Attention Mothers: How did you get your "Body" back?

[becca011906]

you are able to relactate long after babies born especially if you breastfed at all in the begining!!!

I gained 73lbs when i was pregnant with my first!!! I lost it all in 5 months of breastfeeding, then kept nursing for 15 months, but had to go back to work at a very busy hi scale restarant to get my body back (muscles), #2 i gained 60lbs gone in 3 months, nursed for 18m, i started walking with the kids, then running pushing a doulbe stroller to get the muscles back... #3 i gained only 55lbs i was so proud, i nursed her for 26 months, and lost it all in 2 months. still trying to find time to get muscle back while busy with 3 kids, but back to my pre preg weight for a long time just can't get the muscle back. Now all this could be b/c i'm only 23, so yep do the math i had my first at 16, second at 18 and 3rd at 21...

 

[2minny]

and my two cents Do what you can as far as walking with the kids while they bike ride, set out fruit or veggies for the family afternoon snacks, but most of all....don't worry too much about it, enjoy your kids! Us ladies worry too much about weight, we need to enjoy life at whatever weight we are at! Another tip my friend gave me, she refuses to dress frumpy, she always accessorizes with scarves, fun jewelry, cute jackets, etc. Even if her weight isn't what she wants it to be, no one else notices because she always looks so darn stylish!

 

[rosegirl]

I was successful post baby #2 with WW and looked good for 2 years, eating carefully under the plan. Then I started to slip, cheating here and there, getting careless--caving in b/c of stress from work and DH losing his job. The weight started coming back. I lost my enthusiasm/drive for watching points all the time--it really takes discipline and it was discouraging when weigh ins didn't show results.

When portion control was not working (or rather, I was not working on portion control) I turned to exercise instead, with a big high school reunion coming around the corner. It cost us bigtime, but I hired a personal trainer for about 7 weeks. I got in better shape but did not lose a whole lot of weight. I guess there was still an upside since I was stronger and in good cardio condition. I also learned a lot about core training and what I could easily do at home with lunges, squats, resistance tubing and an exercise ball.

But then the holidays came along and I started slipping again. My new thing: Sat. morning kick boxing. I have to go because I paid for the class and it's close to home. Kids are home w/ DH so no excuses. Just 60 minutes of sweating, punching, and kicking. So far, so good. I'm also taking tapdancing and will try to fit in something calmer mid week like yoga. I'm trying to find some fun ways to keep myself more active, because I have a very sedentary job. We'll see what happens!

I don't think there's a magical solution for those of us who are not blessed with good genes for thinness but like to enjoy real food that tastes good. I do not drink diet drinks because they give me headaches so I have to be good and drink water. It's really about discipline and motivation, and without either one, you can't get results.

 

[SaraMc]

Ok Im pooh sized to begin with before I got pregnant, so while I was pregnant I was loosing weight, came out after DS was born weighing 40lbs less than what I did before I got pregnant. However nursing I didnt loose anything I dont know if its because Im home but I find Im eating more because I am at home ( In Canada you have 1 year paid off work) But Ive gained some weight specially with christmas ect. However we have started to cut certain horrible things out and started WW again. I was on WW before I got pregnant and stopped while I was pregnant. I take one of DS nap times and work out then and we try to go for a walk everyday, however when its cold we go to the mall to walk and I end up shopping for stuff that we dont really need

 

[howdyfrtx]

I’m a fan of WW too, after both of my pregnancy I joined WW and lost my weight within 3 – 6 months but how do I do it now (my son is 18 months). I too work full time and my husband works late so it’s basically. My kids are on routine after work/day care. I get home by 5 pm (start at 7am), they are fed by 6pm, bath is at 6:45pm, one kid goes to bed at 7:15pm and the other goes at 8pm. Then, its all about me and my time. I go on the treadmill for at least 40 min and watch my favorite show at the same time. I work out 5 times a week. It’s hard but if I don’t do I pay the consequence. As far as housework I usually do all that on Sunday.

Everyone is different…so I hope you find something that works for you.

 

[Grendalynn]

So it sounds like Weight Watchers is the way to go. What does that entail exactly; pricewise and food wise?

What a bout Curves? DMIL does that all the time and swears by it, but is it for younger folks or older? What that that cost and how does it work exactly? I would hate to look like a dear in the Headlights walking in there by myself....

