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Our lives literally revolve around food and there's no escaping it. Every party, family gathering, work event, your kiddos goldfish crackers, the tub of ice cream calling you from the freezer after the kids are asleep - food of all kinds stares you in the face and is extremely difficult to resist. So you eat to your heart's content...and then regret it. Sound familiar?
How to lose weight WITHOUT exercising...
This is a phrase I actually googled years ago when I was in the worst shape of my life. I was done with the cycle - start an exercise program, stick with it for maybe 3 weeks, stop because life happened and never start it back up again. I was navigating life as a new mom. I was overweight and overwhelmed.
The desire to exercise doesn’t come naturally to everyone. Some people, like me, didn’t grow up with exercise being the star of the show. We weren’t a sedentary family by any means but like many good Italian families, food was always a priority. Lots of pasta, bread, rice and cookies filled my days! Inconsistent exercise as a child led to inconsistent exercising as an adult. Now let’s add children to the mix and REALLY find out how inconsistent you can be!
You aren’t alone! Many sleep deprived busy mamas with a full schedule and limited time, put exercising on the back burner. It’s no wonder this happens! Moms have energy levels that are basically nonexistent! The little people in their home quite literally suck the life out of them with their constant demands for attention. At the end of the day, there isn’t enough motivation or energy left to squeeze in an exercise session.
Sometimes our energy levels and our mindset are in a bad place. We’re negative about all the things, overwhelmed and frustrated with the start over syndrome that keeps happening in our lives. We’ve given up trying. We’re anxious. Our goals are too lofty and we have to be more realistic about what we’re able to handle.
We have to do SOMETHING to change this vicious cycle we’re in. Beginning a full blown exercise regimen we probably won’t stick to will not help us create new healthy habits that stick.
Lets begin our journey by putting exercise to the side for now.
Let’s make small changes to our days that will motivate us to continue moving forward. Creating healthier habits does not happen overnight. Small changes consistently happening each day are much more powerful than having big goals that fall flat.
Here are 9 SIMPLE steps you can take to create healthy habits that stick:
(Chose a few of these that you can realistically handle implementing into your life and add on once you’ve made some progress.)
Drink half your body weight in water each day. This will help curb your hunger and keep you hydrated. Getting a large refillable bottle really helps track your progress. This is the one I use daily.
Commit to eating half your plate in veggies for at least two meals each day.
Get rid of all oils in your home and only use coconut, olive, and avocado oil.
Swap out wheat pasta for chickpea pasta. Banza is a great brand! I often can purchase this in bulk at Costco.
Give up at least one food category you know you shouldn’t be eating so much of. (Bread, pasta, rice, dessert, chips, fast food?)
Get rid of pre-bottled salad dressing and make your own. If you prefer store bought, Primal Kitchen is a great brand to substitute with.
Swap out breadcrumbs for almond flour mixed with garlic powder & salt.
Swap out white rice for brown rice or frozen cauliflower rice - if you’re feeling really brave. A good way to get your picky eaters on board with this change is to mix some brown and cauliflower rice together.
Create a simple meal plan and shop for groceries at the start of each week to avoid binge eating on snacks or heading to the drive through when hunger strikes.
Commit to implementing at least some of these changes within 3 months. There is a pretty high chance that you’ll lose some weight, think more clearly and gain some energy too!
After we’ve created some healthier habits and experienced success, we can move on to exercising. Remember, small progress each day makes a difference!
I’m rooting for you!
Let's encourage each other. If you have ideas for additional small steps that will help create healthier habits that stick, share them in the comments.