20's with 25-50 lbs to Lose

hey there guys! i'm a stay at home mom and just don't have the time to exercise. just wanted to have some tips on wonderful diets that won't be so extreme as to starve myself.. so that i could lose weight without exercising. i'd appreciate your tips.thanks

Well, I've read studies that say exercise really doesn't determine a large portion of your weight loss. Diet is the biggest factor. Some school some place (I'm horrible with remembering names) took volunteers and split them in three groups, one with diet as their only available weight lose tool, one with exercise only, and one with exercise and diet. The diet group lost more than the exercise group, and the combined group lost most overall but only with an 8 pound average over something like two or four months. Granted, eight pounds is still eight pounds, but really a healthy diet is the best way to lose weight.

My opinion, find what your daily calorie intake should be, record everything you eat and measure, measure, measure to avoid over eatinng. I've found just limiting portion sizes fills me up but doesn't wreck havoc on my weight. Count calories, fat, protien, etc. If you're eating 3000 calories and still starving it's likely you're eating empty calories that are full of fat and basically nothing else. Fat is good for you, but limited.

Find healthy alternatives to snacks and meals. Instead of buying premade hamburgers from the local fast food place, make your own with lean chuck or ground beef, light mayo, and packed with fresh veggies. Cut out butter when cooking things on the stove. Cooking spray forces you to use less oil when frying things. Eat a bit of protien with fruits or veggies, it'll make you feel fuller.

There are things you could do around the house as well that counts as exercise. Housework can get your heart pumping. Empty milk jugs filled with water are great at-home weights you can use for lifting.

Good luck to you!

wow thanks so much! you gave such great advice!

Get the kids involved! dependeing on there ages, my kids love to ride bikes so we ride together. watch them at the playground and remember what its like to be a kid again.If they are still small use them as weights.LOL, do some stretching, teaches kids about fitness too. best advice i can give about food replace "bad" snacks with fresh fruit and veggies and drink more water. Thats what i'm starting to do more of...GOOD LUCK

thanks debs830!

I'm in the same boat, 2 small children and it is hard to find time some days so i rely alot on diet as well! Bunny Biter did give some excellent advice. Foods with low calories that will fill you up. Fruits, vegetables, pasta/bread/rice made with whole wheat will fill you up better with the fiber. Protein like chicken and eggs in salads to make them go further Some of my favorite snacks are almonds (the good fat) dried fruit (especially raisins) and the weight watchers popcorn! so good. And then just so I'm not stuck in the house all day with kids, basic exercise! Go for a walk with them around the block, wrestle and goof around in the living room, cleaning the house...you know, fun stuff. lol Good luck with it all!

I am a SAHM mom of 3 (almost 4yrs, 2 1/2 and 11 months) so I know firsthand how hard it is to get any excercise. I find it hard to find time to eat and then I always eat a ton at night because I am starving lol. Anyways we bought a trampoline so we could all play and the jumping really works my legs and gets my heart pumping so I get some cardio. I have a Wii fit and whenever I get motivated enought to use it (rarely) the kids like to copy which helps them to excercise. We also try to go to the dog park once a week and walk around there and that is more fun than excercising. I also read regular housework helps burn calories as well. Good luck

I am also a SAHM and Ive lost 60lbs (plus pregnancy weight) since my daughter was born in February. I havent really added any exercise to my routine but I keep my calorie intake to about 1500 a day and eat a lot of lean meats and fruits and veggies.

I'm a single mom of two working full time and going to school full time. The hardest thing for me is finding healthy meals that are really quick to make that the kids will eat. My goal is to start making 2 meals on Sunday that I can quickly heat up or cook throughout the week. Its way to easy to just pop a pizza in the oven like I did tonight. Ugh! Its also really hard for me to find time to work out because my schedule is so crammed. But I've got a couple of 2 lb weights and I'm going to try to do a 20 minute workout in the evening 3 nights a week (running in place, crunches, lifts, etc.) So...healthy dinners at least 2 nights/week and at least a short workout 3 nights/week, and maybe I'll reclaim my body soon!

Thanks for all the great tips!

i've lost 107lbs so far without really exercising at all (i have exactly 40 more to go to get to my *dream* weight) and i did it on a low carb diet. all my meals are based around protein, veggies & dairy. the rest of my family eats what i do, but i make them a carb on the side like rice, or a potato etc...it's a very easy & healthy way to live.

There's a program called Fit Yummy Mummy by Holly Rigsby...its specifically for stay at home moms and women dealing with post pregnancy weight...Each workout is only about 15mins and they can all be done at home. You can google it or if you're interested, hit up my inbox and i can send you the basics of the program. The main problem with dieting without exercise is that even though you may lose "weight" you're not losing all "fat", you're likely losing muscle mass, which makes it harder to maintain once you get it off.

thanks everyone for the tips!