I’m a parenting expert – here’s the four ways your kids are making you FAT

LESS time to exercise, more sweets around the house and habitually finishing off the kids’ lunch leftovers

Yes, the long school holidays are nearly upon us . . . another reason why your weight can creep up as a parent.

Among mums, from the toddler years onwards, the arrow on the scales shoots up an average of 3lb.

And “dad bods” are called that for a reason.

A study in the US found men gained 3.5lb to 4.5lb in the year following the birth of their first baby.

But you can manage weight gain while getting the family eating well.

Parenting expert Tanith Carey author of Mum Hacks: Time-Saving Tips To Calm The Chaos Of Family Life, explains how.

Sleepless nights

NEW parents on average lose 109 minutes of sleep a night for the first year of having a baby, according to tracking plan Sleep Junkie.

Just ten per cent get the recommended seven-plus hours a night in those first 12 months.

You won’t just be exhausted the next day. You are also likely to eat more, gain weight and have higher risk of becoming obese.

Why? Lack of sleep triggers a drop in levels of leptin, the chemical that makes you feel full, while levels of the hormone ghrelin rise, triggering hunger pangs.

What’s more, when you are exhausted, sugary choices become an appealing quick fix.

Dr Greg Potter, sleep and diet expert and author of The Principles Of Resilient Nutrition, tells Sun Health: “Worse sleep might then mean you don’t regulate your food choices as well the next day.

“On average, we consume about 250 more calories per day after insufficient sleep — roughly the energy in a Snickers bar.”

What to do: For the first year, keep your baby in a cot in your room so your sleep is not interrupted for as long when you get up to soothe or feed them.

Sleep during the day when your little one sleeps, if you get the opportunity.

If you have had a sleepless night with toddlers, don’t reach for a sugar-laden coffee to perk you up.

Make a cold, protein-based version with plant-based milk, ice, nuts and seeds plus 20g to 30g of protein powder.

Studies have found this can help steady blood-sugar levels and make you feel fuller for the rest of the day.

Dinner time

AN unfinished fish finger here, a few chips there . . . those extra calories soon add up.

One survey by LighterLife found mums and dads pinch an extra 443 calories a week by eating leftovers.

While picking at your child’s food occasionally won’t make too much difference, consistently eating 100 calories more a day — the equivalent to two fish fingers — can add up to an extra 10lb a year.

Eating after your kids have gone to bed and sneaking in a glass of wine or beer can also add calories.

Dr Potter says: “During the daytime, your biological clock primes you for physical activity and food intake. At night, your body is primed for resting, fasting, and regeneration.

“So if you eat late at night, your digestion will tend to be worse, your blood sugar will swing more after food intake, you’ll burn fewer calories after eating and, over time, you’ll tend to store fat more readily.”

What to do: Serve smaller portions to your kids and ask them if they want seconds.

This will also help them take notice of their appetite cues, the signals that tell them when they are hungry or full.

Kids are more likely to finish what they have if they are not overwhelmed by loads of food.

When you eat, try using your kid’s smaller plate. It tricks your brain into feeling satisfied sooner. By halving plate size, studies have found, people tend to consume a third less than normal.

Eat with your family to avoid that late-night crash.

On the alcohol front, remember that a large 250ml glass of wine is equivalent to an ice cream and a pint is equivalent to a sugar doughnut.

Then brush your teeth when the kids do at their bedtime. You will be less likely to snack or have another drink.

Sweet paradise

KIDS may be hardwired to nag us for sweet treats.

Scientists at the Monell Chemical Senses Center in Philadelphia say it is an evolutionary trait because children need more energy as they grow.

Though adults do not need the same amount of energy, in one survey of 3,000 parents, 12 per cent admitted to eating their kids’ snacks every time they give out one.

In adulthood, those extra calories are more easily stored as fat and mums tend to eat 368 calories more a day than women without children, according to the University of Minnesota. Dads are less tempted.

What to do: Try to break the cycle of automatically giving your children chocolate or sweets to keep them quiet or for good behaviour.

It is good for the kids too, as it means they do not grow up thinking of food as an emotional reward, according to research by New York’s University of Rochester.

Instead, reward their good behaviour with stickers, games or stories.

And if you and the kids are in the mood for something sweet or salty, have healthier alternatives on hand, whether it’s a bowl of pomegranate seeds or almonds grilled with soy sauce or dusted with cinnamon and cocoa.

Run mum, run

IT might feel like you are always running around after the kids but a lack of dedicated exercise has been shown to be one of the main reasons parents gain weight.

On average, mums get little more than two hours of moderate activity weekly, compared to three hours for women who are not parents.

It may help explain why the US study also found mothers had a slightly higher average BMI than childless women.

Dads also lost out on two hours of physical activity compared to men without kids, but did not gain weight, according to the research.

What to do: Instead of watching from the park bench, get involved.

Wear trainers, and a comfortable sports bra so your boobs don’t hold you back, and see a trip to the playground as an opportunity to exercise.

Use play equipment like monkey bars as a gym circuit to burn nearly 300 calories in an hour — the same as the average gym session — and entertain the kids at the same time.

Even a quick game of catch can work wonders.