Post Weight Loss Surgery Parenting
February 28, 2013Post Weight Loss Surgery Parenting
The Ins And Outs of Being A Stay At Home Mom
Being a stay-at-home mom after weight loss surgery has its pro’s and con’s. It takes a strong-willed person with a lot of determination to successfully adhere to a healthy lifestyle after weight loss surgery, especially if you are a stay-at- home mom (SAHM)!
A major problem I have faced since returning home from the work force is falling back into old, negative eating habits. Snacking is one of the biggest temptations I face during the day. As an emotional eater who has an unhealthy relationship with food, one of the biggest issues I face at home is NOT killing time by grazing on unhealthy foods. There’s only so much laundry and dusting one can do before the bag of Doritos or cookies start calling my name.
I found that several OH Members agree with me. Meltingmama said, “The temptation to eat is an all-day affair because I have instantaneous access to food. I feel that if I were at work I could control myself. At home there is no reason NOT to stop at the cheese drawer and have a string cheese because the kids are having one.” PhatMom from Victorville, CA, stay-at- home mom to four kids shared, “I love being a stay- at-home mom, but the temptation to snack, and ready availability of food is very, very hard.”
Another worry I have being at home relates to transfer addictions like shopping, smoking and drinking. Working in an office gave me a distraction from the QVC’s and Slap Chop’s of the world. And as a former smoker I know that cigarettes are often used as appetite suppressants.
Working from home and/or being a stay-at-home mom has a unique set of stressors. Stress sometimes leads to the use (and/or abuse) of alcohol or drugs as a way to relax. The opportunity is easier for stay-at- home moms to turn to alcohol or other drugs than for those working in an office environment where they are accountable to co-workers.
Getting caught up in the drama of social networking and simultaneously losing a little piece of reality is a danger for us stay-at-home moms. I have found that misery does indeed LOVE company. And snacking while chatting on the Internet can become a mindless habit.
In spite of the fact that there are numerous challenges related to being a post-surgical stay-at- home mom, there are also a number of advantages. One advantage is that it’s easy for me to be active around the family schedule. And I am better able to plan ahead for meals and to shop for them. This makes things less stressful and more healthy for everyone in our family. I didn’t force my new behaviors on my family, they just saw how much healthier and happy I was becoming and wanted to join in the fun!
OH member Lianne from Garden City, MI said, “I am so lucky to be a stay-at-home mom. Not only is it easier for me to make sure to eat the right things myself, but it makes it easier for me to help my children make the right decisions about food. My four-year-old eats almost exactly what I eat, and she loves it! My-two-year old is a little harder to please. When it’s nap time, I have no excuse not to pop in the workout videos and do my exercise.”
Most of us choose to be stay-at-home moms because we want to be with our children and give them what we believe is best for them. However, it’s not always easy being around kids all day, either. Veronica2009 from Fort Bragg, NC noted, “When I worked I had the ability to take my lunches by myself and relax. One big negative for me being a SAHM is that now I find myself eating while having food thrown my way by my very happy 19-month-old. We have our moments!”
Lunch as a working mom was more difficult than eating at home with the kids for LisaAnn from Marysville, WA, who has four children: “For me, I find it easier to be a SAHM than to work as far as food goes. At home I can make better food choices since my kitchen is right here. When I worked, it was lunches out, food on the go, vending machines, and fast food. It was harder to prepare healthy, protein-rich foods and eat them throughout the day. I’d bring my lunch and my co-workers would want to go out. I could have declined...but hey, it was fun, social, and I love to eat out. So for me, being home makes it easier to eat healthy foods. “
For me, success is not only measured by weight lost, but also by health gained. My physical health has improved since losing weight and so has my mental health. For me and my family, that is partly due to our choice for me to be a stay-at-home mom. I am
a determined person and I am determined to be an example of healthy living for my family.
Cathie Neal lives in Martinez, GA with her husband and their 5-year- old son. Cathie had gastric bypass surgery in March 2008. After working in the medical field for 15 years Cathie decided to become a stay-at- home mom and is glad about her choice to do so!
*This article was previously published in OH Magazine, an Obesityhelp.com publication.
