Every single one of us can relate to this! You’re always too tired to cook when you get home too late. It’s usually easiest to just get takeout or reheat some frozen pizza. The trouble with those options is that takeout meals may easily top 1,000 calories, and frozen pizza isn’t exactly the healthiest meal of your dreams. This is why it’s essential to create a meal plan! You may even let the Healthi app create a meal plan for you. In this way, you’ll never be without nutritious, ready-to-eat options, even when you’re pressed for time, starving, and lacking in energy.
2. Prepare Your Meals In Your Own Kitchen
For all the convenience it provides in the present, losing weight while relying on takeout for the great majority of your meals is an exercise in futility. The high calorie and salt content of restaurant food has been linked to the production of dopamine, a hormone that can cause addiction. You may take control of your calorie intake by adopting the healthy practice of preparing your meals and snacks at home!
3. Eat A Balanced Diet
However desperate you may be to lose weight, you should never sacrifice nutritional necessities in the name of weight loss. Try to make sure that each meal has a variety of foods. You should eat meals that are high in protein, healthy fats, veggies, and whole grains.
4. Pick The Good Fats
You can’t get away from the fact that your body needs fat no matter what diet you follow. Saturated fats, like the kind found in butter, should be consumed cautiously. Replace it with something healthier, such as olive oil or avocado oil. You should also include things like nuts, seeds, olives, and avocados (unsaturated fats) in your diet.
5. Make Salad Your Best Friend
Who knew you could counteract calories by consuming more of them? Pre-loading your meals with salads can actually help your body stay fuller longer, save your body from an inflammation-inducing spike in blood sugar, regulate cholesterol levels, and help you lose weight.
6. Ask If Sauces And Dressings Can Be Served On The Side
If you let the restaurant dress your salad, you’ll probably get at least a couple tablespoons of a calorie-dense dressing that paralyzes your previously nutritious vegetables! That could cost you an extra 300-400 calories, depending on the dressing. However, you can save over 150 calories by ordering lighter vinaigrettes, instead of creamy dressings, on the side and using only half of it. You should still use some, as doing so will improve your body’s absorption of the salad’s fat-soluble, healthful nutrients.
7. Cut Back On The Booze
As the day is out, it’s easy to settle into a routine of pouring yourself a glass (or two) of wine to unwind. You can greatly improve your efforts to lose weight by limiting the amount of alcohol you consume. Refusing that extra glass of wine helps you consume fewer calories and avoids the risk of making poor food decisions after a few drinks.
8. Have Some Fruit For Your Noon Snack
Instead of grabbing for sugary treats or caffeinated beverages when the 3 PM slump hits, eating fruit as part of a balanced snack can provide you with prolonged energy as well as some nutrients that support your energy levels. If you want to feel full longer and prevent a sugar crash after snacking, try pairing a piece of fruit with a meal of protein.
9. Eat Extra Greens With Every Meal
Fruits and vegetables are great for your health because they include fiber, a nutrient that aids in digestive function and may even lower the risk of some malignancies. Many vegetables are low in calories and add a nice burst of flavor to otherwise bland recipes. But hey, trying to eat healthier doesn’t mean that you have to eat nothing but salad for the next seven days. Simply increasing the amount of broccoli in your stir-fry or the amount of spinach in your homemade soup will help you feel fuller for longer and maintain your weight loss efforts.
10. Don’t Neglect Breakfast
The common wisdom holds that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Indeed, it is! The consumption of numerous nutrients, such as folate, calcium, and iron, is correlated with the frequency with which breakfast is eaten. Always remember, those who miss breakfast consume much more calories, carbohydrates, total and saturated fat, and added sugars throughout lunch, dinner, and snacks than those who don’t.
And lastly…….
11. Stop Eating After 9 PM
It’s not true that your metabolism slows down at that time; that’s just a convenient excuse for people to keep eating the same unhealthy foods they always have. However, it is true that people who eat late at night are more likely to put on weight than those who retire to bed early. This isn’t because late-night eaters have slower metabolisms; rather, it’s because they tend to overeat at once and reach for high-sugar, high-fat foods in an attempt to satisfy their rumbling stomachs. These high-energy foods will not only cause weight gain but may also make it difficult to nod off before bedtime. And, if you didn’t already know, one of the secrets to shedding extra pounds is catching some more Zs.
