Need to Know How to Loose Wight and Stretch Marks.

Hi H.!

You need a good Personal Trainer! My husband helped me shed the baby pounds and I fit into my old jeans! You can have Olivia right there with you watching Mommy get fit! His rates are very affordable. Call or email: ###-###-####, ____@____.com

I have lost about 50 pounds since my daughter was born. I go to the gym about 4 times a week and eat healthy for the most part. The more I work out the less I eat fattening foods. The kids also love to get out and play with other kids at the gym.

Hi there! A girl friend of mine has really icky looking stretch marks covering her slim waistline that she got about 11 years ago when she had her daughter. She never showed her belly and me being a girl didn't blame her. She used Mederma, sold at Walmart, regularly morning and evening and after a month they really were hardly even noticable. So, I used it just after my baby and they went away, now I am having #2 and will use it.

For me it was two things...
Using Strivectin (which I will admit is Obnoxiously priced) and also joining a mom's group. I've met lots of moms in my own age range and have gotten some exercise buddies. Much cheaper than joining a gym and buddies always push you harder than if you go it alone.
I'm a part of Greater Lewisville Mothers and More.

Weight Watchers is definately the way to go! If you can go to the meetings, you should definately do that at first...for the motivation and also the knowledge. It is a wonderful program that teaches you how to eat REAL food, not pre-packaged stuff.

Hi H.,
I found that working out at home to a DVD worked best for me. I started off with an exercise program with other moms called baby bootcamp which was great but i found it was easier for me to stay at home because i could do it when my baby was sleeping and i didn't have to spend the extra time it took to pack everything up and get to the location and stress about her mood. I didn't think i would have the dicipline but once you start and see the results it is motivating. I used a pilates DVD and it has given me great results very fast.
Good luck and have fun with whatever you choose!

I went to Spa O2 in Frisco and got on the Optifast program. It was great. I lost my goal weight of 24 pounds in 7 weeks. It costs a little bit of money but it really works. My sister did it, also. And, a friend at church is doing it now. If you're serious, this is the quickest way to do it and to keep it off.

As for stretchmarks, there's really nothing you can do. They'll fade a little over time, but they'll never go completely away.

For weight loss, I highly recommend Weight Watchers. I did it to lose baby weight, and I ended up thinner than I'd ever been in my life. And I still am! I had very little time to work out (about once a week), but I found that I had really incredible results without exercise. Changing my diet alone worked. And, I was able to earn extra "points" (which really means eat more food!) because I was breastfeeding.

I had tried pre-baby to lose weight and was never really successful. I knew how to eat healthy, it just never seemed to translate to weight loss. Once I started journaling and really committed to Weight Watchers, I lost a lot of weight. My husband also committed to it this summer and lost 40lbs!

We both used the online program, because neither of us had the time or desire to go to meetings.

Good for you for thinking about this now!
I am only just now able to focus on my body now that my youngest is nearly 2 and we're certain we're done with having kids. It has been nearly 5 years since I had any sort of fitness routine. It has taken me 4 months of work to get into my pre-baby slacks (that's before the first baby -- who is about to be 4!).
Weight-loss after a baby is the same as weight loss any other time. There's no magic pill, at least not for keeping it off for good -- exercise, portion control, cut out sweets. The only difference is if you are breastfeeding. You need extra calories to maintain your milk supply. Weight watchers has a plan for nursing moms that a friend used and was very successful on.

Stretch marks are yours to keep, dear. Start saving now for your laser surgery. Maybe it could be your 40th birthday present. Or even your 30th since you're so young! Just make sure you're done having kids first :-)

It honestly takes about 2 years for your body to get back to "normal" after a baby. Yes, there are women who are slithering into size 6 (or smaller) jeans before their maternity leave is over, but they were likely pretty fit or toned to begin with, and even they will say that their bodies are just different after kids.

