Fat to Fab

Sounds just like me...5 ft 4, 110 before first baby. 180 after first. Took three years to get back to...135. That's as low as I got, but I felt good. Then, baby number two...back to 180...and right now, she's 15 months old and I'm only down to 160.

It's just about finding balance...eat a little better, exercise a little more. Motivation is the hardest thing with young children around, but what finally helped after my first was realizing how great I felt when I got some decent exercise, and making it convenient. Stroller walks with friends, sessions with an exercise ball in front of the TV at night.

This time around, I just cannot find the motivation. I hate how I look, I hate that clothes don't fit, but with everything going on with this baby (lots of stuff, I won't even get into it) I just literally haven't had the time OR the motivation. It doesn't help that my husband really enjoys the extra weight (seems to all be in the chest and butt/hips.) :)

The best thing, though, for me, was how great I felt getting into clothes I used to wear. When the day FINALLY comes that a pair of jeans fits "again" it just feels so good.

I'm with you.

The way I feel in cute clothes keeps me motivated! I refuse to buy bigger sizes and I don't own a scale, so they're my measure and motivation.

I once saw a magnet that said "nothing tastes as good as thin feels" HAHA! It's true. Once you get rolling w/the exercise thing it becomes addictive bc you just feel so much better, stronger, and more energetic.

Good luck to you!

I dropped 100lbs in 2 years by walking at least 5 miles a day. Eating normally. Just walking. Easy. Maintainable. Not a lot of sweat required.

The pattern for me goes like this: Loss for a month or three... plateau (yay! my "normal" is resetting itself!!! I've learned to never, ever, ever "push" through plateaus. If I push through a plateau, my weight will yo-yo because my body hasn't had a time to "adjust" to it's new 'normal'.) for a month or two. Loss for a month or two. Plateau for a month or three. Just keep walking, Forest.

I dropped another 50 in 6 mo by adding on doing fun stuff. Swimming, snowboarding, sailing, sex (and probably some other stuff that starts with S. Actually the sex had been there all along, but it's a fun thing that starts with S! So I just had to add it in). Also the eliptical for 1-2 hours a night (my apt had a gym. The gym had a Tv. When I wanted to watch a movie, I'd head over there at night and run while watching it (about the only way to make the gym tolerable for me is to be completely elsewhere in my mind.

I was on my last 30 ((I gained 180 while pregnant)) when my husband's affair was outed. Lovely. Also kicked into high gear in school. Had to choose between A's and "fun" time. Gain weight both through the affair and school. Totally about 35-40 lbs. Which leaves me at 70 to lose again. I've been hangin out at 70 over for a few years out of depression and sheer lack of time. I said 'screw it' and started for broke 2 years ago. No budge. WHY? WELL...This year I hurt my back, then tore my shoulder, then it's been 5 months of my son being sick. No time. But it'll happen. Pretty easily as soon as I have the blasted TIME to do so again.

Sometimes life just happens, and no amount of motivation will change that. My priorities this year haven't been for weight loss.

((I should add... I'm 6 feet 1 inch. 30lbs on me is one pants size. So even though I'm 70 over where I wanna be, I'm only 2 sizes off where I want to be.))

With my 2nd pregnancy. I'm 5'6 pre-prego weight 140; after pregnancy 290. My motivation to lose the weight, I bought two sexy dresses. Gave myself two years to lose the weight due to breastfeeding a year, epidural gave me nerve damage & hip dislocated and had to get therapy from my chiropractor. I ate right (tracked food on mypyramid.gov), did everything used our treadmill, eliptical, etc. used workout dvds (taebo, pilates, yoga, gilad, dancing, jane fonda etc.) got a jogging stroller to run around the park and to jog to the store, got my husband to take ballroom dancing with me...etc. Now its 2 years later and I went from 290 lbs to 159 lbs. only the last 19 lbs to be lost this summer.

Stay motivated by keeping your focus on something you want to achieve. Yes, i'm in the dresses. You can do it!

I'm not sure how to motivate, but what I do know is the best thing to take the weight off is running!!! It's easy too - all you need is a pair of sneakers. I was never a runner until I had my kids, so starting was not easy. I could only run for a couple of minutes and then had to walk. I actually started out on a treadmill, so I could watch the time better. But a wrist watch would work too. Begin by running 2 minutes, walking 3. Go for 30 minutes. Gradually change it to running 3, walking 2, - then running 5, walking 2, etc. I remember getting up to running 10 minutes, walking 2, and I felt fabulous! Now, I'm up to running straight for about 40 minutes and then I walk for a few to cool down. You can do it too! And running will melt those pounds off. Good luck :)

I gained 60lbs with my pregnancy. Worked hard starting about 6 months after he was born to lose. I did workout video's every day and ate healthier foods and smaller portions. I was still breastfeeding and the weight just melted off! YAY!!

When I stopped BF'ing I gained 15lbs back. Recently I started a new program that I love. Interval training (google HIIT high intensity interval training) makes a big difference in the way your body burns off energy. It helps prevent plateau's. Basicially you work as hard as you can for 1min rest for 20sec, and repeat for 15min. Short workouts that burn lots of calories.

I also am doing 20min of strength training so while I haven't really lost the "weight" I've lost a lot of fat and I'm looking better than I ever have...I have a 6pack for the first time ever!!

I try to workout every day. 3 days a week I do a real easy workouts for my active rest days. Usually I do 10min warm up (lots of stretching), 15-30min HIIT workout, 5min rest, 20-30min strength training, 10min cool down. I get up at 5:30 and workout out before my son gets up. I usually like to spend 60-80min total on my workouts (including warm up, rest, and cool down)

I eat better than I EVER have. I eat 5 times a day, one serving of lean protein (chicken, turkey, fish, low fat cottage cheese, greek yogurt, nuts, beans, no red meat or pork), 2 servings of veggies, and if I have a carb (usually with only 1-2meals) its a complex carb. (oatmeal, quinoa, couscous) Occationally I slip in a simple carb (pasta, bread, potato, rice, etc) and if I do its a very small portion.

PM me if you're interested in the program I'm doing and I can give you more info!

Good Luck!!