If there is one thing all moms hate, it is that darn baby weight. I had come to accept that those 5 extra pounds were here to stay until suddenly I had a toddler and those 5 pounds (plus a few more!) were gone. I didn’t consciously change anything I was doing, but I realize I adopted different habits once Mac was older. Here are the three things that helped.

Nutrition Became More Important

My eating habits were horrible when I was pregnant because I couldn’t stomach anything. I would have an entire day where all I would eat was cereal because anything else made me sick. Junk food became my go-to. Even once I was nursing, those extra calories I was expending meant I could eat all of the junk food I wanted without gaining any additional weight. Score!

Except then we started Mac on solid foods using baby led weaning and nutrition zoomed to the top of my list when considering what to make for dinner. Mac was eating the same things we were, so I made sure we had a range of food groups and that we were eating mostly fresh, wholesome foods.

In turn, that meant Andrew and I were not subsisting on pizza and fast food anymore. Making nutrition a priority for Mac means it is now a priority for the entire family.

No More Secret Snacks!

I don’t know about you other parents, but I love a good snack of cookies or a nice donut in the morning. Except now I have a toddler who can sense I’m chewing and throws a fit until I either give her a bite or I finish my snack.

I can’t even hide from her to eat because our main floor is very open and she tends to wander around the kitchen counter right as I take my first bite.

So instead of dealing with a massive tantrum about junk food, I just don’t eat it. In turn, we have stopped buying it. And crazily enough, the less you eat it, the less you crave it. (Although that doesn’t mean we NEVER eat sweets and stuff. It is just a now and then treat, not an everyday occurrence.)

The Toddler Workout Regimen

So I mostly let Mac free-range around, both in our house and while we are out like at the park or another place. But I still have to stick pretty close so she doesn’t climb up on things she isn’t supposed to or try to play with something totally disgusting, like a cigarette butt or dog poop. That means I probably walk miles a day just shadowing her. Add to that lifting her off of things she isn’t supposed to be climbing and I also get my arm workout.

What Else Can I Do?

There are a few other changes I have made. I get up every morning at 5:15 to do 15-20 minutes of a workout. I have been using the Blogilates workout calendar each month and I love it! I try to at least break a sweat. This is enough of a workout because I also work in a primary Montessori classroom. Out of the 8 hours I work a day, I think I am up and moving for 7 of them. Being lightly active all day at work has also helped.

If you want to make some of these changes in your life, here are a few things you can do:

• How much do you eat during the day? I don’t just mean meals, but snacks also. Finishing your child’s food after every meal or eating a piece of candy every time you go by the candy dish can add up.
• Are you eating wholesome, nutritious food or is the majority of your food pre-packaged or junk food? Not all packaged food is junk, but food companies can sneak a lot of sugar, sodium, and calories in without you knowing.
• How much do you sit during the day? Obviously some of you have desk jobs, so you can’t walk as much as I do. But are there things you can do to walk or move more? Take the stairs, park at the end of the parking lot, and walk to the mailbox.

Have you noticed any personal weight changes once your baby hit the toddler stage?