As far as eating -- stop when you're full and don't keep sugary junk around the house. Sugar turns straight to fat if you don't burn it off, and even then it's empty calories. If you're putting something in your mouth, it's good to make sure it has at least SOME nutritional value, especially if you're cutting back. Every bite should count for something!
This doesn't mean you don't eat ANY fun foods, but you should be more mindful of them.

If you want to start an exercise program, don't try to do everything at once. First concentrate on developing the habit, then increase the intensity. For a month, take a walk for half an hour at least 4 days a week (In my experience, 3 days a week is good, but it won't bring any changes to your physique -- it will only maintain what you have). The baby can ride along in a stroller. You can work up to a jog by jogging for 2 minutes, then adding 2 minutes of jogging time every few days. You might want to set a goal of something like being able to have a 30-minute run without feeling like it kills you.

If you can afford it, join a local fitness center. I just joined one in Denton for just $35/month. It's great because the employees and trainers offer advice and I can still work out when the weather is bad. They have free childcare so the kids come along too.
Good luck!

Sally Beauty sells a lotion called Dermactin-TS (a knock-off of a much more expensive brand) that helps stretch marks fade. There isn't a miracle lotion to make them disappear, but this really helped me. I used it on the stretch marks on my thighs right after I had the baby, and they faded very fast. I didn't use it on by breasts until I was finished nursing 6 months later (just to be safe), and the stretch marks started fading soon after. Hope this helps!

I didn't get stretchmarks until the very last week of pregnancy. You can imagine how disappointed I was. I didnt do anything to prevent them. However, after my son was born,I began to and still apply Vitamin E oil every time I go to the bathroom. I also rub in skin lightening cream every night and now you can hardly see my stretchmarks. :)
You can either buy the Vitamin E capsules and break them to get the oil out, or buy the little bottle of Vitamin E oil. They usually sell them at Walgreens or CVS.
The creams(such as Palmer's) did not work for me.
As for weight loss(and if you're not nursing), the Special K diet sounds great.

Hi H. hope you and lil Olivia are doing great and enjoying each other.

As for the weight. I have tried everything and it just did not work for me.

I then saw the 6 Week Makeover program on tv and realized it was the same program my husband had bought and never used it.

The program is basically a high protein, no fat, no salt, and no dairy and very low fat for 1st 6 weeks and the exercise is very simple and quick to do.

I went from 167 to 150 in a about 7 weeks myself.

Call me if you want at ###-###-#### and I can tell you what the foods are for your body type etc..

Also I exercise( walk) in place when I put gas in my car, each time I go to the bathroom at work, I stand in place and walk 50 steps in place. If you are standing in line at the store etc.. do bun tightning exercises, hold your stomach in, when I lay in bed I do leg lifts, made a deal with myself that if I am going to watch a movie, I must exercise for 15 minutes of it by simply walking in place, take deep breaths, drink water, drink water, drink water, drink water at least 100 ounces a day....which equates to 5 of those bottles of 20 ounce bottles of soft drinks.

It may sound like you can't eat anything but trust me you will have more than enough food to eat.

Call me on ###-###-#### or ###-###-#### ... I am NOT selling this 6 week makeover. I just happened to use it and it works.

My meals consisted of chicken tenders, salad, sweet potatoe or 1/2 cup of rice for lunch etc... and for breakgast... eggs with hash browns..etc.. just do NOT use grease or fat to cook them... I do NOT use sugar etc..

I slimmed down and can't say I really exercised much either...

Take care.

E.

Weight Watchers is the only thing that has worked for me. It is easy and you dont feel deprived

Hi H.
I can sympathize! I weighed more on my 6 week check up after having my almost 2 yr old than i did when i had her!! anyway, i lost my weight with Arbonne's weight loss products. they are wonderful. i am a consultnat if you'd like more info i can provide it. i weigh less now than i did when i got pregnant!
they provide energy and appetite suppressant, w/o harsh stimulants. they are safe and the shakes taste great. they also have a 45 day guarantee on them. Here is a website to take a peek: http://www.gofigure8.com

Let me know if you'd like to try them.... as far as the stretch marks... well Arbonne has a great product to prevent them, but I haven't heard of anything that will take them away. except maybe laser surgery!

