I'm taking the plunge

[jasabo]

I think I'm the only person who's actually gained weight since their baby(ies). I lost 30 lbs in the 6 weeks after having my twins and haven't lost a pound since. I actually gained a few pounds in the past few weeks because I've been eating everything in sight and slacked off on exercising. I can't even stand to look at myself in the mirror anymore. I have absolutely no control when it comes to eating. I don't know what's wrong with me. I was a size 12 four years ago. I'm 5'8, so that's not bad for me. Then I went back to school full-time, got married, started IF treatments, had twins, and became a SAHM. I'm too embarressed to even admit how big I am now. Let's just say I'm a LOT bigger then a size 12 now.

It occurred to me this morning while walking my dogs that my boys will be a year old in 2 months, and I'm hardly any skinnier now then I was after I had them. How sad is that?

Anyway, I've resolved that, starting today, I'm doing something about it. I'm going to exercise every day and NO MORE JUNK FOOD!! I'm going to try a SBD/Atkins type of thing - very low carbs, as that's my weakness....cake, candy, cupcakes, bread and butter....I could go on and on. I decided to post here with the hope that making it "public" will help inspire me and keep me motivated. Any words of wisdom and/or inspiration would be greatly appreciated :)

Lisa - mom to 10 month old twin boys

[Jeanne]

Lisa,
You are not alone. I gained a ton of weight after my first baby as well! I think I'm the only one who gained while BF. I ate 2,800 calories a day and packed it on.

You can do it! I'm still 20lb above where I want to be but I know I'll get there. I was doing really well but have since slaked off on the weekends. I'm gearing up to get strict again. I just have to find the time to shop and get all the things that keep me in line. I am so short on time these days that when I do find it, the last thing I feel like doing is grocery shopping or cooking!

[stillplayswithbarbies]

I am right there with you. I have gained weight since Logan was born. I did the same thing with my son. I know that I will lose it when I stop breastfeeding, but I am not ready to do that yet, so I am just trying to maintain and not gain any more.

I weigh the same now as I did when I went in to have the baby.

...Karen
Jacob Nathaniel Feb 91
Logan Elizabeth Mar 03

[JulieL]

Lisa here is to a whole new you!!! I can't stress this enough drink tons of water and walk as much as possible. Try even walking in the morning and evening. You can do this, Jeanne is so right!!! As far as your cravings just don't buy the sweets and stuff. Hey you don't have to do such a constricting and frustrating diet as akins or sbd to lose weight. Fad diets end up burning your motivations and often people give up the good fight. You already know your weaknesses. Load your home with fruits and veggies you love. Bag veggies ahead of time for a quick snack grab. Even dip them in ranch dressing if that helps. That with be tons better for you than all those sugars. When you are hungry drink a glass of water BEFORE you eat a snack. Often your body is just thirsty but you feel it as hunger cravings. If you do these things you WILL lose weight. I bet you anything if you keep it up faithfully buy June 12th you will be measurably thinner! Isn't that exciting, just in time for summer! Ok it may not be your pre preganancy weight but who cares it would be less than today! Stay motivated and keep connected to these wonderful gals. They are so helpful! YOU CAN DO THIS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[mamicka]

Same here. We'll do this together. I noticed that I'd been craving junk food a lot lately & the I realized that AF had come back so that was why. Maybe same for you?

Allison

[jasabo]

Thanks Julie! It would be nice to be measurably thinner by June 12th. June 10th actually....that's my boys' first birthday. I'd like to at least be a LITTLE bit skinnier a year after they were born then I was the day they were born :) Oy!! I did go rollerblading with the boys yesterday, pushing them in the stroller. I almost had a coronary. It's sad how out of shape I am. But you're right. Just gotta stay motivated. And keep the junk food out of the house. I'm having dh do all the grocery shopping now. I can't be trusted. I'll come home with bags full of HoHo's and gummy bears.

Thanks to all of you for the support!

Lisa - mom to 10 month old twin boys

[jubilee]

I haven't lost any weight since the month after Logan was born... and now he is one year old! Eeek! I have 15 pounds to lose to get to my pre-pregancy size- and even then I will weigh too much for my height. Let's get serious together!! Keep posting here and we can all support each other.

[jasabo]

Ok, I've got 15 lbs to lose in my RIGHT LEG alone!! HA! Really, I want to lose like 50 lbs. I put on a lot of weight pre-pregnancy because I took fertility meds, so I've got that weight in addition to all this twin-skin that just hangs here. Blech! If only it were as easy to take off as it is to put on :(

I could definitly use some support - it's always easier to do tough things when you've got people in your corner. Are you doing any daily exercising? What about diet? Just cutting back or doing something specific?

Lisa - mom to 10 month old twin boys

[zuzu]

Mind if I join you all? I would like to lose 40-50 pounds. I'm below my pre-pregnancy weight now, but still have a ways to go. I had some success late last year (odd timing with all the holidays) but the scale hasn't moved down in a while. I generally eat foods that are healthful, but tend to eat too much of them. I'm not following a particular plan, but try to stick to the less processed and whole grain carbs and get lots of veggies, fruit and enough lean protein. As for exercise, I get very little. I've been really busy at work (I know, excuses, excuses ;) ), but hopefully that will let up a bit soon. I'm hoping the spring weather will make it easier to get out to walk at lunch and on weekends. I'll start making changes today by making sure I get enough water. I'd be up for posting our progress, etc. regularly.

