So you just had a baby and you’re hoping that now that the baby is here, the weight will just magically all go away and you can have your body back. Reality sinks in when you look down and still look 6 months pregnant. You are sleep deprived and an emotional wreck. You have forgotten what day it is, the last time you showered, ate, or even drank water.

Fast forward 6 months, maybe a year…or two years postpartum (or more)— things have now mellowed out, you finally found your footing and have gotten into a good groove as a mom— but you still find yourself unhappy with the way you look and feel. You still have that extra “baby weight” and can’t seem to get rid of it.

You are not alone.

Finding time to fit in a workout and eat healthy is not an easy task as a busy mom. Whether you are a full-time working mom, a stay at home mom or a part-time working mom— managing time to fit in everything that needs to be done is tough. As a result, we tend to put our own needs on the back burner and forget to take care of ourselves.

I am here to share with you 8 tips to help you make yourself a priority, lose the baby weight, and get healthy while still keeping up with your busy schedule

1.Set S.M.A.R.T goals

What are S.M.A.R.T goals you ask? They are goals that are Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic and Timely. How many times have you said you want to “get healthy” and “lose weight”? Although these are good goals, they aren’t “SMART”. A better goal would be “I will walk 5 days every week for 30 minutes each. “I will drink water instead of soda every day this week.” “I will bring my lunch to work instead of eating out 4 days this week.” “I will lose 10 lbs by Christmas”.

Knowing that you have a deadline motivates you to get started and having specific details on how you’ll do it makes it seem less intimidating. Write down 5 S.M.A.R.T goals now and be sure to write it down and have it somewhere where you can see it everyday.

2. Schedule in Your Workouts

We schedule in Dr. appointments, meetings and playdates into our calendars so we remember to show up—so why don’t we schedule in times for our workouts? Exactly, this is a must! If you have time carved out in your busy schedule specifically for working out, you will be sure to make it happen. It is only 30- an hour of your day, you can and you will…I Promise you will feel better. Mentally and physically. You can utilize my free workouts and set a good routine.

3. Have Healthy Snacks and Hydration Available

Research has proven that people who have healthy snacks readily available are healthier and are more successful in reaching their weight loss goals. In our house, we always have cut up veggies in the fridge with bitchin sauce, apples, bananas, oranges on the counter and perfect bars or Lara bars in the pantry. If healthy options are easily accessible, those are the things you will gravitate towards. Be sure to get rid of all of the unhealthy snack options. Out of sight, out of mind.

4. Turn Daily Tasks into Workouts

This is one of my favourite because I use it as a challenge to turn everyday tasks into extra steps. Here are a few ideas—try and take the stairs whenever possible, park as far as you can when going to the store or at work—the extra walking will add up. When cleaning around the house, do 10 squats for every 10 steps you take and 5 push-ups when you switch tasks (for example if you switch from sweeping to dishes or laundry to trash). Get creative!

5. Involve the Kiddos

On a good day, I can get my toddler to participate with me for part of the workout and then the other part she will stay busy doing a puzzle, reading a book or climbing on something. Since she was born, I have always included her in my workouts —This is a great habit to build because your kids will understand “mummy time” and then after your workout, it is their time. If you have a little one who just wants to be held, wear them in the baby carrier.

Yes, you won’t have the best workouts but you can do things like squats, lunges, and rows. Another way you can involve your kids is to make a game out of your workout to keep them occupied —can be as simple as counting your reps with you or the naming the colors of your workout bands. If you have older kiddos, you can kick around the soccer ball, play tag or even have a dance party! Even 10 minute workouts make a difference over time and it all adds up.

6. Stress less

This is one of those “easier said than done” types of advice, I know—but it is essential to reaching your goals. Stress can wreck havoc on your body— it messes with our hormones, causes cravings, binge eating, blood sugar level issues and excessive fat storage. Yes, motherhood is stressful, life is stressful but with some practice, you can learn how to “manage” your stress more effectively.

I have found that when I wake up, I take the kids on a walk and think about what we are grateful for and set an intention for the day ( I share this every morning on my instagram story— this has really helped with setting a more positive tone for the day. I have learned that when I start to tense up or get frustrated, I take a deep breath and count to 10 before I react.

7. Sleep, Sleep, Sleep

Sleep is just as important to your health as minimising your stress levels. Sleep gives your body time to rest and your mind time to relax. If you’re up too late, you are losing out on valuable time that your body needs —you’re messing with your hormones, which can also contribute to blood sugar and cortisol imbalances— just like stress.

I am guilty of staying up mindlessly scrolling on social media or staying up too late working on my blog. This week, I want you to try getting to bed 30 minutes earlier than normal and try and keep adding 30 minutes, until you can get a full 6-8 hours of sleep.

8. Self-love

Love yourself because this journey is your own. You have the power within you to change because let’s be honest — Mom’s are the toughest breed. Try to start practicing self-love by writing five positive words of affirmation and read them to yourself when you start to have any doubt that you can’t do it! Here are mine “ I am strong, confident, able, beautiful, enough”.

9. BONUS TIP

Be sure to take care of yourself while you are pregnant! Eat well and stay moving as much as you can and it will not only help you get back in shape after but also help tremendously in labor and delivery.

You owe it to yourself and your family to stay as healthy as you can. There is no better time than now to lose that baby weight and get healthy —so grab a pen and paper and start by writing down those S.M.A.R.T goals!