 

[rosegirl]

You can go to the WW website to get information on signing up--I seem to recall there was a small sign up fee and then you pay per week (I think it was maybe $10-12/week or you can buy a few sessions at a time for less?)to weigh in and attend the meetings. You set a weight loss goal at the time you register. Once you hit that goal, you are a Lifetime member and may attend meetings for free as long as you stay at goal weight. They sell a kit that is like an organizer for your little books (tell you point values for restaurant foods as well as all other food items you'd buy at the grocery store and a point calculator tool so you can figure out what point value something has if it does not come with a food label. There is also an exercise chart like a sliding scale that helps determine how many points you can add to your "bank" if you exercise.

You choose what to eat when you are on WW. It's not like Jenny Craig where you buy special food. WW does have some of its own brand foods but you are not required to buy it. You need to stay within the daily number points you are allotted based on your weight, and you are given a certain number of flexpoints per week to "cheat" that are good to use for a weekend party or otherwise on a day when you consume more. The plan emphasizes nutrition and hydration so you need to keep up the water intake, calcium intake, etc. Exercise is greatly encouraged, and you get to eat more points if you exercise.

 

[rt2dz]

I do know what you mean. With every child you have less time to excercise because you must spend it caring for the kiddos. I'm still working on my last 6 lbs from DS#3 and he's 16 months old!! But, and I must hold on to this, I'm a size 2 v. the size 4 pre-pregnacy.

Breastfeeding never did a thing for me as far as wieght loss goes. With DS#2, I stalled for months and then started dropping weight like you won't believe as soon he self-weened. If I remember right, the only thing that breastfeeding has been scientifically proven to do is shrink your stomach faster. Hey, but I'll take it!!

What I do is watch what I eat. I don't count calories or anything, I just eat only when I'm hungary, stop as soon as I'm full and try and eat healthy foods prepared in a healthy manner. I DO NOT keep junk in the house.

I try to increase my excercise by doing walking lunges (especially when the babies are little) and doing squats as I fold laundry or talk on the phone, etc. I make my oldest walk home from school (that's 5 miles of walking for me). I park at the back of parking lots. I take the stairs v. the elevator. I run up and down my stairs at home.

Even though I'm a smaller size, I still have 6 lbs to go and I'm not as toned as I was in before DS#2 (bed rest with him and DS#3's pregnancy came very shortly after, they are only 1 1/2 years apart and that was limited activity--I don't have good pregnancies). My kids get up at ~7:30, so I'm going to start getting up at 6:00. I'm going to do a small weight routine and possibly some time on the eliptical. I would love to do Curves (I know many, many people who have dropped weight & toned in a fairly quick manner just from the circuit design they have), but they don't have child care and our family time in the evenings is only 2 hours (sometimes less), so I don't want to give that up!!

 

[wdwfamilyinIL]

I would like to add that the old me is also mia. My first two pregnancies did me in, I gained over 70 lbs twice. After my first I kept around 15 pounds, and then kept about 20 lbs after my second. The good news I lost everything I gained the 3rd time. I just can't get rid of the "older" weight, and when am I suppose to excerise? Between being a mother, wife, and a full time nursing student I run out of hours.

 

[AngieWin]

Another swearing by extended nursing! I lost all my pgy weight within 3 months and then 20 lbs more with ds1 and 10 lbs with ds2. Of course it didnt help that I was considered "obese" by that @#%#@ chart anyway. After ds2 I started working out at Slim N Tone (same concept as Curves) and did great! But with winter here my motivation is gone. Gotta get working on it again!

I try to consider my extensive collection of stretch marks as happy reminders of my pgys. Sometimes it works, sometimes I just look in the mirror and say "Ugh!"

 

[amy1976]

Another vote for WW. I lost all my weight plus 15 pounds after my first baby with WW, breastfeeding and a kickboxing class. Exercise is definetly what helped me most.
I just had another DD and I am back at WW and breastfeeding and will hopefully start exercising soon. I am not looking forward to the battle of weight loss again. I gained 50 pounds this time (45 with first) but with just breastfeeding and baby loss I lost 25 pounds already (dd is 7 weeks old).

 

[disneymomof6]

OK I have had 6 kids.... I currently weigh 123 pounds 5'5 and although I have lost the ****s I used to have and my butt, thighs and stomach will never be like it was when I was 20.... I dont give up believing I cant get close.

Im a big eater... growing up my parents always said... eat when the meal is on the table... I preferred eating a little bit several times a day.... when I got older I was told that my eating habits are safer as far as weight and health. I never have three meals a day... I have 8 (guessing). I get up for work and grab a piece of toast and something to drink.... get to work 2 hours later and have something else.... about 11 I have a sandwich or something.... 1pm... im eating again. I am always hearing people say.... as small as you are and all I see you doing is eating.

