Are you a busy mom without much time? Welcome to the club. Having children especially young children can be extremely taxing on free time, ever look back and resent your former self for thinking you were busy before having kids? The point is, time is extremely valuable and basically that means that the time you do have needs to be spent as wisely as possible.

Hire a sitter not for date night but for you night

Have you thought about hiring a sitter, so you have free time to better look after your health? It’s a good idea and you can use this time to be more active. Think about maximizing your time and the harder exercise you can do will get your heart rate and blood rushing, this is the kind of exercise that really gives you results and maximizes your free time.

Think about a run, or alternatively a bike ride; get out there and make it count. According to Harvard health depending on weight a 30 minute session of running can potentially burn anywhere between 240 calories for a 125 pound person up to 355 calories for a 185 pound person. As for biking the same can be said for 240 calories for 125 pound and 355 calories for 185 pound person. Biking is better as a lower impact exercise as running can be more of a physically jarring exercise.

Consider bring your kids with you for a brisk walk, if they are old enough and physically able. This will help solidify a active healthy lifestyle and you’ll be setting a great example for them.

Fasting Can Be an Effective Way to Lose Weight without Exercise

If you’re a busy mom and you want to lose weight without exercise, there are not a lot of options out there. You can try dieting or better yet opt for fasting. Fasting can have negativity associated with it because you are expected to starve yourself and this may seem kind of harsh but it is an effective way to lose weight as a busy mom. Did you know that according to this study (insert link here) that it’s generally accepted science that fasting can be extremely beneficial not just for losing weight but also for living a healthier and longer life.

Make sure you are getting enough sleep

Sleep and especially a good night’s sleep can help you lose weight by regulating your metabolism and helping you to have enough energy throughout the day to fit in exercise when possible. The recommended amount of sleep is according to the mayo clinic is 7-9 hours of sleep each night. Quality of sleep is also important so make sure your getting that amount of sleep undisturbed every night.

Eat smaller portions and don’t skip meals

Never skip meals and if anything, eat more often and smaller portions. Unless you’ve decided to start an intermittent fasting regime, it’s extremely important that if you are trying to find out how to lose weight with a busy schedule that you don’t skip meals. Find a way to make it work, remember that you can change what you eat, just don’t skip meals!

Cut the stress out and get moving

Stress is a huge problem when you are short on time and looking to lose weight as a busy mom. Unfortunately it’s hard to avoid stress and when you’re short on time the pressure can build fast. Getting up earlier and leaving yourself more time in the morning to prepare for the day can give you that extra “you time” to better be able to face the stress out there. Just an extra 10-15 minutes can make a huge difference in cutting out stress from your life. You can take a few minutes to “de-stress” by watching some funny videos, or cute animal videos on your favorite video sharing website. This is shown to reduce stress and make you feel happier.

Remember when your stressed out to take a deep breath and exhale before you react. This deep breathing is proven to help calm through bringing more oxygen into the bloodstream and in turn to the cells of your body. Try to practice this often, so when a stressful situation comes about you are prepared to take that deep breath and calm yourself down.

Moving around can help cut stress, think about doing some small exercises, for instance planking or just a few pushups can help you to cut and alleviate stress in a constructive manner.

Think about getting a home gym

Have you thought about getting a home gym? It’s a good idea if you have small children and need to keep an eye on them while still being able to get that exercise in that you need as a busy mom. Even a treadmill can have immense benefits in getting your exercise requirements and helping you to lose weight. No matter how busy you are, with a home gym you can easily make that time and you can exercise in small increments during the day. Remember that you should make the best of it and the more you get your blood pumping, the better. Think about doing some sit-ups and pushups regardless of if you decide to get a home gym, or not.

Hopefully you have some more ideas of things you can do, as a busy mom to lose weight. It’s not easy but the truth is that whether you have the time, or not, you must make the time to do it. Be that role model for your kids and show them that you are going to set that example and that you’re willing to put the work in to make it happen. Good luck!