Help Me Lose Weight

Have you ever heard of OA? It's a twelve-step program to treat overeating. Have a ____@____.com free to email me, too, ____@____.com.
I know what it's like to deal with stress eating, I have eaten to medicate my feelings in the past and OA has helped me gain new coping tools rathern than turning to the food.

I know you have probably already been told this, but it will take you some time to loose the weight. That said, I have done Weight Watchers and think it is great. I lost about 10lbs in 3 weeks and my cousing has lost over 50 in the last year. She looks fantastic. I am pregnant now, so I am not doing weight watchers, but I still haven't gained like I did with my first 3. I am 10 weeks and down about 5lbs from when I got pg, were usually I am up at least 10lbs by the end of my 1st tri. I would definately recommend the Weight Watchers program!

I admit it. I am a junk food junkie. When I was struggling to lose my post prego pounds, I came up with a program for myself that worked really great. Since my problems came from bad snacking, I decided to only allow myself one small "bad" snack a day and got to snack on as many raw veggies as I wanted. In addition, I walked everyday. I usually tried to do this in the morning before my kids woke up or took them with me outside in the stroller, weather permitting. I felt a lot better all day having accomplished this first thing in the morning. Each week that I was successful at following this plan, I rewarded myself with one "snack it up day," where no snacks were off limits. This may sound crazy but it worked for me. Good luck.

I can relate w/a little more added on. Good for you for working out. I'll let you know some tips that have worked and are currently working for me. Cleansing is an awesome way to get back on track. Excellent diet and cleansing your system is a great way to remember how well you feel when you eat so fabulous. Fasting (different than not eating) is a great way to feel awesome and get your body back on track, water and juice. I'm working out every day and reading/working with self-hypnosis. It changes your mind set to make the changes you long for, happen. The hardest thing to do is not stress about it and be happy w/how hard you're working and your amazing body, but until you can do that you'll stay the same. As for snacking...it's the best thing you could do. Stress eating is understandable and it's awesome that you know yourself that well. Some good things for stress eating are crunchy things...carrots, almonds, etc. Trust your body and appreciate all that it's done and does do. It'll take time. Working out first thing in the am boosts metabolism for the whole day. Working out last thing in the pm keeps metabolism up and burns more calories while you sleep. Find out what exercises work best for you and vary everything up. You can do it!

If you get hungry a lot, you might want to change your eating habits. Instead of having three meals during the day, change it for 6 smaller meals. That way you can eat healthier and accelerate your metabolism. If you are loosing weight slowly, that is just perfect! You'll have less chance of getting the horrible "bounce back". Drink teas instead of sodas. Walking is also great!

Hi C.!

Well, it sounds like you are doing a lot of the right things by changing your diet and exercising!
I think I have a couple of tips for you. First, for nutrition, I use www.sparkpeople.com. It's a free online food diary. This was a big eye opener for me because it allowed me to see how many calories I was truly eating and what proportion of carbs, protein and fat I was really taking in. If you are a stress eater (lots of us are) try to scavenge on fruits and other things that are not going to hurt the waist line. The best way to go is to NOT have junk food laying around.

Exercise wise, I am a Turbojam addict personally. Maybe you caught the infomercial. I also run and do another weight lifting program from the same company as Turbojam. It has worked wonders for me.

Try to do cardio every day and weights every other days and eat about 500 kcal less than what you use everyday. Having a calory deficit is what makes your body have to start burning fat for energy. Do not go under 1200 however; your body will think it is starving and hold onto dear life by holding onto dear weight...

I am a Million Dollar Body Coach with Beachbody (they do Turbojam and a few other great work out program) and I lost 40 lbs myself. I am now a total addict for health and fitness.
You can check out my profile at www.milliondollarbody.com/AliceS if you want. I explain how I lost the weight.
No magical pill, thank heavens. diet and exercise are the true way to go!

I hope this helps a little.

