Written by Jordyn King BS, MS Nutrition Science

Calorie Deficit and How to Achieve Healthy Weight Loss as a young Mom

If you are trying to lose weight, you have likely heard of being in a calorie deficit. Being in a calorie deficit is required in order to lose weight. However, what does it involve and why is it necessary for weight loss? We all know that calories are the units of energy you get from food and beverages and when you consume fewer calories than you burn you achieve what’s called a calorie deficit. Doing this pattern consistently for long periods of time results in weight loss. There are two ways you can become in a calorie deficit; this includes when changing what and how much you eat and how much you exercise or increase your physical activity. Keep in mind, a Registered Dietitian can always help you figure out healthy goals to manage your portion sizes, lower your daily calories through healthy eating, and maintain healthy eating habits which then follows up with a healthy relationship with food. 

Being a Mother

Losing weight as a mother can be challenging, it is most challenging to put yourself first before your kids. Whether you're trying to lose that excess baby weight or shed off a few pounds from overtime, The Millennial Nutritionist team is here to help. You could be a working mom and have a hectic schedule. You as an individual may need some inspiration or motivation to lose unwanted weight and make some changes to a healthy lifestyle, The Millennial Nutritionist team is here to help!

Here are some solutions The Millennial Nutritionist can offer you as a young mom looking to lose weight:

1. You are eating leftovers of your kids' meals/snacks

I get it, I get it. It's easy to snack on your kids' food when you're making their breakfast, lunch and dinner. It would be hard not too. It's just a bite right? However,eating leftovers of your kids meals and snacks can cause you to be in a calorie surplus which could cause weight gain, if you're not cautious. To prevent this, here are a few solutions I can offer you. Make yourself a structured lunch to eat with your kids so you aren't as tempted to share their meals. Make sure you are providing protein, a healthy fat, a vegetable and a grain to provide the best structured meal for your calorie intake. Another solution is to remind yourself of your health goals; think “does my weight loss goal fit with these extra bites of food” and “is it worth those extra unnecessary calories”. Essentially, skip the bites of your kids' scraps. Additionally, The best way to overcome large portions is to control portion sizes or use a smaller plate. Using a smaller play can decrease the amount of calories you are consuming and create a smaller portion for your meals to control your eating.  Evaluate your feeling of fullness and ask yourself, if you really need those leftover scraps your kids don't want?  You can also track your meals and snacks on certain apps such as MyFitness to determine if you are in your calorie deficit and that's when The Millennial Nutritionist Team comes in.  Our team determines your calorie deficit intake, so you are aware to stay in it and how you will achieve this goal as a young mom. 

2. You aren't prioritizing your own health

It can be easy for everyone else to come first as a mom, but never making time to be mindful about what you're eating or prepping healthy structured meals and snacks will not help you to get to your weight loss goals. Even taking an hour na[p may not seem like much but can add up over a year, if you are substituting a nap instead of physical activity. Take time out of your day for yourself as a young mom and a mom who is determined to lose weight. Losing weight doesn’t come easy and you might have to put in some extra work at first but over time if you are in a structured organized scheduled day, it will eventually come easy throughout your weight loss process. Put yourself first for an hour a day. Make your own meals with nutritionally dense foods that can benefit your health goals. This is so you don't have a reason to eat your kids leftovers or too busy to eat during mealtime to make your own food. This can be such an easy step to skip out on when having kids but make time for yourself, so you can get the healthy food you need to lose the weight. A nutrition dense meal consists of a protein, a side vegetable, a healthy fat and a grain. You can also cook the same meals for your kids and significant others knowing they are healthy eating for you and your family as well.  You can make a difference additionally by showing your kids how to eat a healthy nutritious meal and how to include a vegetable and a protein in your meals. 

3. You aren't exercising as much as you used to

Your physical activity can slightly decrease overtime with having kids, especially a newborn. how you're  sitting more than before having the newborn. Low decreased activity throughout the day can lead to weight gain if your eating more calories than you're burning. Again, make time for yourself to include walks or runs with your kids throughout the day or even by yourself. It's important to take an hour or thirty minutes to rewind and workout in order to achieve weight loss goals. Build your physical activity routine into your daily schedule. Remember, increasing your physical activity does not mean intense workouts, it just means taking time to burn enough calories to meet your calorie deficit each day. Have your significant other watch your kids when you need a break; go out and make time to provide the necessary exercise you need and want to lose weight. Additionally, exercise is not the only change that will aid long term weight loss; it’s about being in a calorie deficit and eating the right foods while combining with physical activity. 

In Conclusion..

The solution is building into working out and eating into a healthy lifestyle into your  working mom routine is essential, but providing time for yourself is needed for any mom. Clearly, if you're a mom and gaining weight, it's time to change your daily routine with increased physical activity and providing the proper portion sizes with your meal while also providing smart healthy protein snacks you need to get through the day. Motherhood can be hard but The Millennial Nutritionist can help make nutrition easy for you in our program. We can help offer more solutions you need when sometimes you're not able to manage time for yourself and know we can make a difference with your weight loss goals in a healthy way.  If you want to start losing weight, start now!! The time is now! In this process, you have to be motivated to lose weight, which is when The Millennial Nutritionist membership program can give you that little push when you need it, especially as a young mother. 

To start your sustainable weight loss journey today, check out our calorie-tracking tutorial below. The first step of weight loss is being aware of how you eat and our calorie-tracking method can get you there!