Top Ways to Feel Good About Weight and Body As a Mom

This month Sitara Hewitt answers a reader’s question about weight and feeling your best as a mom.

Note: Suggestions in these columns are merely from Sitara’s own personal experience and are not intended to treat, prevent or diagnose any disease.  Check with your health care practitioner before starting any new health regimens.

Q. Since I had a baby I find it hard to lose weight and I just don’t feel like old myself anymore. I feel like my husband and I don’t have the same romantic connection and I’m just feeling like half the person I used to be – but I’m twice the size! I feel bad being vain or worrying about my looks now that I’m a mom too, but I’m really not happy this way.

Please help. Thanks Sitara!

Sitara Hewitt, Columnist

Sitara says:  Looking and feeling your best really go hand in hand, so let me first say don’t feel badly about wanting to look good! Looking good will go a long way to making you feel more confident and at ease. When we feel our best we are able to give our best to our kids and our partners.

We also set a good example for our children when we take good care of ourselves; we teach them how to take care of themselves and put their health first later in their lives. Plus, you only get one, miraculous body in this life so make taking care of it a priority!

The fun news is that losing weight in ‘mindful’ way is healthy and will boost your immune system and energy. I like to look at healthy eating and exercise as an essential for my health and mental well being – the weight loss is just a happy side effect. That stops us from obsessing over the scale and being hard on ourselves.

FOODS:

Step one: Eat more vegetables! Substitute snack foods with carrots, celery and hummus. Raw nuts like almonds and walnuts are a great snack, add a couple of raisins and it’s tasty! Avocados are filling, nutritious and a great snack too with a little olive oil, salt and balsamic vinegar.

Step two: eliminate sugars. Seriously. Eat fruit when you crave a sweet treat. Fresh fruit. Eliminate white flour, pastries and white rice too. You will enjoy whole grain bread (one slice at a time) and brown rice is a great weight loss tool. Oatmeal is a great carb also. Your digestion will thank you for all the fibre and you won’t get as many colds and flus if you cut out sugars and white flour. This will make an amazing impact on your health!

Here is a list of healthy recipes that you can replace unhealthy foods with. My motto is never deprive yourself! Substitute with better options and enjoy your food!!

Step three: incorporate a green smoothie with vegan protein. This may be a little out there for you but you will enjoy it, it will be like a treat each day, I promise! Check out my recipe here. You will lean down within days of replacing your breakfast with this.

Photo: Courtesy Sitara Hewitt

EXERCISE:

If you really want to lose weight commit to exercising 5 days a week. It can be as simple as a walk or two each day (brisk) or a workout at the gym, doing a 30-minute exercise tape while your baby naps or even pushing the stroller quite far each day to run errands. The best way to jump-start your metabolism is to get 20 minutes of exercise first thing in the morning – before you eat!

Drink some pure water and go for a quick walk or jog or do some jumping jacks and push ups at home until you work up a sweat. 20 minutes is all it takes and you will be burning into fat like nobody’s business. Do this a few times a week for amazing results.

SUPPLEMENTS:

Magnesium is a must for tension, stress and better sleep. Take your omega fatty acid pills. They stave off depression, cravings and fight wrinkles! A must for any mom. L-carnitine is a fat burning amino acid. Iodine is essential for thyroid function, which regulates metabolism. As long as you’re sure you don’t have ‘hyperthyroidism’ (over active thyroid) you could use a drop of iodine a day to nourish the thyroid and speed up metabolism. Stay away from ‘fat burners’ they can deplete your adrenals.

Be well and cherish yourself and your family. XO Sitara

Send your questions about living well to Sitara Hewitt at columnists@masalamommas.com or tweet her anytime at @sitarahewitt.  You can check out more tips on her website at: livingwellwithSitara.com

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