Need Help Getting Rid of Pregnancy Weight

Dear W.,

Hi my name is M. and I have a little 18 month old. I read your post and thought I would tell you what has worked for me. It sounds like you are doing everything right, so don't get discouraged!! I think with this time is the key. It took a while for your body to put on the weight and it will take time to come off. I know every body is different so my tips may not work for you.
The first thing that worked very well for me was nursing. It really took the weight off. I started to see the difference after about 6 months or so. It burns (you probably know) between 200-600 calories a day.
The other thing is just that as the baby gets older you will have to carry her more and more. She will get heavier and will require more lifting and exertion on your part and you will no doubt burn lots of calories chasing her around, so again hang in there.
One thing I have done is to set a goal for myself. I got back into running seriously and trained for a 5k in the fall and now am training for a 10 mile race. The goal helps because it makes the exercise seem more urgent. I also work at a gym (part-time)and take a class there so it has been great to see results from the class. Strength training is crucial as well as cardio. That helps to tone all the muscle that got weaker when you were pregnant. Sounds like you are doing that too...
The extra tummy flab may take the longest to come off and with some women unfortunately sticks around for a while. It all depends on where you tend to store your weight.
I think you are doing great though! You sound disciplined and you are working hard and believe me it will pay off.

Thanks for reading
M. H.

Hi W. my name is L., I have four amazing boys 5 and younger I had them all within three and a half years, the weight came off great with my first a little slower with my second and I'm still working from the twins and their two. I was always told that it takes nine months to put it on and it should take nine months at least to take it off. With my first two it was at the 1 yr mark that I looked really good, but for the most part stretched out bellies are here to stay. Good luck.

Don't count on it now... over a year later. Wink, wink! I'm tellin' ya, it's going to be a boy :)

Hi W., you are doing the right thing by working out. If you are nursing you shouldn't diet but what most people don't know is that you should never diet. Dieting only makes things worse. One thing you need to do is resistance training of some sort. Pilates, yoga, toning, jogging, walking, etc. are all good but you need to put on muscle for a couple reasons. One is that it boosts your metabolism, two is that all women should do it to prevent osteoporosis. I am a personal trainer and I know so many women that are older now that wished they had done the training earlier. Besides, the more muscle you have on your body, the more calories you burn all day long!!!

Baby Boot Camp is an excellent way to lose the baby weight without having to leave your baby behind. You can bring your baby with you, get a great workout, meet other moms, and have fun!! Yes, fun!! And Baby Boot Camp classes are designed specifically with moms in mind. Check them out at www.babybootcamp.com. Only doing cardio and toning is one of the biggest mistakes women make when trying to lose weight. The other is dieting. Please don't diet. You need to keep your metabolism going strong. Eat small meals/snacks every two to three hours. The key is to try to evenly space them and make them about the same size. You should never ever be hungry, letting yourself get hungry only causes you to overeat at the next meal. Most people who lose weight on diets gain it back once they stop dieting. This is not an endorsement to pig out. You have to watch the portions. Don't eat a big lunch and dinner and an apple for a snack. Keep all of your meals about the same size. For instance, eat a half sandwich and a piece of fruit for lunch and then eat the other half and a yogurt for a snack two hours later. And another thing, eat a piece of fruit or some veggies with every meal/snack. It will help to fill you up and keep you full longer. It is hard to get used to for the first few days but you should not be hungry. I'm sorry for the lengthy reply but I hate diets!! No one should diet ever!! You can eat whatever you want as long as you watch your portions and be sensible with the rest of your meals. Good luck.

it took 9 months to get that way, 9 months to gey back. at least that's what my mother in law told me. I'm looking for a diet buddy, interested? I have a whole pile of diet info.

Advice: When I had my 2nd baby, I gained over 40 lbs. I worked out 4 days a week. Alot of cardio and weight lifting. I had the same problem, until I stopped breastfeeding. By the time my son was 9 months, I had the best body that I ever had. It seems that it takes almost a full year, to get where you want to. Just be patient and don't give up! It is worth it. I think the best part is having my husband see how my body changes and improves.

Hi W.,
I hope this helps. I've been working as a weight loss counselor for 2 and a 1/2 years. In my experience the last 10 llbs are the hardest to lose. Try to make sure to eat protein in the morning and eat something every 3-4 hours. Change what you eat everyday to keep your body guessing. Change the activity as well. Switch it up and see how your body responds. Also if you drink coffee try switching to green tea and make sure to drink at least 64 oz. of water a day. Good luck.

V.

W.,
I know how you feel. With my first child I was the same way. However, my husband said to me " you know it took 9 months to get the way you were, it is going to take at least that much to get back there." He was right. You body really does change with the pregnancy. It just takes time. Keep doing what you are doing.... exercise and eat right and just give yourself some time. It will get better. Hope this helps.

