Need to lose 40 lbs....any advice?

I'm a SAHM of 5 kids, 2 are in school but the other 3 are ages 3, 16 mos, and 4 mos.  I have a gym membership but it's hard to find time to go.  My gym has a nursery but it's closed from 12-3pm and that is when it would be most convenient for me to go.  Besides that, one or more of my little ones has been sick with colds and such ever since we joined a month or 2 ago.  I could go after dh gets home from work but that's dinner time and who wants to go then or after?  Especially in the winter.  I guess I'm just not motivated ENOUGH, even though I really want these 40 lbs I've accumulated from having 2 babies in a year -- GONE. 

My problem is not mealtime.  I eat pretty healthy meals but since I'm home all day I snack too much.  I think a lot of it is out of boredom but I'm having a hard time kicking the habit.  I have pulled myself off the candy and cookies since the holidays are over but now it's popcorn, crackers, etc... I think I have to have my carb fix several times a day.  I bought fruit but I don't really want that, lol.

I've always been pretty lean, but now I'm having a hard time getting this weight to budge.  Dh says it's just because I'm getting 'older' (sigh).  I actually gained over the holidays.  In the past when I wanted to lose weight, I just cut way back on my eating.  But I was working then and didn't have food on hand all the time.  It is so much harder now that I'm home 24/7.  It is so hard to get out of the house with the 3 little ones, like I would like to do... so we just stay home most of the time. 

Any suggestions to help me get out of this rut???  THANKS!!!!

Sabrina

Sounds like you need something for your hands to do. How about needlework of some kind? That may keep your hands away from the crackers and popcorn.

Sounds like you may be addicted to carbs if you need a "fix" a few times a day. I lost 50 pounds by cutting down on the carbs. Instead of the carby things, you're going to have to choose to eat something low-carb. A couple pecans or almonds helped me through many a carb-attack while I was losing the weight. Choose low-glycemic fruit, like berries, in place of higher-glycemic ones like grapes, citrus, or tropical fruits. Go for the celery, but not the carrots. Carrots are higher in sugars.

Anything with fiber in it will help curb hunger. Make sure you have a good dose of fiber in your meals and in your snacks. That will help greatly.

Can you find another stay at home mom who you can arrange to go walking with, to the park, the swimming pool etc??? Even with 3 you should be able to arrange outings that will be good exercise for all.

I highly recommend Weight Watchers.  The meetings are only once a week for an hour.  You get great tips and recipes too!

Aashlee, the pecans or almonds sounds like a good idea.  I had a bag of pecans on my microwave for a little while and I would grab a couple when I walked thru and it lasted a while.  A bag of crackers the same size would have been eaten in one fell swoop.  I LOVE wheat thins! 

I don't really want to spend the money on weight watchers

Oh, and it just really hard to walk with all 3 kids.  Walking is really my exercise of choice, but I only have a double stroller, which I put the youngest 2 in, but I have to let the 3 yr old walk, which takes forever.  He walks way too slowly, and then he freaks out every time he sees a dog or cat, and wants me to carry him, or he runs back to the house.  I just end up getting really frustrated and want to come home and eat a pint of ice cream, LOL.

Just my OPINION

 I needed to lose about 25 pounds, and did NOT want to spend the money for Weight Watchers.  However, I did join, with a friend, and it only took a few months.  I felt is was TOTALLY worth the money.  Plus, you learn how to keep the weight off.  I've kept it off for 3 years now.  If I had to do it over again, I'd join WW again!

Julie

I joined WW last January, and I love it.  I was an always snacker, but as I learned what triggers turned me on to chew more, I was able to address it.  I lost 30#'s by September.  Since then I have maintained, as I am waiting for skin to tighten up.   I am doing the CORE plan, and it is marvelous.

My oldest DD has just about your same problem except the two smallest are 20 month old twins. She is very small, and I haven't seen her since the twins were born, but I guess from what she told me, she has gained a lot in the rear. She was going to the gym in the morning before her SO left for work, but now I'm not sure. She never had a problem losing weight with her other kids, but I think the twins about did her in. I talked to her one day and she said it had taken her 5 hours to get her groceries, since she is one of those people who shop by Ads. She was wearing size 2 clothes, and I guess she can still fit into most of her clothes, but a bathing suit is out of the question. I remember after her first of 5 was born, I went to help her out, and we went out and ran into one of her friends and she couldn't belive that it had only been about a week since she had the baby because she looked so good, and I spouted off with "yeah but you haven't seen her naked." LOL. About the only advice I can give you is When you get those cravings, get up and dance or what ever you can do to get moving for about 10 minutes. The hormones that are released may satisfy your cravings. I hope that helps. Besides, your kids will get a kick trying to imitate you, and it will amuse them for 10 minutes. LOL

