Since becoming a mom, my idea of weight loss, healthy living, and lifestyle changed completely. I thought achieving my health goals was impossible because of lack of sleep, the breastfeeding hunger (IYKYK) , priority shifts, etc. I remember struggling SO much with the loss of my identity and my body image. I would wonder how I was going show up for myself health wise. I have been into health since high school: active in swim team, marching band, and even group fitness classes in the gym. In college, I was a personal trainer and group fitness instructor. Heck, I am even a REGISTERED DIETITIAN. Health is and always has been my jam, but navigating all this as a new mom was TOUGH! I mean… I am still figuring it out. One day I will have it together… maybe.
I want to say, even though it’s harder now as a mom, it IS possible to prioritize your health and wellness. Sure, it may not go as quickly or be as consistent as it used to be. It might be messy, and you will have to reschedule often. Things might not be how they before, but you can still show up.
Let go of mom guilt. I understand this is easier said than done, but I want to emphasize: YOU ARE NOT A BAD MOM FOR PUTTING YOUR HEALTH FIRST! You are not a bad mom for taking some time for yourself to workout, cook a meal, or prep. In fact, I would argue taking care of yourself will help you show up even more as a mom because you will have more energy, you are stronger from your workouts and prepared for meal and snack time.
Understand that something is better than nothing. Before I had Violet, I was able to workout for an hour with no distractions, but with her I was lucky to get 30 min. But those 20-30 minutes were better than nothing. Honestly, it felt like I was starting from scratch with my fitness and those 20 min were brutal because I was balancing mom life with an infant, loss of strength, and trying to finish before V woke up from her nap. Once I figured out that I could take her to the gym that changed the game for me. If it is accessible where you are, I highly suggest a gym with childcare. This helped me so much and gave me dedicated time to workout that wasn’t reliant on Violet having a good nap. If the gym is not an option for you, that is ok. Remember, something is better than nothing. Before the baby wakes, during nap time, or at night are always great times to get it in!
Be honest with the time you have. I 100000% understand moms do not have the same 24 hours as others because we are needed so often, but be honest with yourself and ask: what are you doing with the time you do have? Are you spending it scrolling social media for hours on the couch? I know I am sometimes guilty of this and I realize that if I wanted to show up for my goals, I have to sacrifice some things to make it happen. I have been (and still am actively working on) limiting social media time to a certain amount each day and setting boundaries for myself such as no phone before and after a certain time each day. It helps SO much. Look at where you are putting your time and see if you can shift some things in order to focus on your health goals.
Habit stack. This has been so helpful for me. I have made it a habit to watch my favorite TV show or listen to a podcast during my meal prep and cooking times. This makes the process much more enjoyable and I don’t feel like I am missing out on entertainment that I need! I also do this during cleaning as well.
Portion family meals for yourself. The one thing moms have said they struggle with is that their family doesn’t want to eat healthy and they don’t want to cook different meals. This is tough, but I want to say you don’t have to cook multiple meals. You can learn to portion the things you are eating or make simple swaps your picky eaters may not notice. Swap pasta for barilla protein pasta or whole grain options, add cauliflower rice into cooked ground meat (they won’t notice I promise), or even just make one additional healthy side for you. As long as you are portioning things out and being flexible with yourself, you can still achieve your goals without making it inconvenient for your family. It also doesn’t hurt to try new meals as a family to see how it goes! You never know if you don’t try, right?
MEAL PREP , MEAL PREP, MEAL PREP! Y’all… I can’t stress this enough. Meal prepping will save you so much time. You don’t even have to get intense with it. It can simply be washing and cutting fruit, hard boiling eggs ahead of time, or making some snacks so you feel less overwhelmed with the kids during the week. My favorite meal preps are overnight oats, chia puddings, and casseroles for lunches! I have tons of meal prep recipes and options in my membership group. You can check that out here.
Allow flexibility. Before Violet, I would beat myself up if I missed a workout, but now missing a workout is more common. Sometimes kids are sick or something comes up and you have to reschedule. It’s out of your control! If this happens to me, I see if I can do it during a nap or after she goes to bed (I don’t love it at night, but I will do it if I need to) or simply push it another day. It is what it is and as moms, we have to be flexible with our routines and schedule.
I hope these tips help push you into a better headspace. It really is possible to achieve your goals as a mom and though it may be harder and inconvenient sometimes, you are strong. Just know you are WORTH it and deserve to feel good, confident, and glowing.
XOXO, Beks
