Need Help....

Hi K.,

Congrats on the new baby. Take it from someone who gained over 60 and 40 pounds with my two pg's that you can't just drop it and keep it off. I don't diet and I don't take any sort of pills. I think WW is great if you're going to do a plan but not for me. Diets, pills, etc will give you quick results but your body will not keep it off...ask anyone who's tried.

I have sucessfully taken off every pound and then some - ate pretty much whatever I wanted (and I love junk) all by excercising. With my first, I started walking on the treadmil and then moved to running. Within 6 months all of my weight was gone. With my second I ran throughout my pg and still gained over 40 pounds and had over 30 to drop when I was done...same thing...running. Once running became borning I started taking classes at the park district...kickboxing, step classes, circut training. I'm 41 and in the best shape of my life...I weigh less now than before I got married and I'm HEALTHY. Not because a pill or a clense or a diet worked magic...I did the work and it shows. I'm not trying to beat you up or lecture you (I know it sounds like I'm preaching) - I'm trying to save you from spending a lot of time and money on stuff that simply will give you short term results and long term health problems.

Start small...just get moving..walk if that's all your up for. Drink water - I do 3 liters a day. Don't fixate on your weight...you need to focus on how your clothes fit and how you're body feels, not the number on the scale. I only weigh myself a couple times a month. Weight numbers mean very different things...muscle wieghs more. I recently gained 5 pounds and dropped a pant size because I've been really pushing myself and built up muscle...most importantly, do something fun - you won't stick to it if you don't enjoy it. I hated running when I first started but it gave me results so I kept it up...I grew to LOVE it.

Best of luck to you!!!

Nin

2 moms found this helpful

Hi K. - You just spent 9 months doing all the right things for your body in order to support your beautiful baby. Please congratulate yourself for that incredible feat! While it can be hard to accept, understand that it took 9 months to put the baby weight on so it might take some time for it to come off. Don't get caught up in the 'celebrity mom sheds the baby weight 6 weeks after birth' garbage either; they have chefs, personal trainers, nannies, night nurses, personal assistants, and other people at their beck and call to whip their bodies back into shape. For normal people like you and me, well we don't have those luxuries...and that's okay; what they're doing is typically not good for the body anyway.

There are lots of quick ways to lose weight, but most of those ways will be dangerous to your health and encourage your body to go into starvation-survival mode and hoard calories, setting yourself up for yo-yo dieting where you put all the lost weight back on and then some.

If you want a healthy way to start adopting a lifestyle you can continue for the rest of your life that allows you to shed the pounds, balance healthy nutrition with exercise.

-Eat 5-6 smaller meals a day, about every 2-3 hours
-Make fruits and vegetables the priority in your diet, with lean cuts of meat as side dishes (if you eat meat)
-Drink plenty of water, at least 64 ounces a day if not more
-Shop the perimeter of the grocery store (naturally occurring foods) and skip the junk in the middle (processed junk foods)
-If you're not exercising, begin. Go to the mall, put your beautiful daughter in a stroller, and take a brisk 30 minute walk

I have a feeling that this is not the advice you are looking for, but if you are interested in healthy ways to lose weight and adopt an eating/nutrition plan that you can sustain for the rest of your life, this is a great start.

2 moms found this helpful

If you are nursing I would advice against quick weight loss. That is a good way for your milk to dry up. I've heard this from more than one mom that tried losing more than a few pounds a month. It is very frustrating and though I could care less about my weight when I'm pregnant, I cry for a year about it after I have my babies.

I don't lose weight easily or quickly. I have to count calories and exercise daily to lose my 2 pounds a month. It is frustrating, but be realistic.

1 mom found this helpful

Why don't you want to do WW? It's a great program. You eat what you want and the weight will come off. If you follow the program most people see some loss the first week. I did it and it worked well for me. Walking is good.

