7:05 am: Wake up in panic. Jump out of bed only to realize the little one has been jumping on the sofa for the past one hour on her ironed school uniform and bag which I had painstakingly prepared the night before. Quickly haul her into the bathroom and attempt to make her brush, poop and shower all at the same time while continuously answering 20 billion absurd questions like “What does Rudolf the reindeer do after Christmas?”
7:35 am: After a chaotic breakfast and throwing caffeine down my throat to get my brain to start functioning normally again, I suddenly realize that I have a school PTM.
7:41 am: Hurriedly grab the first clothes I see from my cupboard & the jeans don’t go past my knees! Curse under my breath on realizing the only extent of my movement during the holidays was raising a fork to eat endless X-mas cakes and quiches. After much of a tug of war, pull jeans up to fit. Change tactics to overcome the final hurdle – while no one was looking, lie down on the bed and zip them up. Sob in relief.
7:55 am: Rush out of the house while fervently praying that not only we reach school on time but also resolving to lose that weight laden arse of mine.
Well after the morning crises, I decided it was imperative to take action. So here is my tactical plan for all mommies suffering from the grave perils of holiday weight gain :
1. Eat smarter:
At the risk of sounding redundant, now that you are back on home-turf, start eating smarter. Eat more veggies and cut out all white products like maida, biscuits, white bread, pasta, white rice & sugar. Don’t make the mistake of skipping a meal; rather keep eating small meals throughout the day. This will help regulate your blood sugar, control evening cravings and most importantly give you enough energy ammunition for your little one’s bedtime battles.
2. Move it:
Walk up the stairs, run errands yourself, join the gym, sign up for a fun class – just do anything which will move that excess protrusion of yours. Even partner up with another weight distressed mom so you can both boost each other. Remember, exercise not only burns calories but also helps release happy chemicals in the brain which gives you a positive attitude. So go enjoy some happy me-time after putting the little one to bed rather than slumping and snoring.
3. Plan:
Every year our living room gets lost under the gigantic piles of New Year planners gifted to us. Well, this year instead of using them as make-shift coffee tables, I will use them for more illuminating tasks.
- Write down goals. Be specific. Don’t say I want to lose weight. Instead, say I want to lose 4 kgs by February. Once you write down a goal, it becomes more real and you are more committed to it.
- Maintain a food and workout journal. You will be surprised how much this will help you.
- Plan your day. Carry small snacks like fruits or nuts when you know you will be on the go. Just like you use your organization skills for meticulously planning the little one’s day, now sensibly plan yours.
4. Sip more:
No not wine – water. Studies show that most of the time when we think we are hungry, we are actually thirsty. Water also helps detox all that holiday wrong eating.
5. Stop comparing :
Love yourself. It’s that simple. Develop indifference towards those ‘perfect mommies’. Yes, the ones who show up at school every morning like they have walked out from a fashion magazine with kids having immaculate plaits and perfectly combed hair. Those mommies whose only life goal is to trump you by reciting their children’s extra-curricular activities, their recent exotic holidays and annoyingly post every micro-minute of their perfect arse on Instagram. Nope, don’t let them trample you. Avoid them like a plague and move on.
So, go ahead mommies. Go win the battle of the bulge with wit and fun.
Image by marymarkevich on Freepik
Mansi Zaveri
KSP Team
Neha Savla
Parul Gupta
Janani S Koushik