My husband was one that liked to sit down and eat until he was full.... he has paid the price when he got older and away from sports.... he now has changed to my way of eating and is losing the weight. Dont get me wrong.. I still watch what I eat but I dont give up any of my favorites.

my methods of excersise.... a step counter... I figured that it took me 12,000 steps a day to walk 5 miles.... putting it on from the time I get up until I go to sleep I am always amazed at how much I did without trying. Sometimes if im close I put in alittle extra effort... also.... my husband and I make it a competition... whoever has the most at the end of the week wins a massage.. or whatever.

ALSO... I dance... turn the music up and dance like a fool... the more parts I move the more im being tone and stretched.... I figure its a good workout.

Ladies im lazy... I will admit that one.... I dont walk to the mailbox to get the mail, I wont park my car at the mall unless I see a spot close enough even if it means driving around for 10 minutes waiting.....

I dont like taking exersise classes... I usually find im the smallest there and the most out of shape.... BUT the beginning of January I joined a class with two girlfriends and I actually enjoy it... we all ride together so nobody sneaks out from going... and its a girls night out... again im the smallest of them but they are so much better at doing the workouts.... I think I would rather have that energy and strength then weigh 20 pounds less then they do. It takes time.... usually its a matter of looking at habits and making simple changes...

 

[LisaNJ25]

after 4 kids and a lot heavier than when I started with #1 14 years ago I will trade with almost anyone lol.

I am vowing to start tackling it this year. Time to go dust off the treadmill and actually use it.

 

[DisneyPhD]

Another vote for extended breast feeding!

I also ended up having to make a radical diet change in order to continue breast feeding my DD who we found to have milk and egg allergies when she was a year old. Cutting all traces of milk and eggs out of my diet really worked for me to lose weight too. I never thought I could diet before, but there is no cheating on an allergy died, and I was doing it for her, not me. This meant most desserts, and really about half the food out there was off limits. If I wanted something snack like I had to cook it myself.

It worked. Over 20 pounds melted off over the year, a few each month. This wasn't baby weigh (that came off natrually from brest feeding). It was extra weight I gained in my mid 20's that I had acccepted as part of getting older.

A year later DD allergies are much better. I can eat anything I want now (and she can eat a lot more then she could before.) I have been really exercising because I don't want to gain the weight back. I don't want to diet anymore, not after being on such a strict one, but I do eat healthier then before. Sometimes it feels like the more I exercise the more weight I gain, but all my new smaller size clothes still fit good, so I am calling it muscle.

I am almost 36 years old now and if I ever do have another baby I am going to have to be in good shape to manage. If I don't I will be healthy and looking good so it is win win for me.

Over the summer DH and I rode bikes with the whole family, about 5 miles day. Now that is it cold we got to the gym 3 to 5 times a week (on a good week) At the very least we try to get 2 times in a bad week. We have a great gym that the kids love the childcare and we like going to. There is one close to DH's work so he can go after work too.

 

[stacy6552]

Given your lifestyle, I reccommend a good pedometer. Do the research and get one that works. Try to get in 10k steps a day. It becomes easy to check your steps and decide to take the long way around, or conciously walk around while you talk on the phone.....

 

[jnordan]

I haven't read all of the replies, and I know that the OP didn't really post originally about weight LOSS, but it seems to be a concern of many (me!). . .

I just have to tell you what is FINALLY working for me. I'm so excited that a friend told me about this program, and I can't say enough wonderful things about it (and no, I'm not selling it or anything). Honestly, it's the first thing I've tried (I've done WW, etc.) that I truly feel I can LIVE with . . .

www.dietpower.com

Check it out. . . But in a nutshell. . . It's a software program -- so you buy it ONCE (about $50). No monthly fees, no additional charges, no hidden costs, nothing. It begins by asking you all sorts of questions about yourself (weight, age, height, pregnant? breastfeeding? etc.). It then asks you what your goals are (losing weight? gaining weight? a more balanced diet? etc.). It then asks you what your target date for accomplishing these goals is. It then calculates, based on what you've told it, a typical metabolic rate for you. Then, YOU tell it every day what you eat (it lists THOUSANDS of foods, you can enter in your own recipes, store your favorites -- in the beginning this takes some time, but since a lot of what we eat is the same from day to day, after a week or two this goes pretty quickly). You also tell it abuot your exercise (again, it lists over 1000 activities, but you can also enter in your own) -- and if you're trying to lose weight, you get to eat every single calorie you burn -- talk about a motivation to exercise! Then, as you weigh yourself, the program MODIFIES ITSELF! If you're losing more quickly than expected, it gives you MORE calories. If you're losing more slowly than expected, it gives you FEWER calories. You HAVE to be honest with the program (and I highly suggest using a food scale and measuring cups), but if you are and you stick with it, you WILL reach your target goal by your target date. I just love it. If you use this program for weight loss, it's all about calories in, calories out. But it's the first thing I've found that feels relevant TO ME, because it modifies itself according to how my body is responding. It feels legitimate.

