Im Getting Bigger

Don't feel bad..I'm 5'8 and went from 230 pounds to 315 after the birth of my child and the depo shot (for me the depo shot was the worst decision in birth control I could have ever made) it made me ballon up even more. I feel just the same way. I'm ashamed of my body even though my husband loves me period. I can't stand to look at myself in the mirror. Maybe we can be diet buddies. Help eachother out and share advise. What do you think?? I would love to try and loose weight with someone who is on the same page as me.

I do not know where you are? I did ear stapling and it is working. If you are in the Baton Rouge area, I can tell you about this.Email me at ____@____.com
Good Luck, D.

I had a lot of problems very much like yours. I am only a couple of inches taller and found myself wanting to do nothing but get into shape. I started my own business and now have mommies working out with me. If you are interested, let me know and I would love to talk with you.

Hey M.- I too got bigger & bigger.. And I was always a very petite girl to begin with. I am 26 now.. and have 2 little girls, 5yrs and 19 months. I started out at 150 with my first..and by the time i gave birth i was 210. so i gained the max .. 60 lbs.. while all my other pregnant girlfriends gained like 11 to 26lbs. I was scared. But I just kept eating and doing what my body wanted. It was O.K!! I was still very big after the birth.. It took me a whole year to get my body back.. But I was soo discusted at the transformation I had made coming from where I started. I was determined.. especially having a friend bounce right back in front of my eyes.. Biut nothing was changing about me.. except i was getting BIGGER!! and my apetite wsa still like a pregnant beast.. so it didn't help.

But hey- we had babies. It's so expected to be different afterwards. But it was lingering.. like most pregnant Moms we see.. Most of them never get back to their normal weight it seems.. and our bodies change shape. I had to get out there and pound the pavement. I would run around my apartment complex every evening. I would be paying for it the next day in pain too. But, It was so worth it. I had to shake my butt! I would jump rope.. run.. jog.. never walk. I had to shake the proplem areas as much as i could because it was metabolizing my skin.. it would shrink everytime i shook my butt. .my flabby legs & arms.. they would get smaller by the day! I was amazed .. and i didn't see results for about a month.. But Im telling you shaking the fatty areas.. metabolizes it and when you go to bed.. you'll wake up a little,, just a little bit smaller.. if its realy important to you.. and it was for me to know i was doing this for me my husband and the baby. Of, course my husband would love me know matter what too. and thats great .. but i needed to be me again.

My first question to you is? how important is breast feeding to you & your baby? If yor going to breast feed... which won't be forever. Do it! and wait until your ready to be really be you again. It;s tough.. Anyways RIGHT when I got my body back! .... I got pregnant again. So I was not too thrilled. But I welcomed the blessing of course.. and blew up like a blimp again! This time i gained another 60 lbs.. starting out at 130 .. giving birth at 190! I hit the pavement Quick after this one.. and im addictivly consistant about it now, which is great. I turned it into ME time. I've never felt better or looked better in my life!

But Ive been there.. i feel for you.. I never look at the Mama source emails.. but today i did.. and felt compelled to share my story with you.(( I did not breastfeed.)) But you can still work out! just wrap your chest up real good. or wait umtil the feedings slow or stop. I have to always tell myself this won't last forever.. I can workout or go to work the rest of my life. I have only these couple years of tough mommy love to give. It will get better. If yor appetiete or diet can't change..or has.. but isn't helping much.. Im telling you girl, the only think that will work is stimulation to those ploblem areas. I don't want this to sound like a mountain to climb, even though it is.. its so nice to be on the other side of the hill. Keep giving your baby the best nourishment by breastfeeding. I am still not sleeping all the way through the night with the my toddler.. so welcome Back to sleepless nights. You'll get used to it. make it work best for you by being perpared in the night for the interuptions. best of luck to you.. It sucks being big.. and it will take your HARD WORK to get you back to where you want to be. No Joke.. so expect THAT. O.K? Sincerely, E. J.

Hi!
The best thing I can suggest is Weight Watchers for you. You can control what you eat, still get full AND most importantly, you will get enough nutrients for the baby.
I'd also like to suggest that you try to continue breast feeding until your baby is a full year. I know so many people that have stopped breast feeding too early and it had led their now toddlers to many "sick" times. The longer you breast feed this baby the better his/her immune system will be. If you still decide to change to formula, the best thing I would suggest is pumping and mixing breast milk with formula until you gradually weed out the breast milk. Like the 1st couple of days, use 3 parts breast milk to 1 part formula and continue on until you are using only formula.
I hope this helps you...
T. B.

