Working out might be unrealistic right now but the good(?) thing is diet will make the biggest impact. Even if you’re not eating the healthiest of meals, you can always rely on hunger and fullness cues to avoid overeating or eating due to boredom, tiredness or stress.
I also don’t think you need supplements. If you’re eating a varied diet with meats, fruits, vegetables and healthy fats, you’re probably fine unless a doctor has identified a specific deficiency.
If you do want to get more movement, can you involve your kid? Things like walks, games of tag, and dancing are all ways to stay active.
I wake up early and workout before my children are up, if I miss a workout in the morning, I go during my lunch break. I also meal prep on Sundays for the week: breakfast,lunch, and dinner so I always know I’m going to be eating healthy.
Not only does working out improve the way I look physically, it is an outlet for stress and helps me to stay grounded.
Your kid is 21 MONTHS old. It’s ok not to be fitting workouts in right now.
It will get better as the kid(s) get older, but for now, they need you basically all the time.
We are a dual working household with 3 kids and support system. I decided I needed to make a change this year and lost lost 35 lbs. I joined a bootcamp type gym where I just have to show up and not put any thought into the workout.
We juggle a lot, including 5 day a week, sports schedules. It really came down to deciding this was the priority.
As others have notated, exercise is important for our health, but losing weight is about your diet. You can't out run a bad diet.
This is so wonderful to hear, and congratulations on making such a positive change. Could you share a few tips on how you practically arrange this: timings, care arrangements etc.
Personally, I prefer to go to the gym in the morning. So I usually go between preschool drop-off and work or on my 'lunch'. This pushes me end time later, but since DH usually handles pick-up and after-school care, he just gets to sole parent longer. If I can't make it to the gym during those times, I go after work, but logistically, this is the worst timing for our schedule and requires more communication and partnership. During the 1st few weeks, I made sure that I went to the gym regardless of whether it was convenient or put undue struggle on DH. It had to be a priority. Now I can be a bit more flexible. I go 3-4 times a week, usually only on weekdays.
For me, making it a priority requires making a serious financial commitment. I joined a bootcamp type gym and signed a 2 year contract with a hefty fee. The financial cost was a motivation even when I didn't want to, or logistics were difficult.
I don't know about the transformation vlogs, but if what you're looking for is either weightloss or toning, check out r/loseit for weight loss or r/xxfitness or r/bodyweightfitness for some weight loss or exercise content. i'm in the same boat where what I need for weight loss is headspace that I don't have, but weight loss is mostly about being mindful about what you eat, and at its core calories - eat less calories, lose weight. The question is, what if anything is getting in your way of eating less calories. It's not as simple as people make it out to be, and there may be things in the way that need to be dealt with before weight loss can be successful. bodyweight fitness might be a good option for working out at home with little to no equipment, and also look at some youtube videos that maybe you can do while your kids eat breakfast or dinner, or quick after bed, or as a winddown for everyone after bed - some dance workout videos or something where the kids can workout with you.
Those videos are realistic. Honestly they are usually just trying to sell you something (no one needs the overpriced supplements, generic multivitamins are just fine, I only get mine from the health food store because it’s across the street from my work 😅)
I have a friend at work who’s lost 20lbs just by little changes. Lots of walking (take the kid out while the weather is nice. ) simple diet tweaks. Is it TikTok worthy dramatic, no, but it long term goals and slow steady loss it actually more likely to stick.
You have to weave it in to the schedule. I used to be a 5-6 d/wk exerciser. Now, I make sure to get at least two solid (45-60 min) workouts a week and then just try to be up and moving on other days. I clean my own house and take care of my own yard so that forces me to be moving most days. We all go for a walk after dinner when it’s nice out.
When I’m really pinched for time I combine cleaning and working out. I’ll set a timer for 15 or 20 minutes, put on my workout shoes, and run around cleaning as much as I can. I’ll take the stairs multiple times to get my heart rate up, do lunges while vacuuming, jumping jacks between folding clothes. I look ridiculous but some days that’s all I can manage.
Figure out how to weave it in for yourself. Go for a walk while pushing the stroller or while kids bike. Walk while you’re waiting for kids to finish activities. If you are trying to find an extra hour to work out it likely isn’t going to work. You have to change an inactive activity to an active one.
For food, the premade salad mixes are a lifesaver for me. I take them to lunch several days. Add veggies into whatever you’re already making. Tacos? Double the peppers, onions, beans. Spaghetti? Dice zucchini, mushrooms, onions, peppers and add to your sauce. Have a side salad with most meals. Stay satiated on fruits and veggies so you aren’t tempted to reach for high cal convenience options. Doesn’t need to be a complicated diet. Just reduce portions of other food groups and increase f/v.
There's little evidence to suggest supplements are beneficial. Don't fall for the marketing that makes it seem like you need all kinds of pills and powders to be healthy. If you eat a varied diet and don't have any deficiencies, you don't need supplements. I take a vitamin D supplement because there's plenty of evidence to support the benefits, and that's it.
Also, if your primary goal is weight loss, you can track calories and eat at a deficit without ever stepping foot inside a gym. Lifting weights and cardio are certainly healthy, and can improve how your body looks, but weight loss primarily comes from eating less.
To increase how much exercise you are getting, I would start by wearing some kind of fitness tracker and trying to incorporate more steps into your existing routine. You might also talk to your partner about whether you can trade off baby responsibilities in the morning or evening so you can take turns going to the gym (or running outside, or doing an at-home YouTube workout). I work out over lunch at my office, but I realize that's not an option for most.
