UPDATE! Swimsuits. Part bitch. Part pep talk request. Part diet advice.

[bisous]

Just wanted to update!

I've been wanting to update. The diet advice this board gave has been outstanding. I've been going strong on 1400 calories of protein and veggies. I'm finding myself feeling a little hungry but it is manageable and I'm sticking with it. I do not own a scale but my clothes are fitting better. My tummy FEELS better because it is not full of unhealthy food al the time. I'm super, super happy with the advice that was given. THANK YOU.

Swimsuit wise I decided to stick with what I have. I am using the old swimsuit from my last pregnancy and paired it with a supportive tankini from (of all places) Victoria's Secret. I feel fine in it. I feel covered up enough that I can play with my kids. I found that I have an older Lands End suit that I forgot about in my drawer that I've never really worn because of pregnancy. I'm thinking that if I drop another 5 to 10 pounds it will actually look pretty good. That's my next fitness goal.

Finally, I feel like I've made progress on accepting my body. I am NOT going to miss out on swimming or being with my kids or enjoying those moments. I've been loving JK Rowling's quote about "being fat" and realizing that there are many worse things I could be. I am making a conscious effort to work as much on making my inner person truly good as I worry about my thighs being too flabby. I think it helps me accept myself and love myself more.

Thanks for all the wonderful advice, support and encouragement!

xxxxxxxxxxx


Posting in the lounge because lots of topics converging!

I just tried on my old swimsuits. And yikes. Not flattering to my body still hanging onto 20 plus pounds from baby #4. My bitch is just that. Twenty pounds. And being pretty overwhelmed by life and currently having a broken rib really doesn't help my efforts to change!!

The pep talk part. I want to swim with my kids this summer. I love swimming. They love swimming. They're getting older FAST and I don't want to miss a moment. I hate getting into my swimsuit right this minute. HATE it. How can I just get over myself? How can I be a better example for my DD? I don't want to have body issues. I accept other people's bodies. I liked what my body looked like BEFORE and I don't love my curves (not in places a la Sofia Vergara lets just say). So HOW do you get over yourself? Just do it? I feel like it is a moral failing to be so vain!

Then there is diet. I am trying to have an "eat well for life" type of attitude but I'm not really dedicating much energy to making that happen. I'm thinking about how I'd like to lose some weight but day by day I'm not making any changes. My newest thought is to prepare some kind of bag full of all my foods and calories for the day. When the bag is empty, no more food! I'm trying to teach myself to eat deliberately. BUT I'd also like to lose a few pounds before summer hits. Our "summer" starts late so I have almost 2 months.

Exercise is going to be a little tricky because of that broken rib. The doctor says I can do anything I can tolerate. Unfortunately my big hike with double stroller definitely makes the rib feel worse. I feel like there are probably exercises I can do and I feel pretty motivated right now.

Finally, swimsuits. I loved wearing a tankini top and swim skirt before. But my tops are looking mighty skimpy with my extra weight and unfortunately my waist belly area is looking chopped up with my current combo. I have always had a tiny waist so I worked on accentuating that. I have no idea what to wear now. I am generally a little curvier than usual and am okay with that. It is just my c-section tummy overhang that is really not cute. I'm thinking of a dresskini from Landsend http://www.landsend.com/products/wom...-top/id_261060. Anyone know if this could be a flattering look?

Thanks in advance if you read this. I want to have a more purposeful approach to body issues, diet, etc. I love the wisdom of this place.

[StantonHyde]

Or try the swim skirts from LE that go up higher and have control. Pair that with a tankini top and you will look fine. The most important thing to remember is that your KIDS don't care what you look like--they just want you to swim with them. Heck, after DD2, I was rocking an LL Bean swim jogger suit for 2 years because it stayed on while I had kids clinging to me in the water and it hid everything.

What about walking with the double stroller on the flat? Stationary bike--do you belong to a Y or anything like that that has equipment? Our local ward sponsors exercise classes during the day for moms and they are free. What about some videos--there are lots of things on You Tube--you could even do a separate post in Mommy Fit or even here--favorite You Tube/online exercise videos. That way you could do them at home.

[barkley1]

My biggest motivator to eat well is MFP. I am a major emotional eater and it is so hard to tell myself NO when I'm worried, upset, or anxious about something (pretty often haha!!). But if I log every calorie into the app, I have a lot more willpower for some weird reason. I just have to make myself do it. Some days I know the total is going to be bad and I tell myself I'll skip logging for today. But that's not good or effective. It does take a little time, especially at first, but once you get all the foods in there that you eat on a regular basis it's a lot faster. i love the ability to scan a barcode on most foods, too.