I nursed my daughter so I know what you mean. Breastfeeding actually BURNS calories. But I know what you mean about how you should eat while breastfeeding. I am a much older mom than you so my attitude is a bit more patient. I had my daughter when I was 44 and she is almost 5 now. I know what you mean about feeling like a blimp. I think there are many factors that contribute to this and simply losing weight is only one thing that will make you feel better. My biggest hurdle after both kids were born was SLEEP DEPRIVATION! Do what you can to get sleep. You will feel better and have more energy. You sound very busy. Instead of focusing on how to lose weight, maybe think about what foods will make you feel better. Usually, that is whole foods, not packaged. Maybe you can afford to splurge on some nutritious frozen meals that are quick but nutritious, at least for several months until you are feeling in control again.
Best wishes.

I know how hard it is! But with a few changes, the breastfeeding will really start to pay off. This is how I lost 35 pounds in exactly your situation:
limit your bread, rice, and noodles, and sugar. Replace those things with the whole-wheat version when you do have those foods. (Whole-wheat bread, whole-wheat spagetti, brown-rice..NO WHITE RICE) No sodas (except diet if you really have to have one) and when you really have to have a sweet, have sugar-free jello with cool-whip on top (I kept a ton of these on hand to keep me from running to the store for a Hershey bar.) Keep a big bag of nuts and keep cheese around (not crackers, limiting those kinds of things remember) to have everytime you want a snack. Have them with a diet coke if you want. For lunch eat meat with salad or vegetables. (Tuna fish on a green salad. Or chicken and whatever vegetable you like. And as much of it as you want!) I also boiled eggs and kept them in the refrigerator, because they'd be a quick healthy on-the-go snack I could grab to take. Anyway, these changes are all good for the baby, and the weight will start to fall off in a MONTH! By the way, you will be grumpy for at least a week when limiting sugar. But right after that you'll feel great and you will start to see results. This plan was given to me by a doctor. It works!

I have been drinking a carnation instant breakfast every morning. It comes in strawberry, vanilla or chocolate and you just mix it with 8oz of skim milk...yum. It is loaded with vitamins and protein to help jumpstart your metabolism and it will fill you up until lunch. For snacks, try the Quaker chewy granola bars...they are only 90 calories and come in baked apple, oatmeal raisin, chocolate chip, etc. When your oldest goes to school take your baby in the stroller or a snuggly and go for a walk. Even a walk around the mall works. Drink a big glass of water when you nurse and keep taking your prenatal vitamins. If you want to diet just control the portions you eat at meal time. Don't deny yourself anything because you will only want it more. I lost 40 lbs. in 6 months doing this. On weaning....mine wouldn't take formula either...he's 8 months old today. My doctor said that if you can't get a baby to take a bottle by 6 months...you've lost that battle. LOL don't I know it! Good luck! You can do it!

Well, at 25, your metabolism should be great. That baby weight should be coming off pretty quick. Have you had your thyroid checked? Find out if that is out of whack, if it's not, then get moving. Start walking, drink 8 glasses of water a day, and only eat fish and chicken. Buy Healthy Choice dinners, and you can even go to the Aspen Clinic, to help jump start things for you. You can do it. I'm 42 with 3 kids. 20, 19, and 17. After I had each child, I lost almost all of my weight. Each time, I got up to 200 pounds. I just refused to be big. You're too young to weigh this much. Good Luck! You can do it.

M.

If you are worried about being on a healthy diet for the sake of breastfeeding, you shouldn't be eating a bologne sandwich! It takes some women up to a year to lose their 'baby' fat, and that is while they are dieting and exercising. There are plenty of healthy diets that will facilitate weight loss that you can participate in and still breast feed. Weightwatchers is completely safe for breastfeeding mothers.

I'm not going to blow smoke up your rear and tell you it's all a bed of roses... you have to get up and do something about this problem, and stop feeling sorry for yourself!

Do you have any girlfriends you can walk with? THAT alone, will get you going in the right direction!