Online vlogs are not reality. Don't compare to them. You don't know what's happening off camera.
Working out might be unrealistic right now but the good(?) thing is diet will make the biggest impact. Even if you’re not eating the healthiest of meals, you can always rely on hunger and fullness cues to avoid overeating or eating due to boredom, tiredness or stress. I also don’t think you need supplements. If you’re eating a varied diet with meats, fruits, vegetables and healthy fats, you’re probably fine unless a doctor has identified a specific deficiency. If you do want to get more movement, can you involve your kid? Things like walks, games of tag, and dancing are all ways to stay active.
I wake up early and workout before my children are up, if I miss a workout in the morning, I go during my lunch break. I also meal prep on Sundays for the week: breakfast,lunch, and dinner so I always know I’m going to be eating healthy. Not only does working out improve the way I look physically, it is an outlet for stress and helps me to stay grounded.
Your kid is 21 MONTHS old. It’s ok not to be fitting workouts in right now. It will get better as the kid(s) get older, but for now, they need you basically all the time.
We are a dual working household with 3 kids and support system. I decided I needed to make a change this year and lost lost 35 lbs. I joined a bootcamp type gym where I just have to show up and not put any thought into the workout. We juggle a lot, including 5 day a week, sports schedules. It really came down to deciding this was the priority. As others have notated, exercise is important for our health, but losing weight is about your diet. You can't out run a bad diet.
This is so wonderful to hear, and congratulations on making such a positive change. Could you share a few tips on how you practically arrange this: timings, care arrangements etc.
Personally, I prefer to go to the gym in the morning. So I usually go between preschool drop-off and work or on my 'lunch'. This pushes me end time later, but since DH usually handles pick-up and after-school care, he just gets to sole parent longer. If I can't make it to the gym during those times, I go after work, but logistically, this is the worst timing for our schedule and requires more communication and partnership. During the 1st few weeks, I made sure that I went to the gym regardless of whether it was convenient or put undue struggle on DH. It had to be a priority. Now I can be a bit more flexible. I go 3-4 times a week, usually only on weekdays. For me, making it a priority requires making a serious financial commitment. I joined a bootcamp type gym and signed a 2 year contract with a hefty fee. The financial cost was a motivation even when I didn't want to, or logistics were difficult.
I don't know about the transformation vlogs, but if what you're looking for is either weightloss or toning, check out r/loseit for weight loss or r/xxfitness or r/bodyweightfitness for some weight loss or exercise content. i'm in the same boat where what I need for weight loss is headspace that I don't have, but weight loss is mostly about being mindful about what you eat, and at its core calories - eat less calories, lose weight. The question is, what if anything is getting in your way of eating less calories. It's not as simple as people make it out to be, and there may be things in the way that need to be dealt with before weight loss can be successful. bodyweight fitness might be a good option for working out at home with little to no equipment, and also look at some youtube videos that maybe you can do while your kids eat breakfast or dinner, or quick after bed, or as a winddown for everyone after bed - some dance workout videos or something where the kids can workout with you.
Those videos are realistic. Honestly they are usually just trying to sell you something (no one needs the overpriced supplements, generic multivitamins are just fine, I only get mine from the health food store because it’s across the street from my work 😅) I have a friend at work who’s lost 20lbs just by little changes. Lots of walking (take the kid out while the weather is nice. ) simple diet tweaks. Is it TikTok worthy dramatic, no, but it long term goals and slow steady loss it actually more likely to stick.
You have to weave it in to the schedule. I used to be a 5-6 d/wk exerciser. Now, I make sure to get at least two solid (45-60 min) workouts a week and then just try to be up and moving on other days. I clean my own house and take care of my own yard so that forces me to be moving most days. We all go for a walk after dinner when it’s nice out. When I’m really pinched for time I combine cleaning and working out. I’ll set a timer for 15 or 20 minutes, put on my workout shoes, and run around cleaning as much as I can. I’ll take the stairs multiple times to get my heart rate up, do lunges while vacuuming, jumping jacks between folding clothes. I look ridiculous but some days that’s all I can manage. Figure out how to weave it in for yourself. Go for a walk while pushing the stroller or while kids bike. Walk while you’re waiting for kids to finish activities. If you are trying to find an extra hour to work out it likely isn’t going to work. You have to change an inactive activity to an active one. For food, the premade salad mixes are a lifesaver for me. I take them to lunch several days. Add veggies into whatever you’re already making. Tacos? Double the peppers, onions, beans. Spaghetti? Dice zucchini, mushrooms, onions, peppers and add to your sauce. Have a side salad with most meals. Stay satiated on fruits and veggies so you aren’t tempted to reach for high cal convenience options. Doesn’t need to be a complicated diet. Just reduce portions of other food groups and increase f/v.
There's little evidence to suggest supplements are beneficial. Don't fall for the marketing that makes it seem like you need all kinds of pills and powders to be healthy. If you eat a varied diet and don't have any deficiencies, you don't need supplements. I take a vitamin D supplement because there's plenty of evidence to support the benefits, and that's it. Also, if your primary goal is weight loss, you can track calories and eat at a deficit without ever stepping foot inside a gym. Lifting weights and cardio are certainly healthy, and can improve how your body looks, but weight loss primarily comes from eating less. To increase how much exercise you are getting, I would start by wearing some kind of fitness tracker and trying to incorporate more steps into your existing routine. You might also talk to your partner about whether you can trade off baby responsibilities in the morning or evening so you can take turns going to the gym (or running outside, or doing an at-home YouTube workout). I work out over lunch at my office, but I realize that's not an option for most.