A Chubby Working Mom’s Guide to Staying Healthy (Cuz who has time to work out)

By May Anderson

A few years back, I was a skinny mini. I ate pretty much anything and didn’t gain an ounce. Then along came life.

Here I am now, 6 months postpartum with baby number two, and while weightloss would be ideal, I find that I am more thankful and loving to my body than I have ever been.

This guide is to help you get to a place where you are ok striving for health and the process rather than causing undue stress for eating a donut.

My first tip: Eat what you want to eat and be done when you want to be done.

To say, “I will never eat such and such food again” is a joke. I mean, seriously? I bet the majority of people would be unable to stick to that statement. So why make it? My favorite past time is telling myself not to overeat or over indulge and then not even 24 hrs later there i am eating a third serving of who knows what even though im so full my stomach is begging me to stop.

Yeah…. Thats called binging, and it isn’t good for you. All I need in those moments is to acknowledge im trying to fill a different need and give myself permission to stop and just feel whatever uncomfortable feeling I’m avoiding dealing with.

That brings us to tip 2.

My second tip: Give yourself permission to hold space for yourself.

Feel those emotions that are causing you to force more food into your body. Ask yourself if you really want that cookie or if maybe your avoiding something. If you still really want that cookie, don’t forbid yourself from having it. Eat one! And enjoy it. If you start feeling guilt, ask yourself why?

My third tip: STOP FEELING SO DAMN GUILTY! 

Seriously. Stop. Nothing about feelings of guilt or shame are helpful. They are yucky feelings that make you feel yucky without any sort of reward. 

You’ve heard the saying, pain is gain. But in this case, pain is just pain for the sake of pain and to make matters worse, shame actually encourages you to inflict even more pain! Please stop feeling guilty! 

My fourth tip: Practice mindfulness

Instead of feeling guilty, practice being present. The present is the only time we can feel true happiness or peace. We have to create the space for that emotion.

There are lots of ways you can do this, one of my favorite ways is by drinking or eating something small and just tuning in to how it tastes, smells and feels.

I also like to practice mindfulness and being present with my kids. They are so much more enjoyable when I’m not rushing through a to do list. I’ll take just 3 or 4 minutes to just sit and be with them while I refocus and fill my tank.

My fifth tip: Mindfulness is a practice, not a to do list item.

Mindfulness is something you have to practice often throughout the day. Pulling yourself into the moment frequently is how you be mindful.

You can commit to more when you are focused on less.

To agree to workout for one hour every single day is great if you have the time, but if you are like me, you just can’t figure out a way to fit it into your day. If you agree to workout for 20 minutes and you are focused, your 20 minute workout coukd be better than the hour long gym time.

My sixth tip: Focus on being healthy and strong

Think about what you can do to consistently get nutritious meals and activity throughout the day. The law of averages is all we need to concentrate on. If we are eating healthy on average 5 to 6 times a week, we will feel healthy. If we take the stairs or park further away more often, we will feel stronger.

In this time of our life, the way we feel means a great deal more than the way we look. Every choice is an opportunity to make us healthier or not. And when we choose to indulge, let’s enjoy it. Choose to focus on the good things you are already doing. Then replace one habit at a time. Don’t cut things out. Replace them. Instead of ice cream every night before bed (which I’m guilty of btw), eat a bowl of cottage cheese. 

Being healthy is a process, not a destination. It isn’t something you achieve, it is something you are constantly working on. We will never be perfectly healthy, but we can work on the journey and love ourselves to health. Again, I’m just the chubby girl in her cubicle eating a granola bar. Id love to hear your favorite health tips!