Snacking with the kids

Whoever said having children keeps you thin and active lied. Yes, my children keep me busy. Yes I constantly run around chasing after my daughter (who turns 2 this Saturday, yee!), but it definitely doesn’t do anything for my waistline.

Now let me tell you what having kids around the house really does to all that belly fat. It adds to it. I’ll  start by pointing out all of the extra snacks you have around the house to keep them happy. I’d be lying if I said I didn’t indulge here and there in all those tasty treats. It’s really hard not to when it’s just right there.

Then don’t buy junk you say? Easier said than done.   Yes, I do buy healthy snacks. We have fruit, crackers, cheese and other healthy goodies, but every kid wants a little supply of cookies or chips on hand.  Especially when they get older. Unfortunately, my willpower is not that strong, and I usually end up snacking right with them.

If that isn’t bad enough, I usually end up eating what they don’t finish. That makes my normal-sized meals extra large. Rarely do the kids ever finish everything on their plates, and for people like me who hate to waste, I usually try to finish up their food. Sometimes it’s just not enough to save and too much to throw away, so I just force it down into my already full tummy. Hey, we try to set good examples for our kids, right?

So the whole point of this blog is that kids make you put on pounds. End of story. Yes, I know plenty of moms who make me want to vomit because they are just so perfect. No stretch marks. No tummy flab. Total bikini bodies. Too bad I wasn’t quite blessed with those MILF genes.

In order to counter the “kid” effect, moms really need to take accountability for their actions. Do you really need to grab an ice cream bar when you get one for the kids? Or do you really need to snack on those chips? And if you do, why not make a little extra time to take a quick run or head to the gym. That is one thing that I am still learning. I’ve come to a point where I have to stop blaming my kids and just start taking some actions to make sure I stay healthy.

Working out. Eating healthier. These are things that we have to push ourselves to do. So if you have 30 minutes every night and can’t make it to the gym, try doing crunches and other exercises, even jogging in place or doing a workout DVD. There are so many things we can do to better ourselves, but we just have to take action and do it. First things first. I need to start taking my own advice.

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