Overweight and Not Happy

Go buy the lesslie sansone cd and start walking. i lost 46 lbs on it and you can do it in 30 min at home and it is wonderful!
good luck
T.

I have heard the same thing as Kristy wrote (that it's best to eat small, healthy meals and snacks throughout the day instead of one large meal at night). This is what I usually do and my metabolism seems to be very fast; and when I think about various people I know and their eating habits, those who are thinner tend to be the ones who eat small amounts throughout the day. It might be worth a try.

J., I totally understand you. my daughter is two and I still have the 50lbs if baby weight. I tried weight watchers and its great, I do not go to the meetings because they get expensive but if you have friends or relatives that can support you even if they do not do weight watchers its great. I'm a working mom so I'm always on the go and the program teaches healthy eating habits and portion control. If you like we can begin an online group and keep in contact through email, etc. good luck!

I'm sure you got a million great tips-no time to read, but I had to add 2 cents.

Eat BREAKFAST! And make sure it includes protien. Make it easy and fast: Whole grain cereal, lowfat milk, walnuts and berries added in. There, you got a yummy bowl full of nut and milk protein, whole grains, fresh fruit (natural sugar boost) If you don't have any nuts, eat an egg or two before the cereal.

Eat a healthy snack mid morning-again with protein, apple slices with cheese, etc.

Eat a filling healthy lunch. NOT JUST A SALAD! But if you do have a salad, make sure it is filling with cheese chunks or chicken or pasta in it to be filling and add protein-NO STORE BOUGHT FATTY CHEMICAL DRESSING-olive oil and balsamic vinegar to boost veggies and save calories and they are healthy. Have a big healthy sandwich on whole grain bread with some turkey, or tuna salad with olive oil instead of mayo with veggies added. Make sure it's filling and yummy. Eat an afternoon snack.

OK??!!! Start with that! Your metabolism will speed up dealing with the healthy food and not starving early in the day. The protein will keep your blood leveled out for energy. Plus, if you've eaten well all day, you won't feel like blowing it on a bad dinner. Eat light at dinner, or at least "health-i-fy" your meals: Burger on white bun with chemical instant fries and katsup: = smaller hormone free beef patty or buffalo meat with a mixed green salad and hand made potato fries baked in olive oil, with rosemary-no katsup!!!!....no bun, or a piece of whole grain bread...NO KATSUP!!!! Use mustard and a tiny bit of natural Hellmans.

Don't dwell on what you can't eat, jsut add healthy things so there is no room for bad things, extra fat and chemicals. DON"T EAT AT NIGHT after dinner. Period.

Doing this alone you will see results, and stepping up your exercise will help drastically, but even by taking out the bad and feeding your body nourishing, metabolism boosting foods and not letting your metabolism drop by starving will start the be-bloating process.

My best friend is thin as a rail and eats healthy things all day long starting with a big breakfast immediately when she wakes up and chases her kids all around. NO gym, no effort. I have a harder time, but have dropped the weight after first two kids right away, and am already losing weight 2 weeks after a c-section with no exercise just by cutting the night snacks and making sure EVERYTHING I eat is healthy.

You can do it!!! 50 pounds is not that bad-I gained 60 for my first 2 and have 30 this time...You can do it, you'll be getting a little better every day-no hurry! You'll have more energy too with the good food in your system. Drink lots of water!!!!!!

HI J.-
i understand your frustration. and i work with people like this all the time to get a better handle on nutrition and getting that weight off and keeping it off. I ffer mini nutrition boot camp classes and one is starting in august! i also do one-on-one sessions helping clients understand what they are supposed to do and help them implement the new menu plan into their schedule. part of what i do is also test you for your basal metabolic rate which indicates how many calories your body burns daily doing nothing. so that way you can put a plan together based on YOUR caloric needs to help you lose wieght from fat not lean muscle.
let me know if yo wnat more info. i have also worked with clients who are doing Weight Watchers at teh same time. they can work together!
J.
nutriton coach
www.nutrition-in-motion.net
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J., I can relate. I'm overweight as well, and think I'm pretty active, but can seem to shake the weight either. I've been successful in the past with loosing weight, but put it back on, and have kept it on since the birth of my son almost two years ago. One thing that caught me eye about your message was that you said you don't eat most of the day. I think the first thing you need to try and do, is to get you metabolism up. The easiest way to do that it so eat several small meals/snacks during the day. When I lost my weight I ate breakfast, then a snack. Lunch, then a snack. Dinner and then a small healthy snack no later than two hours before bed. By eating several small meals you will be forcing your body to continually burn calories. If you don't eat all day, and only eat one meal, your body will actually store fat. (crazy huh)
I'm no expert by any means...that's just what has worked for me in the past.
My mother-in-law has recently had great success with Weight-Watchers as well. I've heard really good things about loosing weight naturally and keeping it off. Good Luck.

