H.C.
Hi there! We have all been there, so you are not alone... the best, most succesful way to lose weight is to change your lifestyle. Its hard the first two weeks, but it becomes easier as you get used to it, much like after you brought that baby home 9 months ago! If we can handle childbirth and child rearing, then we can do anything!! First, set a realistic goal... 16 lbs is realistic. Second, go through your pantry and rid it of bad snacks... chips, candy, soda, etc. and REPLACE it with good stuff (ranch flavored rice cakes and Smartfood popcorn are delicious!). Also get rid of your butter, vegetable oils, etc and REPLACE it with olive oil. Third, while cooking/preparing foods, cut all oil, butter (if you must) in half and REPLACE it with other agents, like egg whites, pasta water (for yummy pasta sauce), chicken stock, wine, seasonings, etc. There are a plethora of great cookbooks out there to help you along (Cook Yourself Thin is my new favorite!). The main thing is not to remove thigns from your life, but just replace them! Last, you need to move your body. The american heart association says you should do 30 minutes of cardio several times a week, but you can break that up into three different ten minute sessions, if thats easier. Keep in mind that this will keep your heart healthy, but for weight loss you need to add resistance and do some weight training. I follow several shows on Fit TV (verizon Fios channel 163, I think... I just record them on my DVR) like any shows with Gilad or Sharon Mann, they are all 30 minutes to an hour and are FREE and are very helpful, no lugging your baby to the gym! I also try to do yoga once a week (I follow a show on Fit TV for that too!) and, with all of the above practices was able to lose the weight from both babies! also, go see your doctor for a complete physical... that will help you determine what you need to do.
The key to all of this is to go a little "hard core" about it when you begin and you have a "goal date" then, once you hit that goal, you can relax a bit and maintain a low fat, low calorie diet. I am in the maintenance mode now and it feels good to be aware of what I put in my body BUT I love the occasional splurge and the lack of guilt that comes with it, because I deserve the splurge now! I went from working out five dyas a weekt o three and I really enjoy the working out now that I found programs that I like and I understand what it is doing to my body. If you need more motivation (which it sounds like you dont) do the Real Age test at realage.com... that was my big eye opener!! It said I was 6 years old than I am!