Post Pregnancy Workout Lifestyle Thread

[Burk]

Tgal~I'll quit with the ridiculous pizza talk so you'll stick around! Sounds like you're doing great!

Mara~I think we're pretty much in the same boat....I think most would think I look okay but I am just not where I want to be. My belly is still so flabby it makes me want to cry! ha ha. The rest of my body is pretty much back to "normal." Now that I'm done bfing I just need to get serious about my diet....I've never really had to do that before so it'll take some getting used to!

How is everyone else doing?

 

[vespergirl]

Hi everyone! Connor is 12 weeks old today, so I am definitely ready to start getting my body back. We just finished BFing because my supply was so low, but that should help me lose weight. With both of my babies, I had gained a couple of pounds while BFing because I was eating all the time, and wasn't able to lose the pregnancy weight until he was weaned.

So, my usual stats are 5'9", around 150, and I wear a 6 dress/8 jeans. That's how much I weighed when I got pregnant with my first son, and I was 185 when I delivered him. It took me 7 months to lose the 35 pounds, and by 9 months post-partum I was down to 145. Because my body shape changed somewhat, I had to lost that extra 5 pounds to fit into my jeans again.

When I got pregnant with Connor last year, however, I weighed 165 - I had gained 20 pounds from fertility drugs before I got pregnant. I also gained 35 pounds with this pregnancy, so I weighed 200 when I delivered Connor, 15 pounds above my delivery weight last time, and 50 pounds above my normal weight. Now that I am 12 weeks post-partum, I am down to 182, but I still need to lost 32 pounds to get back to my pre-fertility drug weight

When I was 6 weeks PPT, I started going for runs on the weekends, and at 10 weeks PPT, I started the Harley Pasternak 5 Factor Workout, which I did after I had Andrew & it really helped me lose the weight. It's 25 minutes 5 days a week, so I can squeeze it in while the boys are napping.

I'm excited that Connor is finally 3 months old though, because that means I can start going back to the gym & putting him in the babycare center there.

I'm so jealous of all of you that only have 10 or 15 pounds left to lose. This summer we are skipping our beach trip because it would be too depressing for me to appear in public in a swimsuit, but at least this gives me almost a full year to lose the weight, and hopefully I'll be down to 150 by next spring.

I'm so glad that this thread exists so I can check in and hopefully it will help me keep on track.

 

[phoenixgirl]

Vesper, it sounds like you are doing an awesome job of working out with two little kids!!!

I seem to be stuck at 9 months PP. I'm just shy of 5'5", and I weighed 117 when I got pregnant (which was a couple of pounds above my usual 115). I gained almost 50 pounds with Claire, and was 149 at a week PP. Since then it has been slow going. I was down to 133/134 before we went to the beach for the 4th of July, but I gained a few pounds while there and it hasn't budged. So I'm around 136/137 and wearing a 6 pants (was a 0 or 2P before . . . sigh).

Today I ran for 30 min, which felt really good. It hasn't helped that the previous three days were all in excess of 100 degrees! I didn't check the weather on Friday and set out for a run with Claire in the BOB. Well, I made it 5 minutes before the heat/lightheadedness/nausea got to me, so we just walked for the remaining 25 minutes. I'm glad the heat has broken; today is a practically balmy high of 94 , but at least it's cloudy.

So in the last three weeks, I've worked out or run 4 or 5 times a week, but the intensity isn't what it was pre-pregnancy, and I think that's the problem. I used to run or work out for the better part of an hour, and now that's cut in half due to inertia and lack of time. I just need to break through and move on to the harder stuff.

I am still BFing, which I know is a big culprit for the plateau. My sister weaned my niece a couple of months ago and instantly lost 10 pounds. I figure that when I do wean Claire, I'll probably get down to a 4, but I have this nagging suspicion that my wardrobe of 2's will never fit again, especially since we're going to TTC in the new year.

Claire and I attend a playgroup with these ridiculously skinny moms (and Claire is one of the older babies). Last time somebody asked if any of us were working out, and my friend said, "Oh PG is," and they were all congratulating me on my efforts and lamenting how they don't have the time or energy to work out, and I wanted to be all, "Then why am I the only one who still has 20 pounds to lose??!!" They're all BFing too, so that's not it, although that makes some lucky women lose weight and others retain it.

My other complaint is my stomach. The skin is all saggy around my belly and looks like a wilted plum when I suck my stomach in. It sticks out over my clothes now, and I need to figure out how to hide it as much as I can. Probably better posture would help.

At the end of the day I think I'd be happy between 120 and 125, but don't quote me on that. I just want to get out of the darn 130s. But mostly I just want my old flexibility and agility back. I used to run up and down stairs just because they were there (like in a museum or an airport when everyone else takes the escalator). I used to do calf pumps and stretches instead of sitting. Now I'm just a tired lump who recently turned [gasp] 30.

OK, so let's do this ladies!!!

