Diet/work out for busy moms

chelsco13 · September 2015

I done really good at losing most of the baby weight. I lost it all but 5 pounds but I have recently gained 4 more pounds which might be from stress. I'm an in home aid and I'm on the road a lot during the day going from house to house, so exercise and eating healthy is hard when I have to eat in my car and it's easier to eat stuff that doesn't need to be heated or kept cold. Does anybody have any advice or tips on how I can eat healthier and find an easy exercise plan to stick with being a very busy working mom?

secretbaba · September 2015

What is your time frame for exercise? Kayla Itsines has an ebook which takes 28 mins to complete per workout, which you could do before or after work? As far as eating healthy goes, try to meal prep at the weekend - make your own sandwiches or salads and keep them in Tupperware (or if you're worried about them going soggy, prep the filling and quickly throw them together before work). Processed food is what you want to avoid, so if you're making healthy sandwiches or salads (sourdough bread, gluten free bread, rye bread) then that should help a lot. Stay away from fizzy drinks - take a large bottle (or two) of water to work and have it sitting with lemon in overnight before. If you have a smoothie maker or blender, make one every morning or before work. It's totally possible to be healthy on the run but you just need to plan for it. Good luck!

EricandKaren · September 2015

I only work part time, but am recently obsessed with Luna Protein bars- 12g protein per bar, but less than 200 calories! I really find that it holds me over for longer than other foods. A great snack or part of a quick at-my-desk lunch (with a Greek yogurt and piece of fruit).
I only "workout" on our treadmill once a week or so when the hubby is home or when both kids are napping at the same time (rare! And baby only naps for 30 mins so that's all the time I get!) but this doesn't happen often... So with my husbands encouragement I've been really watching my calories in. (Myfitnesspal has a free app to keep track of calories- really makes you aware of how much you are eating- esp eating out! I find myself making different choices when I do eat out) It's not easy, but you can do it! good luck!!

Erika161 · September 2015

You can find a lot of great workouts on Pinterest that you can do at home. Investing in a set of 8 or 10 pound Dumbbells and a yoga ball will really help for upper and lower body strength exercises that really help your metabolism.

For food, I find wraps a good lunch option, with lower carbs than sandwiches. Another protein bar that's really tasty and under 200 calories is the Special K protein bars. Greek yogurt with berries and granola is one of my favourites for breakfast or even lunch if you make it bigger (just pack the granola separate and dump it in before eating so it doesn't get soggy). Nuts also make a great healthy snack if you portion them appropriately.

You can also get s lunch box with s small ice pack to keep in your car to keep things cool.

Those last 5-10 pounds are always the hardest. Good luck!!!

skootnshoot25 · September 2015

I've been drinking Shakeology daily which is great for my overall health, breastfeeding, and has even helped my IBS. And I just started PiYo which ranges from 20-35 minutes so I've managed to squeeze it in on top of a full time job and finishing my masters.

mrsbrown211 · September 2015

I replied to a similar thread on another form and honestly the best and fastest thing to help me get in shape is kettle bells but the thing with that is use at least 25lbs. It will hurt like crazy but a quick 10-20 min workout will do amazing things for your body. Try it. So good. Full body and so fast. I'm starting back with them now. I only did 5mins and I'm still sore two days later. Good luck to us all!