Thanks and make it a great day!
J.

I use Palmers cocoa butter massage lotion for stretch marks everyday. You did not mention how old your baby is, but stretch marks do fade over time, and I feel that this lotion has helped. You can get it a Target.

There are some mommy and me workout options around Dallas, motherhood and pea in the pod offer yoga classes. Northpark has a mommy and me workout class in the mornings. You could also get a workout DVD for home, you could either do while your baby is sleeping or there are some that include the baby as well. Now that the weather is nice, you could also start walking.

Curves is a great place for new mom's to work out because you meet other moms and the work-out is only 30 minutes.
www.curves.com

For strech marks: Avon has a cream that works for those. You HAVE to use it regularly in order to see results. I had a 10 pound baby boy when I was 22... I had bad SM all over my stomach, hips, butt and thights. Using the cream after my shower in the morning and before I went to bed REally helped!

i have found that the special k cereal diet worked for me and it does not cost alot. you dont have to use special k cereal but others work just as well. cereal for breakfast and lunch and normal to light dinner. and water during the day. i have lost 30 pds in a month.. i hope this helps you i know it did for me...
good luck

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As far as the stretch marks go, unless they are minimal I'm afraid you are stuck with those. Tanning does help them become less visible though. The weight loss...have you thought about joining the YMCA? They have daycare. My kids are all teenagers so I don't have the daycare issue, but I am a member of the Y and have just started going (like I should've been for the last year), anyway, also cutting out all sugar, especially sodas will help. Crystal light is really good. When I really put my mind to it I can drink that instead of soda. I think soda is just a "habit" for me. Drink lots of water (I don't but your suppose to) Stay away from fast food too. If you're young, you shouldn't have too much trouble if you diet and exercise. When I was in my 20's I didn't have trouble losing weight at all, now I'm 37 and it is horrible. It takes a couple of days to put on 10 pounds and a couple of months to lose it! Anyway, good luck, I hope some of this information helps.

My daughter works out at Lady of America in Rockwall and she takes my grandson with her. They have a daycare there for the children and my grandson loves it. They have video cameras set up so that when the moms are working out, they can see their little ones. My daughter loves that. They also have a Lady of America in Rowlett and it provides the same as far as daycare. My daughter also got together with a girlfriend and they put the kids in strollers and walked at a local high school track when the weather permitted. It's going to take some time, but it will happen. Be patient and be good to yourself!

stretchmarks will eventually fade some but they'll never go away. It's genetic unfortunately.

As far as losing the weight... lots of options, exercise, portion control, weight watchers... I've done all and had great success losing my weight. Took until my son was 2 years old... but I got it off! :) Good luck.

Stretch marks will fade with time. My son is almost 2 and I can't notice mine anymore.
The baby weight was another story for me.I joined LA Weight Loss program and took me about 5 months to loose 40 lb...Well the results vary so it can be easier for you. Just a quick advise though - if you decide to go with them /cost some money/ you don't need to buy additional supplements/b/c they will tell you have to-just ignore it/, just stick to the meal plan and exercise.
Good luck!

Hey H.! I know exactly what you are going thru! I am 25 and i have a 5 week old baby girl-Hailey. I am struggling with the weight since i have not been cleared yet-waiting for my 6 week post-partum check up-to excercise. It is supposed to be great weather this week so ihave vowed to walk 1.5 miles 2x daily this week, hopefully this will help. As for the stretch marks-i hate mine, i had a beautiful stomach before my baby and now i can't even look at it. If you find anything to clear them up let me know because i haven't. You should find someone to walk with, another stay at home mom. I stay at home too but haven't found anyone yet. Well, goodluck--J.