Having Trouble Finally Losing the Baby Weight - Need Advice, Motivation!

I had a lot of trouble losing weight after my 1st. I got pregnant with my second when my 1st was 15 months old. I had just started feeling back to normal when I found out I was pregnant again. I finally started losing weight when my second was 2. I have lost 40 lbs and have kept it off. I think the main thing is to eat healthy and be more active. If you can get your son interested in "working out" with you then it will be easier. My son was interested in doing yoga with me, so we would do it every morning. I could schedule a time and not feel bad about taking that time away from him, and also know that I was teaching him good habits to carry him through life. I had never had a scale before because I can be a bit obsessive about it, but I got a scale and let myself weigh once a day and that way I knew what I fluctuated between and it gave me the motivation once I saw myself losing weight.
My husband wants to start doing yoga with me now, so if you can find a workout buddy I think it helps to keep you motivated because there is someone else going we really need to do this.
Good luck!

1 mom found this helpful

Hi A.
I feel your pain. My youngest will be 2 next month and in January I decided 'no more excuses' I had to lose the baby weight. I had 50+ pounds to lose. To date I have lost 55.4 pounds. Initially my motivation was the Kmart weight loss contest called Kmart New Day Your Way (here's the link:http://newday.kmart.com/editorial/index.html) and I joined Jenny Craig which I would recommend but I see you said you have money constraints. I can say it is so worth it to lose weight and get back into your old clothes and buy new ones too. I exercise 6 days per week even when I am under the weather, I just do a light workout those days. I met my goal but am still not totally happy with my stomach so I am trying to lose a few more pounds (maybe 10). I would be glad to be your email buddy if you like. Though I am at the end of my journey and you are at the beginning I would welcome the opportunity to help someone else. I formed a group in the Kmart contest and we still email each other and report in our progress. Accountability does help. Also before I got pregnant I had great success with the South Beach Diet and they have a wonderful website too. I think it's only $6 per month so maybe that is feasible? Good luck whatever method you choose, moving your body and watching portion sizes and daily caloric intake is key. PS if you want some inspiration I will gladly email you pics of me before/after. Also I just entered Jenny Craig's Ideal Size contest but you have to sign up for their program and the deadline is today however you can look through the entries for motivation/encouragement. Here's the link for that http://www.myidealsize.com/Gallery/Default.aspx
(mine won't be there until Tues I think with the holiday. I submitted my entry Friday morning and corporate said I would get confirmation Tuesday.) Best wishes to you! Gaining weight during pregnancy happens to everyone and taking it off isn't as easy as we are lead to believe (ie nursing didn't melt all my excess pounds away either and I nursed her until January fulltime).

Since you know the Weight Watchers program so well, how about cracking down and practicing it on your own at home ... without the expense of the meetings. I'm currently a member and I know it works (as do you!), so maybe some self-discipline would make it work for you again. Good luck!

Do you have any near by family memebers or friends?? My sister goes to my mom's house every Monday monrning and weights in and pays her as if she was in weight watches.....every 10lbs she loses she gets all her money back..
That motivates her to continue to loose weight.....she wants her money back! :0
Good luck.

I know what it is like to gain weight during pregnancy. It is unfortunate that once you are a lifetime member and have a child that the rules are not a bit different for weight watchers. You should be able to go back for support after the pregnancy at the same benefits as a lifetime member at no cost. You worked for it once you can do it again.

I have experienced a new form of exercise. It is called NIA. It is dance combined with a lot of other forms of exercise. You can check out the national website of NIA exercise and find an instructor close to you. Although, on the south side, her name is Robin Cora. She is great. It would be great way for your body to start moving. With your knowledge of weight watchers you could maintain great eating habits with good exercise and be on the road to your goal weight very soon.

If you would like information about NIA, you can send me a note back.

Hi A.!

I don't sell anything, but ever since my boy/girl twins were born over 3yrs ago, I've relied on "Zone Bars" for nutrition and energy in the morning. Hubby bought them b/c he new I needed something fast and packed w/ nutrients to attempt breastfeeding twins (that didn't work) but they provide energy to last me until lunch!