Also, it offers a ton of great "nutritional features". If you ask it, it will look at the foods you like (because you've been eating them) and say, for example, "you need more potassium, eat a banana today". It's awesome. And I just want to reiterate that this program doesn't have to be used as a weight-loss program. If you're just trying to maintain your weight, or balance your diet better, it can be used for this as well.

Anyways, if you're interested you should check it out. I don't mean to get on a soap box here, but I just wish I had known about this program a long time ago!

Oh, and I'll just add that exercising makes all the difference. Right now, on days that I don't exercise, to lose what I want to lose by my target date (if I were to give myself more time, I could eat more -- you get the idea), I can eat around 1350 calories a day. But if I exercise for about 45 minutes (using an elliptical and a treadclimber), then I usually get another 500 or so -- that's a lot of extra food! When I'm in a really good routine and going to they gym 5 times a week or so, I can see my metabolism boost up -- it had my eating almost 1700 calories on days that I DIDN'T exercise for a while! And I was still LOSING weight!

I'll really go now. But check it out!

 

[jnordan]

OK, I just went back and read some of the posts.

So just a little info on me . . . I gained 56 pounds with my last pregnancy! I breast fed for a year, but that does NOTHING for me!! Truly! I've done WW in the past, and it works, but it's SO little food, and I never could stick with it once I lost the weight.

Right now I'm about 6 pounds "overweight". I want to lose 13 more pounds so that I'm in the middle-high end of my healthy weight range.

Honestly, I LOVE the Diet Power software! It works for me when WW didn't because I feel like it is taking ME into consideration. Not everyone burns at the same rate, as our metabolisms do vary. WW NEVER gave me enough food to make up for my exercise, so I was just starving all the time! Not fun!

Anyways, if WW works for you, that's great, but if it doesn't you should really check out the program I suggested. It's also nice that there are no monthly fees. If you stop using it for a while for whatever reason, then want to start again, you OWN the software, so you can do that!

 

[Princess Roo]

Have a colicky baby who needs to be bounced and held all the time. Worked like a charm for me. Hey, you have to look at the positive side of things, right?

Seriously, I'll second the person who suggested dancing a lot during the day to burn those calories while playing with the kids. When DS was little I would dance around holding him and now he'll dance with me and then I'll usually dance holding him some for a little extra workout (but he's 35 pounds, so that only lasts so long). We probably do this half an hour (2 15 minute sessions) every day and then I also do the "strength training" with him on my legs on the floor. I hate exercise, but those things don't seem like exercise. Plus, I use it as an opportunity to listen to MY music. I pick upbeat stuff and he doesn't care that it isn't VeggieTales (which I do like, but enough is enough!) since I'm dancing with them.

As for the weight loss, I also had good luck with WW before I had my son. I liked that you could earn/save for treats

 

[karibritt01]

I am 50 pounds overweight. I have been heavy my entire adult life, and my pregnacy with DD4 didn't help at all. Breastfeeding did NOTHING for me. Since last Feb, I lost 50 pounds... although 20 has come back since August. My trick is to exercise during naptime. I put on a movie, and use either my treadmill or elliptical for about an hour. It is much easier to work out for long periods if you are not thinking about it! Many times, if I don't have time to exercise during the day, I go jump on my kids trampoline after bedtime. Great exercise, and dark so the neighbors don't see! I also cut out all snacks, junk food, soda, etc. My goal is 135 by the time I go to Disney in June... 55 pounds. I will also add some weights for toning... as soon as I get around to it!

 

[PollyannaMom]

What little "tricks" have moms out there come up with to work out and burn a few extra calories while having the kids and going about the usualy household activities?

I do the parking far away, and taking stairs a lot. And after reading the other posters, will try the dancing, too! - I used to a lot when DS was a toddler, but we've gotten away from it.

Am curious about the treadmill TV idea. I don't really have a large open space in my living room. - How compact are they now? (AND how expensive?)