 

[Burk]

Welcome Vesper!! Keep us posted on your progress. Sounds like you're doing a good job getting to the gym!

Phoenix~ My bff from highschool is one of those moms who loses all the weight and then some while bfing and I was so jealous! I held on to mine and now that I'm done bfing seem to be shedding the last few pounds....finally! So frustrating. Good luck getting the intensity of your workouts back up!

We are leaving for vacation tomorrow. It was my goal to be pre-preggo weight/body by this vacation and I am so not there. I've just been way too busy to even think about working out as much and as hard as (I'm settling for walks when I need to be going to step, ect) I need to to get my old toned body back. Oh well. I decided I am going to wear my bikinis anyway. Whatever. Once school starts I need to start a daily routine with a hard workout at least a few days a week. It won't take much since I'll also be playing volleyball every day and I walk a ton at work since my classroom is on the 3rd floor. There is hope.....

I want updates ladies!! How are you all doing?!?!?

 

[phoenixgirl]

Burk, good for you! That's awesome that your classroom is on the 3rd floor! I know that's weird of me to say, but it's just so important to keep moving.

Well, today was another one of those days where I went for a run and then was like, "Oh crap, is it 100 degrees again?" Seriously, World, try to stay cool! I was wearing my running clothes ready to run at 9:15 when I fed Claire, and she fell asleep . . . deep asleep . . . so we didn't get out for our run until 12:00, at which point it was a million degrees. So we made it 25 minutes. Then later I found out it was another triple digit day, so I felt pretty accomplished. I also did a tough Firm workout, "Get Chisel'd" (yes, that's right, it's a verb, an apostrophe, and the letter D . . . do you have to be an English teacher to think that is stupid?) on Tuesday. Yesterday was a break day because I cooked this stupid crock pot recipe that was supposed to make cooking dinner easier but backfired because it required 1.5 hours at noon and 1 hour at dinner time!

The Firm workout was also an accomplishment because I did it when Claire was awake (and playing on the rug 10 feet away). Our basement is unfinished and just has area rugs on concrete, so of course Claire made a dash (as much as a child who just sort of maneuvers and doesn't know how to crawl can dash) for the hardest, most dangerous corners of the accessible basement, but as long as she didn't protest I just let her be, and we made it the whole 40-min workout without a real melt-down. I also ran the laundry right next to her so I could hypnotize her with the spin cycle.

 

[Mara]

hi ladies, i have been a little MIA!!

i am still walking about 3-4x a week about 2-3m and i also added a saturday ujam/cardio class back in thankfully. i have 5lbs total to go but yep it's about being where i want to be, not so much about the scale. aka i still have a muffin top on my jeans, yuck. and whoever said WILTED PLUM yes that is what my belly looks like, but thankfully far less than it was a few months ago. i know it can take a little while for elasticity to get back to normal so i am just plugging along. rome wasn't built in a day and i don't have a personal celebrity trainer to whip me into shape 6 weeks PP!

i just stopped pumping too so i imagine that the last 5lbs will come off relatively easy BUT i need to get more toned. while i am almost back to Pre preggo weight, body still looks diff and feels diff too.

one of my friends lost all her preggo weight and like 15lbs more than that just by BF'ing and it all happened really quickly. not so much for me. but that's ok i know i'll get there, it just takes time. i feel a lot more hopeful now that i am a lot closer than before!!!

oh and i am making a conscious effort on eating. my lunches at work are like 1/3 of what they used to be and a lot more healthy too. my breakfasts are always healthy, steel cut oatmeal and coffee basically. dinner i tend to want to pork out since i have been going all day and just tired so have to make the effort there.

also--does anyone else have this issue... before i could eat a small dinner meal and go to bed and be fine to wake up in morning. i'd be hungry of course but ok. since now J is getting up like 2x a night and i go to bink him, it gives my body an opp to go 'hey i am starving' at like 5am. i don't get up til 7 so i dont want to eat at 5am, i want to go back to bed, but sometimes my stomach just jumps awake and freaks out and it is really distracting and uncomfortable. i am hoping this subsides...snacking at 5am then going back to sleep is not conducive to weight loss!!!

everyone is doing FAB! keep it up ladies!

 

[TravelingGal]

Sounds like everyone is doing well!

I'm now down 14 lbs...about 7-8 to go to hit prepreggo weight, and about 12 pounds on top of that to hit wedding weight. Every pound is hard won. Nothing's coming off for free...I have to make smart choices about food every day and work out.

Momentum is there for me. I have no time goal to get there...just making the changes and seeing where it takes me. It has taken me 3 months to lose the 14, which in retrospect feels like it's pretty quick. I keep thinking...why didn't I do this sooner? And then I remember...oh yeah, that first year I was just too exhausted with the baby! But really, I was just lazy too, because as I said, for me, it's been work.

Keep it up ladies!

