Hey mamas,

Let’s chat about some health stuff today, ok? Our eating habits are really important, especially since we are setting examples for our kids. Staying healthy can be hard to do when you’re a single mom on a low budget. It is too easy to reach for the unhealthy cheap snacks because “real food” is too expensive. Trust me, the struggle is real.

So let’s go over some facts about health, obesity, and how our eating habits can really affect us. A lot of this you may know, but it doesn’t hurt to go over the info again to really engrain it in us to help us to make better choices. We have kids to take care of us, and our health and theirs is so very important. So let’s dive on in.

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Eating Habits And Obesity, Tips For Single Moms

Why is obesity such a massive issue?

There are numerous factors that cause weight gain. It can be a diet, a person’s lifestyle or environment, genetic or lack of physical activities. Over the past years, few scientists have focused on the reasons that cause obesity and its preventions and treatment.

A person who has obesity and excess weight can develop a number of health issues, including metabolic syndrome.

Health risk associated with obesity:

• High cholesterol
• High blood pressure (hypertension)
• Heart attack or stroke
• Gallbladder disease and gallstones
• Breathing problems, such as sleep apnea and asthma

An individual can get rid of it by maintaining a healthy weight or by reducing with the help of a diet or by putting some efforts into exercise. In a severe case, a person might need surgery. But I know, reaching for the healthy foods on such a tight budget is a huge issue. So finding ways to make it work by changing your money habits would be a great starting point.

Here are seven reasons that are the leading cause of obesity and weight gain:

• Genetics

Genetic components do affect your susceptibility of gaining weight. A person is much more likely to become obese if one or both the parents are obese. It influences the hormones required in fat regulation. There may be some genetic conditions which are rare and cause obesity, such as Prader-Willi syndrome. Other genetic traits that you might have inherited from your parents are slow metabolism or a large appetite.

• Overeating

It is one of the main reason for weight gain, especially if you are consuming highly processed food. Processed foods are affordable and cheap and taste incredibly good. That makes them hard to resist and hence, promote overeating. To help with this, maybe invest in some meal prep containers.

• Diet and eating habits

It’s true that obesity doesn’t happen overnight, it develops gradually from unhealthy eating habits and poor diet. When an individual intake more calories than they burn through activities, their body stores them in the form of fats. Carbohydrates also lead to weight gain as they get absorbed in your blood vessels and cause more insulin release which contributes to weight gain.

Most carbs are actually good for you, but it’s just how much of them we eat. I highly recommend staying away from programs such as the Keto diet. Your body needs carbs to function properly. Just simply try to cut back a little! 

Even if a person consumes a healthy diet containing fruits, whole grains, water, and vegetables, he/she is still at risk of weight gain, because of overeating. It’s all about balance and moderation! 

• Medication

There are some medicines that can cause weight gain as a side effect. Medicines that are associated with weight gain are:

• Antidepressants (medications used in treating depression)
• Anticonvulsants (medications used in controlling seizures)
• Diabetes medications and Insulin injections (medications used in lowering blood sugar)
• Glucocorticoids (used to treat rheumatoid arthritis)

But there are chances that some medicines cause a decrease in weight. Anyone who is about to start a new medication and is quite concerned about the weight should consult his/her doctor whether it will have any effect on your weight or not.

• Stress

Your eating habits get affected if you are angry, bored, stressed or sad. Many people eat more than usual that leads to weight gain. Stress can increase the level of your insulin which leads to fat storage.  Reducing stress isn’t easy, especially as a single mom. But finding ways to embrace more calm will help in many areas of your life and be super beneficial to your overall health!

• Age

Age is another factor that contributes to obesity, even though it can occur at any age. But along with age, hormonal changes and an inactive lifestyle can cause obesity. Along with that, there is a decrease of muscles in your body which leads to a slow metabolism. It is important for you to keep a healthy diet and become more physically active as you age.

• Physical inactivity

According to The National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), there is a strong relationship between weight gain and physical inactivity. Many people have a desk job that involves sitting at one place for hours. People are dependent on their vehicle, even for a small distance, rather than cycling or walking. If you don’t burn the fat that is stored by not staying active enough, you will start to gain extra weight. Being physically active doesn’t mean hitting the gym. You can include walking, cycling, swimming, climbing stairs, and household task in your daily activities.

• Improper sleep

According to a study, lack of sleep can increase the risk of gaining weight and causing obesity due to a negative change in metabolism. In 2012, researchers came to the conclusion that sleep deprivation increases the risk of obesity. When a person does not take enough sleep, their body produces a hormone that increases the appetite. (This is one of my biggest problems!) 

It doesn’t matter if you are at risk of gaining weight, currently overweight or already have maintained weight, you can follow some steps to prevent weight gain and related health issues. No one can control the way our body works from inside, but we can learn how to take care of it and change our lifestyle.

So if you’re busy, stressed out single mama who wants to lose a few lbs, (right there with you) then, please follow this straight forward guide to help you start healthier habits. But don’t stress about it, love who are, in the body, you are in right now!  Don’t feel ashamed of it, accept and love your body while you work on it over time to make it healthier, for you. Not for anyone else!

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Love, JessXO.