-K

Hi there,

I am a breatfeedign peer counselor and am interning to be a certified lactation consultant. Congrats on nursing your baby! You are doing hwat is healthiest for you and your baby. I wanted to agree with you that that nursing usually helps women lose weight --not gain weight. We can consume an extra 300-500 calories a day, but remember that is only equal to about a cup of yogurt and maybe an extra granola bar.

Good news is:There is no special diet you need while nursing. Just a nice balanced diet is fine--eating certain foods doesnt effect your milk. It will remain nutritious no matter what you eat!

It sounds like the problem is being a typical busy mom and not taking time for yourself and eating on the run. There is a solution that is manageable: You need to change your lifestyle and diet. Take time for yourself---You are doing what is best for baby by nursing--and I bet it is a part of a day you most enjoy. So continue to nurse and eat a blanced diet. Yes if you eat a bologna sandwich on the way to the bus then yes you will continue to gain weight. How about a banana and a granola bar and a big glass of orange juice. Then eat a good snack before lunch. Eat a good filling lunch. Eat a snack when you pick your 5 yr old from school. And then havea nice family dinner. Take some stroller walks and do some baby yoga with the baby. Baby Steps!

Try to take time for yourself--best of luck.
<>< N.
Busy mom to 3 yr old & 9 month old, who needs to take her own advice!

M....
It took me two years to loose baby fat from my first son. I was like I give up on this. It was so frustrating. But advice to you...Go with the nature of life. Give your baby as much as he/she needs until they are ready to come off of the breast...(nature). Its like, as a mother we want to look beautiful and get back to our smaller size really fast. The reality is it took us 9 months to grow this body, it will take about that to loose it. okay, maybe not that long. But try this...It will work.Promise...I am proof. When you rush you don't allow your body to do what it needs....When you get up in the morning, drink a glass of water and squeeze a little lemon juice in it (this flushes everything from the night before out of your body, including fat cells etc. and gets your body ready for the present day) Invest in a good protein shake or something ( this allows everything your body needs without the calories, it makes you feel full, and it helps to build muscle while you burn fat...promise) Walk...walk around the house, walk to the park, mailbox, etc. just walk and continue drinking water til you feel like you have to go all the time. Your urine (believe or not) gets rid of sugars our bodies hold on to also. Stay away from starches, like a lot of bread, pasta etc. If you gotta have bread, I get whole white wheat by Ms. Bairds...(you may just be eating a bologna sandwich but girl that bread have so much fat!) Get yourself on a routine like your water in the morning with egg and toast and your protein shake...this will carry you through the afternoon...Have a sandwich and maybe a fruit (banana, apple or whatever) chips and caffine free drink. Do water always in between and committ yourself to a week at a time don't set a long term goal cause you will exhaust yourself...You will see the change. but don't deprive your baby from what mother has that is better than this stuff you buy off the shelves. Your milk. (Sorry about the protein shake, ask a doctor if you can drink it while breastfeeding) If not you can get proteins from beans, Borden now have a protein milk to. ( I was happy to see that). All in all...M., take it eazy don't rush nature and maybe take my advice, but I guarantee, you will see a difference.
P.S. Just have lemon water in the morning... and Water through out the day. you can do it...I Believe In You......

I have a 5 year old and a 8 month old. I nursed the baby till he was 7 months, I had to stop because he now has 6 teeth, but anyway, I did weight watchers because it was the only one I knew of that had a plan for nursing mothers. I have lost all the baby weight and everyone says I look better than I did after my first son. The first time, I didnt do anything to try and lose weight. This time I exercised along with the weight watchers. Hope it helps and good luck.

N.

In case you didnt know Weight Watchers has a plan for nursing mothers. It is pretty affordable to do it and they have alot of times and locations, or you can even do it online. I have done it in the past and had really good success, my mom lost over 100 pounds and my cousin did it while breast feeding and also had good results. Hope this helps.

