I was driving to Target the other day, thinking about how I’m going to really put more effort into taking care of myself. I’m going to try and eat better, exercise more, etc. For anyone with kids, you know this can be a challenge. Since the Thanksgiving feasts are over (we had three different dinners!), I’ve decided to buckle down and get in better shape. While I’m at it, I figured I’d add a few other healthy habits I need to work on. This shouldn’t be too hard, I told myself as I was driving. After all, I do a great job with my kids when it comes to taking care of them. I know that I’m capable of paying attention to diet, exercise, and scheduling activities. If I can do this for my kids, I should try and do the same for myself.

If we moms treated ourselves as well as we treat those we take care of, I think we’d be much happier. We make sure our kids get enough sleep, but why are we exhausted? It’s important to make sure our kids have fun activities, but then why do we sometimes feel like we don’t do the things we love, or have any hobbies ourselves? I don’t hesitate to replace my daughter’s old jeans, but when I need a new pair… suddenly I try and tell myself that a hole in the knee is in style. Something’s wrong with this picture! I have the right information in my head; I just need to apply it to myself as well as my kids.

For those of you who (like me) struggle with not taking care of yourself the way you should, let’s just break it down and think about what we do for our kids. Then try to do the same for yourself.

Eating a balanced diet. We pay attention to the things our kids eat, and we make sure they have their fruits and veggies. But what about us? Do we make ourselves eat blueberries and broccoli each day, or is that just something we try to encourage our children to do? If it’s good for them, it’s good for us. Not only does eating right set a good example for our kids, but it gives us energy throughout the day.

Get up and get moving. Now, the good thing about motherhood is that it really is a physical job (a “contact sport,” my dad once said!). However, as physical as raising kids can be, we still need exercise. Some things to try: go for walks with your kids, do a Pilates DVD at nap time, or see if you can find a gym with childcare. I wouldn’t encourage my kids to slack off on physical activity, so I shouldn’t let myself either. I want to make sure that my kids learn that kids and grown-ups need to take care of themselves and stay healthy.

Don’t neglect your spiritual health. It’s important to nurture your soul as well as your body. Personally, I find that my day is significantly better if I take a few minutes at nap time to read my Bible and pray for people in my life. I also enjoy yoga, and I find that getting up just 20 minutes earlier in the morning makes all the difference. Yoga is a great way to start the day because it helps wake up your body, and begin your day with calm relaxation.

Do you encourage your kids to have hobbies? Pick one for yourself, while you’re at it. I love that my older daughter is really into art, and I encourage her to keep drawing and creating things. My younger daughter always wants to dance, and I think that when she is older she would enjoy a dance class. I encourage my kids to do what they love, and I see how important it is for them to have hobbies. This is something that seemed obvious to me, but yet I was missing the part about having a hobby myself. A couple of years ago it occurred to me that I didn’t have any real hobbies or recreational activities that were just for me. Personally, I enjoy writing – so I have started this site. Whether you are a writer, a runner, a reader, or something else – don’t forget about what makes you an individual. If hobbies are good for kids, they are good for their parents.

Be kind and encouraging to yourself. As the mother of two girls, I’m up to my elbows in shoes and hair bows. My girls love looking pretty, getting dressed up, and feeling like princesses. I do my best to help them feel beautiful on the inside and outside, which means complimenting and encouraging them. I want them to see themselves as beautiful, cherished, and valued. However, something occurs to me: I find it easy to encourage my kids, but why is it so hard for me to be encouraging to myself? Oftentimes we only see our flaws, and we overlook what we’re doing right. I sometimes look in the mirror and only see what I don’t like, or I focus on the areas of my house that I haven’t cleaned in a while. More and more, I realize how unhealthy and negative that is. I need to recognize my own accomplishments and pat myself on the back just like I do with my kids. So, as you are doing things to uplift your kids, don’t forget to do something to encourage yourself. Congratulate yourself on a great dinner, and take a moment to look in the mirror and see yourself as beautiful.

Relationships are important to both kids and adults. We moms like to make sure our kids are on track for many things, and that includes how they are doing socially. I want my kids to have friends, relate to their peers, and invest in relationships. Relationships are important to everyone, so don’t neglect your own. For those of you with little kids, play dates can be a lifesaver. This is a pretty good way to see your friends as well as have your kids play with their peers, but it gets harder when they become older. Now that most of my friends have two or three kids, play dates are often noisy and sometimes chaotic, which makes it hard to visit with anyone. So if play dates with moms and their kids aren’t working for you right now, don’t give up. Go out for coffee or a drink with your girlfriends, and make sure and schedule a date with your husband. Don’t let things get too busy, and don’t feel guilty about leaving the kids with your hubby so you can grab dinner with your best friend.