Thanks for starting this thread. I know we can all do this!
Melissa, mom to Sarah (5.10.03)

[jasabo]

Sure!! Join the fun :)

I have to admit I had a cup of Haagen Daas ice cream at the mall today. My excuse I was that I wanted to see if the boys would like ice cream. How sad is that, using my boys as an excuse to eat?!? HA! It ended up being "one little bite for you, two big bites for me."

I think walking is a great idea. Do you have a pedometer? I bought one and it's been great to keep me motivated during my walks. I try to power walk with the boys every morning, though I didn't do very well this week. I need to get a jogging stroller too. I'm all about buying things to help me lose weight...I imagine some might call it procrastination. I've got the world's biggest collection of work out videos and DVD's that I never use, but have a great time buying. I really need to stop buying and just start exercising!

Lisa - mom to 10 month old twin boys

[zuzu]

Lisa,

As long as the Haagan Dazs was a treat and not a daily snack, you'll be be okay. I went out to dinner Saturday (first date night in ages :)) and shared dessert, which I don't usually eat, with DH and enjoyed every bite.

Thanks for the reminder about the pedometer. I hate to admit this, but I bought one years (!) ago and have yet to calibrate it, so it sits unused in a drawer in the kitchen. I'll have to dig it out and start using it. Great job on the daily power walks! And if the gadgets, etc. help get you moving--then have fun shopping. I'll bet the boys keep you running around too. I plan on getting out for a walk in little while. We seem to have gone from early spring to early summer weather overnight.

Let's have a healthful week!
Melissa, mom to Sarah (5.10.03)

[mary b]

Lisa, I am right with you. I am at the heaviest and wondering if i am pregnant again or a thyroid problem or something becuase I keep gaining weight and I really haven't changed my habits.(i know i am not pregnant, but it feels like it!)

I think my body is just telling me it's time to get on the stick and get some of this weight off. I need to lose at least 50 lbs. Let's encourage each other, I think it will help!!! I need to reguarly post here and get moving!

take care
mary
mom to Noelle and Lindsey

[jasabo]

You know, I agree with you about your body telling you it's time to lose weight. I've been feeling that too. My back hurts all the time, my legs hurt, I'm tired, I have headaches...it's like my body's going on strike until I get my act together.

I realized, when I gained so much weight over such a short period when I was pregnant with my twins, how hard it is to carry extra weight. In the past when I'd gain weight, it was over months/years so I never really noticed it that much. But when you put 50+ lbs on over 4 or 5 months, you really notice the strain it puts on your body. I did, anyway. I need to keep that in mind because I think I'd forgotten about it since I've been heavy now for over a year. Thanks for reminding me!

Lisa

[mandye]

Count me in. I posted this earlier this morning, but I plan to lose 40 pounds by Christmas--half of that before August 21. I knew I'd hit rock bottom when I literally couldn't find a thing that fit me this past Sunday. So, I started this week getting up at 7:00am to workout with Denise Austin on Lifetime TV. She does two 1/2 hour workouts. I've decided that is the easiest for me as long as Hailey stays asleep long enough. However, I'm embarassed to admit that the warm-up was rough on me--ACK!

My plan is to work out for at least 1/2 hour each day working up to an hour, but if Hailey wakes up during my workout I'm going to pack her up in the stroller and head out the door for a walk. Side note: walking is hard for me because I'm a big (no pun intended) scaredy cat. I feel like I'm an easy target for someone. Also, I live in Phoenix and soon it will be 90 degrees or higher before 6:00am and stay over 100 til after 9:00pm. I know, I have tons of excuses. I guess I just need to suck it up and get moving, huh?

Luckily, I have a great husband who is already telling me how proud he is of me (after only 3 days), which helps keep me motivated.

I'm begging you all to help me stay motivated and lose my excuses as I think those are two of my biggest problems.

mandy

[zuzu]

Mandye- I think your goals are reasonable, and your exercise will help get you there. That's great you have DH's support.

Allison, Julie, Lisa, Mary (am I forgetting anyone?)--how are you all doing this week?

I've only walked once so far this week, but at least that once more than usual. I hate walking in the heat too, so I keep telling myself I need to take advantage of this weather before summer hits. At least I've been doing well with my eating. AF came today, and luckily didn't bring any cravings with it this time. Speaking of walking, I think I can slip out of the office for a half hour now and walk a bit, so I'm off to do that before anything else comes up.

We can do this together ladies! :)
Melissa, mom to Sarah (5.10.03)

[jasabo]

Hi everyone!

