You’re a busy mom and you probably have no time to lose weight- or so you think. There are a few things you can do, right now that can get you feeling better and looking great in no time at all. If you think you have heard it all and tried it all, check out these tips to see if you may be missing something that can help you get to the size and weight you want to be.
Download an app right now!
There are multiple apps that help you track how many calories you are consuming and they act as a food journal, which many experts agree you should keep because it is one of the best ways to lose weight. You can even use the app to meal plan and make a grocery list. Each night take about five minutes (it can be done on the commercials of your favorite nightly television shows) and fill out your meals for the next day. The tracker will tell you how many calories the meals will “cost” you and how many calories you have left over. If you are using too many calories, see where you can down on some, like going to diet Ranch dressing rather than the full-fat version. This will also help you when you make a grocery list because you will see just what you need to buy.
Break up your meals
You need to consume at least five meals a day. Breakfast should be eaten within one hour of waking up to get your metabolism revved up, and you should eat a snack two hours after that, then lunch two hours after the snack. Three hours after lunch eat another snack, and then eat dinner two hours later. After dinner, give yourself three hours before going to bed. By breaking up your meals like this you will keep your metabolism and energy levels up to help keep you fueled for your day.
Drink lots of water!
You know you need to drink water, but do you know how much and when? Drink one cup of water (8 ounces) with every single meal and snack. This will help your food digest, but will also help you get your daily intake of water. Also, drink one cup of water when you wake up, one before you go to bed, and one after your workout. This will help you get in the daily amount of water every woman should drink without making yourself sick on water. Other benefits of drinking the right amount of water include better skin, more energy, reduced headaches, less cravings, and shinier hair.
Plan your workouts ahead of time
Take a day to plan your workouts for the week and remember three very important things- you need to reach your target heart rate for 45 minutes a day, 5 days a week to lose weight; you CAN break that down into short sessions and get the same benefits; strength training is as important as or more important than cardio. With that in mind, you can plan to do three fifteen minute workouts that incorporate cardio and weights, and one fifteen minute workout that is all strength training. Do 15 minutes of cardio only on the morning before breakfast, then do 15 minutes of strength training and cardio before you eat lunch (run up the stairs or do some aerobics with weights). If you work, do 15 minutes of cardio and weights as soon as you get home, and if you don’t work, do 15 minutes while the kids are napping or having quiet time. Two hours before bed do the 15 minutes of strength training. You’ve gotten your 1 hour in without missing a beat in your schedule.
Cut out gluten, or reduce it
Gluten free isn’t just a trend, and it isn’t just for people with allergies to gluten products. Have you heard of beer gut? It’s caused by the wheat in the beer- or the gluten. Wheat belly is real and gluten metabolizes into sugar (and not the good kind that gives you energy) within two hours of consumption, and it saps your energy. Going gluten free for three of your meals and snacks a day can make a huge difference in both your weight and health, and it’s really simple to do! There are so many online recipes you can follow to make this achievable for you, these recipes can vary from gluten free pizza to gluten free pasta ingredients!
Take progress pictures
This is probably the hardest thing you will do. You need to take pictures of yourself to see what you look like and the changes as they occur. This may make you cringe at first, but the more progress you see the more you will be motivated to keep up the hard work.