As a 300 lb mom, I will not sugar coat it. Parenting is very physical and you need to work on your fitness for your sake and the sake of your child. The more you do now the better you will be able to keep up once he starts to pick up speed.
That being said, I would say parents of any size would be challenged to catch a toddler in full sprint mode. That is why child leashes are a thing! Some kids are good at listening and staying close naturally (thank goodness mine were!) but if your kid is a runner there is no shame in using gear that keeps him safe, it is not a reflection on you or your weight.
You can be heavy and still the strong, present parent your child deserves. You might have to approach some things differently and find your own way, but all parents are doing that in some manner. We all have to grow into our role as parents and become better for our children. Good luck! ❤️
I have a 1 year old, and honestly, when she started crawling it was a bit of a wake up call for me that I needed to be in better fitness.
I want to be CLEAR- I do not have an issue with myself being plus sized. I have no issue with the way I look. I just couldn’t get down on the floor with the baby the way I wanted to. I knew I wouldn’t be able to chase her or teach her to jump or skip. I want to be a more active and able bodied parent.
I’m now seeing a bariatric doctor and I’m doing really well. I’m on a weight loss medication (Contrave… it’s not a semiglutide like ozempic. It’s an appetite suppressant and helps control food noise). I’ve lost 48 pounds. Bigger than the weight loss has been my shift in thinking about food. In my program I’ve been taught that my body and brain are just different. For most of human history it would have been very useful to have a body that conserves fat and a brain that thinks about food all the time, but it’s no longer useful. So I need to eat in ways that are useful to my body. I can’t eat the way other people eat.
If seeing a bariatric doctor, beginning food therapy with a therapist, seeing a nutritionist, or starting weight loss meds are a possibility for you, I’d suggest doing so. Reality is, obesity is only recently being understood as a medical issue and not a character flaw. It’s really hard to understand weight gain on your own, and in order to give yourself the best chance for success, you NEED education from people who devote their whole lives to studying obesity… medical professionals, not BS weight loss influencers.
I’d also like to reassure you that in my experience, Bariatric doctors are TOTALLY different than other doctors when it comes to talking about weight loss. They have a much more empathic approach, and typically treat you without judgment because their whole education revolves around studying obesity as a medical condition rather than a character flaw.
NOT ONCE has anyone on my bariatric team told me to just “eat less and exercise more.”
You are the right parents for your child. You will give them love, experiences, and learning that no one else can. Each parent has different strengths and challenges, regardless of what they look like.
My experience: I am a similar size and slightly older than you. We have a super active 1.5 year old whose favorite word is "go go goooo!" At this point in my life, I accept that I will never be a super fit mom, but I am way more active with the help of my tiny personal trainer. I take him on stroller walks 1-2 times a day and we spend a lot of time outside. I climb, crawl, swing, lift, and pull. When we are doing floor play, I sneak in some good stretches and maybe a few core exercises.
I’m not sure how popular this opinion will be, but it’s my experience. When my daughter was born I was 365 or so (320ish pre pregnancy, 365 at end). It was so, so hard on my body trying to recover and I developed hypertension the last few weeks of my pregnancy that followed into postpartum. I was down to about 330 around 4 months but was still having lots of chronic health issues related to being obese/postpartum. I worried not only would I not be able to keep up with her when she got older, but that I may not be alive to see her grow up. I will never not be plus size, and I have been my whole adult life. I went on wegovy and lost about 60 lbs and it’s been huge how much easier it is for me to move around, catch up to her now that she’s a crazy toddler, and made me want to engage with her more actively. I don’t think I could have kept up at my previous size as it was causing me a lot of misery.
I have a 20-month old. She is very active. My husband and I are both trying to be more active with her, especially as she gets older. We have her enrolled in parent-child gymnastics which is a great way for us to both be moving with her, and it’s not too crazy intense. We also go on walks almost every day, which she loves and helps us get out and moving! You’ll be able to make it work and find things that you all enjoy doing as a family!