Forget the wimpy bowls of cereal and milk for breakfast, or toast and coffee (well, keep the coffee.) Start your morning w/ protein. If Weight Watchers taught you this and you know this, sorry.

I did not do typical exercises. Basic housework, and double baby care, and frequent walks helped me to lose 30lbs.

I think they're called Zone Perfect Bars, usually in a yellow box, around $4.50/6 at Wal Mart, etc. I would not have been eating them this long if they didn't taste good, too! Lots of chocolate flavors, and others. They're loaded w/ vitamins and minerals, so may help prepare your body for the next baby...but go ahead and check w/ dr first if you want.

If they're not for you, just remember the protein thing: eggs are great in the morning, too. I'm searching for info on "glycemic index", so looking for info on this might help you, too.

Blessings!
K.

A., I just started the weight watchers program, but am not attending meetings. I got the books and a points finder from a friend, and just keep track of my points every day. If you have all the material still, just start counting points! If you need motivation, there are plenty of forums on the internet. I go to the AOL weight watchers forum every day for encouragement: http://messageboards.aol.com/aol/en_us/articles.php?board...
It's working well for me--10 lbs in 5 wks!!
Whatever works, just do something!
Good Luck!

Hi A.. I used Weight Watchers after my first child and the Zone after my second. Losing the weight with the Zone was very quick and easy. The hardest part was figuring out my portion sizes to balance my carbs, proteins and fats, but once I did that for all the usual stuff I would eat it was really easy. Since I'm sure you're busy check out the tapes at your local library, in addition to the books. Also check out www.drsears.com, which is the website of the guy who came up with the Zone. If you're really strict about how low on the glycemic index you go for your carbs, you'll have way more food than you could ever eat and the weight will literally fall off. Then you can ease up a little to maintain. You'll also have a lot more energy, which will be helpful with such a young baby and working like you do.

Hello A.

The challenges of motherhood inevitably causes us to be more tired or stressed than before. I found that I was keeping late nights, eating a heavy dinner or fatty ice cream really late. For me, keeping a good eating schedule and limiting the food-for-comfort factor helped me lose the weight. I ate only until I'm not hungry (vs before when I would eat until I'm full or stuffed!) and I switched my important meals to breakfast and lunch. I eat very little for dinner or usually only lightweight food. Drinking a glass or 2 of water before I want to dig into a pint of ice cream or when I have the munchies usually reduce or curb that urge entirely. I also go to the gym at least 3 times a week, if only for 20-30 mins on some low impact cardio exercise. I usually try to stay 45mins-1hr and do 30 mins cardio and 30 mins weight. If you don't do gym, try to go for walks with your little ones, once or twice a day. Start slow, be persistent and it will become a habit you barely notice. :)

A.,

Since you know how to do WW, I would say so that. You could always do the on line version. I'm not sure how much that is. I've doing ww since the birth of our twins 21 months ago and I've lost 50 pounds! I'm 20 pounds under my starting weight and only 16 pounds from goal. I would recommond WW to anybody if they are willing to stick with it!
K.

Can you just apply the Weight Watcher's eating habits and exercise plan that you used before, without going to the meetings? I know going to the meetings are helpful and especially motivating, but losing the weight the first time was really YOUR Success.

Hi A. - You can do it! You just have to totally decide to be all in. I have 4 children and wanted to lose some weight and even posted on here about it. I finally started and have cheated a bit on the way by indulging in my favorite fountain sodas and eating chocolate but am maintaining and when I am ready to hit it hard again know that I can do it - but YOU have to decide you are going to do it no matter what.

Here is what I did. I took a notebook and put eight circles. This is for the amount of water that I needed to aim to drink everyday. I would mark off 2 for every bottle of water that I drank as it equals 16 oz. (some are 20). This helps fight the hunger that you might feel. I then set what I felt was a healthy calorie intake per day (in my case I set it at 2500 b/c I am nursing 2 children and burn calories there). I then would write everything down - literally everything and try to estimate the calories for what I ate each time. The first week or so it may be that it is a little more b/c you still eat what you want but then you get to where you really try to eat where the calories really count.