Hi J.,
If you are in an area where you can walk - pop them into a stoller and start walking. A block or two - at an even clip and then add on another block. The fresh air is good for them and the walking is good for you. If you live in town and can walk to the post office one day and the drug store another day - try to make it a routine.

Weigh watcher is a great program to get you on track with your eating. Easy to follow and oh so healthy. If you don't have the time and/or money to do that - go the the library and get a eating guide. Don't look for an easy and quick weigh loss - you need good nutrition to keep up with your children. More vegetables and fruits - and plenty of water.
Good luck - we are behind you and cheering you on!

Here are some tips for you:

First-do you REALLY not eat all day? or do you graze off the kid's plates? If you are like me-you will take a little of what you feed them. A handful of goldfish here, crusts from grilled cheese there, etc., etc. These BLTs(bites, licks and tastes) really add up. These are not adult diet-friendly foods either. So, stop with the BLTS (if that is what you are doing) Also-I have found that being a SAHM really increases the chances of gaining weight. From the blts to the stress eating to the just being close enough to the kitchen all day. Before kids I had no problems at all in the office environment.

You have to eat meals! Never go all day without a meal. This lowers your blood sugar and sets you up for binges. Start with breakfast. Thes meal is 100% NECESSARY for losing weight. Study after study has proven this. Get Thomas' whole grain Light muffins (100 cals) spread with a little natural PB, or a scrambled egg. So dlish and will fill you and give you energy.

Make a big salad at the beginning of the week. I know its a pain but do it. (if you have a Costco this is the best place for cheap veggies-split with a neighbor if you need to because of the large amount)Then grill some chicken breasts. This combo makes an excellent lunch or dinner and is SO healthy(no fatty dressings though) If you have it in the fridge it will only take a second to put together. Toss with a little olive oil and vinegar for extra health boost.

Buy some lean turkey lunch meat (no bologna, chipped ham, beef) Put on whole wheat pita or light bread. Another good meal.

DO not drink ANY calories. Liquid calories are the worst. Studies have shown that they do not fill you up as much as the same amount of solid calories would. If you drink soda-try to switch to ice water. (I gave up diet coke and it only took a week to get to the point where I prefer water)If you must booze-go light. Also remember that when there is alcohol in your body that is what your body burns instead of fat.

Exercise is great but it is secondary to diet in losing weight. But do try to get a little exercise. Join a gym that has childcare. I did this when my kids were little and it was the BEST thing. It was win-win. They enjoyed their friends they made there and I got an hours peace and quiet and the benefit of exercise. I bet there is a gym around you that will give you a trial week. DO IT!! You can do anything for one week. and then hopefully you will stay with it.

Good luck J.. I know it isn't easy-especially with kids as little as yours are. You are young and it should definitely come off. I would also suggest that you view it more as a lifestyle than a diet and before you know it you will be where you want to be.

weight watchers! i lost 20lbs in 3 months so easily! it really makes you think about what you eat and the pounds fall off. i also go to the ymca. it is $48 a month for the entire family and they takes your children for up to 2 hours. i am down 2 sizes and back into prepregnancy clothes. i really feel like my old self...now only if my belly skin would shrink too! good luck, whatever path you take!

You are absolutely not alone. I gained 54 lbs during my pregnancy, so after baby I ended up being 40 lbs over pre-pregnancy weight and 60 lbs over my goal weight. Weight Watchers is the only thing that works for me. I love the program- it's very easy to follow. So far I've lost almost 30 lbs.

