Guest Post: Ash Z from Ash's Right Direction!

Hello Everyone! I am Ash Z from Ash's Right Direction. I am happy to be doing a post swap with Winter today, miss her? She is over on my blog today. I am a 27 year old wife, mom, and girl trying to get healthy for herself and her family. My ultimate goals is to be in a "normal" BMI range. I have finally gotten into the "overweight" category from the "obese" one so I am one step closer. You can read more about my story here. My son Mason will be two in July and I have worked hard in the last 22 months to get my pregnancy weight off and then some.

Winter mentioned last week that the weight is coming off slowly in the 15 months since she had Harper. I noticed the same thing. It took me a little over 6 months for the weight loss to finally kick in and for me to get serious about it. It is hard with a kid to lose weight, but it is possible.

Here are some of my tips - hopefully they help or at least give you some ideas.

Eating:

• Find a program that works - I found that Weight Watchers did not work for me now that I have a child because I did not have time to go to the meetings. The online program didn't work for me personally and I wasted money for a couple months. I am now using My Fitness Pal and really like it. I found counting calories is easier than the points system and it is free. My biggest problem is sticking to tracking. I am great for a couple days and then I forget to track dinner or I miss a whole day. I am working on this daily and hope to have a good streak going. I need to hold myself accountable! 
• Try not to eat off your child's plate - I can see how this happens and how us moms gain weight. There are times I will eat a piece of the pb&j sandwich I made Mason or some of his french fries. Luckily for me I do not like a lot of the food Mason eats (because I am a picky eater) so Tim eats off his plate more than I do. 
• Keep your fridge stocked with healthy snacks - Buy some fruits and veggies you like in the beginning of the week. If you buy something like celery or a whole melon cut it up and put servings in individual baggies so they are easy to grab. 

Working out with a baby/toddler:

• Utilize the Pack n Play - After Mason started crawling and moving I had to move the PnP upstairs from the downstairs living room. When it is time for me to workout I put him in it with some toys, a drink, and a snack. I try to time my workouts around breakfast or snack time. 
• Be Flexible - I used to get right up and workout or just lounge until I felt like getting on the treadmill. Now I have to recognize opportunities and grab them. When Mason naps I try to get my treadmill workout in. He has gotten great at playing by himself for the 30 minutes I workout with my DVD. 
• Get them involved - When Mason starts to focus more on me than playing by himself I try to get him to do what I am doing. When he tries to do jump rope or jumping jacks it is the cutest thing, he almost has them down. 
  
• Don't be too hard on yourself - If you can't fit a workout in don't get worked up. There are days when your child will need more attention from you and not give you time for you. There are also times when you will want to clean your house when your child is sleeping. There are times I get in a crazy cleaning mood and then I tend to regret not working out. Cleaning burns calories too. There are also days you will just need a break. If you sleep while your child is sleeping or just lounge on the couch that is fine too. 
• If things get too tough... You can always put your child in a dog crate and bust out a workout ;o)

**Disclaimer - Mason crawls in this cage on his own and
we do not shut the door - the above was a joke

I have worked hard to lose the baby weight and another 20 pounds. I have been in a rut lately, but I am ready to get back on track and lose another twenty pounds. It takes determination, willpower, and a lot of stamina. We all have our ups and downs so don't let the downs discourage you.

Questions? Comments? You can find me on Instagram - Facebook - My Blog - Email

Thanks Winter for doing a swap with me! I love reaching new people and introducing other bloggers :)