Simple Weight Loss Tips for Stay at Home Moms
Are you a new stay at home mom struggling with your weight? These simple and all natural weight loss tips for stay at home moms will help you feel better, have more energy and get healthier at home.
*This post contains affiliate links. See full disclosure above.
Leaving my nine to five job to become a stay at home mom is a decision I will never regret. My husband and I often talk about how that one decision has changed our lives in so many positive ways.
Becoming a stay-at-home mom gave me the ability to homeschool my children, which led to real daily discipleship at home and hiding God’s word in their hearts. It also allowed me the time to devote to the care of our medically fragile children.
It also allowed me the time to start this blog, which continues to bless our family financially as it provides an outlet for me personally.
Even with all of the benefits being a stay-at-home mom provided, it also provided a few obstacles. One of the unexpected hiccups that came with me being home all the time was the impact on my health through unexpected weight gain.
I didn’t realize how being at home all the time and without a rigid schedule would allow me lots of time to browse the pantry and eat. It allowed me to cook lots of wonderful foods, try new recipes and enjoy eating them. Even my husband put on a few pounds when I left my job.
Stay at Home Mom Weight Loss Tips
It didn’t take us long to realize that we had to make some changes in order to support our health in different ways with me at home. These are the things that made the biggest impact for me, and still do.
Have a Schedule or a Routine
I didn’t realize how the lack of a daily schedule would impact me. When I worked outside the home, I had a scheduled time for lunch and breaks. This limited my eating to those times.
At home, I could eat anytime I wanted to and I had an entire, fully stocked pantry at my disposal. I would also sleep as late as I wanted, which caused me to stay up later at night, and of course, I would eat.
Now I do several things to combat this:
- Set an alarm and get up on time.
- Have a morning routine that includes breakfast and hydration.
- Establish an eating window and only eat within the hours of that window. This prevents late night eating.
- Have an evening routine that includes a bedtime. Set an alarm to remind you to go to bed.
I am fully aware that having and maintaining any kind of schedule can be super difficult with a nursing infant. For those time when you need to sleep when the baby is sleeping, I suggest functioning in a routine instead of a schedule. This way you still only eat at certain times.
Brush Your Teeth After Dinner
You may have heard this one before. The idea of brushing your teeth “one last time” for the day after dinner has been around for quite a while. It helps establish an end to your daily eating window if you are intermittent fasting.
Honestly, there are times when it helps me and times when its just another time I brush my teeth, because nothing will stand between men and another piece of chocolate.
Your mindset is key.
Drink Water
As a new mom, I was always tired and drank more coffee than was healthy. Of course my coffee had lots of cream and sometimes sweetener. I found that when I switched to water after my morning cup of coffee, I reduced my daily calorie intake significantly. I also slept better at night.
Now I drink one cup of my favorite bullet proof coffee recipe every morning, then switch to water for the rest of the day.
Eat When You are Hungry
Instead of just eating whenever you think of it, or whenever you walk by the pantry, only eat when you are truly hungry. This was pretty difficult for me in the beginning. I had to let my body learn what true hunger felt like again.
When your schedule, routine and activity level change, so will your body’s hunger responses. Give yourself some time and listen to your body.
Take Apple Cider Vinegar
Apple cider vinegar is a liquid produced during the fermentation of apple cider. During this process, the sugar in apples is fermented by yeast and/or bacteria added to the cider, then into alcohol and, finally, into vinegar.
Proponents claim that apple cider vinegar (and vinegar in general) may boost your health in a variety of ways, such as controlling blood sugars, aiding in weight loss, and even preventing acne.
Keep Moving
Sometimes going to the gym for a workout is not possible, but you can still incorporate some exercise into your day by just moving. If you are a new mom, it can be hard on your body to jump back into heavy workouts too quickly. Some simple ideas for extra movement at home are:
- Clean your house at a faster pace than normal.
- If you have nothing to do, keep moving through your house, carrying a baby is a bonus.
- Do a few wall push ups every time you enter a certain room.
- Only use your phone if you are walking through your house.
Clean Out The Pantry
The worst time to make a decision about what you want to eat is when you are tired, worn down or frazzled. The pantry can be a trap for a mom who has been up for hours with a baby and is just looking for a quick snack.
Take some time and clean out all of the items from your pantry that you would be tempted to eat, but would not fuel your body well. Then, fill your pantry with items that you actually like, but are slightly better choices. If you tell yourself you have to live on broccoli and brussel sprouts to stay healthy, you are not likely to do it.
Use a Menu Plan
Along the same lines as cleaning out the pantry, having a menu plan for the week or even the month can save you lots of calories. I can’t tell you the number of times I would have eaten healthy if all the ingredients I needed were in the house to make a good meal. Making a menu plan for the week, shopping for all the ingredients and sticking to the plan will take the guess work out of meals.
It will also save you money and calories if you tend to default to eating out when you don’t have a plan for dinner.
Try one of these free printable menu plans to get you started:
If you want to build your own menu plan, I highly recommend the Build a Menu Service. You can choose from hundreds of recipes already in the system or input your own. The program prints your menu, and your grocery list for you. It even gives you an estimated cost based on the store you will shop and the cost of ingredients.
Great Tips! I’ve been on a getting healthier kick lately as well!! If you don’t mind I’d like to share your tips on my Homesteaders Heart FB page. 🙂
Kim, Thanks for stopping by! Please do share!
Hello!
Hopping to you from Over The Moon and just reading your tips!
Yes, to be focused on the schedule is the key. I write mealplans too.
Thank you for sharing!
– Ela
I definitely found that having a menu plan (that included snacks) helped me tremendously. I lot in all the food I plan on eating in any given day into my planner as soon as I get up in the morning and it helps me make sure I’m getting a balanced diet throughout the day. Then too I’m not starving by the time I eat and making poor choices based on hunger.
Melissa, of all the great tips, the “eating window” is the best. I began 16:8 intermittent fasting for its many health benefits a year and a half ago and will never stop. I finish eating dinner by 6pm and do not eat another bite or drink anything besides tea and water until 10am the next morning. I’m never hungry or have cravings. It’s wonderful. I wrote a post about it, too, if you’d like to check It out. #BloggersPitStop