I also struggle with exercise- I've never liked it and can find every excuse in the book not to do it. The one thing I will do is go for walks with my baby in the stroller. I do a brisk walk for 30-45 min. on the days that the weather is nice enough. I enjoy walking and it's great to get out of the house and get fresh air. I also have the Wii Fit.

It can be a long road, but hang in there- it will happen.

You said so many things that I have said myself. I run around all day and I'm exhausted at the end of the day but it just isn't the same as exercise. I used to have similar eatting habbits too. You are so crazy chasing kids or feeding them or helppping or teaching or playing that to sit and eat someing just doesn't happen. About a month ago, I started fixing myself a "green smothie" in the morning and sometime for lunch too. It sounds aweful and smells a little funny too but they are surprisingly good. If you want to hear more you can e-mail me through mamasource. Or you can google "green smoothie". I feel more healthy, I'm less irritable and it is so easy to make and then you just sip on it while you are doing the dishes or picking up the toys or feedding someone. (I have 3 busy little ones so I have to do what I can to take care of my self).
Another wonderful thing I did for myself was to join a Mom group. I like "Mothers and More" Check on-line to see if there is a chpter in your area. We recently started working out at a local park together. We take the kids and they ride bikes or sit in strolers while we walk then they play on blankets while we follow some strengthening exercises from a fitness magazine. Each person does what they can and we take turns helping the little ones as needed.
I wish you all the best. Good luck!
R.

I did Weight Watchers after college and dropped 35 pounds in no time! Don't think you can do it online, you really need those meetings for support.

Some other tips that helped me. Write down EVERYTHING you eat, and add up the calories at the end of the day. You can find calorie counts online for almost anything, measure and see what you are really eating. Find out how many calories you need to LOSE, then follow that. It is a sure fire way to do it! If this is too much for you, I recommend WW.

I also have to lose 50 pounds. I started using the Slim Fast program since I don't have time in the morning to make breakfast before work and I am in my car all day with my job. It works well for me and so far I lost 7 pounds in 4 weeks. Check out their website. I found it easy and less time consuming to follow than WW although I have done that in the past and loved that program as well. This just fits my lifestyle better now. Good luck. Since your children are small you can put them in a stroller for walks too. That will get your exercise in daily. Just a 30 min walk a day!

Best way to loose weight is to eat three meals a day and 3 snacks a day. Drink plenty of water but no more than 16oz in one go.

Get to bed on time even if the house is falling apart. Before 11p.m. would be perfect. Get up early before the kids to center your day and work on the inside.

Look on the back of nutritional labels ans see what a serving size is. I found I was eating way more than the serving size. If you eat only what the serving size say on each thing you will be eating more around what you should. I was shocked to say the least at how little I actually need to eat as opposed to what I want to eat!

I lost my weight during child number four because I had to go on a diabetic diet. It was so hard to eat smaller portions but after 3 weeks my body adjusted and I started getting full on smaller portions. Energy was way up!

I eat lots of fresh veggies as snacks. Fruit also. I try to make everything I can whole wheat and make as many things from scratch as humanly possible with four kids!

Make this a lifestyle change not a diet and your whole family will thank you for it!

Hi J., I know many moms that have had the same problem. We get so wrapped up in our babies that we forget about ourselves. First of all, you need to eat more during the day. You need to eat 5-6 small meals spread throughout the day. Try to keep them about the same size, cut back on breakfast, lunch and dinner sized portions. Your metabolism will improve. Also, the type of "exercise" that you are getting chasing the kids will burn calories and exhaust you but it's more mentally exhausting than it is actually physically exhausting. What I mean by that is, if you want to lose the weight more quickly you will need to get moving more. Go for walks, bike rides, etc. And the most important thing that women tend to forget about is resistance training. So many women think that they just need to diet and do cardio and that's it but that's not true. You can lose some weight that way but it's not nearly as efficient as resistance training. Join a gym, get some fitness videos, or get a trainer. Even if you only get a trainer once a month or for the first 6 weeks to get you started, you can learn alot. There are many misconceptions about dieting and exercise. A good trainer can help you make sense of it all. Make sure the trainer you get isn't just trying to sell you something and make sure they have a good certification.

The most important thing you can do is be determined to lose the weight and then dedicate yourself to follow through with your goals. I have a client that recently lost 120 lbs over a years time. She worked hard doing cardio 5 days a week, resistance training 3 days a week, and changing her eating habits. It can be done. You will need to put out more effort though. I know, it stinks...but unfortunately, that's the way it is.

