5 reasons why mums get FAT!

Because we eat too many doughnuts!.... Yeah really we do! Well I did anyway......

But there’s a reason for eating so many doughnuts; I NEEDED to, like REALLY needed to.

I needed the quickest sugar fix I could get to keep my brain functioning and get me through the day. Us mums are tired beyond words, we’re completely spent in every which way.

Whether your children are newborn or middle aged. If you have children you will alway be a mother...... and with that from the first moment of their conception or arrival comes stress.

Physically we’re recovering from birth. At its best we might just be a little bruised but for most we experience physical trauma of some degree. We deal with injury, blood loss, dehydration, sleep deprivation, hormonal changes and lactation all in a matter of hrs following childbirth. All of this physical stress and trauma cause nutrient deficiencies as the body uses its reserves to heal and adapt to its new role leading to more energy loss and changes in mood.

Emotionally we’re a mess. Dealing with all of the physical changes, coupled with the emotional effects of trying to meet our own (completely naive and unrealistic) expectations of motherhood ( oh and let’s not forget everyone else’s expectations too!) we simply don’t know whether we’re coming or going. If I’m honest with myself, 8 yrs on and I still find myself worrying if I’m doing it all right....... Then I remember that winging motherhood is what works for me and a happy mummy means a happy household. Whatever works for me HAS to work for my family, let’s face it..... ya mums are the ones holding it all together 😜

So In a nutshell... mums are tired (dog tired) and emotional and they need perking up (with doughnuts 🍩😁)

Physiologically we’re in a state of stress, sending our bodies into survival mode which means you either go into fight mode or flight mode.

Us fatties... we go into fight mode, meaning two things; our body thinks it needs to bulk out to protect itself from a physical fight but also it switches to survival mode because it believes it’s being starved...... and it is.......

It’s starved of sleep. This is the major biggie for mums especially new mums. Sleep deprivation is a form of torture and mums know why...... it’s hell. It causes us to step out of bed and onto the sugar rollercoaster just so we can open our eyes in the morning. Fat mums live off sugar and caffeine ..... FACT! The trouble with this is it causes our bodies to be....Starved of nutrients - and so makes fat out of what it can and holds onto it for dear life thinking it’s gonna need every last bit of energy in that fat should the nutrient deficiency continue. ( remember - although you’re filling your cake hole with doughnuts, biscuits and coffee, your body still thinks it’s being starved because it’s not receiving any nutrients that it needs. Meaning you continue to feel hungry and crave sugar cos your body thinks it wants energy when in fact it wants vitamins, minerals and nutrients ) a catch 22 situation you crave sugar first thing in the morning because you need the instant hit of energy but this then causes your blood sugar to spike and then suddenly drop, causing you to feel tired and lethargic and crave more sugar - and so the cycle continues.

It’s starved of water making it retain every drop it can. It makes sense that lactating mums need more water in their diet to account for the extra fluid that needs to be made by the body to provide the baby with milk...... now imagine that you lost a lot of blood during childbirth ( something which I feel is just not monitored or controlled enough. If at all) your water intake would have to increase to help your body create more blood.
Whether you breast fed or not, I believe the western world is chronically dehydrated from birth. We have replaced our inherent thirst sensation with the desire to eat causing the health and obesity epedemic taking over the western nations.


And most of all......

Our fat bodies are starved of Air - The one thing we really cannot live without and yet we take it for granted that we don’t even have to think about breathing. But all this stress causes our breathing to become shallow and likewise shallow breathing causes your body stress. It seems we have forgotten or unlearned the natural practice of deep diaphragmatic breathing. Instead we now hold our breathe when we’re anxious and tend to take ‘sips’ of air with a few sighs thrown in for good measure.
How do you know if you’re shallow breathing? When you take a deep breathe, notice if your chest and shoulders rise. If they do then you are shallow breathing.

And finally we are starved of movement - Because we are so tired and stressed we tend to sit on our butts and not really move....... Unless we are heading to a local coffee shop or soft play to meet up with our mummy friends to consume more caffeine and fill our cake holes......(sorry but it’s true)
The thing is..... Structure govern function. Our bodies are designed to move. If you don’t use your body for what it’s made to do then it will start to change its structure to fit its new function. If all you do is sit on the couch and eat cookies all day, your body will respond and adapt so you literally will merge with the couch and struggle to move.

So what can us mums do to get off the sugar-coaster and get a ticket on the health train to slimsville.....

It’s simple really. To get your body out of starvation mode you need to feed it...... consistently with what it needs. You need to nourish your mind and body in the following ways.

1. Get some rest even if you can’t get a full 8hrs during the night. Make time through the day to switch off all appliances and rest when your baby / child does.

2. Everyday drink 1/2 fl. oz of water for every lb you weigh - do this for a few days and you will switch your thirst sensation back on and actually start to feel thirsty despite all the water you are now drinking.

3. Nourish yourself with fruit, veg, protein and complex carbohydrates

4. Breathe!
- Place your hands over your stomach so the fingertips just touch.
- Take a deep breathe in, making your belly rise and your ribs expand (your fingertips should part approx 1 inch)
This may take a few times to learn but each time concentrate on the breathing and see if you can find you natural breathe

5. Move your body.
Walking is what your body was designed to do. Get out and walk for 30mins everyday. Come rain or shine use the time to breathe in the fresh air and nourish your mind with visualisation, gratitude and meditation. You will only have the one mind and body so cherish it with loving thoughts and praise and it will repay you with health & vitality

And finally nourish your heart with love 💞


Contact me if you want to know more about how to make positive long lasting change for your mind & body.

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This is all well and good I hear you say. But what about those skinny, Minnie mums???? They must be stressed too???

The answer is, they are! They are just as stressed as you but their bodies go into flight mode. This causes them to be on constant high alert. These mums are the ones always buzzing round doing something. They struggle to stay still and are the natural runners and athletes of the world. Physically they are prone to suffer with digestive issues though.