We pour ourselves into our kids and do what we can so that they can have a great childhood. Sometimes, this comes at our expense (and sanity!). Take care of yourself the same way you take care of your kids, and I believe it will be much better than putting yourself last on the list. Your kids need a happy, healthy mom – make sure they have one.

-Grace

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1. Lose the Baby Weight – 10 Easy Tips
2. Relaxing With Your Kids
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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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1. 7 Steps To Sustainable Healthy Eating Habits
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3. Lose the Baby Weight – 10 Easy Tips

I’ve always been jealous that men are able to have children without handing their bodies over for ten months (or longer, if you count nursing).  They find out they’re expecting a baby, and life pretty much stays the same – and so do their bodies.  We moms, on the other hand, don’t have it so easy.  Morning sickness, heart burn, and aching backs are rough, but at least they go away once the baby is born.  So what about the baby weight?

Let me say right off the bat that I’m not a fitness expert or a nutritionist.  And this isn’t an article about eating acai berries, the most effective abdominal workouts, or if the Atkins diet works.  This is simply a blog by a mom who has had two children and has lost (most) of the baby weight from both pregnancies.  Sure, I could lose five more pounds and get to where I really want to be, but I will admit that I am pretty tired most days and sometimes lack motivation.  However, I am at a healthy weight and am the same size I was before I had kids.  I’ve put a lot of thought and effort into dropping those pregnancy pounds, and have learned a few things along the way.  So, here are my tips on how to lose the baby weight – and keep it off.

1. If you can, breastfeed your baby for at least 6-12 months.  I nursed my kids until they were 17 months and 13 months, and I believe that breastfeeding had a lot to do with losing pregnancy weight.  I’ve known some moms who can’t lose those last few pounds until they stop nursing, but personally I felt like it did wonders for me.  In fact, my weight loss really slowed once I weaned each of my kids, and I miss nursing for that reason!
2. Keep track of everything you eat. This is something that can be challenging, but it’s very rewarding.  I like My Food Diary, and my best friend uses Calorie Count at About.com.  Both are wonderful tools for keeping track of your calories and your goals.  If you can make yourself keep track of what you’re eating and stay within your calorie count for the day, you will start seeing results sooner than if you tried to simply “eat well” on your own.
3. Find an exercise that you enjoy. If exercise feels like punishment, you may not keep up with it.  Personally, I hate to run.  I know that I could theoretically get up at 6am and run around my neighborhood each day, but it’s not something I will keep up with, because I hate the very thought of it.  Instead, I like going for walks pushing my kids in the stroller, and I enjoy doing my Pilates DVD at naptime.  I could be much more hard core about exercise, but I have a routine that I enjoy and can keep up with.
4. Exercise on a regular basis. Keep at it, and don’t get out of your routine.  It’s easy enough to form unhealthy habits, so try and make your exercise routine a healthy habit.
5. Skip desserts for the time being. You may not want to do this, but it’s a way to easily cut calories.  However, you don’t have to be legalistic about this.  You can make a plan for yourself, like only having ice cream on Fridays but not during the week, if ice cream is your weakness.  When grocery shopping, only buy sweets that don’t appeal to you (if you buy them for your kids or spouse).  It’s easy enough for me to pass on ice cream if I only buy vanilla ice cream, which my husband and daughters enjoy occasionally but I can easily skip.
6. Give yourself time in the mornings to feel put together. Even though wearing makeup or showering every day won’t make you lose weight, it will help you feel more like yourself.  Feeling good helps motivate you and gives you confidence, which will encourage you to reach your goals.
7. Join forces with another mom. Right after my second daughter was born, I went on walks every week with my neighbor.  It was great to have someone to go walking with, and she helped keep me motivated.  On the days I would have rather stayed in, I knew that I had to get up and go for that long walk because someone was counting on me.  Schedule regular walks, or have a friend meet you at the gym one night a week.
8. Bring your child along for your workouts. There are classes like Stroller Fit, mom and baby yoga, or mommy boot camps that involve both mothers and their babies.  If classes aren’t your thing, simply go walking or running with your baby in a jogging stroller.
9. Schedule time to exercise. If you can schedule time to do chores, you can schedule time to exercise.  Since I love crossing things off my to-do list, I find that writing down “exercise” on my planner motivates me a lot more than just hoping it’ll get done at some point during the day.
10. Focus on a lifestyle, not a quick fix. Don’t starve yourself or force yourself to hit the gym seven days a week – be reasonable.  Find a routine that can be a lifestyle, and make it one.  Also know that you will sometimes splurge, and that’s ok.  Go ahead and go to Cold Stone with the kids – it’s part of living your life.  And don’t pressure yourself too much when it comes to exercise – being a mom is hard work and keeps you busy, so remember that when making an exercise plan.  I know that I can plan on exercising thirty minutes each day, rather than expecting myself to get up at 5am and work out for two hours.  Be sensible in your goals, and don’t expect yourself to lose the weight too quickly.  They say the rule is “Nine months up, nine months down.”  I find that was true from my two pregnancies, and I didn’t really feel like I had my body back until about nine or ten months post partum.