Is there any way you can join a gym? I am so lucky that my mom lives down the street and I can drop my twins off and go to the gym for 1 1/2 hours. I feel better when I can get out and the cardio is what is going to get you losing the weight. If you can't, get your stroller out and walk quickly with the babies. Make sure you are sweating...go hard for a minute and then walk for a minute...which means get your heart rate up and then let it down. That's the olny thing that works for me. Good Luck! I still have 10 lbs to lose and it is frustrating. I understand!
PS I joined a gym called Planet Fitness...it is only $10/ month. Check it out, if you can.

I lost weight on nutrisystem. It really, really works and its quick. If you can afford it, it works and your energy comes back because youre eating healthy. Good luck. (ive been off it for 2+ years and have not gained the weight back)

Hi J.
It took me a good two years with my first child to lose the weight. Try not to be so hard on yourself. Having a baby changes your body and your metabolism. I find if I eat cereal in the morning, I am not as hungry for lunch. You should try to keep fruit around to snack on. I always keep bananas in eyesight so I don't find myself in the cabinets after the doritos:) Try going for walks with your kids. I try to everyday. If you wait until the end of the day to eat, you don't get a chance to burn off the calories. I only light snack after six. Hope this helps
M.

Hey J. I know how you feel I have been going through the same thing. I lost about 50 pounds after high school and put it all back on plus after having my daughter 4 years ago. Back in December I started going for long walks after my daughter went to bed and I lost a few but now I have added some weights and strength training exercises I havent lost alot but I look better I have lost about 2 incehes off my waist. You definately need to take the time to sit down and eat breakfast and lunch skipping meals is never a good idea when you want to loose weight. My advice make small changes to start and don't give up. I look at my wedding pictures for motivation and keep telling myself that I will get back to that weight maybe not today or in the next month but I will get there. So far I am 17 pounds from my pre baby weight and 37 from goal weight. Hang there you can do it.

Hi J.,

Lots of my friends have been using this weight loss product to loose baby fat called Trim Advantage system, and it has given them great results.I am currently 8 months pregnant and plan to use it to loose my baby fat :-),the best part about this program is it is very simple and some of the food bars that come along with it are very tasty,infact sometimes we just order the food bars.You can get more information about this product at www.healthandbeautycorner.com.If you have any questions please feel free to email me at ____@____.com

Regards
R.

Hi J.. Eating once a day may be a large part of your problem. Your body maybe in "starvation" mode because you are not fueling it often enough. This means that it is storing everything you eat to "save" itself. You really do need to eat three balanced, reasonable meals a day. Watch your portions (we Americans tend to eat far to much at each meal) and watch your carbs (15g = 1 carb) you should have around 2 -3 carbs per meal. Stay away from sodas, choose water first. Drink a glass of water before you eat if you don't trust yourself to eat smaller portions (this will make you feel fuller faster) and take your time at meals. Eating slower will also make you feel fuller with less food. Just using these suggestions will help you without a lot of difficulty. Best wishes and good luck!

Hi J.,

I didn't read all of your responses but I understand where you are right now. I also became a SAHM of my now 3 year old and thought that I would drop all my weight to because of the running around with him...but that didn't happen. I would like to lose more than 50 pounds at this point. i saw that someone had suggested an online or by phone support group, I would love to join that with you if you are interested and then get together whenever in between. I do love to walk and be active, but my energy and motivation level has weakened over time. Let me know, L.

