Weight Loss? - Centralia,WA

I know it is hard. Is there a dance type video you have that has music you like and the kids and excerise with you? Maybe the kids can motiviate you that way. I have a Zumba DVD that I like that my son and I sometime do together.

Well let me just say that yes it is important to exercise and that can help you to shed the lbs but it really all boils down to just eating less calories. I mean my sister is a slim girl and she had run a few marathons and has told be that eat time she trains for one she ends up putting on a couple pounds because even though she is running like crazy she is gaining muscle and has to eat more so give her body energy. So I guess I'm just saying you can still lose weight even if you can't go to a gym all the time. You just need to start keeping track of how many calories you eat a day. To lose weight most people need to eat about 1500 to 1800 a day but depending on how much you weight you may be able to eat a little more or less. I also buy some foods that are easy to calorie calculate so it makes less work for me. Like drinking a slimfast for breakfast or a lean cuisine for lunch. You can eat all of it and know exactly how many calories you had. Also writing down everything you eat makes you more aware so give that a try.

I am stuggling with the same....I have an 11 month old, a 4 yr old, a 10 yr old and a 12 yr old. I work full time and school from home, this leaves little work out time for me as well especially since my husband is often away on business as well.

What I do do. I walk with the kids any time I can, I plan to begin walking early in the day next week. I also garden and wear my baby every where I go out and while I am doing errands or washing dishes or things like that, I do pushing up on my toes and knee bends and marching in place. I do my best to do some sort of activity with the kids each day for at least a few minutes....

I also have started to write down what I eat each day, that way I do not find myself "cheating" Incidentally it is good to be active, but with a baby this young, be patient with yourself....

Would you like to be accountability partners? I am looking for someone who will be an accountability partner with me....let me know.

Updated

I am stuggling with the same....I have an 11 month old, a 4 yr old, a 10 yr old and a 12 yr old. I work full time and school from home, this leaves little work out time for me as well especially since my husband is often away on business as well.

What I do do. I walk with the kids any time I can, I plan to begin walking early in the day next week. I also garden and wear my baby every where I go out and while I am doing errands or washing dishes or things like that, I do pushing up on my toes and knee bends and marching in place. I do my best to do some sort of activity with the kids each day for at least a few minutes....

I also have started to write down what I eat each day, that way I do not find myself "cheating" Incidentally it is good to be active, but with a baby this young, be patient with yourself....

Would you like to be accountability partners? I am looking for someone who will be an accountability partner with me....let me know.

I lost 75 pounds by watching what I ate by recording it in a journal and by pre-making snacks and lunches. You also have to work out more days each week than not, and I know for me that had to happen in the morning, first thing. If I put it off I was always too tired or lost motivation. Get up, get the kids a quick breakfast, and then get on a treadmill or elliptical machine for at least 30 minutes, working up to 45 and than 60. The pounds will fall off, but you have to be the one to get up and get it done.

Sometimes what I do is make it a rule that I have to do exercize during certain period of the day. For example, while I brushing my teeth, I have to do leg lifts. Later on, while doing dishes, I have to do plies. While watching t.v., during commercials, I have to do some form of calisthenics like sit ups, push ups, jumping jacks, toe touches, etc. This is usually a good starting point for me and then, the more I do these small bouts of exercize, the more I want to do more and my energy level returns.

Hope this helps.

Get your kids on board. Plan meals and modify your own if you have to (if you are nursing, make sure you are eating at least 1500 to 1600 calories and drinking lots of water).

With just 2 kids I was able to work out with DVDs when I have time. It is harder now that my older child rarely naps, but the boys sometimes do the videos with me. I like the 10 Minute Solutions DVDs because you can do a 10 minute workout, start to finish, or put a lot of them together. I put together playlists on my computer for a set length and just make myself work out until it is over, so I just won't stop moving. I run "laps" in my downstairs, do squats and planks and lunges and use hand weights. My 3 year old has his own dumbbells and likes to have his out when I'm exercising. If nothing else is working, I do obstacle courses or stations with my kids--run and jump toy hurdles that we set up, stop for jumping jacks, crab walk all the way back, etc. Whatever you are doing that gets your heart rate up is great.

For me the DVDs are great because I can't get a gym membership (cost and time) but really need to work out. I can mute them and put on a CD if I want to. Libraries often have a good selection, and out here one of our local video stores lets you check out fitness DVDs and documenteries for free, so that is nice. They are also relatively inexpensive, so I now have a small collection, or you can find them used online.

