Post Baby Weight - Edmond,OK

Hi K.,

I lost all of my weight (and then some) while breastfeeding, but sadly as my tots have gotten older I've had about 10 lbs creep back on so I'm where you're at too! I think my problem is eating too many "convenience" foods: prepackaged, fast food, quick-fix, etc... And also it's sometimes too tempting not to finish my kids plates when it's a good dinner and they are done eating! :) I think for me at least it's a matter of self-control and proper dieting. For you I wouldn't worry that much because you are only THREE months out of pregnancy! It will come off if you just eat healthy and exercise, good old common sense advice, right? But it did take you many months to gain the weight so expect at least that long to lose it. GOOD LUCK!

Give yourself some time! Some lucky girls seem to drop it off effortlessly, while others need time and effort. My son is almost 8 months old, and I just reached my pre-baby weight. I joined weight watchers because I hit a plateau about 15 pounds from where I wanted to be. Give yourself a break. It's only been three months! Eat healthy and work out when you can. The most important thing is to be good to yourself and that precious little girl!

Hello K.,
Don't worry yet, remember that it took you 9 months to put the weight on and it might take that long to take it off. Probably not if you eat right and exercise, but don't starve yourself or you will have no energy for your little one.
I gained 60 lbs with my daughter and 75 with my son. I lost all the weight after about 8 months by watching what I ate and drank and walking and playing with the kids.
It will come off. Congratulations on your daughter.
Michelle

Hi, K.! Those last few pounds are always stubborn, as they are usually distributed through the whole body, instead of concentrated in one place (hips, thighs), OR you may have gained some good muscle weight, you could always double check your inches to see if it's muscle weight you gained.

Something that worked great for me was walking, I'd put the babies in a stroller and off I'd go around several blocks every evening. Good for you to get out of the house, stretch your legs, meet the neighbors, and good for baby to get some fresh air & sunshine (just remember to protect her from the sun).

You might also try some light weight training. Are you nursing? Some women don't completely lose all the weight until they wean baby.

I know it usually took me 6 months to totally lose ALL the weight & get back into my pre-pregnancy clothes, although the first 20 pounds were usually shed pretty quickly. I had three kids, one right after the other, but it was still about six months each time.

Another thing that can hinder weight-loss is age. Now that I'm older, weight seems harder to take off than it did when I was in my 20s. Just a thought.

Enjoy your baby girl, and don't stress too much about weight loss. You just had a baby, and every person's body is going to react differently to that.

In Traditional Chinese Medicine, we're taught that it actually takes 3 years for the body to fully recover and come back into its previous balance after pregnancy and delivery so most dieting and excersise programs are discouraged. Those ten pounds are nothing really, the real problem can become if you continue to put on weight. Take advantage of the hot summer months and eat lots of fruit, particularly limes and grapefruits. These "bitters" are helpful for keeping the body's inner temperature cooler and for burning fat. Grapefruit is also good for helping to detoxify and is beneficial to the liver. Try getting your protein from tofu instead of meats - especially beef. You can search the net for good tofu recipes. Remember that tofu tends to taste like whatever it's being cooked with. Being soy-based, tofu not only gives you easy to digest protein, it also encourages your body's natural hormone balancing. No, I'm not a vegetarian myself, I just don't eat meat all the time and I found that I could maintain my weight easier, had more energy and less depression.

Don't focus so much on your weight. I'm convinced that it creates a bad relationship with yourself and food. Instead, focus on eating well and feeling good.

Anytime I have tried to lose weight I, at some point, hit a weight plateau which is quite normal. When that happens you have to wait a little while (for me it's been anywhere from 2-6 weeks) while still keeping up with the diet and exercise plan. Then you should start to lose weught again. If you don't, try changing up your exercise routine or taking something out of your diet. For me it means giving up my pop for a week or 2. I hope this helps.

Hi! Swimming helped alot for me after all 3 of my children. But just to let you know 3 months isnt alot of time! I would give it at least 2 more months! hang in there!

Are you breast feeding? I know breast feeding initially helps the weight come off, but since you can't really diet when you're breast feeding, it may take longer. I weaned my daughter at one year, and then was able to cut calories and drop the weight. Otherwise, like other people have said, 3 months isn't very long anyway. Supposedly, it takes as long to get back to normal as the pregnancy took. :(

I've always heard to give the weight loss process as much time as it took to gain it. So, don't be in too much of a hurry, you don't want to wear yourself out. Breastfeeding does help to lose some of the weight, because it stimulates uterus contraction to get it back down to normal size. After that, it's really just proper diet and exercise. I think I gained just as much as you did during pregnancy, and I got back down to (almost) normal size in about five or six months. I've probably still got about five pounds more than pre-pregnancy, but I haven't really tried to get rid of it. I LOVE that junk food, you know? ;)

Dont feel bad. I looked just as pregnant when I left the hospital as when I went in. I was mortified! about 6 months later, the weight magically disapeared. I ate healthy and ended up smaller than I was pre-baby. It took about a year to get my figure back.

First, congratulations! I have an almost 4 month old girl and I gained 36 pounds. I am still trying to get off those last pounds. Give yourself a break. Your body is still adjusting from giving birth. I go to Curves (love it and it only takes 30 minutes!) and I try to watch what I eat. This is my second child and it took me 5 months after my first one to get all of the weight off (I had gained 30 then). But, your body will never be the same! I like to think that my body isn't perfect, but my baby is! ;-) Good luck!

Here I am almost 4yrs after my first baby and I'm still carrying around those last 10lbs. Maybe when I'm done breastfeeding I can do a diet or something. Good luck!

Hi K.! i know how you feel. My son is 13 months and i still havent shed my weight. I have only lost about 20 pounds. I actually just started to go to Ballys on 119th in Olathe. Another mamasource mom joins me. we meet mon.-Thursday and then i try and go sat and sun also. I didnt sign a contract,and its only $37.00 a month. I have lost almost 5 lbs. in about 2 1/2 weeks. Im also on weight watchers and that has helped a lot too. Let me know if you are intrested in meeting up at Ballys. Also, if you would like to try it before making a commitment, i can get a guest pass thats good for 4 days or you can print out a 7 day pass on the Ballys website. Good luck!

I had gained 46 pounds and it took me 5 months to get below my starting weight. Granted I did loose a bunch the first 2 weeks between the birth of the baby and just not feeling up to eating. I lost the rest with the help of Weight Watchers but I know that isn't for everyone.

Those last few pounds can be frustrating. When I finally got SO upset I couldn't take it anymore (not being able to lose those last few pounds) I joined a gym and worked out two hours a day, everyday (except for Sunday because the gym was closed). My favorite things to do there were pilates and kickboxing! They are so much fun but you leave feeling like you had a great workout! Surprisingly I had more energy to take care of my son. I also became VERY strict with my diet. I ate nothing but veggies, grilled chicked, and cottage cheese for two months. Every now and then I would throw in some grilled salmon. You can't cheat on anything if you really want to lose the weight. I got back to my original weight in about two months after I started working out and eating right.

But one thing I have learned is that no matter how hard I try, my body is never going to look exactly like it did before I was pregnant. My hips will always be a little wide and pilates won't take away all of the bump where my pregnant belly used to be. It took me a long time to be okay with that. Don't beat yourself up if it doesn't just melt off in a couple of weeks. It may take a while. Just hang in there and do the best you can. And don't be afraid to treat yourself to a cookie every now and then.

Good Luck!

Weight Watchers works miracles!! They even have programs for nursing moms if that applies to you! I just bought the books of ebay so I don't have to pay dues and go to meetings. If you workout (which it sounds like you do) you will drop weight like CRAZY!!