A.

I know someone already suggested it, but I did Slim4Life after my daughter was born and lost weight pretty painlessly and fast. I am pregnant again and plan on going back to the program after baby #2. For me I think I just had to get fed up enough to actually put the cake down and grab an apple! Good luck. I know it is so hard.

Hi C.,

I too had a tough time loosing the weight after my third child.
The one thing that worked for me was to "not" buy the goodies that I liked to snack on, and to go on at least a half hour walk when I felt the urge to snack, along with drinking more water.

I don't know if you are breastfeeding or not, but I am using a new product that has to do with stem cell nutrition. What it is is a natural botanical that enables the stem cells that each of us have in our bone marrow to go to the areas of the body that are in need of repair or rejuvination. (Baby's and young children have ample stem cells, but as we age, our own stem cells s l o w down.)

What it also has done is to positively effect my emotional and mental wellness along with giving me a "boost of energy", allowing me to not be so stressed with the the daily routine of being a mom, wife etc. I don't have the urge to go snack anymore, and when I do eat, I don't over-eat like I once did.

If you'd like to know more, just send me an e-mail! I wish the best for you!

C.

I have a 4month old and it was hard for me to lose weight after my 2nd as well. (my 1st is 7yrs old)

The below is the diet I followed that allowed me to lose mostly all the baby fat. You actually get to eat 6 times a day on this diet. I loved it! And the weight fell off.
Email me if you want a better copy of the diet in a word format. ____@____.com

TJ Diet

(1 = 1 serving of)

Breakfast- 1 protein and 1 fruit

Mid Morning Snack- 1 carb and 1 fruit

Lunch- 1 Vegetable, 1 Protein. 1Carb

Mid-Morning snack- 1 Protein and 1 Vegetable

Dinner- 1 Protein, 1 Vegetable, 1 Carb

After Dinner Snack (optional)- 1 fruit

Example Meal:
Breakfast- 2 eggs and 1 small apple

Mid Morning Snack- 1 packet of flavored oatmeal and 1 fruit cup

Lunch- Salad, Chicken breast. 1 slice of wheat bread

Mid-Morning snack- 1-2 oz of tuna and carrot sticks

Dinner- Lean Steak 2-4oz, Mixed Vegetables, 1 slice of bread

After Dinner Snack (optional)- small bowl of grapes

Protein = any meats and eggs
Carbs= 1 slice of bread, rice/brown or white, potato, rice noodles, oatmeal
Vegetables= ANY
Fruits= ANY
Water= Must drink at leave 60 ozs of water per day. (this is one of the secrets to this diet)

You may check with your doctor to make sure it's not something medical that has come up since your last pregnancy. Also, let your doc know that you're trying to lose weight and also let them know that you aren't wanting to go the weight loss pill way just yet but if nothing else works you may be willing. I asked my doc and have lost around 20 lbs now from a change in diet and some meds that they put me on because of a condition they found I had that was causing me to not lose the weight. Even if you don't have a condition, they may refer you to a nutritionist for help with healthy eating specialized to your needs (ex. eating 6 small meals a day to meet your daily intake needs without you feeling that you are wanting to snack all the time because you are eating almost every 2 hours). GOOD LUCK!

C. -
I asked my OB/GYN his advice and he said Weight Watchers is the best program out there. It is not a fad diet, no pils, no buying food products, just healthy eating. Portion control and good choices are key. I lost 20 lbs last year. It came off slowly and has stayed off. Snacking btween meals is not a bad thing, if you choose healthy snacks 0-1-2 point snacks. Snacking or eating 6 smaller meals actually increases your metabolism. Weight Watchers also gives you (or should I say ME) the freedom to choose chocolate cake for breakfast, but then know your choices for the rest of the day need to be healthy to meet your points goal for the day. Exercise is always important. The eliptical is great! Shoot for 30 minutes of cardio a day, put the boys in the stroller and take them out for some fresh air! Walk briskly and get your heart rate up. WW online is great but if you need extra support go to a few meetings, the comradery is important. Find yourself a healthy eating & exercising partner, it's always more fun to work out with a friend. Good luck and be patient with yourself. Post back with your results, I'd love to pat you on the back!

