How to lose the post baby belly pouch?

[ciaobella]

I will confess that I am one of those moms that is semi-obsessed with losing the baby weight. A large part of it for me is the pressure of getting back into my work clothes by the time my maternity leave is over. I lost most of the baby weight with DS1 within 3 months or so and with continued nursing I lost even more weight. I don't particularly remember having such a large pouch with DS1 as I do now, even though right now I weigh my pre-pregnany weight from DS1.

I have give or take 10 pounds to go to get back to my pre-pregnancy and ideal weight this time, but my mommy pouch is not going anywhere! I am nursing (which seems to help me lose weight), I do cardio for an hour a day, 6 days a week and I watch my diet within reason (since I am nursing I don't want to jeapordize my supply). Plus, I am a big believer in moderation, I don't like depriving myself of all the yummy things that I love. :)

I am going back to work in less than 3 weeks so I will be cutting down on how much cardio I can do in a week to 3 days, max. What can I do to focus on losing weight / inches in my middle section? I would prefer to be able to do whatever from the comfort of my home ...

Thanks for the help!

[gatorruth]

You have to do crunches, girl!! Work up to 300 per day- or more. Don't forget about your obliques (the side muscles). I never knew there were muscles there! tee hee hee!

I lost more than 33 lbs after the birth of dc2 and my pooch (as I call it) is still there, unfortunately. I don't think it's going anywhere any time soon. I worked with a trainer for 3 months and she told me that you have to work all the muscles and not do 'spot training'. My weight left my legs first, then my arms, then face and LAST was my hips and tummy.

Also, read the thread about the south beach diet vs. weight watchers. You do have to change your eating as part of a lifestyle change -we're not getting any younger, are we???

Good luck!
Ruth

[Pennylane]

I think the biggest thing that helped me was the Ab Lounger! Honestly, I had hit a wall with my belly. Then a friend suggested I try this and it really helped! I did it everyday for 10 minutes and saw a huge difference.

http://www.amazon.com/Ab-Lounge-S13350-4-2/dp/B0001KRXDQ

I also cut out sodas,which is my biggest vice. I could tell a difference in days.

Good luck, sounds like you are doing a great job to have done all you have already!

Ann

[nfowife]

I'm in the same situation....with DD my tummy was back to normal by 8 6-8 weeks. This time....not so much. I feel like one of those gastric bypass patients who has all this leftover loose skin! I always had a small waist my whole life and it's very hard to not have that right now!

[Puddy73]

Sorry, no advice on getting rid of the pouch - I still have a little one and DS is 18 months old! When I first started back to work I wore Spanx every day to help me fit back into my work clothes. It's not a long-term solution, but it helped me look and feel better. HTH!

Jennifer
Mommy to Annabelle 9/08/03 & Finn 10/31/05

"If we couldn't laugh, we would all go insane." - Jimmy Buffett

[alleyoop]

There is something about that second baby... the first one the bod bounces back pretty well. The second is a totally different story! Be easy on yourself!

I have been calorie counting (I know, how 1970s!) using the help of this site: http://www.nutritiondata.com
You can use thier tool http://www.nutritiondata.com/tools/calories-burned to see how many calories you need, and it has them adjusted for PG and nursing, too. Lots of good information and it is easy to look up all your foods to get calorie counts. Glycemic index, Fullness factors, they have everything. Enlightening! (doesn't make it any easier, though)

Good Luck!

[mmaimp]

Here's a link to a similar post in the MommyFit Forum. I've been trying to do these exercises but keep forgetting. It may help with the tummy.

http://www.windsorpeak.com/dc/dcboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=59&topic_id=5330&mode=full&page=

[bisous]

I hope this isn't a hijack--just thought it was a parallel question.

I don't know the answer but I am watching this thread very carefully. I think that it must possible to get rid of the baby belly but after my first DS (yes the first one!) I completely lost ALL my baby weight and then some but never regained my flat tummy. Of course, I certainly didn't do 300 situps a day and maybe that is the answer after all. We'll have to see if my will power is actually that strong.

My best solution was finding clothing that flattered my newly rounder belly. Long t-shirts are excellent at hiding that pudge. I personally love my shade t-shirts for that reason. Heck, I've been wearing them this pregnancy and nobody could tell that I was pregnant until about 2 weeks ago and I was 27 weeks! That would be my suggestion is to look over your work wardrobe and find clothing that fits several inches below your belly to give an overall smooth look that doesn't call attention to your middle section.

Good luck! I'm curious to know how your quest goes. I'm sure that if you are successful you will be very inspirational to many of us.

Jen

[ciaobella]

Thanks for the responses. I am willing to try just about anything healthy to get rid of this belly! I was lucky and did not have to do crunches to lose the tummy after my DS1 was born.

I am happy to do crunches, but I need guidance. I have 8 minute abs ... any other suggestions? I used to have an ab roller that I LOVED but an old roomate taped over the short video that went with it and I really needed it to give me the guidance on what exercises to do.

My diet is pretty good. All I drink is water with one can of Fresca (no calories) a day, max. I am really good about eating lots of fruit and making healthy choices. I am just not sure how much more tweaking I can do in this area.

I agree that getting clothes that hide the belly would be ideal, but I have tons of work clothes already and I don't want to re-invest in an entirely new wardrobe to hide my muffin top! I will likely have to buy a couple of pieces but would like to limit my purchases as much as possible. Having 2 little ones in daycare is going to cost a fortune as it is!

Would love to hear more ideas - thanks again!

[niccig]

With your diet watch your portions. I started weightwatchers and haven't changed food as I was already eating heathly (whole grains, fruit, vegetables etc), but I started to measure - a serving of rice is 1/2 cup etc - so far lost 7lbs and haven't changed amt of cardio/weights. I'm now a firm believer in combination of diet and exercise.

[hudsonam]

I am noticeing a difference on the South Beach Diet and it's only been since Wednesday, but I would also recommend Pilates. that is all about working your "core," aka abs, and I've heard it works miracles. I still haven't done it for a long enough time to get there. I need to find a tape that doesn't bore me. Good luck!

[Corie]

No success here!! I still have my C-section belly.

(I do the longer shirt thing too!) :)

[Piglet]

I agree - sometimes it is better to find new clothes than obsess over something that is very hard to change. I was happy to have a reason to buy new clothes after DS1. My work clothes pre-PG were cheap and not right for my age (bought right after college). I bought new clothes that flattered my new shape and felt great, mommy pouch and all. After DS2, I also bought a few new pieces that both updated my wardrobe and fit better. I am not saying that you should just accept your new shape and let yourself go, but if you are otherwise healthy and fit, why obsess over your tummy? Wear it like a badge of honour!