Rafed English
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Being a mom will always be the most demanding job you’ll ever have, and you love it. Motherhood is all about love, care and giving of yourself. Being a mom, you tend to give without limits that sometimes you forget about yourself.

Since you are constantly on the go, it may be hard to find the time to sit and eat a meal, let alone a healthy one. Just be aware that your health and body are important to take care of, as taking care of yourself will reflect even more positively on your family’s life.

Nisreen, 29, mom to Yara 5, Yasmine 2:

I am really upset with the way I look! Even though I don’t work, I don’t have time for myself. My day starts at 6:00 AM and before I know it it’s 7:00PM: I’m occupied with feeding the kids and preparing them for school then taking them out; the day goes by; and I haven’t practically eaten anything. After the birth of my second child, I was determined to go on a weight loss diet and get back in shape. I gained 20 kg during my pregnancy and now I still have 6 extra kg that I can’t seem to lose. And with all the joy of running around, I can’t seem to sit for a meal, and I definitely don’t have time to exercise!

Advice from experts:

- Have breakfast with your kids: breakfast is the most important meal of the day, it is where you stock up with energy to be able to face the long demanding day ahead. So sit for breakfast with your kids and offer yourself what you offer them, be it milk with cereals, cheese sandwich with milk, etc.

- Sneak a healthy lunch: plan your healthy lunch when your children are napping. It could be early or sometimes a late lunch, which should be your main meal. Make sure to have moderate portions and a balanced meal to get the protein the carbohydrates you need in addition to the healthy fat.

- Don’t forget to snack: a healthy afternoon snack is just what you need to avoid overeating at dinner. Have a sandwich or a fruit or a fat-free yogurt with your kids while they are snacking

- At night, keep it light: after your long day enjoy a light dinner starting with a healthy salad or a soup. And if you feel you would like to munch on something at night, have some vegetables with hummus or low-fat cheese dip or fat-free popcorn.

Hiba 35, working mom to Jad 10, Amine 7:

I’m always on the go. I wake up early to prepare food for my husband and my sons. Then I run off to work on just my morning coffee. Glued at my desk I hardly move and I am always binging on empty calories… chocolate, biscuits,… in the afternoon it’s helping kids with homework, then cooking a super fast cooked dinner. The amount of food I eat is little but because of the non-nutritious choices I’m gaining weight!

Advice from experts:

- Make most of your hurried breakfast: even though it may be just a cup of coffee, add to it a full glass of low-fat milk and have it with a cereal bar or pack a healthy sandwich to have on the way to work.

- Plan ahead: The evening before, plan what you will eat the next day. Package your snacks into portion sizes and put together your lunch. If these need refrigeration carry an insulated lunch bag with an ice pack.

- Sit down for your lunch break: even though you might be up to your ears at work, have your lunch break. Turn off your phone and enjoy your half-hour healthy lunch.

- Cook in advance: Weekends are a good time to cook several meals for the week ahead. This way, the meals can be separated into containers and frozen to be warmed up later. Because you have prepared the food, you know what types of ingredients are in it.

Finally, exercise will always help you get in shape faster and feel good, so try to fit it into your schedule. You can walk faster while doing your grocery shopping, you can go biking with the kids, play with them or you can enjoy a ½ hour exercise while the kids are sleeping. Whatever you do, try to make a habit of ½ an hour at least 3 times a week.

You can also try to treat yourself to something you enjoy like reading a book, going to the spa or even having a small piece of your favourite dessert.

Take a break: Take time for yourself and take time to enjoy your meals, your snacks and most of all RELAX!