He's 5 Months and I'm Still FAT

It took you 9 months to put the weight on and it will take you more than 1 day to take it off. It takes time.

check out www.sparkpeople.com. Its a completely free website, the owner made millions by selling his dot com and now does Sparkpeople as a way of paying it forward. The site provides a tailored nutrition and fitness plan to fit your particular needs and schedule, as well as support teams to help with any specific issues. (there's also sister site for pregnancy).

But mostly enjoy your your little baby and this special time of nursing and closeness. Get lots of sleep, eat healthy. You're doing the best possible thing for your baby and yourself.

You have time to exercise. It takes 30 minutes a day. :) I work 25 hours per week/have two kids/ and I go to school full time. It's difficult, but I def make time for working out.

Eat six SMALL meals a day. Stay with things high in protein and vitamins. Stay away from refined foods. Drink plenty of water. I know how to eat very healthy on dimes. If you want ideas, let me know.

If you don't do cardio, you'll never lose the weight. Do cardio 5-6 times a week and lift weights 2-3 times a week. I can give you simple exercises to do at home with small weights you can purchase at Wal-Mart. Push ups, lunges, squats, sit ups are also very good exercises, but you have to do sets of each to really get a work out.

HTH!

I worked with a personal trainer last year and he recommends that everyone eat 5-6 times a day. With this you want to eat every 3 hours (no longer than 3.5 hours between meals). This helps to increase your metabolism and give you more energy. I ate meat(for protein) at every meal and bread & fruit the first three meals of the day and vegies (no bread) the last three meals of the day. It seemed like I ate all day long but I did lose weight, had more energy and felt healthier!
You also need to do weights 2-3 times a week and some form of cardio at least 3 times a week up to 6x/wk.

Arbonne international has great weight loss products to help. They have protein shakes, fiber shakes, snack chews (like eating candy), supplement, tea and a new energy drink. I'd be happy to help you get some products if you want to give them a try.

I can also give you the eating list that my trainer gave me. The great thing about it was I chose what I ate, not the trainer.

Good luck!
D. :-)

Breatfeeding when done correctly will allow you to lose weight but you have to eat the proper portions of the correct foods on a schedule and not all day long. I even drank a bottle of beer a day when nursing and lost weight. I had my daughter in March and wore a bikini in June and was still nursing. Everyone puts on and takes off weight differently. Your size 6 may be a thing of the past. Just lose weight and have a normal shape not a stick thin model look. Get a dress a size that fits for the wedding and forget about it. It's only a wedding and continue to lose the weight correctly. Go out and take baby for a walk in the stroller for 30 minutes a day (that will help you with the weight). Become more active in your home with cleaning and such you will lose weight. Good luck.

Don't worry too much about the weight, eat healthy and get plenty of rest. Focus on your baby and not the weight. As far as the wedding...dresses come in big sizes too. Some people like women with curves. Good luck.

Look at it this way, it took 9 long months to put it on and a lot of body changes along the way. It WILL come off but you are going to have to exercise, that is the only way. Maybe 2 times a day for 15 minutes a time would be a good start. Can you join a gym where they have child care? At least it would be a positive outing. I know it is not easy. Good luck.

I have a friend that just delivered #9. She is back into her pre pregnancey (her 1st pre pregnancy) weight and size. The baby is 3 months old and she had a csection. She joins a gym and gets after it. So, I know it can be done. If she can do it, we can all do it. I need to do it too. LOL

Weight Watchers worked great for my best friend while she was nursing. THey have a point system for nursing moms. She has kept it off and her baby is two now. You can also do WW online at weightwatchers.com. Good Luck!

9 months on and 9 months off. I nursed too and I didn't notice a change until closer to 7 months. After a year it was all off. I don't know how much weight you gained (I unfortunately gained close to 70 pounds), but it does take a while to safely lose it. If you're looking to lose a lot of weight in just a few months, I don't know how you could do that in a healthy way. It takes time, but it will come off especially if you avoid junk, fatty foods, etc.

Weight watchers. I have lost 40lbs 3x on it. They also have a plan for nursing mothers. I never exercise and still lost the weight. Some people need to work out but not everyone so it is worth a try!

I had 6 pregnancies from age 31 to 41 two of them were multiple births resulting in 9 children under 10. (now they are 16-6) Go out and buy or borrow "good calories bad calories" by Gary Taubes He reviews all the literature on diets from the last 160 years. Since your kids are in diapers, skip to page 454 where he lays it all out. Inulin is the culprit for our weight gain. We don't lose weight because we eat carbs. Carbs drive up our insulin levels and cause fat storage. I have stayed thin eating protein and avoiding concentrated carbohydrates. Nothing (not even chocolate) taistes as good as thin feels. I have an MD from Harvard and this guys book is true.

I can totally sympathize! I had 2 babies nearly back to back and losing weight while nursing seemed impossible. Now that my 5 month old is on strictly formula & baby food I am on a low calorie diet and have lost 8 lbs in 1 week (only about 25 more to go UGH.) I think while you're nursing and needing the extra 500 calories or so a day it's best to just eat what you and baby need. There will be time afterwards to lose weight... And trust me, if you're like me being "fat" for that long will be the only motivation you need.

Keep up the walking and eating right and I'm sure the weight will fly off of you when it's time. Until then, just be healthy!

Congratulations J. on your little bundle of joy.

I agree with Kim and Daniel. You shouldn't eat all the time but you should eat the right foods to keep your milk supply. You should also burn off some of the calories you are taking in. YOu can't just eat and not exercise. I'm afraid the go hand and hand. Strength training (with your doctor's approval) is great for revving up your metabolism and burning fat. Remember building muscle actually burns fat.

Proper nutrition and exercise is the key. Drink plenty of water (half of your body weight) and sleep will also help your body.

Blessings
M.

Despite what the experts might say, I personally could not lose the weight while nursing (but I don't think you should stop nursing to try to lose weight). I exercised regularly and ate healthily (like you suggest you are), but I think mother nature wants you to keep a certain amount of body fat to produce that milk to keep that baby healthy. It is also very individual as to whether you can lose weight without exercising - I absolutely cannot. Your first step should be to get a full physical and make sure they check your thyroid - childbirth can trigger an autoimmune thyroid disorder. I didn't learn I was hypothyroid until my baby was 8, but that could well have been why I couldn't lose the weight (and I was a petite size 6 before pregnancy).

Hey! I wanted to send you a link to the wonderful program that I've started. I finished my 9 day program a couple of weeks ago and lost 7 pounds in 9 just days. This morning, I started my 30 day program and hope to lose at least 15-20 additional pounds after 30 days. When I was first introduced to Isagenix, I was very leary b/c I figured it was just another "diet", but once I actually completed the program, I found that it truly works and is also good for you! Take a look:

http://theangelapate.isagenix.com

There's a reason it takes 9 months to put on the weight! Our bodies were designed to make extra fat stores while pregnant to sustain our breastmilk production for at least a year. The weight will fall off but over time. Your body is just trying to produce the best breastmilk it can so it holds on to some fat instead of shedding it all instantly!

P.S my daughter is 11 months and I'm still fat too!!