[SnuggleBuggles]

I am holding more weight than I want and have for a few years (I'd love to go back 5 years when I was 15lbs lighter and thought I was too heavy- I'd gladly take that weight!). But each year I still go to the pool everyday and I don't think I let on that I feel chubby. I own what I have, I just practice good posture and suck it in all summer. .
I personally think that swim skirts, unless a super mini (and even then I don't love them) can make people look heavier. I don't think they camouflage anything. I think they draw attention to areas of worry. But, if they make you more comfortable, go for it. I just wouldn't rule out regular suits. I have a great Lole tankini with ruching that feels good to wear.
Can't help on diets as I did MFP for a good while with no major results. It was useful to really see the big pictures but quantity of calories isn't really my issue, it's quality.

[HannaAddict]

Miraclesuits are great for tummy tucking. Expensive but well made and have stylish ones. I would try one. Also like tommy Bahamas simple tanks in black or navy. They are flattering usually. Not a fan of swim skirts and think they usually draw attention and don't hide anything.

[Simon]

I have continued to gain weight for a few (read: several) years now. I am at my heaviest ever and we swim probably every other weekend. I have swim shorts and skirts plus a combo of long tops or 1-piece suits that I wear underneath so I can continue to be active with my kids. I have several Land's End pieces and also some White Stag (don't recall where those come from). I feel like it is important for me to separate my feelings about myself/my body and what I want for my appearance, from my goals for being a good parent. I know that I need to be in the water and on the beach with my kids so that trumps swimsuit feelings, for me.

[specialp]

The best way to get over it is find something you feel comfortable in now. I’m not a fan of the dress. I do have a swim skirt/tankini that is old which I keep in rotation, but it’s my least favorite. Last year I bought swim shorts and a tankini top and really felt so comfortable running around the pool with my boys. The top was La Blanca and the bottoms were Next by Athena Good Karma Shore Breaker Swim Short. I think I bought and returned 10 things on line before I found what I liked. I tried a LaBlanca one pieces that was very flattering, but I am not a fan of one pieces for me.

Re: diet. It helps me to write down my food the day before so that I have a plan of what I am going to eat the next day. If doing that or MFP, it helps me to have the same general breakfast and lunch and then vary up dinner. If my breakfast and lunch is planned, there just no mind wandering from food to food to temp me.

ETA: I would also remember that you are your own worst critic and a lot of the things you see, no one else notices! I cannot think of a time where I was as the pool and felt critical of how someone's suit looked and there are all shapes and kind at our pool. I DO notice the parents who are playing with their older kids and admire it a lot and hope I am that way my kids are older.

[anonomom]

I wear the LE high-waisted bottoms with a swim bra and a LE swim tee. It's not so much for coverage as for sun protection, but there's also a lot of coverage and they're comfortable. I tell myself that everyone else at the pool/beach is too worried about how they themselves look to cast a critical eye on anyone else.

Radical thought -- consider a really cute, stand-out swimsuit meant to emphasize that tiny waist and to be nocticed. Modcloth has a ton, and in a range of sizes. I just received my first order from them (dresses) and am super impressed by the quality.

Something like this:
http://www.modcloth.com/shop/onepiec...imsuit-in-teal

or this:

http://www.modcloth.com/shop/onepiec...iece-in-forest

This one has a nice tailored waist and a skirt:

http://www.modcloth.com/shop/onepiec...onochrome-dots

[nomnom]

With each pregnancy, I am finding it hard to lose the weight too. You are not alone.

I'd like to swim this summer too, so I keep telling myself that I have a few more weeks until then. .

Since you mentioned being motivated-- I would run with that! Is there anything else you enjoy that you can handle doing-- Yoga? Dance?

[bisous]

Ahhh. Felt better just writing that out.

OK. So you guys really helped! You are all so positive and I appreciate that!

I am going to start keeping track on MFP again. I wrote out a breakfast, snack and lunch that I really like and I'm going to eat it every day. The only meal I'll have to really track will be dinner. I'm saving the snack for after dinner when I usually cheat. I'm going to do this in earnest. Before I was trying to do simple, subtle changes and it simply wasn't enough to keep me motivated. So changing tactics. I do have a few weeks.

I'm going to see what I can do as far as exercise. I might try walking really early in the morning. If I don't have the stroller it might not hurt my rib. I'm going to test it out and see. Then I can still get in some really good cardio (MASSIVE hills in my area). I might try to do some toning.

I'm going swimming. Period. I'm going to work whatever I have going on when swimming seasons starts. My kids really don't care--isn't that lovely! I'm sure nobody else really cares either. I'm going to just "let it go".

I think I'm going to set aside a Saturday in May to go swimsuit shopping. I think my body has just changed and the silhouette (not to mention the sizes) of what I currently have just don't work very well. The only recourse is to just try a bunch of stuff on. It isn't fun but it has to be done! I'll schedule that time with DH. These days it is tough to even find a couple of hours without advance planning. I love the idea of finding something that accentuates what I like about my body. I don't know what that is yet. I think shopping will be an interesting experience.

Thanks for the great advice and the pep talk.