How Motherhood Can Help You Build Healthy Habits
Posted in Your Health on 11. Nov, 2009
Some days I look back on how I used to eat before I became a mom, and I’m shocked by my old habits. I honestly don’t know what I was thinking! I used to eat a decent amount of junk food, rarely worked out, and didn’t pay much attention to nutrition. Thanks to being young and having good genes, I was able to skate by at a normal weight. However, now that I’m getting older I need to pay more attention to diet and exercise. Even at 28, I know that my metabolism will be slowing down and my bad habits could start catching up with me.
One of the great things about motherhood is that it’s taught me a lot about taking care of people – including myself. Not only am I watching out for what my kids are eating, but I’m paying much more attention to my own diet as well. I’m also more active now that I’m a mom; not only do I chase my kids all day, but I also take them for walks and make sure that they are learning to stay active and get some fresh air each day. There are many benefits of being a mom, but one I had not considered would be the motivation to live a healthier lifestyle. Consider the following:
- When our kids eat healthy foods, we eat them as well. Now that I’m a mom, I try and pay more attention to always having fresh fruits and vegetables in the house. Having a snack of fresh fruit in the afternoon is a good habit for all of us, and probably something I wouldn’t pay attention to if not for my children.
- Our bad habits can become our children’s bad habits. We used to keep ice cream in the house and eat it all the time. We’ve stopped keeping it in our freezer as a staple, because having it around means that our kids will always be asking for it. I don’t want my kids to get into the habit of having a big dessert each night, so I had to break myself of that habit. Once you have little ones looking up to you to set the example, it’s really makes you realize things you may be doing that aren’t very healthy. It never killed me to eat Rocky Road every night, but it’s just not something I want to start as a habit for our entire family.
- Better sleep habits! Since having kids, I have spent countless nights in the rocking chair of the nursery. I now appreciate a good night’s sleep like never before, and I’m out for the count as soon as my head hits the pillow. They say that adults need 7 – 9 hours of sleep each night, and I take that a lot more seriously now that I’m a mom. I need good rest to keep up with it all, and my sleep habits are much healthier these days.
- Perspective is very, very good for you. I used to beat myself up over my little flaws, like gaining two or three pounds. Before I had kids, I usually stayed around the same size and never had much of an issue with my weight. However, I would be pretty hard on myself over little things. After two kids, my weight has fluctuated quite a bit, and I have clothes in my closet that range from size 4 to size 12. I have more perspective now on body image, and that is really helping me to appreciate my body for what it is, rather than scrutinizing my tiny flaws because I don’t look like the woman on the cover of “People” magazine. After having children, I am learning to focus on a healthy lifestyle rather than having the “perfect” body, and that’s a good thing.
Being a mom is absolutely wonderful, and comes with many perks. I’m really enjoying my new focus on eating well and staying active, since it was something I took for granted up until a few years ago. What about you? How has being a mom helped you to live a healthier lifestyle? I’d love to hear your thoughts!
-Grace
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Love this entry! This is a subject I have given a lot of thought in recent weeks as I begin to think about solid foods for my 4-month old daughter. My husband and I have talked about how our entire family will approach meal times differently once she begins on solids and that means giving up ice cream in the freezer too (among many other changes)! Thanks for the great article!