These tips worked well for me, and I hope you can get something out of them.  Just remember that it’s natural and healthy to gain that weight during pregnancy, and should come off in a way that is natural and healthy.  Don’t rush yourself, and don’t put too much pressure on yourself either.  Make healthy choices and focus on having a lifestyle that is conducive to losing the baby weight, and soon enough you’ll reach your goals.

- Grace

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Ah, it starts slowly, doesn’t it? You used to get up, shower, dress for work and then head out the door. A coworker would compliment your shoes, a man at lunch would glance over and then pretend he wasn’t just checking you out, and in general you felt like you had it together.

And then one day, you saw those magic lines on the pregnancy test, which is where it all began. And then the baby was born. And then life became a bit more challenging. And then, one day you looked in the mirror and were a bit, um, surprised.

When did this happen?

It happens to the best of us. For me, that first trimester was enough to make me forget caring about makeup or looking nice at all. If I felt this bad, who cared what I looked like? Of course I only became worse when my daughter was born. When you aren’t sleeping, and you are covered in spit up, how can you possibly care about looking cute? I just wanted to survive.

Four and a half years after it all began, I find myself recognizing the person in the mirror again. I may have had two kids, but I still feel pretty good about myself when I walk out the door. It’s been a long road to get to this point though, and I’ve learned a lot along the way.

Here are 21 simple ways, from pregnancy on, that you can look and feel like you again – not just “a mom.”

Being a mom is awesome. I absolutely love it, and wouldn’t trade it for the world. It can certainly be rough though, and one of the tough things about it is feeling like you’ve lost yourself. Just a few of these simple tips could make a world of difference between feeling like yourself again, and feeling like you’re “just a mom.” Trust me, it feels good to look at your reflection in the mirror and recognize yourself again.

- Grace

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I can already justify my love of chocolate (antioxidants!), but it looks like now my coffee is on the good list, too. I already knew that fast food and artificial sweeteners are foods to stay away from, but did you know that barbeque may be something to cut back on? According to Self’s post,

“Cooking meats at high temperatures (as well as charring them) creates cancer-causing chemicals.”

I enjoy these refreshers on the foods we should enjoy, and those we should shy away from. It’s good to keep in mind what we are putting in our bodies, and what they do to us. I know that my Friday Morning Pancakes have butter and syrup on them, but I also know loading them up with wild blueberries is a smart move. It’s not about cutting out everything that is unhealthy, but it is about staying informed and up to speed.

For more info, go to Self’s article What to load up on… and where to lighten up [Self]

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Most of us are in the same boat.  You get pregnant, have a baby, and then are left to deal with those super fun pregnancy pounds.  As if we aren’t busy enough, we’re supposed to find time to exercise and eat right!  Here is a great post below on foods to eat more of – foods that will help you lose weight.  Choosing the right foods to eat can be so important, both for ourselves and our children.  Not only do we need to take care of ourselves, but instilling good habits in our children is important.  Eating well does not always have to be a challenge – sometimes you just need to know what to focus on.

I’m pretty happy to see strawberries on that list!

Shed pounds by eating more of this nutrient [Shine]

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Here is a good list of foods to focus on –

Five Foods That Lower Cholesterol [Shine]

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