Hello! I had the same problem with nursing my baby. I had always heard that when you nursed that you would lose your baby weight fast. I didn't. I have always had a problem with my weight if I don't watch what I eat. I had the same feeling of being unattractive and not wanting to take my clothes off in front of my husband. My husband didn't seem to mind either, but it was very difficult for me to see my own body in such poor shape. What I have tried to do now is, just eat healthier. I wish I would have done that while I was nursing. My baby is now 16 months old, and I still need to lose weight. You have to remember everyones body is different, and their body responds to things differently. I have a friend who had a baby about 6 months after me and by the time her baby was 3 months old she weighed 10 pounds less than before she became pregnant. That just really makes you sick when it is a constant struggle for you to lose your baby weight! I have now am taking my baby for walks in the stroller.Plan out your meals the if you can.I have and 8 year old also. Try 5small healthy meals a day. Instead of eating 3 large meals a day. When I was nursing it seemed like I was hungry most of the time. Try getting the small snack sized raisins, yogart, fruit, turkey sandwiches, baby carrots, and other healthy snacks. If try soemthing like that to eat for a snack in between meals, they are easy to grab to eat. The thing that has helped me the most is exercise. I hate exercising, but if you have a hard time losing weight that is probably what is going to help the most. I know that it is hard to find time to exercise with children, but you can do exercise that includes them, and they will enjoy spending time with you, too. I try to take walks with my children, play outside with them, and my favorite is to turn on music and dance with them. My 16 month old has a ball with this one. I know how hard it is to lose weight, and I wish you the best of luck on losing your weight.

I too had a baby 7 months ago and I also have an 8 year old. I have also forgotten how hard it is with the new baby and my husband is a huge help, but it doesn't cover the sleep and work required for the house and the kids. I know what you are feeling about the weight gain. I have not lost any weight since my first post-baby doctors visit and it makes me sad, miserable at times and embarrassed to be naked. I can't afford to go to a gym at present and don't feel comfortable just leaving my baby girl with strangers (even tho she probably wouldn't let me leave anyway), but since the weather is getting nicer, I have started walking again with my baby in the mornings. I do it after I drop off my older daughter at school (which is the only time I can do this), put my baby in the stroller and walk for 1/2 an hour. This is something I am trying to do every day and it is making me feel better. I am writing to just let you know that others feel the same way you do but you need to find that 20-30 minutes for yourself every day to walk to do sit-ups or whatever exercises you can for yourself. It will help! HANG in there!

I know how hard it is to have gained weight after having your child. I am there with you. One thing I have figured out by caring for my 8 yr old, my 7 yr old niece and my 2 yr old nephew is that when time is a factor, yes a bologna sandwich takes more time to make than grabbing an apple or banana. At night, I would cut up some celery, carrots, brocoli, cucumber, and put them in ziploc bags in the refrigerator. I would also wash and pull grapes from their stems as well as strawberries. Get these bagged up and they make an easy on the go meal. It takes just a few minutes to fix up the next days foods, but it helps you get in the 5+ servings very easily. Increasing veggies and fruit will also cut back on the cravings for carbs and sweets and help you feel full longer than breads and such.
Between getting the kids ready for school and daycare, I can concentrate on getting their stuff and at the last minute, I grab my baggie of choice and munch on that while waiting in line to drop the kids off etc.
Walking also helps. I park a little further away from the store, even playing with the baby may help burn extra cals. You could do lifts by lifting the baby, laying on your back you can gently bounce the baby with him laying on the fronts of your legs while you hold his hands or do crunches while he sits or lays on your stomach.
AND last but not least, get more sleep by napping while he naps. Sleep deprivation creates chemical changes in our bodies that actually cause you to hold on to your weight.
M., I feel for you, I know how you feel, so hang in there, it will all be better before you know it.

Try googling "healthy diet while breastfeeding"... a ton of stuff came back. I'm sure there is something out there that can point you in the right direction! And what about exercise? I didn't breastfeed so I don't know what you can and cannot do while breastfeeding... but I am sure that walking is acceptable.