R. CD(DONA)
from heaven to earth
doula services

I don't drive, never learned, and walked to where I needed to with both my sons. I still do with my almost 5 year old. It burns calories and I find if you take water, it will keep you hydrated without loading you up with sugar. With the summer ahead it may be a little harder. Walk a little in the evening when it's substantially cooler, even if it's around the block. Good luck!

C.

Losing weight with littles ones is hard. My daughter is almost three and I recently started trying to lose my weight after struggling between diets. I started doing Slim4Life, it is amazing. I have been on it for 6 months and have lost 40 lbs and still losing. My goal is to lost another 40 in the next six months. It is a great program and I highly recommend it! There are several gals that I work with that have lost over 65 lbs each and they have kept it off for 2 years. If you can lose it and keep it off, you know it is a good diet, or really a life style change. It will really make you look at foods differently!

Good luck
A.

Omigosh, I am in the exact same situation as you. I had my last baby 4 years ago and am still trying to lose the weight. I exercise regularly, but my weakness is snacking (if it weren't for the workouts, I'd probably have been GAINING weight, as it is, I was maintaining when I wanted to be losing). I tried it all, starving myself, diet pills, everything! For me, I just have to simply avoid the kitchen. I'm ok during the day, but in the evenings, everything in my pantry calls out to me. I try to keep healthy things in the house, but with 3 kids there's got to be some snacks...which I end up eating at night. The only thing that does actually work for me is to put myself to bed when my kids go down. I get ready with them, then after they're asleep, I get in my bed (far, far away from the kitchen) and read or talk on the phone or watch TV. People think I'm insane for "going to bed" at 8pm, but it works for me and I often get a really good night of sleep, too, when I fall asleep early. It's an effort to not sit on the couch once the kids are down, but I know that once I'm there, it's just back and forth to the kitchen for several hours, followed by finally going to bed really late. Getting in bed early works for me...I'll keep doing it!

Weight Watchers is the best! You have so much support, and it really teaches you how to eat in a healthy way without feeling deprived.

I just lost 25 pounds by switching my normal lunch to a Lean Cuisine. It was hard at first (I could finish the lunch in one lick!) but I lost about a pound or two a week and now I'm 25 pounds lighter...15 pounds less than when I GOT pregnant! Some people are different though...I have a friend who had to eat Lean Cuisine for lunch AND dinner in order for it to take effect...As for the food at home, have a lot of gum and lollypops ready for popping into your craving mouth...they are a low calorie way to keep you mouth busy! You can also try brushing your teeth, no one wants to eat with a clean mouth! Good luck!

I had a new baby 6 months ago...and have been working out without much actual weight loss on the scale...until a couple weeks ago when I incorporated this into my day. Check out what it is on my blog. www.fordeverfamily.blogspot.com it's amazing!!!!!

C.,

I too have the extra prego weight. I gained 32lbs w/ my daughter, and still have about 15 of that to loose, plus it wouldn't hurt me to loose about 10 more than that!! I really haven't tried loosing weight until recently because we are wanting another baby, and I want to be the size I was before I had this one. I bought the Firm workout, and I love it. I do it every other day, except the weeekends, and the days I do that exercise I walk 2 miles. On my down days, I run at the gym and do exercising there. I can honestly say it's really working for me. I've already lost 7.5lbs and got to buy a size smaller pants this weekend!! I had a friend who got down to a smaller size than she was before she got pregnant using the Firm. You just have to find what will work best for you!! I like it because it's something I can do in my own home, which is good because I'm a SAHM. God luck!!

Hi there. Some things that have helped me...

