Help for Weight Loss

I just read your question (a little late!)...and I am a HUGE Weight Watchers Fan. Feel free to e-mail me if you have questions or just need support. I knew I had to lose my weight after my 3rd child and knew I needed to better my health for me and the kids. I lost my first 60 lbs. in the first 6 months just trying to plan ahead. Since then, I'm down almost 100 lbs. In the beginning, I would buy frozen strawberries and freeze bananas and separate into serving size baggies for the entire week. Then I would just blend them up into a smoothie in the morning w/ a serving of milk and the WW smoothie mix. That way, you could get you a couple of your fruit servings in for the day, as well as your dairy serving. That helped me a lot in the beginning, as well as getting used to having salads at lunchtime. I still do a lot of the whole frozen meal "thing" from the grocery store that are low in points for lunchtime, because I have little time to prepare meals. Also, you'll notice that some of the crock-pot frozen meals are even lowering their fat grams. It was all about lowering the fat and finding ways to increase the fiber in my diet. My whole family is eating healthier.

Hi K.,

Your situation sounds just like mine! I ended up recently joining Curves gym. It is a 30 min circuit training/cardio exercise program. I have been going about 2 weeks now and have already lost 5 pounds. I too have struggled with the baby weight and nothing worked up until now. I suggest you try it--have your husband watch your child for 45 min so you can get a good workout!

M.

Have you considered a colon cleans to give you a jump start? There is one that I have found is gently... it's like a vitamin that you take in the evening; it helps clear you out without giving you abdominal pains or "accidental" mishaps.

It's by Arbonne, so it's botanically based with no animal products or by-products in them. You can check in out here:
http://www.arbonne.com/products/weight_loss/bio-nutria/he...

Let me know if you would like more information

R.

I did the same exact thing after having my daughter 3yrs. ago. At first, I wasn't really concerned with the extra weight, I told myself it was a small price to pay for such a wonderful gift. Then, as we were approaching her second birthday, my sister in law (who is extremely thin) and I decided to plan a girls weekend in Hawaii. Picturing hot sunny beaches standing next to a size 3, motivated me to drop a little weight, and as you know, after a couple years, it is a struggle to lose every single one! I started riding an exercise bike and doing a stair stepper, but then I plateaued, it was hard enough to squeeze in that 1/2 hour, let alone trying to extend it to 45 mins or an hour! That was when my husband suggested interval training; it did the trick! The basic idea is alternating high intesity and low intensity times. I would do 5mins. at a moderate pace, then all out for 1 min. I dropped 10 lbs. This led both my husband and I to become a lot more aware of our health. We now follow the Abs Diet (they now have a version for women, I bought the book for my best friend, and she also had great success losing all the baby weight from her last 2 pregnancies). And I really hate to call it a diet, it's really just healthy eating and regular exercise. It is a really easy diet to follow, it was originally written for men, so all the recipes are super easy and quick, and it has tons of exercises you can do at home in relatively short time. I think after you get in the swing of things, you'll realize how easy it is to squeeze in 30 mins. to help take care of you! Now that our daughter is a little older, we even try to include her with going for walk/runs when we take the dog. We alternate who runs a lap with the dog while the other walks with the girl! We've been following this plan for over a year now, and will probably continue to for the rest of our lives! Best of Luck!

Incorporate your baby into your weightloss/lifestyle plan. Invest in a jogging stroller so that you could do some quick walking or even jogging with her. Or, take any spare minute you have and go to the gym, even if it's at 5:30 in the morning. I know that it sounds rather insane, but it works as long as you can make the time for it. Also, there's a website called sparkpeople.com which is great for healthy living ideas and goals. Just know that you're not alone; I lost 40 lbs from my last pregnancy and if I can do it, anyone can! I'm sure you'll do great at it and keep me updated! Good luck!

Hi K.!

I can help you if you would like. As my profile says, I'm currently working on my master's degree in holistic nutrition. I have lost 125 pounds now on a simple plan. It's eating right, exercise and supplements. No diet pills! I had my son 4 months ago and I'm already 15 pounds below my pre-pregnancy weight.