Some great things to eat are yogurt b/c it helps aid in the weight burning. I also eat Weight Watchers bagels in the mornings w/a yogurt b/c the WW bagels have like 7 grams of fiber in it. I also bought the 100 calories snicker bars - they are like granola w/chocolate on the bottom.

Also I would try to do at least 30 minutes of exercise everyday or at least 5 out of 7 days. This includes anything that would raise your heart rate - like mowing grass I would count and also jump roping is a great great exercise that burns lots of calories.

I hope that this helps.....You can do it....you might even want to try to motivate yourself by putting a "skinny" picture inside the fridge or where your snacks are so that it makes you more motivated NOT to eat those snacks. It is very exciting as I found out last night when I fit back into my size 8's after 4 years of not being able to wear them due to being pregnant or heavier. I heard that you might want to also award yourself after you have lost some weight and/or inches w/a magazine subscription or a new outfit - something that motivates you to keep going.

Good luck!

You could do WW again since you are familiar with the program. I did that after I quit WW and still had some success. Right now I am trying to loose weight and I am having success with the 3 Hour Diet developed by Jorge Cruise. He has lots of books that you can check out at the library to see if it is something you would like. Sticking to his guidelines you should loose about 2 pounds each week, and that is without exercise.

Hi A.,
I also am a lifetime member of WW and going through the same thing after the birth of my twin girls 3 months ago. It might be too late for you now, but you could check into this...did you know that after the birth of a baby (if you are a lifetime member) that you can go to WW for free for three months?? I did that after my last child...you then have to pay if you don't meet your goal in the three months, but I just quit going then and tried to do it on my own. It also didn't have to be RIGHT after you had the baby, I think my son was 2 months old when I started, and they gave me the three months from that day. If nothing else, you could do this after the birth of your next baby!! =) I know I need to, just having trouble finding the time! (I have 3 other kids, 2, 4, & 6, in addition to the twins, age 3 mos.)
Good luck!!!!!!!
S.

Hi A. ~

If you want to e-mail me, I can send you the dietary advice I got from my doctor last February. I've lost 34 actual pounds, but my doctor tells me that the fat lost to muscle gained ratio actually makes it appear more like a 40 - 45 lb. weight loss. I've lost 4 pants sizes, and I've gone from a 38DD bra to the 34D I wore when I was in high school, if that helps you at all.

This is a plan for life. It's a diet that is healthy for the human body. My doctor prescribed this diet for me specifically to control chronic pain and allergies. The weight loss was a natural consequence of the plan, since it promotes ideal weight in the body.

My blood pressure has gone from 130/80 to 100/60, my BMI has gone from abysmal to ideal, and I feel terrific.

Hello A.. I lost my baby weight after #1 without realizing it (all 60lbs). With baby #2, I wasn't lucky. I gained 60lbs with #2 also and lost all but about 30lbs quickly. However, I lost the last of the baby weight and pre-baby fat by working. I took a part-time 3rd shift stocking job (b.c we needed the $) and within 4 weeks of lugging cases around and stocking shelfs 4 days/week, 4 hour shifts, the weight was gone. Pluss I got a paycheck :D However, it seems to me that if you are going to loose the weight and keep it off, you need to modify your eating habbits. You commented that you had a ruff patch and re-gained the weight, 'stress eating'. In order to keep the weight off you need to find other ways to deal with stress, because we all have it and we always will at some level. I am not someone who ever practiced any special diet techniques, but I do enjoy the Chocolate Slim Fast. I drink them with my meals instead of eating a meal, but they seem to help keep me skinny (that and my 4 kids)and prevent me from over eating. Best of Luck!

A. the only thing I can tell....SPARKPEOPLE.COM! Check it out! I am down 30# since may - my cousin is down 70! It is a great thing! Check it out! It wll do you good!