Planning your meals and keeping a journal is helpful--I do better when I just look back and think, "I ate pretty well today but had a piece of pie after dinner." I also weigh myself every day, but not everyone does well if they do that. After my second baby I treated myself to a magazine subscription. I always liked Shape magazine but they are so pricey off the racks. Now I get one once a month and it is encouraging and has new ideas.

I totally hear you for running ragged all day--I do feel better even on my measely 4 or 5 hours of sleep if I have worked out. I am planning on doing it on my lunch breaks at work soon and just cleaning up with baby wipes until I get home to shower. I do not always have time once I'm here. I also try to combine what I am doing around the house with exercise--if I'm washing dishes, I'm also moving my legs, etc. I keep dumbbells in my living room and use them when we're watching tv at the end of the day (if we are). Hope something in there made sense! :)

First of all, good luck.

Secondly, please take our advice with a grain of salt. There have been so many comments on Mamapedia lately about the HCG diet, QuickSlim, etc.
Unless someone responds as a personal trainer or a Registered Dietician, chances are, we are just expressing our opinions without a lot of evidence to back it up.

I am not a registered dietician, but I worked along them for many years and was able to hear how they advised people with Diabetes to try to lose weight and maintain a good lifestyle.

It sounds corny, but the most important thing is to change your relationship with food. Learn to really read labels and prepare your foods accordingly. For instance, I love Kashi's "Heart to Heart" cereal, but I'm better eating the same quantity of Kix based upon the nutritional information (calories, carbs, sodium in particular).

Almost all experts agree that you should eat 6 small meals/large snacks vs. 3 large meals/day.

One thing that helped me recently (my issue isn't what I eat, it's portions), was signing up for a 1/2 marathon. My husband signed us up in November, and we had until May to train for it. I've never run more than 4 miles at a time in my life, and getting back into running after 8 years away, 2 babies and 5 months of recent chemo was tough.

But, I completed the 1/2 marathon, walked only 1 of 13.1 miles and felt great about myself. So, my advice is to commit to something that you have to fulfill. I am a working Mom with 2 small kids, so time is really limited as well. But, we made it work, and there was no room for excuses.

Find a local running club that deals with beginners to advance runners and have them hold you accountable for working out each day. Or, make a public promise on a forum like Facebook. My husband went to high school with a girl who just completed 1 year of working out. She made her proclamation on FB a year ago yesterday that her goal was to work out 5/7 days/week. She made it an average of 4.5, lost 35 lbs and says she's in the best shape of her life after 3 kids.

So, see if insurance will cover the cost of a Registered Dietician (you may be surprised) who can help you understand your metabolism, how many calories you should be eating, how to count calories and carbs and sodium and fat. Set a goal, make it public, and have people hold you accountable to it.

Good luck!

Updated

First of all, good luck.

Secondly, please take our advice with a grain of salt. There have been so many comments on Mamapedia lately about the HCG diet, QuickSlim, etc.
Unless someone responds as a personal trainer or a Registered Dietician, chances are, we are just expressing our opinions without a lot of evidence to back it up.

I am not a registered dietician, but I worked along them for many years and was able to hear how they advised people with Diabetes to try to lose weight and maintain a good lifestyle.

It sounds corny, but the most important thing is to change your relationship with food. Learn to really read labels and prepare your foods accordingly. For instance, I love Kashi's "Heart to Heart" cereal, but I'm better eating the same quantity of Kix based upon the nutritional information (calories, carbs, sodium in particular).

Almost all experts agree that you should eat 6 small meals/large snacks vs. 3 large meals/day.

One thing that helped me recently (my issue isn't what I eat, it's portions), was signing up for a 1/2 marathon. My husband signed us up in November, and we had until May to train for it. I've never run more than 4 miles at a time in my life, and getting back into running after 8 years away, 2 babies and 5 months of recent chemo was tough.

But, I completed the 1/2 marathon, walked only 1 of 13.1 miles and felt great about myself. So, my advice is to commit to something that you have to fulfill. I am a working Mom with 2 small kids, so time is really limited as well. But, we made it work, and there was no room for excuses.

Find a local running club that deals with beginners to advance runners and have them hold you accountable for working out each day. Or, make a public promise on a forum like Facebook. My husband went to high school with a girl who just completed 1 year of working out. She made her proclamation on FB a year ago yesterday that her goal was to work out 5/7 days/week. She made it an average of 4.5, lost 35 lbs and says she's in the best shape of her life after 3 kids.

