Hi All,

I'm brand new to blogging and on-line chatting. I'm really looking forward to this type of communication because I do tend to feel somewhat isolated now that I'm home with my girls.

Getting to my question... Does anyone have any great tried-and-true advice for staying on track when the kitchen is so close? What I mean is that I had great weight loss success when I was working in an office... I'd bring my lunch to work and only eat what I had prepared. The kitchen at the office wasn't a free for all. Now that I'm home, it seems I'm always wondering into the kitchen to see what I can eat. Any ideas you'd like to share?

Think about why you want to loose weight. Self-esteem or health reasons, no matter what the reason think about it like this. Is this worth what I am am fixen to go get from the kitchen. Is my heath only worth that cupcake? Thats what I do. my motivation is health and I think about how I need to get in my weight range and then I decide if that piece of cake is worth my health. Of course it isnt and that is what keeps me out.

i am also a SAHM to a baby and a toddler (my kids are 13 months apart) well actually, 2 toddlers now that my "baby" is 15 months. anyway, my suggestion is to get rid of all the junk in the house so you wont be tempted. as a new mom, you NEED to eat for energy, but the key is to eat healthy and dont overindulge on junk. i keep my fridge stocked with lots of fresh fruit (grapes, watermelon, apples) so that when i get a craving for sweets, i just snack on those. i also switched from 2% to Fat free milk and dairy, ground turkey instead of ground beef, and eat lots of steamed veggies too. another thing to keep in mind, try to get out of the house during the day if you can. like, take a walk with the babies in a stroller for an hour or so. sometimes, being home all day and bored can trigger you into eatting when you arent hungry. thats why i always try to keep my mind off it by getting out with the kids as much as i can. good luck !

I have been home for over five years now, and I can tell you that I understand how hard it can be. Essentially, I just quit buying crap food. I don't feed my kids artificial foods, why was I giving it to myself? If we have cookies, they are usually homemade with whole wheat flour. We make our own popsicles if we cannot find 100% juice popsicles. I don't buy chips; they don't need them and neither do I

My self-control happens in the grocery. There is no reason for me to bring it home and tempt myself.

I'm at home all day too, I'm what they call a childminder in the UK, I offer childcare in my home. My advice is:

don't buy the stuff that you know you cant resist

have protein with your meals cos it fills you up longer

keep healthy snacks around, I personally like celery with peanutbutter, hummus, apples, yoghurt with some sugar free jello, eggs...

go out for lots of walks! And everytime you go out, try and up the pace a bit

Hope these help!

xx

I agree with others - don't bring it in the house. For exercise you're probably limited to running after little ones or taking them for walks. I did a daycare trade-off with a neighbor when my son was little. I watched her kids for 45 minutes when they got off the bus until she got home, and then she watched my son later on in the evening for 45 minutes while I went for a daily evening walk. That was helpful to my body AND my sanity!

What a great way to get some Mommy time without unloading on hubby when he's just had a long day at work. Thanks... that is something I never considered. I'll give it a try!

Thanks for your reply. I don't buy junk at the grocery store, but it's amazing just how much PB&J will add to the hips! I don't eat chips, fast food or soda. I will admit, however, that I splurge on ice cream, especailly during the summer months... I think I'm going to have to go "COLD turkey"... no pun intended (hee, hee). Hummus is a great thing because it's protien and fiber all in one! Thanks for the encouragement!