Mommy Diet Tips

If you're a mom, you know all about how hard it is to lose weight when you're taking care of kids. Being on someone else's eating schedule messes up your internal signals telling you when you're hungry, constant kid snacks leads to constant mom snacks, food left around ends up in your mouth, and if you eat with them, your food choices aren't very healthy. All these things stacked up together mean more calories, and more calories cause weight gain. With a few tricks, though, moms can avoid that weight gain.

1. Get the kids on a schedule. Plan on the kids eating breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks after each. Getting them on a schedule allows you to plan your eating schedule as well.

2. Prepare your meals and snacks in advance. It's easy to fall back on eating with the kids at meals and snacks because the food is there. If you prepare all of your food ahead of time, it's just as simple to grab your own. No munching on theirs because you don't know what to make for yourself since it's already put together.

3. Eat before the kids. If you're overhungry, you eat more. Smelling the kids' food will be enough to make your stomach rumble, and you're bound to stuff a few of their nuggets or a hot dog in your mouth. If you eat about 15-30 minutes before the kids, you lose that strong hunger that drives you to eat that unhealthy food.

4. Keep some gum handy. If you're not eating when the kids are, pop in a piece of gum before preparing their food. You can't stick Goldfish in your mouth if you're eating mint gum (yuck) and you feel like you're eating something.

5. Throw away extras. If your kids are done, empty their plates into the trash. Immediately. Once it's in the trash, you're not going to graze on it. Leaving those plates on the counter with french fries is asking for mindless eating. Dump the food.

6. Stay busy. Do something while your kids are eating. If your kids are too young to eat alone, then unload the dishwasher in the kitchen. If they can be alone for a minute, get some laundry and fold it. Since many moms eat when they're bored, sitting there watching your kids eat can be a diet disaster.

7. Drink up. Keep a glass of water with you. Many times, we mistake thirst for hunger. Drinking water prevents dehydration as well.