Hi there fans of Mrs. Beer! (Gosh, don’t you just love her last name?! It always makes me smile when I go to Jess’s blog!) Anyway, hi I’m Jenny! I blog over at The Chronicles of We. I blog mostly about my almost two year old (almost as in three days!) daughter, Callie. You will also see me talking about my running and weight-loss journey, the process of building a house and our family’s little adventures. I started reading Jess’s blog back in the fall when I learned about her Sleep Chronicles series! I wrote a post in her Sleep Chronicles series and now I’m thrilled to be here sponsoring her blog! I love reading about her journey with Weight Watchers (I just rejoined), watching her adorable daughter grow and catching a new recipe!
Today I wanted to talk about some strategies I use to make healthy choices as a mom. By no means am I perfect but over the last two years I’ve found some things that when I do them really work for me! I have a long ways to go but I am currently 15lbs under my pre-baby weight. Working out, losing weight and making healthy food choices takes a lot more planning as a mom. It also goes a lot slower! There’s so many things to juggle making yourself a priority isn’t easy. I think it’s really important to be healthy as it sets an example to our kids. Even if your kids are young, like mine, they pick up on so much of what they see. Plus for me now that I have a kid I want to be healthier so I can keep up with her! So there are some things that have helped me:
Today I wanted to talk about some strategies I use to make healthy choices as a mom. By no means am I perfect but over the last two years I’ve found some things that when I do them really work for me! I have a long ways to go but I am currently 15lbs under my pre-baby weight. Working out, losing weight and making healthy food choices takes a lot more planning as a mom. It also goes a lot slower! There’s so many things to juggle making yourself a priority isn’t easy. I think it’s really important to be healthy as it sets an example to our kids. Even if your kids are young, like mine, they pick up on so much of what they see. Plus for me now that I have a kid I want to be healthier so I can keep up with her! So there are some things that have helped me:
- Even though I’m a stay at home mom I like to do a fair amount of prep the night before, just like I used to when I worked. Food-wise, I like to prep my morning snacks because that is my biggest obstacle and often the food I eat on the go (which we are on the go a LOT)! The morning is also the longest stretch Callie is awake, so being prepared for that 1st shift make things go smoother. I also do a fair amount of food prep on the weekends to make the week go smoother. The more I prepare, the better I eat.
- I like to plan out my meals a week or two at a time. This also makes it easier for shopping. It really helps me plan ahead for special events and times I know I’m going to “splurge” on food.
- Schedule in workouts like you would a doctor’s appointment or a play date. If I just say I’m going to work out three times this week it doesn’t happen. If I put my workouts on my calendar they almost always happen.
- In addition to scheduling workouts, find a work out approach that works best for you. For me it’s either at the gym with Callie in daycare or with the jogging stroller. My best time of day is in the morning. In a pinch I’ll use the treadmill in the basement when Callie is asleep, but that’s not my preferred workout mode. Now if my hubby didn’t travel and I could trade off mornings or nights with him I might workout differently. One of my favorite bloggers usually gets her in runs in while the hubby gives their toddler a bath. Figure out what works for you situation!
- Leaving fruit and veggies out on the counter helps for healthy easy snacking. One, I’m weird and I don’t like my fruit or veggies cold. Two, if I’m walking by and I see the snacks out I’m less likely to go dig in the pantry for something not so healthy.
- Sit down for meals and snacks. Not only is this a good mom habit it’s good for your kiddo and sets a good example. I’ve found I eat less when I make a point to sit down and eat. This doesn’t happen for every meal/snack but if we are home I try to make a point of sitting down to eat.
- I try to prepare the same meals and snacks for Callie and I. There are some tweaks but having us eating the same foods helps us both make good choices. Of course, if Callie’s having a bad day and will only eat mac and cheese…I’m not eating with her. But most days she’s a good eater so we eat eggs, chicken, fruits, veggies even protein smoothies together!
What are some of your strategies for staying healthy as a mom?
Thanks again Jess for letting me take over your blog today!
5 Responses
Oh, I love Jenny! Great advice and great post. I’m terrible about meal planning and scheduling workouts. I’m sure both would help out so much, though. Love the tips!
I agree – I am going to be incorporating a lot of these!
Honestly, having a baby has helped me to start eating a little better! I’m so cautious about what I let enter her body that I’m buying better foods and, in turn, eating some of them myself. My fruit and veggie intake is WAY up these days!!
Oh good! I never thought of it helping!
Thanks for the love ladies! And thanks again Jess for letting me take over your blog!