Weight Loss Tips for Moms

When you’re looking to lose weight or get healthier as a busy mom, it can be overwhelming. You’re not sure where to start, feel overwhelmed with all of the diet and exercise plans out there, and feel like you just won’t have to time to be successful.

The biggest mistakes many of us make when it comes to getting healthier is that we either try to jump onto any fad plan that we see floating around because it worked for someone else or we attempt to do too much at once and set ourselves up for failure.

I’ve been there. From the time I was 16-26, while my anxiety and depression had reared its ugly head, I had ate and drank my way into obesity. My 5 foot 2 inch frame had been carrying over 200 pounds for at least 6 of these years and one day, I had decided that ‘enough was enough’.

I didn’t know where to start, I didn’t know what to do but, I knew that I had to make changes somewhere.

So I tried everything and anything. I tried diet pills, and gross tasting shakes, I attempting to eat zero carbs, and went vegan. I was on the hunt to find the ‘one thing’ that I knew would help me lose the weight for good. I mean… there had to be a ‘magic pill’ right?

After years of failed attempts, I had finally found my ‘magic pill’ and lost 70 pounds. What was it? Eating healthy and exercise.

I know, I know… annoying right?

But it’s true. So often we jump from thing to thing, wishing and hoping for magic when in reality, it’s a slow and steady race to a real and long term weight loss and lifestyle change.

How do you lose weight for good?

I’ve learned a few things on this weight loss journey because I’ve had to do it a few times. I was able to keep my weight off but gained 50 pounds when pregnant with my daughter, lose 45 of it before becoming pregnant with my son, gain 40 with the second pregnancy and am down 30 of those 40 pounds currently.

And that’s a lot of time to learn what works - and what doesn’t - with sustainable weight loss.

Related Post: How to Find Time to Exercise as a Busy Mom 

Don’t get me wrong, I would love if these last 10 (and hopefully some more) pounds would just melt off but I know it’s not long lasting for my body. When I lost the 70 pounds a few things were different that made that journey a little easier. I’m 10 years older, I’ve had two kids, I don’t get as much sleep as I need, and I’m still breastfeeding.

But that doesn't’ mean it’s impossible and I’m going to throw in the towel - and neither should you!

And just one small note before you dive into the tips - I talk a lot about weight loss in this post but I want to remind you that you are MORE than just a number on the scale. It’s ONE measure in your journey and once you start to look at it more as a journey to be healthier than just weight loss, you’ll see success. Weight loss can just be a great side effect (besides loving yourself more, feeling more confident, playing longer with your kids and fitting into more clothes!)

Getting Started with Losing Weight

There are a few things I think are key when it comes to losing weight for good.

1. Goals for Weight Loss and Healthy Living

Before you think about making big changes in your life, I think it’s important to really anchor in what you’re hoping accomplish and why.

If you’re looking to really make long lasting changes, you need to have something to cling to when it’s really hard.  Because it’s going to get really hard. There will be weeks or even months where your weight may not change at all, where temptation calls your name, and where you wonder if it’s worth it.

But why do you want to get healthier or lose weight?

Create a vision for yourself and really think about how your life will be different if things change. Write a letter to that future self telling you how proud you are for how far you’ve come, how you’ve overcome the obstacles, and how you have worked towards your goals. Pull this letter out to read on the super tough days.

Really think about what you’re life would feel like when things change. Can you climb up the stairs easier? Do you feel more confident speaking at work? Does it take you less time to get dressed because more of your clothes fit?

Draw into the things that matter to you and how you picture things being different for you. Create goals for yourself for the next year, next month and even next week. Make them concrete (inches lost or a number on the scale) but make them non-scale victories as well. Try on a piece of clothing that you’d like to wear each week of your journey and start to feel the changes your body is making. Each week, as those pants slide on a little easier, you’ll be proud of yourself for those changes - even when they might not show up on the scale.

Related Post: Creating Goals that Matter

2. Make Small, Trackable Goals for Your Weight Loss

The biggest mistake I see moms make when trying to lose weight or get healthier is that they try to overhaul their entire lives in one day.

It didn’t take just one day, one week, or one month to have unhealthier habits in your life so, why do we expect that every Monday, life will just magically change?