 Is there another SAHM who would "trade" with you?  She could watch your kids for an hour M-W-F while you go to the gym, and T-TH-S you watch hers while she has free time.  Then on the 7th day, DH can be with the kids while you go for another hour.  That would be four hours each week of core exercise.  That would do wonders!  The other thing about this is that once you start working out, your metabolism increases, so just changing a diaper will burn more calories than it did before!  Keep lots of fresh fruit handy and veggies for snacks instead of the "bad" goodies.  Good luck!

Hello, I have had small children at home for a long time and I don't like to leave them in a nursery when they are babies.  The weather did not always cooperate to walk outside so I started to walk in the house.  (I know kinda weird, but it worked)  I would put the babies to nap, and put on a T.V. show my toddler liked, grab a couple cans to use as hand weights, and off I went.  I would make a figure 8 through the house, hoping the neighbors didn't see through the windows!  :-) When the T.V. show was over I knew I walked a half hour.  Sometimes my toddler would walk too, it became a game.  The only rule was he had to walk behind me so I could keep up a good pace.  I lost 20 lbs!

Another thing that always helps is journaling what I eat along with the calories.  A weight watchers thing.

Weight watchers has an online system, not sure of the web site, but if you googled weight watchers it should pop up! 

Don't give up!

Michele

I have a few tips. I've lost 70lbs in the last year and have a one year old and numerous animals. Like you I snacked and snacked. Also my portion control was awful. Some of those easy to grab foods, that seem like they are in single serving packages are not. One small bag of chips that you can buy in packs, has two servings not one. I replaced my unhealth snacks with  portion controlled size ones. For instance I tossed the chips and found some soy crisps I like (granted I had to try a few before I found one I liked), then bagged them into individual serving bags. Did the same thing with whole wheat pretzels, nuts, and dried fruits.

 Good luck and hang in there.

 Jen

I would strongly suggest Weight Watchers!   I too am unable to get to a gym or even make it to weekly meetings, so I joined Weight Watchers on line (about $17/month) at the end of Ocotber.    I also have about 40 pounds to lose and have lost 27 of them already!    WW is a healthy eating plan,  and what sold me (other than two of my friends having success on WW) is their Maintenance plan.  You might want to check into it!

Good Luck!

Check out this web-site.  Also, there is one other site posted by the same person. She has a free on-line fitness class every Tue. at 9 p.m. ET.  Anyone can join in and listen.

www.freewebs.com/fitnessfriendsfun/vfcweeks612.htm

On the soapbox again for Weigh Down Workshop!  I lost 28 pounds going through this program, and afterwards taught the class twice.  It is Bible based, but basically it is portion control.  I lost the 28 pounds with ABSOLUTELY NO FOOD LIMITATIONS and WITHOUT EXERCISING. 

 You learn to eat only when you're hungry (which is much less often than you think) and to stop when you're full (which is with much less food than you think!).  I lost the 28 pounds eating barbeque ribs and Hershey bars.  For example, though - if I was craving a Hershey bar, I would wait until I was hungry (ONLY when your stomach growls) and have two or three squares of the Hershey bar.  If that filled me up, that might be all I would eat for a meal until the next time I was hungry.  It's amazing how good I felt when I was doing that. 

This is not a diet, it's a lifestyle change, so it's something one can continue to do all life long.  I think that's the major reason most "diets" fail.  They restrict you from having foods that you love, and to try to get you to think you're eating something, they have you munch on carrots and rice cakes all day long - you can't eat ANYTHING all day long and lose weight.  And they are big on that three meals a day and snacks thing.  If you're not HUNGRY, why should you eat at ALL until you are hungry again?  I had one girl in one of my classes that did not get hungry (stomach growl) for about 2 days after we started the class!  Everyone that took the class when I was teaching it lost weight. 

We are all so afraid to get hungry that we want to eat all the time.  Once you've done this program about two weeks, you don't even WANT to overeat, or to eat when you're not hungry. 

Now, everyone should certainly exercise for heart health and to tone your muscles, but it's not necessary for weight loss, as I am living proof!  You are so busy it seems to me this would be the perfect thing for you to try.  Google Weigh Down Workshop and you can get the scoop.