YOU SHOULD CONSIDER HAVING A BREAKFAST FRUIT BAR OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT IN THE MORNING WITH MAYBE A BANANA OR OTHER PIECE OF FRUIT WITH A GRANOLA BAR. DRINK LOTS OF WATER TO HELP FLUSH EXCESS FLUID OUT OF YOUR BODY. IF YOU DON'T LIKE WATER, TRY SOME OF THE FLAVORED WATERS, DASANI HAS A 6PK OF FLAVORED 20 OZ. I BELIEVE FOR $2-. AND IT IS DEFINITELY A GOOD IDEA TO EAT 5 OR 6 SMALL MEALS A DAY INSTEAD OF 2 OR 3 BIG ONES. THIS ALLOWS YOUR METABOLISM TO CONSTANTLY WORK, INSTEAD OF TAKING A BREAK IN BETWEEN MEALS. I UNDERSTAND COMPLETELY HOW YOU FEEL ABOUT NOT BEING COMFORTABLE WITH YOURSELF. I HAVE BEEN OVERWEIGHT SINCE I WAS 5, AND I HAD FAMILY MEMBERS THAT WOULD CONSTANTLY SAY HOW FAT I WAS GETTING, THIS WOULD ONLY MAKE ME EAT MORE, AND MAKE ME FEEL EVEN LESS ABOUT MYSELF. I ONLY NURSED FOR 2 MONTHS BECAUSE MY MILK SUPPLY DISAPPEARED, AND I ALSO DON'T HAVE ANY EXTRA PREGNANCY WEIGHT TO LOSE, LUCKILY FOR ME I LOST ALL OF IT THE FIRST WEEK AFTER HE WAS BORN. I ONLY GAINED 22LBS. AND A WEEK AFTER HE WAS BORN I HAD LOST 27LBS. I WOULD LIKE TO LOSE ATLEAST 75 LBS. AS A SHORT TERM GOAL AND MAYBE MORE. I ALSO NEED TO DRINK MORE WATER BUT IT SEEMS LIKE I DON'T HAVE ENOUGH TIME TO DEVOTE TO THAT BECAUSE I WORK A FULL-TIME JOB AND THEN HAVE COOKING, CLEANING, TENDING TO MY 3 1/2 YEAR OLD WHEN I'M OFF WORK. I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO RECOMMEND MAYBE DOING 30 MINUTES OF EXERCISE EVERYDAY UNTIL YOU'RE MORE COMFORTABLE WITH DOING IT FOR LONGER.

THIS IS MY EMAIL ADDRESS IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK FURTHER.

____@____.com

I LOOK FORWARD TO SPEAKING WITH YOU FURTHER. MAYBE IF WE LIVE CLOSE ENOUGH TO ONE ANOTHER, WE CAN START WORKING OUT TOGETHER.

talk to your doc about a healthy diet, it can be done while breastfeeding. both of the times I breastfed i gained alot of weight but it dropped off after my kids were 1year and no longer nursing.

Your hormones aren't even back on track yet. After checking the thyroid, you might ask about other hormonal tests. What about a pituitary gland? My cousin has a cyst on hers and she's on medication to reduce it and as a side effect, she's been losing weight.
Definitely try the healthy diets AND exercise. That certainly can't hurt. Don't be too h*** o* yourself yet. If when your kids hits a year and the weight still hasn't come off, you need to take a serious look at your lifestyle...ruling out hormonal issues.

Dear M.,

I want to encourage you to hang in there with nursing as you wrestle with this issue. One thing I've noticed about nursing (three boys now - nursed til 2 years old) is that it is very helpful for getting the weight off, but not usually in the first year. I would usually hit a point somewhere between 12 to 15 mos when a chunk of weight would come off. Here are some articles regarding nursing & dieting, as well - http://www.kellymom.com/nutrition/mom/mom-weightloss.html

Also, I want to offer a great alternative for you to try - acupuncture. Our family uses it for just about everything, and the results are fabulous. Dozens of my friends have gone on my recommendation, and the stories I could tell you would surprise you. It is not painful (it's actually incredibly relaxing, like getting an hour massage). The fabulous thing about it is that it gets to the root problem, rather than treating symptoms. Whether it's a thyroid, hormonal or even an addictive issue, acupuncture would help.

We love going to the clinic at the Acupuncture College here in Houston - http://www.acaom.edu/en/cms/?42 - it is located inside Beltway 8, just off Westheimer. The great thing about it is that the care is fabulous - you get 4th year students working under a professor's guidance - AND the prices are great. It's about $35 per treatment, and I believe every 4th visit is free.

Also, consider joining some kind of a support group. I'm sure that would help a lot - just to receive regular encouragement and accountability.

There are a couple of classes being offered now at my church that could offer support regarding weight loss. The church is in NW Houston, so I don't know if that's convenient. Anyway, it's West Houston Church of Christ - ###-###-#### http://www.westhoustonchurch.org/

I pray you find the support you need!
Blessings,
R.