My consultation fee is $25, during which time I will discuss with you your goals, what you want to weigh, any medical conditions and allergies you might have. Once we have spoken I then set to work on creating a meal plan, recipe list and grocery list for you for the week. I will also serve as an accountability partner if you would like me to. The weekly cost for the meal planning is $10. So for $65 for the first month and then $40 for each month after that you could be well on your way. Many people spend more than that on their morning coffee and Starbucks! There is no set time.. if you do one month and don't want the next that's fine. I won't hold you to any certain amount of months. If you want to start one month and then skip a month and try it on your own and then come back that's fine too. You only pay the consult fee one time. If you purchase $75 worth of supplements from me then I waive the consult fee all together! :)

Let me know! I'll be up in the bay by the of this month. :)
J.

I tried NutriSystem for just one month. I needed a reality check on portion control. I was eating enough food for 3 people at each meal. I had a hearty appetite while pregnant and nursing, and had a hard time cutting back after that. I also kept a food journal once I stopped the NutriSystem, so I had an accurate account of what I was eating. You can do it online at a lot of different sites, and it will add up how many calories, fiber, protein, etc. I also tried to at least walk every day, and when out shopping etc, parked extra far from the entrance etc to get in a little extra walking. This time of year is perfect for throwing the kids in a stroller and getting outside for some fresh air. I agree, find another mom who enjoys getting some exercise too, and commit to certain times when you will both go. We also walk to the playground instead of driving. It takes longer, but it is better for the environment too! Also, getting some exercise is more important than a clean house, I let things slide, then spend a few hours and do a big cleaning at once, which is also good exercise.

Weight Watchers!!! They have a program for bf moms, and I have been losing 2-3lbs a week. I am not hungry and I am eating very healthy, lots of fresh veggies and fruits. Do the Core diet because you don't have to deprive yourself if you are a vivacious eater, like me. I don't think omitting a certain food from our diets is a great idea (except processed sugar...).
I did the online program. I have lost 12lbs so far, after plateauing for a while. Good luck!

KP,
I go to the gym at 5am without fail. I have 3 kids, and have managed to fit that in with the rest of my life.
I tried working out at home, but the kids didn't get the idea that I was having my" mommy only time", Try to find
a time when your husband is home, like early morning, and the baby is still asleep. Make it a regular routine. When my daughter was nine she came home from school, and she said,"mommy, did you go for your run today?" I said "no"
and then asked how she knew I had not. SHe then informed me that I was grumpy and needed to go anyway. She pushed me to the door, and her older sister was crying (age12) and said she would take care of her sister, and shut the door and locked it. I was truly amazed at the intuition of the child being so young. But I lost 78 lbs in 6 months, by running, and not eating any processed sugar. If I wanted sweets, I ate fruit instead. Good luck.
W.

I can totally relate to you. I work 40 hours a week, and my husband works 50 hours a week with a 30 minute commute each way. We both are over weight and want to become good examples for our daughter. I find it very difficult to eat right and lose weight since I have so much on my plate (no pun intended). It's so easy to throw something unhealthy in the micro rather then make a well balanced meal, let alone find time to take the dogs for a walk. I recommend Weight Watchers. It's pretty easy to work into your daily life and they have 2 different plans, so if you don't like to count points, they have a list of "core" foods you can eat. It’s hard, but I feel like it’s worth it to know my daughter will have the basis of eating well!
Best of luck!
C.

When my daughter was a year old and nursing mainly at nap time and bedtime and once in awhile after a meal (her choices), I went on Atkins. I lost weight, my energy stabilized throughout the day, I didn't have surges or crashes, and to this day, now that she is 5 1/2 years old, I still eat the atkins way. People who don't know anything about it will criticize it but go on ebay and get the book for $4 and see for yourself. There are many benefits to this eating style, and because so much protein and fats are involved you don't go hungry...EVER. I have managed to keep weight off, yes I cheat and eat ice cream and chocolate sometimes but it's not every day or even every week. I don't even CRAVE those things. I exercise but in the winter I usually take a few months off and it doesn't hurt me. Only because I'm so sensitive to cold and I tend to hibernate some. Regarding exercise and a change in your eating habits keep these things in mind: if you mess up and eat something that isn't good for you, THE DAY IS NOT A WASTE. Start again as soon as you are done. Where exercise is concerned, don't think you have to work out for 45 consecutive minutes otherwise it wont work. When you wake up, do as many pushups as you can. While reading to your daughter, put her on your belly, let her hold the book, and rock, like you're doing crunches, on the floor. lay on your stomach and color with her and do leg lifts for your thighs and butt. you can incorporate exercise into your entire day. while you stir dinner on the stove, do side leg lifts. Or some kickboxing. You can use your body and condition your muscles without doing it ALL AT ONCE. It is this thinking that makes people feel like failures and so they won't try because they think "I don't HAVE a half hour to work out". But you do. Just take a couple minutes here, couple minutes there....YOU CAN DO IT!