I try to do cardio for at least an hour 4-5 days a week, which helps to burn the calories. In the last two months, I've worked in some weights, which has definitely helped with toning. So, if you can work it into your busy schedule (which I am positive your schedule is VERY, VERY busy), it's well worth it. I wake up early (5:00 a.m.) before my husband goes to work, so I don't have to worry about our 2 yr old. I hated working out early when I started, but it definitely kick starts my day, gives me extra energy, and gets my metabolism going! I don't mind getting up now, but I had to train myself to do this. It's totally worth it.

Keeping a food diary is really good. Just jot what you eat down in a notebook every day. 1200-1500 calories per day is a good number to shoot for. Unfortunately, you have to read labels and pay attention to portion sizes at first, but once you get used to it, it's not that big of a deal. Losing weight is a numbers game, so you have to burn more than you take in. That's the bottom line. So, calorie tracking is very helpful. I didn't realize how much I was eating/drinking until I really started paying attention to portion sizes and what was in the food I was eating.

When you feel like snacking, go for water. Usually if you chug a glass of water it will taper the appetite. I drink 64 ounces (half during the first part of the day/and half during the second part) of water a day now, religiously. The best way to do this is buy a water bottle and carry it with you. I only have to fill my Camelbak bottle once in the morning and once in the afternoon, since it's bigger. Don't wait until the end of the day to drink the water though or you'll be running to the bathroom all night. :) Drinking water also helps wash toxins out of your body, so this is a win-win strategy.

Try to keep as many healthy snacks around as possible and toss the bad ones! Stock fruit, raw almonds, low sodium vegetable juice, low fat cheese, milk, yogurt, etc. I try to portion out snacks and pretty much everything else into a bowl these days, too. This way, you won't overeat and keep portions under control.

Quick main dishes...Lean Cuisine is pretty good (portioned well) and lists the calories for you, low sodium soups, low sodium turkey wraps, fish, grilled chicken, lots of fresh fruits and veggies. You can't go wrong eating fresh fruits and veggies, kidney beans, chick peas, avocados, etc. on salads and the salad spritzer bottles are nice for portion control with salad dressing. Even though these are healthier options, portion control is still key, even if they are "healthy" and good for you, so keep measuring.

Lastly, I cook with olive oil a lot, pass on mayonaise, french fries, and try to avoid food with "hydrogenated" or "partially hydrogenated" ingredients. I rarely drink soda. There are options like Propel or other flavored drinks that have something like 20-50 calories instead of the usual 110+ calories per drink. A cold glass of water is always the best option though. You can always squeeze some lemon into it for flavor. :)

It's fine to indulge once in a while, too! If so, there are some great options...sorbet is yummy, go for a piece of dark chocolate (at least 60% real cocoa) or just eat half of the dessert you used to eat once a week.

Ultimately, have fun and don't stress over it. It's a lifestyle change, but all for the better. Some things may feel odd and seem not fun at all when you get started, but if you hang in there, I think you'll see great results and feel great.

Good luck!
Barb

I don't have much new to add, but wanted to ditto the www.sparkpeople.com website.

I am a stay at home mom also and I love to snack. I would recomend weight watchers It works for me. You can even go on-line to their website and buy the stuff so you don't have to go to meetings.

Hi C.,

I've been following a program on-line at a website called "Spark People." www.sparkpeople.com It's really fun and free!

Good luck!

P.

Hi C.,

I am an Arbonne consultant and Arbonne offers some fabulous weight loss products that are easy to use and are all pure safe and beneficial. Just a few of the products that I really enjoy are the Chews which are great when you are craving something sweet and the Fizzy tabs that you mix in water they give you a boost of energy and increase you metabolism. Just one more thing the Daily Detox tea is a great way to cleanse and eliminate toxins from the body. These are only a few of Arbonne's products that can help you reach you weight loss goals stay motivated and don't give up. Let me know if you need any more info.