So, see if insurance will cover the cost of a Registered Dietician (you may be surprised) who can help you understand your metabolism, how many calories you should be eating, how to count calories and carbs and sodium and fat. Set a goal, make it public, and have people hold you accountable to it.

Good luck!

You had a baby 4 months ago, give yourself a break! I remember killing myself to get back into my pre-baby clothes by her first birthday and i was miserable and so tired the first 9 months. Now by her second birthday (and all the running around that comes with a toddler) it easily came off and stayed off. so go easy on yourself, the weight will go eventually when you have the time, energy and normal hormonal level to do it.
That being said, I eventually used a lot of exercise shows from cable "on demand" - don't know if they have it in your area but here they have exercise 'on demand' with a lot different levels and types of exercise, nice calming yoga for morning or night, and short clips of cardio or dancing (15, 20 minutes) that i could do if i had a burst of energy during the day.

I'm in the same boat....my baby is 3mo. and I also have a 4 and 5yo. I've been losing weight by doing little things like exercising while brushing my teeth (leg lifts, squats) or doing a few crunches before I even get out of bed. As I walk thru the house, I do lunges. I also watch my portions...I'm not eliminating anything out of my diet, just eat less of it (this is a much easier way to 'diet' so you're not depriving yourself and therefore setting yourself up for sabotoge). If the baby is fussy, I hold her and do little dances while watching tv at night. Good luck!

take a breath and relax. :) with that many kiddos running around, I bet you get a lot of exercise already. I allowed myself not to workout until my kids slept through the night (for me it was around 18 months for both of them). All I could really do is monitor my food intake. We went through the kitchen and tosed all processed foods, ALL OF THEM! even for the kids! Thats what worked for me. No more packaged meals, snacks, etc...my kids eat great and never even really asked where the gold fish crackers went! If you are "stuck" at home inside most of the time, you have to get a handle on what is in your kitchen, because if you are like most moms, we eat what we have available. I don't know how much weight you have to lose, but I would suggest eating healthy and not stressing too much about it at this time. Best of luck!

Updated

take a breath and relax. :) with that many kiddos running around, I bet you get a lot of exercise already. I allowed myself not to workout until my kids slept through the night (for me it was around 18 months for both of them). All I could really do is monitor my food intake. We went through the kitchen and tosed all processed foods, ALL OF THEM! even for the kids! Thats what worked for me. No more packaged meals, snacks, etc...my kids eat great and never even really asked where the gold fish crackers went! If you are "stuck" at home inside most of the time, you have to get a handle on what is in your kitchen, because if you are like most moms, we eat what we have available. I don't know how much weight you have to lose, but I would suggest eating healthy and not stressing too much about it at this time. Best of luck!

My husband and I (even before getting pregnant) knew we needed to lose weight. A friend had kept telling us about Medifast but the thought of spending that money on foods being delivered did NOT thrill me. Hubby had surgery last month though and the doctors are VERY concerned about his blood pressure plus surgery success because of his weight. We decided that for his health, we couldn't wait and needed to try the program, even if just for a month.

He started 8 days ago and I can tell you, I already notice a difference in more ways than one!! I spend less at the grocery store because I'm not buying all the foods I was before nor am I buying as much! Already the cost of the program seems to be balancing out! We have gone out to dinner on the program and he was fine and our meal was one of the cheaper ones we've ever had! I find I am making better choices myself because if I want a snack at night, I find myself taking fruit instead of ice cream or something because I don't want to eat that in front of him. I have already decided that I am going to do on the nursing mother's program after our baby is born in August PLUS after the success I have seen with the cost in our grocery bill, the better choices I am making because of him being on the program, the fact that he lost 11 lbs that first week, but most importantly, his BP went down from very high numbers across the board to bottom of the cautionary levels for the top number and perfect for the lower number all in the first week, I am going to be registering as a coach today or tomorrow probably. I look forward to helping people see the same wonderful changes our family has already!

Get up an hour before the children to do some exercises. Yoga books are a great help. You can also subscribe to Yoga Journal on line. Every issue is packed with poses you can do to get into shape.

I had a baby 6 months ago and also don't really have time to exercise. I've been losing the weight mostly because I'm nursing and I try to walk when I see the opportunity, rather than drive, or just taking a 15-20 minute walk with my older son, wearing the baby. THe other thing I do that I think helps me, and I've read it's effective, is I have a high protein breakfast. I drink a glass of kefir, and have a protein smoothie. I"ve also gotten a lot better about taking my vitamins most days and that includes a heavy dose of Vitamin D which has been very good for picking up my mood and energy, and I haven't been sick even though the rest of my family has been.

