Losing those extra pounds gained from your busy days can be daunting and overwhelming. I’ve been there—staring at the mirror, wondering, “Who is this person?” But with the right mindset and a few practical tips, you can absolutely lose weight consistently and sustainably.
As a busy mom myself, I know it can be really trying to juggle everything on your plate. It is easy for us to push our needs aside to tend to everyone else’s needs. You may be feeling the same, possibly discouraged and overwhelmed by all the information out there.
It can be challenging to lose weight while juggling all your responsibilities as a busy mom. But even with all this, I want you to know that you can absolutely do it! Consistency with the right habits is key – and we will show you the way!
With commitment and smart strategies, you can most definitely make progress, even with a packed schedule! Let me share what has worked for me and my clients. The journey begins with that first step. Let’s go!
10 Tips to Help You Stay Consistent With Weight Loss
1. Set Realistic Goals:
Many of us have been in a place where we want to realize our goal – tomorrow, yet, we know it’s going to take some time. We need to be honest with ourselves with what a reasonable timeline is. Extreme diets are very hard to sustain and can lead to all-or-nothing thinking. Stepping back and choosing a reasonable timeline can make all the difference in your long-term success!
2. Track or Journal Your Food:
Successful dieters and maintainers monitor their food intake (with tools such as calorie tracking app, journaling or applying the plate method). This helps you make intentional decisions more often about your food intake.
3. Planning is your BEST friend!
Set up two times a week where you just sit down and plan what you will have, particularly for those tricky meals – like dinners! I find having Sunday and Thursday as a quick 10-15 minute planning session works great for my consistency! I can start the week off confident, then refresh for the weekend on Thursday.
4. Make Gradual Changes:
Don’t try to overhaul everything all at once. You have a busy household, and there is only so much time in the day. Small incremental changes are much more sustainable. Perhaps you plan dinners, and next week, you’ll start tracking your protein, followed by adding a few minutes of walking per day the week after. Taking it step-by-step allows you to form these habits over time.
5. Meal Prep:
But you don’t have to cook all day! Prepping protein for the week is a great habit to get into but it can also be overwhelming to start with. Let’s start one step at a time, shall we? Is there a time of day when the munchies take over? A time when you find yourself staring at the fridge with the doors open wide? Plan for those times first. Prep some lower-calorie snacks specifically for this time can be incredibly helpful.
This can very often be mid-afternoon, especially if you’ve been busy with your children and missed lunch! Having some precut veggies and low-fat hummus for a dip can be a very satisfying snack that will not only help you keep to your calorie goals but also provide you with healthy nutrition so you can keep up with your kiddos!
6. Stick to your Routines on the Weekends:
Weekends can get away from us, so making the Thursday night planning helps bridge the gap. Set your intentions before the weekend starts. Ask yourself, how do you want to feel on Sunday night? Then, reverse engineer your weekend choices. It may not be easy right away, but just imagine how easy it will be in the middle of summer if you start practicing each weekend now!
7. Focus on NSVs:
Don’t just focus on the number on that scale—monitor other non-scale victories, too. Has your endurance improved? Are you sleeping better? Do you have fewer midday energy lulls? Are your clothes fitting differently? These are just a few to watch for!
8. Managing Stress:
We all have been there, high stress and poor coping habits like emotional eating, drinking and lack of sleep can sabotage your weight loss efforts. Make time to unwind, prioritize your sleep and dig into your meal planning. When you have a meal plan in place.
9. Make It a Lifestyle by Embracing MORE:
To lose weight, we need to be in a calorie deficit, but that does not mean eating as little as possible. Work on strategizing how to add food to your diet. Work towards adding 1-2 fist-size servings of veggies and lower-calorie fruit to your meals. Add more low-fat protein sources. Experiment with high-fiber foods like chickpeas, lentils, and whole grain too!
10. Prepare for Setbacks:
Understand weight loss plateaus and setbacks happen, and the goal is to not write off the day, weekend or week because of them. Do you know what can make a huge difference? Your mindset. Practicing a growth mindset can make all the difference.
Set your intentions for the weekend, and then if you make a choice that you aren’t super happy with, don’t throw in the towel! Step back and decide what happened, and strategize how to choose differently next time. And then, keep going. You haven’t ruined the day, you’ve actually learned, so it’s a great day!
Wrap Up
Making lasting changes can take time, but with the right mindset and habits, you can most definitely get ther! We want to focus on progress, not perfection. Ensure you celebrate those small wins, learn from setbacks, show yourself grace and keep stepping forward.
What is one small change you can make today to get you closer to your goals?
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Let’s do this together!
~Coach Catharine
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