Well, you're not eating all day, which is very BAD, because then you have no fuel to run on - which is a highly likely reason why you're tired.
Eating greens gives you sustained energy, the greener the better, this is because it has chlorophyll (the stuff that gives the plant its green color) which is used in photosynthesis for the plant to be able to feed itself, namely by producing ATP, which is like a battery molecule, if you will. The breakdown of ATP in our bodies is what gives us energy, which is why we need plants in our diet.
Your body is probably holding on to all those fats and toxins stored up in your system because you're not giving it anything better to flush it out and replace it with.
Something I posted to another request about losing the baby weight:
"I got lucky - or so it could seem I suppose - with an opportunity to start losing weight even BEFORE I was done being pregnant, and it actually improved the health of myself and my baby. How so? Well, the opportunity actually started with a yeast infection in my last month of pregnancy :P and yeast feeds off of sugars and starches, so what I did was slash carbs and sugars (this unfortunately had to include fruit juices) from my diet, ate just meats and leafy greens and had lots of organic whole milk yogurt and organic cranberry juice.
Within the first week I dropped 8 pounds... and I felt fantastic on top of that.
I kept it up and after the baby was born a few weeks later, I was 10 pounds less than the weight I STARTED my pregnancy with - although my figure still had the 'baby was here' look to it of course, :P but I've never been in a hurry to get my trim figure back, I just want to keep my good health. "
Have regular meals and eat well, and I think you'll see results, this WILL take some will power, but "if you really want it badly enough, then you can do it." (quote from my dad) :)

Hi! I am also trying to shed those baby pounds! As you have figured out by now after the tremendous outpouring of support already from this list, you are not alone!

I know it's not easy, but one thing I have discovered, that has just recently been supported by some major research, is that the #1 thing new moms can do to shed the pounds quickly and effectively is to GET ADEQUATE SLEEP! I know that is easier said than done... It is my MAIN struggle... But when I get enough sleep, I lose weight. When I don't, I don't...

Best wishes!

Hi J.,

You need to eat more frequent (healthy) meals during the day. You have probably slowed down your metabolism by starving your body at breakfast and lunch. I try to have (3) 300 - 400 calorie meals and (2) 100 calorie snacks each day. Keeps the motor running smooth all day.

Do you have a double stroller or a wagon? Now that it is nice outside you could do a daily walk with the kids. Besides running around with them, getting a good cardio walk in each day may help you a ton. And if you take them it could be fun for all. Just make sure you are doing a brisk walk and not a stroll.

Hope this helps!
Steph

The first thing I would do is have your thyroid checked - its just a simple blood test - because of the weight gain and being tired. If that is OK try making a list of healthy meals/ snacks the night before - then you are not grabbing something real quick and not healthy because you are so busy during the day. I noticed it wasn't so much what I ate, but what I drank - lots of drinks are loaded with sugar. Hope this helps!

hey girl i hear you im MISERABLE...i am a stay at home my to a 2 1/2 year old and a 5 month old.i weigh less now then i did before i got preggo with my 5 month old but i just feel so fat and gross.i honestly dont really eat that much(what i do eat probably isnt the healthiest) and im chasing my babies all day i have even done weight watchers and i GAINED 3 POUNDS GRRRRR..i can say though the best exercises i did was wii fit i know it sounds crazy but it was fun and my 2 year old did it with me.my muscles honestly havent gone back to where they should be yet so i still look pregnant and im not a skinny person ive always been overweight i just wish i could drop the pounds or look at myself differently.my husband tells me i look great but i know he is just being nice.i'm sorry i dont have a ton of advice for you but i can say i did like weight watchers it was easy and i only stayed on it one week so im sure i would have lost weight if i stuck with it.you can do weight watchers right online too :) where in pa are you?

Hi J.,

There is a 12 step weight loss program that is out there.

I don't know the name of it, but check the web.

If you are on Hormones, that will hold your weight on as well.

Good luck D.

Hello Jen,

You are correct in saying that U R NOT ALONE (Michael Jackson). I have been battling my weight for quite some time. I have a seven and an eight year old (can't call mine babyfat) :)

A friend of mine suggested that I do one aerobic activity each day. It doesn't matter what it is to start. You could go outside with the kids and kick the ball around, take them for a walk (med speed), do a 20 min workout in you living room,etc. Just try to make sure that you EAT SOMETHING especially breakfast. I also removed one thing out of my diet, doing it gradually so you don't shock your system. The first thing was all products containing "HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP". Yes ketchup (my favorite veggie) is on the list but Trader Joes sells ketchup without it. Log Cabins syrup does not have it either. They are small adjustments that will benefit you in the end.

I started late May and by the second week in June I had quickly lost 10 lbs. It's going slowly now and sometimes I miss doing my workouts but I just jump back into it. Some days are harder than others but that's okay.

This is how I started. I know its wordy. Sorry! Hope it helps. If you need anymore info or want to chat, I'm here.