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Two months?! I'm sorry if this sounds harsh, but you can't be serious about wanting to lose weight two months postpartum. I mean, if you didn't make the nervous breakdown remark I'd just say to trust the process. The fact that your emotional state is contingent upon your body image is a big gigantic red flag, however. I don't know if it's PPD or the stress of parenting a newborn, but I would definitely talk with your OB/GYN. This may be a sign of something more serious.

I speak from experience, by the way. Before I got pregnant, I had a history of dieting and compulsive exercise. After I had my baby, I avoided the scale like the plague. I also realized I had no business trying on my pre-pregnancy clothes for a MINIMUM of six months postpartum. I was back to my regular size within a year...without dieting or over-exercising. Believe it or not, I've maintained my size for the past four years by eating moderate amounts of healthy food. I don't get as much exercise as I used to, although running around after a four year old does help!

Now, go take care of yourself! Good luck.

1 mom found this helpful

K. -
If you're breastfeeding, it really does help melt off the weight. Otherwise, the best thing you can do is eat healthy and get moving (which, by the way, are two of the basic tenets of WW).

You may want to talk to a professional if you're worried about having a nervous breakdown due to this. You just grew a human being in your body - it's going to take a little while for it to bounce back. Take a breath and talk to your doctor.

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Sorry to say this but it took me almost a year to loose weight from my 2nd child. then I gained some back last christmas but I recently starting taking off weight by seriously not eating bread (only whole grain if i do) pop and I stopped eating after 6:00 and I also started eating a larger lunch and smaller dinner. I dropped about 20 lbs in about 2 months. I know it gets frustrating and I used to work at WW about 5 years ago but the best thing i learned from that experience is that if u are really consious of what you are putting in your body and watching your portion sizes then it will help dramatically. Now remember u may start losing inches rather than weight which is what you want. Hope it helps a little...

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I found Weight Watchers online to be awesome. I didn't have time for meetings, but I lost 45 pounds in about 9 months and after the first few weeks, it didn't seem hard at all. There is no secret to weight loss. It is simply consume less calories and burn more calories. There are no short cuts that work long term. On the other hand, with WW, people typically see a lot of weight loss in the first 3 weeks, so you could very well drop 10 pounds in 3 weeks (it will slow down after that). Good luck!

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The quicker you lose it, the harder it is to keep off!
Exercise and a balanced diet is the best way!
In the meantime order some Spanx. I swear by them! Even after you lose the weight you still have bulges and extra skin for a while, Spanx makes your clothes just fit better! I have about 5 different ones and love them. I bought them for the women in my family last year for xmas. Most were put off by it at xmas. within 2 weeks all of them called me and thanked me for real!
Take it easy on you! Exercise will help put some good endorphines back in your system and keep you from feelin the baby blues!

Good Luck!

1 mom found this helpful

Hi K., I feel your pain. I experienced similar frustrations after my daughter was born, and am pregnant now with #2, so I am preparing myself mentally for the way my body will look come spring.

As frustrating as it is, you have to start by cutting yourself some slack! You JUST had a baby 2 months ago. It may seem like a long time ago to you right now, but when your baby turns 1 you'll realize how silly you were for worrying about extra weight this quickly after giving birth. Remember, it took you 9 months to gain it - expect it to take about that long to lose it.

In the meantime, EXERCISE!!! There are no quick fixes and no magic ways to lose weight. Get yourself into a routine and make exercising a regular part of your lifestyle. If you are that serious about losing the weight, then this should not seem like a big deal. You'll not only look better but you'll feel better too. You'll have a sense of control over your appearance - and your life. Exercise benefits us in so many ways! It may seem like an impossibility to fit exercise into your life right now, but if it is a priority, you'll find a way. I started using 30 minute Denise Austin videos 4 times a week and I lost all of my baby weight quickly. She has 2 in particular that I love - Blast Away 10 Lbs and Fat Burning Blast. Both have 2 separate 30 min work outs on them, so you never get bored. And you see results as early as 3 weeks! And who doesn't have time for 30 minutes? Even busy moms! When your child goes down for a nap, pop in the video. As soon as my daughter was on a regular schedule of taking that morning nap, which usually lasted about 45 minutes, I utilized that time to exercise. What a difference it made in my dress size and my outlook!

