I remembered when my baby just turned 20 months old, and this is for all you mothers out there who remember the fun parts of this age. Haley is learning new words, she is running around with curiosity, and she has an opinion! Yes she does, and she’s not afraid to tell me. So here goes. These are the lessons I learned from little Miss Haley. Follow her rules and you might just find yourself losing a few more pounds!
#1 She drinks water like it is the next best thing close to milk.
Haley loves, loves, loves water! It’s amazing to see her enjoy the delight of drinking water. Next to milk, water is the only other thing she cares to drink. All day, every day, sippy cup everywhere. She will play, run and take a sip, and go back to playing. I wouldn’t even come close to guessing how many times I would have to fill up her sippy cup with water, but I know to keep it full; otherwise, I’m going to pay for it.
#2 She won’t sit still at dinnertime.
At our house, we enjoy sitting at the dinner table and eat as a family. It only takes 2 minutes for Haley to get out of her chair and want to play, and so I let her. Then I will feed her one bite at a time while she is playing. Originally I thought to myself perhaps I am creating a bad habit that she is not joining us at the dinner table. But then I said to myself, if she wants to play, let her play. As adults, we spend too much time sitting still, I thought it is best to teach her the habit of movement instead.
#3 She eats slowly…I mean really slowly.
I’m amazed to find that Haley still has a piece of protein she is working on 5 minutes after feeding her. With all the new little teeth coming in, it takes her quite a long time to eat one single bite before she is ready for another one. After each bite, she usually does a little dance, plays with her toys, and then will come back for more when she is ready.
#4 Rice and broccoli is divine.
Thank goodness Haley is not a picky eater at all. At this point, I haven’t found anything that she doesn’t like. However, her favorite meal so far is rice and broccoli and she will eat that all day long if she wanted to. Sometimes she’s not in the mood for the dish that I have made for the family, but if I have rice and broccoli, she will eat it. For most people, this may be a boring dish, but your body’s metabolism responds well to routine eating, and she is becoming a master at that.
#5 When she says no, she means it!
Just like any kid at that age, Haley says no…a lot. But she means it. If she’s full and I try to feed her another bite, it’s a “no!”. If she’s not in the mood for a certain dish, it’s a “no!”. If she wants to play instead of eating, it’s a “no!”.
As much as it is a battle to feed her at times, I hope Haley never loses her easy ability to say no.
And you dead mamas, how are you finding it losing weight? If you are experiencing difficulties with raising a baby and losing weight, I am just one click away.
All the best,
Dr. Angela Tran D.O.