I love the idea of dancing with your kids, they will love it. You can also do yoga with your kids, the yoga idea is great too.
Good luck!

I would concentrate on making sure whatever food you eat is nutritious and as healthy as possible. My gauge for this is if I cringe to feed it to the kids I don't need to eat it either. Try having music on during the day while you're doing chores etc. I read somewhere that you'll burn more calories when working to upbeat music. Also, maybe a dance party with the kids - you get to have fun and squeeze in some heart pounding activity. Good Luck!

If you are not motivated, it will not happen. I have a five month old and I am just starting to lose the weight so I know how you feel, but you have to want to...really want to, not just say you do. There is no trick to loosing "weight" like people think, you just need to bring in fewer calories than you burn. Weight train too, or you will just turn into a flabby mess because you will lose muscle. Also, keep in mind that it's not weight that you want to lose, it's inches. Keep off the scale and go by how your clothes fit not pounds. Good luck to you!

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Weight Watchers has been great for me. It costs about $10/week if you buy the monthly pass, but I easily save that by not buying all the treats I normally would. I'm accountable to someone who weighs me in every week, so that keeps me on track when I'm tempted to cheat. My friend Amy has been doing it for 3 months and already lost over 20 lbs. I only started 3 weeks ago, but have lost about 8 lbs (I have my weigh-in tonight, so keep your fingers crossed).

I also have three kids under 5. What has worked great for me is the Weight Watchers online program. Super easy (no exercise, you eat regular foods and you get extra points if nursing so no hunger after the first day or two) and super effective! I highly recommend it.

I lost all my baby weight in a matter of weeks by doing Weight Watchers. I know you said you didn't have the extra cash right now to join something like that but there are so many resources online that if you searched enough, you could do it. Start by finding out how many "points" you are allowed each day and then find websites that help show you the "point" values of certain foods. Track your points and then pick one day a week to "weigh-in" at home. If you want to do this, email me and I'll send you some websites to get you started.

Start small. Get a pedometer and try to increase your steps every day, or do a week goal. Try to cut out processed foods as much as possible and eat whole foods. Add vegetables to everything you possibly can - peppers, mushrooms, onions, etc... in spaghetti, pizza, fajitas, etc... Put music on and dance with your kids, or chase them around the house. Play hide and go seek, play with them at the playground. I have found that the pedometer really makes you more conscious of moving. We have Comcast and I have also found that I enjoy looking at the exercise on demand and just "trying" a couple of them. They may only be 10 to 20 minute workouts, but that's 10 to 20 minutes more of working out than sitting on my bum. Good luck.

Use the kids as exercise. I would do squats while holding my baby out in front of me. Have a competition with the older kids to see if they can do more jumping jacks than you can. Put the kids on your legs while you are lying on your back and lift them up and down. Put your baby on the floor and do pushups over the baby and every time you go down give the baby a kiss. This make exercise a little more fun. Check out my-calorie-counter.com. They have a great way to keep track of what you are eating and lots of recipies, and exercise options and it is all free.

Good luck!

Weight Watchers... because it teaches you portion control, and the right foods to eat... attend a few meetings, or if thats out of the question do the online program. But you really have to change you relationship with food, or else NOTHING will work.

But 4 months, give your self some time to ease into it. I know how hard it is to fit time in to work out, but it will make you feel better. It wont work unless you are READY to do it.

From what I hear it gets harder to lose baby weight with each baby and yours is only 4 months old so please give yourself a break!

With that being said I have 2 suggestions.

1. I don't know what you are eating now but the moment I started shopping the outer walls of the grocery stores (where you will find produce, dairy, meat and bread) I lost a lot of weight. The inner isles get you with temping items. Stay away. :)

2. Have your husband watch the kids so you can exercise. If I tried to exercise while my son was napping or after we went down for the night I was simply NOT motivated. That was my break time! However, if he was awake and with dad, I felt like it was a great way to take a break and I got to listen to them play and it gave them an opportunity to bond. Worked wonders!!

Good luck to you J.!

T.

p.s.
Someone mentioned a food journal and that is a terrific idea! Sometimes it's not over eating that is the issue but rather under eating or just eating the wrong foods. Under eating is a primary cause of losing and gaining weight regularly. When I started eating more (of the right foods) and exercising less (less cardio more weights) I lost a lot of FAT - not just weight.