As a Mom, my biggest weight loss challenge isn't food or exercise- Part 1

I used to think losing weight was simply a matter of eating less and exercising more.

If only it were that simple.

I currently weigh almost double my pre-pregnancy weight. Writing that isn't easy, but it's the truth. And if I'm being honest, the extra weight isn't just the result of having kids. It's the result of years of putting myself last while trying to take care of everyone and everything else.

I'm a working mom. I work from 8 PM to 6 AM, and most days, I only get about four to six hours of sleep. That's assuming I don't spend half the morning overthinking before finally falling asleep around 7:30 AM.

When I wake up around 1 PM, I have roughly seven hours left before work starts again.

Seven hours.

Seven hours to be a mom.

Seven hours to run a business.

Seven hours to manage the household.

Seven hours to squeeze in errands, appointments, school-related tasks, cooking, cleaning, and everything else that somehow lands on a mother's plate.

So when people say, "Just make time for exercise," I laugh a little.

Not because they're wrong, but because finding that time feels nearly impossible some days.

For years, I've struggled with emotional eating and stress eating. When I'm overwhelmed, food feels comforting. When I'm exhausted, sugar feels like a quick solution. And like many moms, I've become an expert at finishing my kids' leftovers because I don't want food to go to waste.

I've also started and stopped more diets than I can count.

Every Monday felt like a fresh start.

Every Friday felt like failure.

I would spend hours researching meal plans, workout programs, and weight loss strategies. I'd create schedules, make lists, and promise myself that this time would be different.

Then real life would happen.

A sick child.

An urgent work task.

A household emergency.

A sleepless night.

And suddenly the plan I worked so hard to create would fall apart.

For a long time, I thought my problem was a lack of discipline.

Now I think my problem was expecting perfection.

Recently, I had a realization that changed how I look at weight loss.

I don't need another diet.

I need better habits.

That sounds simple, but it's changing everything.

The challenge isn't knowing what to do.

I already know what healthy habits look like.

I know I should drink more water.

I know I should move my body regularly.

I know I should plan my meals.

I know sleep matters.

The challenge is actually doing those things consistently in a life that already feels full.

Right now, I'm not sharing a transformation story.

I'm sharing a starting-over story.

My plan is simple.

I want to start walking daily.

I want to drink more water.

I want to track my meals instead of mindlessly eating throughout the day.

I want to go to bed earlier whenever possible.

I want to exercise at least three times a week.

I want to meal plan instead of making food decisions while stressed and hungry.

And I want to get back into sports by learning pickleball, something that sounds fun instead of feeling like punishment.

The funny thing is that none of these goals are extreme.

Yet even these simple habits feel challenging to execute.

Every day seems to come with a new surprise. Something always needs my attention. The kids need something. The business needs something. The house needs something.

And by the time I finally think about myself, I'm already tired.

Maybe that's why so many moms struggle with weight loss.

It's not because we're lazy.

It's not because we don't care.

It's because we're trying to improve our health while carrying responsibilities that never seem to end.

The one small win I've noticed lately is a better mood on the days when I make even a tiny effort toward my health.

The problem is that those wins don't always last.

Sometimes I feel motivated one day and completely defeated the next.

Sometimes I feel like I'm making progress and then lose momentum immediately.

But maybe that's part of the journey too.

Maybe the goal isn't to feel motivated every day.

Maybe the goal is to keep showing up even when motivation disappears.

As I write this, I haven't reached my goal weight.

I haven't figured everything out.

I'm still learning.

I'm still struggling.

I'm still trying to find a system that works for my life.

But for the first time in a long time, I'm no longer searching for the perfect diet.

I'm trying to build habits that fit into my reality as a working mom.

And if you're a mom over 30 who feels like you're constantly starting over, I want you to know you're not alone.

Maybe we don't need a perfect plan.

Maybe we just need to keep taking the next small step.

One walk.

One meal.

One glass of water.

One better choice at a time.

And maybe, eventually, those small choices will become the habits that finally change everything.