 

[phoenixgirl]

TG, 14 pounds in 3 months is great!

Mara, that's awesome that you are walking so much and even getting a Saturday class in. How do you like your jogging stroller? Which one was it again (I just remember it wasn't a BOB!)?

Re: "those" women who just lose all the weight instantly and then some BFing . . . do you think maybe they aren't "active" women to begin with? So this is maybe the first time in their lives they've burnt extra calories? Just trying to make myself feel better here . . .


I just made my goal of running 35 minutes!!! Yay!!! Sadly, that was only 2.5 miles, but it's not because I'm that slow; it's just because it's even harder than usual to cross the street with the stroller, so I'm always running in place.

My next goal is to run to the park, run a mile around the loop, and run home. That should take about 40 to 45 minutes.

 

[Mara]

Go TG And PG!!! Great job ladies. TG it def is hard work and every lb is a battle won, esp when you love good food!

PG...That gal I referenced does not really 'work out'. She used to walk like maybe 5-7m a week just for recreation with her husband and that is all she is doing now. And she is like 20 lbs SMALLER than pre-preg weight! But she admitted she needs to do some serious toning.

For me I was able to get those first 20 off quickly but the last 13 totally hung around. Now that I am finally done with BF and Pumping I am interested to see what happens...the hormones should be pretty much gone within 1-2 cycles if not almost already. My hair is already falling out a lot less.

So I am still about 5lbs from pre-preg so not much to report. I do struggle with eating--like I will eat well for 1-2 days and then have 1-2 days where I just want to do what I want. After being PG and then BF'ing it's hard to go from 13+ months of doing what you want and get back to normal. Funny thing is that my sweet tooth is only like 10% of what it used to be, THANK GOD...but I still have a hard time making the right choices. ALSO I have to get my body back to being used to smaller portions.

I am walking about 3-4 days a week and the days I am not doing anything I am TRYING to get to the work gym. It's hit or miss. Consistently I'd say I'm being active about 4-5 days a week which is good I think if I could just stabilize eating a bit more. I am not totally unhappy with where I am but I know I could be more fit if I just ate a bit better so that is what keeps driving me. I know I could do more.

Someone needs to come out with a baby workout thing where you can like heft the kiddo like weights or something. Seriously I have 17lbs of workout right here?!?!! I do like tossing him in the air and catching him (with just a little space between him and my hands) and it does work out the triceps and biceps but maybe like a baby leg press or something? Baby Situp? Oh I also have been sitting him on my tummy and doing butt lifts which make him giggle.

 

[phoenixgirl]

Hi ladies.

I seem to have kept on and added to the weight I gained over my July 4 beach week, so now I'm a solid 20 pounds from pre-pregnancy weight, which is frustrating. On one hand, I'm working out at about 2/3 the intensity and frequency of before having a baby, so I guess the weight gain makes sense, but on the other hand, I am working out 4-5 times a week. I'm doing weight-training and cardio and running 2 or 3 miles at a time, so I guess I'm frustrated that I'm not seeing results for that effort. I'm a mom now; I don't think I'll ever be able to work out as much as before (at least until kid/s are in school), but I feel like what I'm doing should be good for something. Right???

Anyway, I have had an epiphany regarding my eating habits. My approach to healthy living pre-pregnancy was simply to make the most healthy choice every day, with tiny little treats to spice things up. I realized that my eating now hasn't been terrible, but it also hasn't been very good, and the tiny little treats had turned into snacking on chocolate all day long. So I decided to start thinking like I used to (turning down donuts or cupcakes instead of eating them just because they're there; choosing vegetarian options or fruit or fish or whatever instead of whatever sounded the juiciest), and it seems to have worked so far. All of a sudden I don't feel like eating sweets. I guess it's the whole idea that eating sugar begets craving sugar. DH and I went out to dinner on Friday and we split a cauliflower appetizer and I had an eggplant dinner, and I didn't even feel like dessert.

I'm hoping that this paradigm shift will get me on the right track. I'm not going to count or restrict calories, especially now while I'm stilling BFing. In the past I found that filling up on good foods when I was hungry meant that I didn't have to track.

I also want to return to being the PG who is full of energy. I've been sitting on my butt a lot, which isn't helping things. Yes, I'm exercising a respectable amount, but I'm less active the rest of the day than I used to be. I know I said in a previous post that I want to be limber again.

On that note, every 9 months or so I start to get foot/joint pain and I think I'm aging or there's something wrong with me . . . please remind me in 9 months that I just need new running shoes! Seriously, I'm a whole new woman now.

I had a bout with allergies last week that kept me from being active, but now I'm back on track. I'm hopeful that my changes will see some results. I know I'm holding on to some of this fat until I quit BFing, but I believe there's 5 to 10 pounds I could lose healthily before then, so that's my goal.

A lot of us in the northern hemisphere are experiencing very warm weather right now, but let's keep up the good work. Fall is right around the corner!