I miss Pre-Mommy Me :( Someone inspire me

[cdmommie]

Motherhood stole every ounce of "pretty" I ever had and gave me an extra 45 pounds of yuck.  I have tried to start the weight loss journey several times, but it just never happens.  I get a couple weeks into it and just give up.

So here I am, feeling I have hit rock bottom. Saggy, Jiggly, and a rats nest for hair.  NOW something has to happen.

So how do you stay "inspired"? How do you keep up your diet and fitness plan going with little ones under foot?  I always end up feeling guilty for spending time without them if I go to the gym or something.  I try doing some physical activity with them but it usually ends up in the little one crying and the big one screaming.

I guess I need to learn to feel okay about doing something for myself, I'm just not sure how.

[pacificbliss]

Well, you are still pretty in your profile picture. :) I exercise for the me time. It makes me a better me, a better mommy. a better friend, and a better lover.

[philomom]

How about be smarter, be healthy, be a good friend, be a great lover? All these can be achieved without one once of weight loss. Your mother body is different than your maiden body and it should be celebrated!

[madskye]

Have you ever checked out

http://www.sparkpeople.com/ 

It's a healthy living website, community, recipes, you can blog there, they have message boards, calorie counters, lots of good free advice.  It helped me a lot!

I didn't really start working out til DD was 4 and my gym had a childcare room that she really loved.  Sometimes I go walking or running after dinner and let DH do bedtime.  It is really hard when they're very little.  The best thing for me was that I started calorie counting--and though I think working out and eating right go very well together and it's great to tone up...for me, if I count my calories and don't overindulge I can lose weight or stay where I want to be now without working out.

[sewaneecook]

Originally Posted by pacificbliss 

 I exercise for the me time. It makes me a better me, a better mommy. a better friend, and a better lover.

Yep!!!  I feel guilty when I leave the house and kids are cranky, dishes haven't been done, and DH has had a long day of work, but ultimately if I don't get that time to myself a few times per week the whole family suffers!  This past year I have started running again and I feel better, I look better, and I'm setting a great example for my kids.  Find an exercise you like and do it!  That could be a video, running, walking, swimming, hula hooping (a local friend lost 40 pounds doing this!), weight lifting, cardio, ....  The list is endless!  When I'm working out more, I also tend to eat better which naturally helps the weight fall off. 

[CherryBomb]

I second (third, fourth, whatever!) exercise.  Not only is it important for losing weight, but when I was exercising regularly, I felt so good about myself, even though I was still a bit overweight and flabby.  And getting some time out by myself was nice.  I need to start up again!

[beebs]

Remember that the future does not have to be based on your present or your past, unless you want it to be.

The future is a blank canvas.  You can be anything you want, including your definition of pretty.

Having a vision of yourself the way you want to be is the key motivator.  How do you want to feel, how do you want to look, what do you imagine people saying about you or to you?  Put pictures of your pre-baby self up around the house, that might help.

And try not to feel guilty about wanting to be healthier and feel better about yourself.  That's the only way we moms can take care of our families.  We have to take care of ourselves first.  It's selfish NOT to be happy about ourselves, because then we're infecting everyone else with our unhappiness.  It's true.  I'm not saying you're doing this, but I know that was me a couple of years ago.

[busymama77]

Originally Posted by pacificbliss 

Well, you are still pretty in your profile picture. :) I exercise for the me time. It makes me a better me, a better mommy. a better friend, and a better lover.

AMEN!  You're being a good role model for your LO's by eating healthy and exercising.  If they see you do it, then hopefully they'll follow suite.  The bedroom is alive again since I've been working out and eating right. I've got more energy, feeling better about my appearance and DH notices. ;)  My ODS encourages both DH and I when we're exercising or going to the gym.  He likes to workout, too - run around the house, lift my 5lb dumb bells..things like this.