Are you nursing? I always held on to 5+ pounds while nursing which I lost after I stopped. Your body needs extra fat for producing milk and so you hold onto it a little longer. When you are done nursing, your body lets the extra fat go.

6 months is also pretty quick to expect all of the weight to be gone. Continue exercising and eating well. Many dr's suggest that a year is a more realistic expectation for returning to prepregnancy weight.

I did the South Beach diet. That took it off for me quick. The exercise thing is good too.
Good Luck

try dinking skim milk. My husband lost 80 lbs and 26 in. off his waist in all of 6 months and the skim mild draws back the flabby skin. He does no sit ups or nothing like that. It isn't a magical drink so it will not work in a day but over a couple of monts the flab was gone and now he actually likes it. good luck.

stop stressing....that will help you seem to be exercising well but you need to watch what you are eating....being a new mom you tend to pick and not really sit down and enjoy a meal so you over eat or under eat which will keep the weight on..I always seem to under eat i did it after my first He is five now and finally after my second who is now 3 i was told that since i really only eat one meal a day i wasn't going to get rid of any of the weight so i changed and it vanished now after my third now 3 months i am already back to my weight and my shape is still alittle off but i am getting my routine together still good luck....

I would highly recommend Weight Watchers, their online program. It's inexpensive and almost fun to do. Its great for people of all sizes. I've been lucky enough to lose 20lbs on 2 different occasions.

Best of luck to you!

i used (and still use to maintain my weight) arbonne's products. they have a "figure 8" line of products for weight loss, and rejuvenating creams and serums to help get my skin tightened, firmed, and healthy. the products are all herbal and botanically based..and they are awesome!
message me if you have questions...and i even have some on hand if you are interested...
good luck!

I know I am frustrated also. I had my third baby 7 months ago and only lost twelve and I keep gaining instead of losing it sucks cause I am a person who always went right back pretty much. Any suggestions that can work with three children to take care of???

hi W. i know what you mean. the extra skin i s a pain. i recently started a spinning calss. it is great. i think yoga is a gret way to tone up. i think you are ahead of the game your baby is only 5 month old , your body just needs time to bounce back. a little about me i have 2 girls 6 and 4.5 i gained about 80 lbs when i was pregnant i was a size 6,before the pregnancy, it was very scary i was able to get back most of my old body back try spinning it is the best workout you can get. J.

Ohhh W.!!! do I ever feel your pain; the last 5 lbs is almost impossible to loose...trust me I've been trying for over 2 years to accomplish that! I guess the best we can do is stay strong and healthy for ourselves and our families, even if that means weighing the extra bit! As far as the extra skin I've found that doing tons of toning type exercises seem to kind of "fill in" the areas that need it like the abdominal area Yoga is basically the best way to do that, so keep up with your Yoga you'll see results slowly but you will see them. I don't think our bodies will ever be like they were pre-baby no matter how hard we try; but the trade off sure is worth it!
Best of luck, F.
www.fingerpaintz.com

You said your baby is only 6 months?? They say at least give your self 9 months to loose the weight. It took you nine months to put it on!! But my one OB told me that since it's easier to gain then loose you should always give yourself double the amount of time it took you to gain it!! Whether it be because of pregnancy, sickness, or whatever!
Oh yeah good point someone else made, Are you nursing?? You have to take that into consideration! Also, make sure you're eating at least 3 complete meals. If you eat less then that you're body keeps the weight as a defense, not knowing when to expect the next meal!!

Weight Watchers worked for me, but you will probably always have a little extra skin. If you don't have time to go to meetings you can join on-line.

I feel your pain! You are doing so much better than I am losing the weight so pat yourself on the back. I have always struggled with weight but was a size 4/6 before pregnant with my first. I gained 60 lbs and after I had him I took off 40 before getting prego again. Now after my second I need to lose 40 lbs! My second is 4 months old and I am just beginning to shed a few pounds. It is really hard. I am getting serious about it though and it helps me a lot to avoid all processed foods like the plague. I eat lean protien like chicken and turkey with salads and light cheese. Always oil and vinegar dressings and not too much. If I follow that (much like south beach) and don't cheat (ha ha) the weight comes off slowly but surely. also, i do circuit training. 30 minutes on an elliptical, 5 minutes on a rowing machine, 15 reps each on weight machines targeting different areas. Back extensions get rid of love handles and abdominal crunch machines take care of that pregnancy pooch up front. About the skin I am not sure. I haven't run into that problem myself but it seems like yoga or pilates might help bounce that back into shape. You said you are already doing that so I would just stick with for a while more. Give yourself at least a year to get back into shape and don't be so hard on yourself. I was hard on myself after my first and it just made me so miserable. Set reasonable goals for yourself and don't get too mad or depressed if you don't reach them right away. Good luck!