I know some may argue this, but what worked for me was a low carb diet... cutting out all sugar, flour, bread, pasta, potatoes... and on and on. I know many won't agree as it as looked at as unhealthy, but really you're not cutting out anything that you shouldn't have on any other diet any way. You eat all the veggies you want (excluding carrots and corn, which have high starch and sugar content), eggs, cheese, lean meats (or not-so-lean on occassion). You start strict in the beginning and gradually can add in whole grains and select fruits. There are also plenty of low carb marketed products including shakes, icecream, snack bars, ect. The difficulty, is that this is a life style change. I lost 50 lbs in about seven months following this... but, I also gained it back plus during pregnancy when I went back to eating whatever I wanted. Now I'm starting over. Formerly I lost it without any excercise, but I do understand that to be healthy your body needs exercise. As a 25 year old mom to a 19 month old, I know how difficult it can be to balance it all, and not eat all the leftovers!
Good luck!

The one thing I can reccomend is get involved with a friend who also has a child that stays home. Swap days so that you can go for a walk or work out, even to join weight watchers. My sister in law joined and swears by it. You can even go online and work out a system there with thwm. I also walk alot if you would like to join my daughter and I sometime we just walk the path of the beach. I also walk around the parks with her and get my exersie that way. Im a 40 year old mom with a 10 yr and a 3 yr. I'm not over my weight target, but I still require to stay in shape, It;s hard work trying to find time and balance with homework, sports, and a household. Good luck to you.

I too would suggest Weight Watchers. It's a real life food plan and it makes it more of a lifestyle than a "diet". It also gives you exercise suggestions online. Unfortunately our society lost the importance of daily exercise and over the years has been bringing it back by suggesting that it can only be done in a gym. That is simply not true. For the record, housework (especially in my house) is a workout! Weight Watchers even helps you calculate how much housework you are doing and they give you POINTS for it. I've learned that if something in inconvenient or complicated, I won't stick to it. But I've also learned that I make time for what is important to me. So I've tried to keep it really simple.

Eat less, exercise more. (Thanks Dr. Phil)

Healthy food choices, smaller portions, & exercise.

For me to loose weight I have to be conscious. I have to be present in the moment and I have to make the choice in the now to eat an apple instead of some chips. And I have to make it a priority to take a walk in the evening or do some floor exercises in front of the TV after I've put my daughter to bed at night.

It will mean a lifestyle change, but you can make it fit to what you have going on. For me, waking up at 4am to go workout isn't something I'd stick with. But working out while my daughter is napping or taking her for a walk after she wakes up...that works for me. Plus if I do it with my daughter, she is getting exercise as well.

It had a hard time after the third one - it seems like there is absolutely no time for exercise. I also seemed to be snacking a lot more, since there wasn't time for meals. But, if you can try to keep healthy snacks around - carrot sticks, make a big fruit salad and keep in the fridge, always have salad fixings available, it helps. I found that squeezing exercise in whenever I could helped - running up and down the stairs in my house a few extra times. Doing leg lifts when I'm washing the dishes, doing squats when I was drying my hair. Any chance to be active. I also park the farthest spot away at the grocery store, just so I can get a few extra steps in. Every little bit helps. I also work with a company that has an awesome plan for weight loss -the Figure 8 plan. You can check it out on my website at www.everydaycounts.myarbonne.com. Feel free to contact me for information at ____@____.com luck and just know that you are just as beautiful with the pounds as without!

-K.