Best of luck! And enjoy this time with your new baby - the weight will come off, I promise you. : )

1 mom found this helpful

I know you said you won't do WW, but it really has worked for me...I have lost 12 pounds in 5 weeks! If you find a good meeting with people of all ages, I think it is really good...

1 mom found this helpful

I am in the same boat as you but I have 30 pounds to lose after my second child. You don't feel like yourself anymore. Let me know if you find a way :)

You aren't going to like what I have to say. Unless you are a supermodel or a movie star you don't HAVE to loose weight right away. And if you are you can afford a personal trainer and nutrition expert. It takes a lot more than two months to get used to a new schedule and take care of that precious baby - who will want a warm soft mom more than a hard muscular one. Take it a day at a time. Exercise is best - but make sure you do exercises that your body can handle safely so soon after giving birth. Nine months up, nine months down - remember that. If you do too much and get hurt or sick you won't be able to enjoy this time with your new baby. Make sure you are eating right (ESPECIALLY if you are nursing), and if it's control over your weight just exercise. Can the number on the scale be that scary that loosing weight is more important than spending time with your baby girl? You've got to take care of yourself so you can take care of her. Wishing you the best.

Congratulations!

You have to remember, it took almost a year to gain the weight so give youself at least as long to lose it. Breastfeeding definately helped me shed the baby weight. I also took long stroller walks. A little difficult when the weather isn't cooperating. In the spring you'll be able to get out more. It 's difficult to have patience but this is only your first hurdle. You'll need it alot to raise your child and be a good, patient mom.

Give yourself time it will happen.

How about heading to the gym. I know the Woodstock Recreation Center has boot camps and trainers that can get you back into shape. Everything takes time but you have to work for it. There is no magic pill you can take if you a nursing your baby and even if you are not.

I remember the struggle. I was staying at home with my daughter and when she was only 3 months old I was pregnant again. It was planned but still a burden on my body. After my second daughter was born I made it a point to walk, walk, walk. I took walks around the neighborhood (met my neighbors), walked at the mall, and took all of the conveniences of having a changing station in the downstairs living area away and used the stairs everytime I needed a diaper, bib, blanket, etc. I also realized I had some bad habits from eating for two while I was pregnant. No snacks! I hope this was helpful. Best of luck to you. Remember, the weight took nine months to put on and will take at least nine months to take off.

Hello

I do Body Trim. It is a powder that you put in water and drink. It tastes good. It cost about a dollar a day, two if you want to lose faster. I went down 2 clothes sizes and lost 10 pounds. I didn't eat different or exercise. Let me know if you would like more info or you can go check it out. www.drinkactweb.com/dawndavidson

You have to be patient, it takes time to lose baby weight. I had my 1st daughter at the end of November and I didn't get my pre-baby body back until that summer. Now with my second, she is 15 months old, and I STILL do not have my pre-baby body back. Stress will definitely make it harder to lose the weight. (which is why I haven't yet, 5 months of colic and just not as easy as my 1st was). Walking is very good for losing weight and watching what you eat. Alli does help a little, but there are some unpleasant side effects. I stopped taking it due to them. Weight Watchers does work too, but it will take time, you only had your baby 2 months ago, it will come off.

K.,

I just recently lost almost 50lbs. I started when my daughter was about 11 months old. What I did was eat smaller portions and count your calorie intake. I was allowed 1700 a day. Small breakfast, snack, Lunch, snack, Dinner, and snack. I basically ate the same thing but cut out a few of my bad habits for a couple of months. Then slowly I would give myself those bad habits as treats to myself. My weakness was French Fries. When I started letting myself have them again I would just get a small order and no more then 2 times a month. I knew if I would deprive myself of something I would end up where I was again. That is the biggest thing to make sure you don't deprive yourself and drink lots of water. In no time you will see it come off. I never excersied (even though I probably should of). Hope that helps! I am going to have to start again in a year because I am going to be having my second chid at the end of April.