Name is Ash's Journal, 11 Apr 22

It’s hard! My life isn’t the same as yours but it’s also really full- I homeschool My 4 kids, work 3 part time jobs and my husband works long hours/isn’t involved in the running of the home. And my one son has disabilities. But keeping a list of the small things for each day- I always eat lots of eggs for breakfast, I cook dinner meals that suit me and add in things for the others (eg I don’t mix the pasta and the meat because I want the meat only) I don’t buy them many treats any more because I was tempted to eat them, they eat blueberries for a treat now like me 😆 And once a month I do a big plan and shop for the whole month for meat, dairy and staples so I always have some tuna, chakalaka, frozen berries and meat to turn to ❤️🤗 

@ashka-leigh : it's very different when you become a Mommy. To be honest I didn't change until i literally hit rock bottom with self pity, being overweight, self hatred, shame, all those lovely things. In the end one of the biggest reasons I changed is I had a daughter - not even having a son was motivation. My having my baby girl, I realised that I couldn't pass this lifelong struggle on to her like my mother did to me. I've been around FS for so long I remember you from before your pregnancy (prior username though), and I think that at this stage your baby is still young and it's normal to struggle. Maybe at this stage the best thing to do is start with small achievable goals - once a day walk 1km with your baby in a stroller, once you have that down find a way to supplement more healthy meals in, make a list of your "why's" for wanting this and visit it often. Ultimately this has to come from a place of self love ❤️ 

Ahhhh it's so hard. especially when our babies are born lol ... my boy is 20 months now and breastfeeding has made it so difficult to lose any weight... I'm constantly hungry and throw in a child who literally hates to sleep. recipe for weight loss destruction lol... I think for now everyday I'm trying to only focus on what I can actually do... if I don't get time to workout I just don't. remember no one has your life and its unique. I think for me what helps is just making a small change everyday. It doesn't have to perfect. I mean honestly I mess up everyday. Sometimes we just need to stop and realise what's important and start small. Not everything at once. For me that's overwhelming and then I just end up giving up. just wanted to say I hear you💪💪💪 

Fellow homeschooling mom for the win @jespes26! My advice would be to focus on one thing at a time. Are you and your baby sleeping well, that would be the first focus. We did baby led weaning from 6 months with all 3 kids so that forced me to concentrate more on cooking from scratch and healthy snacking. Then when they are sleeping well, to squeeze in just 30 min of elevating my heart rate when they are doing their best stretch of sleep, this becomes harder when you have more kids who aren't napping but by then a 30 min family walk in the evening does the job too. Be kind to yourself, this is hard and with every sleep regression and growth spurt what you thought was working well needs to be re-evaluated but try your best to keep a little bit of exercise and healthy eating in the mix for yourself, you need the energy to give your best, the dishes and piles of laundry will still be there tomorrow and when you feel more energized even the mess on the floor feels more manageable than it does if you are letting your own health slip 

You got this Ashkie!! Don’t stress over the weight! Take it 1 day at a time! I wish we could be back on the same somewhat schedule again but…. Babies! I can’t get up at 5:30am like I used to. Not by choice anyway, but we can definitely give each other motivation from our own ends of the world 

Effectively you're a single Mom Ashka. Revel in your strength and independence, your capabilities to run a home singlehandedly. Comfort food, and tons of it, is a goto friend. How do I know the eating pattern? I suddenly became a single Dad to my daughter of 12 (now 25), with almost 30kgs weight gain over that period. Your journey can be authentic, yours alone, and everything you want it to be. Own it, and enjoy it. 

Thank you, everyone. I so appreciate your words of encouragement and advice! It really has made me feel so much better and given me that boost I needed! I’ve gotten there once before, I can most certainly get there again. I will try and not be so hard on myself (this is something I do need to work on). I really do value each message of support 🌸🌸