There is free website that offers advice, motivation, tips, message boards, specific groups you can 'join'(ie. parents of school-age, those trying to lose >20 lbs) etc. You can even weigh-in & measure at home then post your results to help yourself see how wonderful you are doing. It's www.sparkpeople.com Check them out!
and good luck!

Dr. Luc De Schepper has a book out. His program in "How to Dine like the Devil and Feel like a Saint" is VERY good!!! It just takes a little self-discipline. And the book is not very expensive either. www.drluc.com and click on "book store."

It took me 6 months with my first and 7 months after my 2nd baby to lose the weight...and those months were filled with hard aerobic & strength training acitivities. It is soooo hard for me to lose weight -- I know what a struggle it can be. But my advice to you is to get active! You've learned the rules & point system of weight watchers...just apply it on your own. Then...get moving! If you have cable, find some exercise shows that you can do in the privacy of your own home. Take your baby for a walk or a jog. Lay on the floor & lift him with your legs. Do some push ups off the wall (standing up with your palms flat on the wall like they would be on the floor). Use canned goods as small weights for your bicep & tricep exercises. Hold the laundry basket out in front of you as you are walking instead of resting it again your body. Just keep moving. That's the best advice. Food certainly needs to be watched, but exercise is the key to losing it faster (and not having saggy skin afterwards, either).

Good luck. I really do know how hard it is, but it's worth it to show your son that exercise & your/his health is important!

Dearest A.: My name is M. and I've studied nutrition for like 10 years now - my father was a well-known naturalist in the Toledo area. He taught me a lot about how to properly utilize plants to help oneself to better health. I have been struggling with weight a lot since I've had 6 children - have been married for 18 years and was a complete and total sugar addict. If you can give up these 3 things: sugar, white flour and too many carbs - you're on the right track..So here I am exercising constantly and drinking tons of fluid - to no avail. Here's the real trick. You need to eat lots of fiber. Salads and plenty of veggies all the time is the real idea of this. I read the Women's world and it says that if you just eat lots of fiber, it attaches itself to the fat and pulls it out just like a vaccuum. Great idea huh - it's actually working for me finally! Hopefully, this has been a great help to you. Blessings, M.

Hi A.,

If you like the "support group" aspect of Weight Watchers, you might be able to find another (cheaper) support group through another organization, for instance a hospital, clinic, the Y, etc.. You could check with your doctor, too, to see if s/he knows of anything. My foot doctor has a poster up in the waiting room with info about a weight-loss support group. I don't know if TOPS (Take off pounds sensibly) or Overeaters Anonymous charge money or not. Maybe there is an online group somewhere?

Since you know the Weight Watchers program maybe you could just do it on your own or with a buddy? or start your own free support group for other people in your situation.

Think positively! I am sure you will find a way!

K. Z.

Oh...I know how you feel! It took me five years to lose the weight after my first baby. Then I did it and was looking good and happy for awhile, then I got pregnant again and didn't keep it up...

Anyway - it's so hard to get back into the routine. I'd start excersising for a few days and then I'd stop. I'd eat healthy for a bit, then I'd stop.

I don't like the way I look and it's affecting my behavior. I don't want to go out with hubby and my friends anymore, didn't want to enjoy summer in a swimsuit. Hubby wants to go on another cruise or Mardi Gras next year, so I'm using that as a motivation.

I taped a picture of one of those Mardi Gras crowns, looks like a Jester crown, to the wall in front of my treadmill and dug out a picture of us together on the cruise when I was looking good. I know I'll have more fun if I feel better about myself.

Having my oldest son back in school helps, too. He has to catch the bus at 6:30 this year and when he leaves I get on the treadmill, do some floor work and shower all before my little ones are up for the day. On the days that doesn't happen, I take them for walks with the double stroller or use the treadmill when they nap. Sit ups and push ups can be done at anytime, anywhere.

I found it's very important to have a schedule and stick to it.

Good luck!