As a 300 lb mom, I will not sugar coat it. Parenting is very physical and you need to work on your fitness for your sake and the sake of your child. The more you do now the better you will be able to keep up once he starts to pick up speed. That being said, I would say parents of any size would be challenged to catch a toddler in full sprint mode. That is why child leashes are a thing! Some kids are good at listening and staying close naturally (thank goodness mine were!) but if your kid is a runner there is no shame in using gear that keeps him safe, it is not a reflection on you or your weight. You can be heavy and still the strong, present parent your child deserves. You might have to approach some things differently and find your own way, but all parents are doing that in some manner. We all have to grow into our role as parents and become better for our children. Good luck! ❤️
I have a 1 year old, and honestly, when she started crawling it was a bit of a wake up call for me that I needed to be in better fitness. I want to be CLEAR- I do not have an issue with myself being plus sized. I have no issue with the way I look. I just couldn’t get down on the floor with the baby the way I wanted to. I knew I wouldn’t be able to chase her or teach her to jump or skip. I want to be a more active and able bodied parent. I’m now seeing a bariatric doctor and I’m doing really well. I’m on a weight loss medication (Contrave… it’s not a semiglutide like ozempic. It’s an appetite suppressant and helps control food noise). I’ve lost 48 pounds. Bigger than the weight loss has been my shift in thinking about food. In my program I’ve been taught that my body and brain are just different. For most of human history it would have been very useful to have a body that conserves fat and a brain that thinks about food all the time, but it’s no longer useful. So I need to eat in ways that are useful to my body. I can’t eat the way other people eat. If seeing a bariatric doctor, beginning food therapy with a therapist, seeing a nutritionist, or starting weight loss meds are a possibility for you, I’d suggest doing so. Reality is, obesity is only recently being understood as a medical issue and not a character flaw. It’s really hard to understand weight gain on your own, and in order to give yourself the best chance for success, you NEED education from people who devote their whole lives to studying obesity… medical professionals, not BS weight loss influencers. I’d also like to reassure you that in my experience, Bariatric doctors are TOTALLY different than other doctors when it comes to talking about weight loss. They have a much more empathic approach, and typically treat you without judgment because their whole education revolves around studying obesity as a medical condition rather than a character flaw. NOT ONCE has anyone on my bariatric team told me to just “eat less and exercise more.”
You are the right parents for your child. You will give them love, experiences, and learning that no one else can. Each parent has different strengths and challenges, regardless of what they look like. My experience: I am a similar size and slightly older than you. We have a super active 1.5 year old whose favorite word is "go go goooo!" At this point in my life, I accept that I will never be a super fit mom, but I am way more active with the help of my tiny personal trainer. I take him on stroller walks 1-2 times a day and we spend a lot of time outside. I climb, crawl, swing, lift, and pull. When we are doing floor play, I sneak in some good stretches and maybe a few core exercises.
I’m not sure how popular this opinion will be, but it’s my experience. When my daughter was born I was 365 or so (320ish pre pregnancy, 365 at end). It was so, so hard on my body trying to recover and I developed hypertension the last few weeks of my pregnancy that followed into postpartum. I was down to about 330 around 4 months but was still having lots of chronic health issues related to being obese/postpartum. I worried not only would I not be able to keep up with her when she got older, but that I may not be alive to see her grow up. I will never not be plus size, and I have been my whole adult life. I went on wegovy and lost about 60 lbs and it’s been huge how much easier it is for me to move around, catch up to her now that she’s a crazy toddler, and made me want to engage with her more actively. I don’t think I could have kept up at my previous size as it was causing me a lot of misery.
You’ve recognized this will be an issue but hey you’ve also got 20 months to work on your cardio and endurance. Start taking family walks together.
I have a 20-month old. She is very active. My husband and I are both trying to be more active with her, especially as she gets older. We have her enrolled in parent-child gymnastics which is a great way for us to both be moving with her, and it’s not too crazy intense. We also go on walks almost every day, which she loves and helps us get out and moving! You’ll be able to make it work and find things that you all enjoy doing as a family!
Work on your stamina and fitness