If you are struggling with self care, read my tips on How to Take Care of Yourself as a Busy Mom below! It’s time to take care of YOU, too!
I’ve been neglecting my health for several years. I’ve been living a very busy life filled with stress and inactivity.
On top of that, I haven’t been paying attention to my eating. My body craves fast and convenient foods, sweet treats, and carbonated drinks. As a work at home mom, my days are filled with sitting for long periods during the day, stress eating, and of course the overwhelming feeling of trying to juggle and balance life as a wife and mom.
I’ve always been considered active, but when I learned that I was pregnant with my second daughter in 2011, I gave up my cycling job at the local gym. I didn’t want to take any risks and overexert myself while pregnant. That also seems to be the time when I started making poor lifestyle choices and bad habits.
Fast forward to July 2016. I gave birth to my son. It was my toughest pregnancy of the three.
I wasn’t in shape when I became pregnant and I’m struggling to lose the extra body weight post pregnancy.
Up until my son was 6 months old, I was still very inactive and I continued to make poor lifestyle choices. I woke up each day feeling bloated and sluggish. I struggled to button my pants.
As a mom of three, I knew I needed to make changes if I wanted to keep up with the challenges of daily life as a mom.
I’m pleased to say that I’m making progress. This is because I made some BIG changes at the beginning of February.
After several months of staying home with my son and my five year old daughter, I needed some ME time. I was desperate for a little bit of me time during the day. I joined our local gym and eased myself back into working out.
First, I started walking on the indoor track. After a few days of walking while listening to my favorite podcasts, I realized that I needed to step it up a notch and start adding cardio. I moved to the elliptical machines.
A week or two into that, I felt that I needed to add more strength training into my workouts.
For a month and a half now, I’ve been making great progress. I go to the gym at least 4-5 times a week currently and I do a mix of cardio and strength training. Going to the gym is something I look forward to each day while my kids are well taken care of by the gym staff.
I get to focus on ME — finally. I also stopped looking at the number on the scale to measure my progress. Instead, I use my measuring tape and measure myself each morning to see how I’m doing.
Not only have I started working out, I started choosing healthy foods. After a month and a half of working out, my body was finally telling me to start treating it right by eating food that would give me the energy I needed to get through the day.
I found myself at the grocery store stocking up on fruits and vegetables, whole grains, and high fiber foods. I started eating salads daily, adding vegetables like cucumber, tomatoes, and peppers.
I increased my water intake, even adding lemon to my water for an extra morning boost.
Because I was inactive and ate poorly for so long, my body needed what I call a “reset.” I am now fueling my body properly each day with the right foods and exercising. But, I felt like I was still missing something important. I wasn’t focusing on my digestive health.
High fiber foods are helping me in this area, but I was missing out on important probiotics to help restore digestive balance. My digestive health has become my priority right now. I’m tired of feeling bloated. I’m tired of feeling sluggish.
As a busy mom with three children, I need the energy to make it through each day. That’s why I started taking probiotics.
In summary, here are three ways to take care of yourself as a busy mom.
3 Ways to Take Care of Yourself as a Busy Mom
1. Exercise at least 3-5 days a week for 30 minutes or more.
2. Eat plenty of fruits and vegetables. Stay hydrated by filling your water bottle regularly throughout the day. Add lemon to your water for an extra boost!
3. Try probiotics. Ask your doctor to help you choose one that’s right for you.