The best way to have long lasting changes is to pick one habit to work on for 1-2 weeks at least. Yup. Just 1-2. That’s it.

I always suggest when trying to make changes that moms start with water. As busy moms, we often forget to drink water during the day and having enough water is the best tip for weight loss. And, if you’re  a breastfeeding mom like me, making sure you have enough water in your system is the best way to keep your milk supply up while losing weight at the same time.

Simply work on setting a timer in your phone to remind you to chug water, aim for at least half of your body weight in ounces each day, and limit everything else. Actually, don’t drink anything else. Now I’m not crazy, coffee is a must but, make sure that you aren’t adding in a ton of creamers or artificial sweeteners.

After you do that for a week or two, add in another habit and another and another. Yes, this is the slow climb up the mountain but, it allows you to actually make HABITS and not just fall in the trap of another fad diet where you lose weight and gain it the second you sniff a carb.

If you want to learn more about this concept of habit stacking for healthy weight loss, go and grab my e-book or the corresponding course The 4 Week Healthy Transition Plan! It’ll tell you exactly which habits to add or subtract, when to do it, and what to eat!

3. Enlist A Support Team while Trying to Lose Weight

It can be hard to make changes when you feel like you’re in it alone. Talk to your spouse, your kids, your coworkers and your friends. Tell them your goals and let them know that you’re really trying to make healthier changes.

Related Post: How to Make Mom Friends and Beat SAHM Depression

My suggestion with your kids is, if you want to change their nutrition as well, that you make slow changes in your shared meals and not try to overhaul everything immediately. Doing that will set you up for the troops to go crazy and, if you want them on board and on your team, slow changes work with them too.

Make a few different side dishes at first then change up the snacks, half the amount of juices or sodas you buy and then, after a few weeks, stop buying them all together.

This is exactly what we did with my stepson who, when I started dating my husband, was a 4 year old who only ate chicken nuggets and french fries. At first, I added in vegetables at dinner and then stopped having french fries as a daily dinner option. Slowly, I started offering the meat we were having with his nuggets to let him try it and now, everyone in our house eats the same dinner. (He’s 12 years old now and not picky at all!)

If you can’t find friends locally to support you on your goals, try to find a virtual community! That’s exactly why I started the Purpose Driven Mom Club! We push each other to work on our goals, not just in health, but in our whole lives!

Come over now and check out the monthly membership and join us if you feel like you need that extra cheerleader in your corner! We’d love to have you as part of the tribe!

4. Which diet plan works best?

Here is the thing, the weight loss plan that will work best for you is the ONE THAT YOU DO.

Seriously.

I know lots of people who lose weight successfully with all types of programs that just don’t work for me. And I’m happy for them. But you have to stay in your lane, find the ones that fit your lifestyle (for me it’s a mix of portion fix and 2B mindset) and keep going with it!

Related Post: 2B Mindset for the Breastfeeding Mom 

The same goes for exercise. If you like to go to classes and need that to motivate you to keep going, find a gym that offers what you need. For me, the time it would take to go to a gym, workout and come home, is just not something that fits.

I work out at home and stream my workouts with Beachbody on Demand. It’s what I’ve used for years to lose my weight and can get all of the Beachbody home workouts, meal plans, and programs included in just one yearly price. I get to workout in my pajamas (if I want) while my kids watch Mickey Mouse and be done in the time it would take me to even get to a gym.

I really think this is a great solution for busy moms so, if you want to try it for the year or a 2 week free trial, go to this link and sign up! If you do, email me at coachingwithcara@gmail.com and I can add you into our health support groups (free!)

BONUS Weight Loss for Breastfeeding Moms and Post Pregnancy

I have a few posts specifically on this because it is a little trickier to lose weight as a breastfeeding mom. Head over to read those if you want more tips, meals plans and resources!

7 Day Post Partum Weight Loss Plan

21 Day Fix Meal Plan for Breastfeeding Moms

2B Mindset for Breastfeeding Moms

Can you do 80 day Obsession while Breastfeeding?

21 Day Fix Extreme while Breastfeeding

Want to come back to these tips later? Make sure and PIN to go back to!

More Healthy Living Resources for Busy Moms

How to Find Time to Workout as a Busy Mom