Well I joined a gym this week. They have a child care center which is really the only reason I did it. I hate to admit it, but I'm doing this as much for getting a break from the boys as I am to exercise. But hey, whatever works, right? I only managed about 30 minutes on the treadmill today before they came and got me because the boys were crying. So I think I have to play around with times during the day to find when is good for them. But it sure is great to be able to drop them off and exercise for a little while. And I'm rationalizing to myself that it's a good socialization experience for the boys too :)

Haven't done great with eating - I have such a terrible sweet tooth and pigged out on cookies at the mall yesterday, but trying to get better about it. Hopefully regular exercise will encourage me. I always feel like eating better when I'm exercising. It makes me think twice about putting that cheesecake in my mouth if I think about how great I did at the gym that day.

How is everyone else doing?

Mandy - I live in Chandler! Maybe we could try to get together some time. I know what you mean about the heat - I've already started using it as an excuse for not power walking outside with the boys.

Lisa - mom to 10 month old twin boys

[mandye]

I'm a little discouraged after week one. I worked out every day and didn't lose a single pound! I really thought I would have lost at least a couple. At least my hubby is telling me he's proud of me. He even told me that yesterday he thought my calves looked really muscular. Besides, I feel better even if I didn't lose anything.

Lisa - as far as getting together, it would be quite a drive for us. I live in way north phoenix, like I-17 and the 101. But if you're still interested maybe we could work something out-some kind of middle ground.

mandy

[JulieL]

Mandy, hon, don't get discouraged! Listen write down your weight, measure your upper hips, thighs, natural waist line. Then, listen this is really important, don't get on the scale or measure yourself for 4 weeks! Then in another 4 weeks after that do the same. You don't necessarily see a difference in the scale each week and you are going to make yourself crazy if you dwell on just that. Remember working out also helps give you energy and (hush, hush, it helps in the bedroom too, no joke!). So stop weighing yourself, seriously I'm gonna get on your case if you do. Be consistant and focussed and this WILL WORK FOR YOU!

[jasabo]

Mandy, I agree with Julie. Just say NO to the scale!! They're hateful, horrible creations! For one thing, your weight can fluctuate like 2 or 3 lbs within just one day. I've weighed myself first thing in the a.m., then again at night and I kid you not, I'll have gained 2 or 3 lbs. And that's even on days when I've eaten really well and exercised. And secondly, muscle weighs more then fat. Are you weight training? If so, you may not notice as much of a weight loss on the scale as you might otherwise, but that's not a bad thing. You'll be building muscle, but also losing fat. If you're not weight training, you might want to give it a try. Muscle helps burn fat - boosts your metabolism, so it's good to add more muscle if possible. That said, I've yet to lift a weight at the gym. I need to start doing that. I did the treadmill and the crosstrainer today and had to stop because I thought I'd have a coronary. I keep forgetting how out of shape I've gotten and that I need to build up my endurance again - can't just jump back into my old routine.

Anyway, please don't get discouraged Mandy!! Remember, it took months and months to put the weight on. It'll take a while to get it off too. It'll come off - we just need to be patient. And remember, say NO to the scale!! :)

Lisa

[lag555]

Have you looked into the Carbohydrate Addict's Diet. I think there is a questionnaire you fill out and if you get a certain score, they have determined that you are a Carbohydrate Addict. It's a pretty weird diet, but my sister went on it and it was really helpful for her. It is different from Atkins because it lets you eat carbohydrates for one hour a day. (If I remember correctly.)

Good luck!

Aggie

[jasabo]

Oh boy - do you know how many cupcakes I could put away in an hour? HA! :) I have no self control. The only answer for me is to cut out the sweets completely. The first few days/week is hard, but it does get a little easier, rather like Atkins says. My problem is I don't eat a lot of meat and I hate cooking, so an Atkins type diet is tough for me. I pretty much have to just live off salads and chicken breasts. Boring! But thanks for the suggestion.

How's everyone doing? I totally slacked off exercising for the past week. Too much going on to get to the gym. I'm going to try to get back this week though. I also gained 2 lbs, which wasn't a surpise as I've been eating terribly since I haven't been exercising. Boy is this hard!!

Lisa - mom to 10 month old twin boys

[mandye]

Lisa, did you cut out carbs or just sweets? I can't remember. Anyway, I have this great chicken recipe. And it is so simple!

You brown four chicken breasts on the stove. In a separate bowl mix 1/2 cup apricot jam, 1/4 cup barbeque sauce, 1/4 cup water and 1/2 pkg dry onion soup mix. Pour it over the chicken, bring to a boil, then lower to simmer and finish cooking the chicken. Cover for a thin sauce (I like it thin) or leave lid off for a thicker sauce. Serve over rice.

mandy

[zuzu]

Hope everyone is doing well. DD has been sick for almost the past two weeks, so I have been lousy about getting back into good habits. Yesterday I woke up and decided I was going to do my best over the next four months, no matter what. I'm not sure what made me decide this, but I'm going to go with it. I figure that will be enough time to see some real changes if I stick with it. I know it's only day two, but so far so good.

Lisa--I hear you on weight fluctuations and try not to weigh too often, and always at the same time of day--first thing in the morning tends to be the lowest, which motivates me. You were doing well at the gym, and I hope things calm down a bit so you can get back soon.

I'll try to stop by more regularly. Helps with the motivation to see how everyone else is doing. DD will be walking soon, so I really need to get back into shape if I am going to keep up with her! :)

Melissa, mom to Sarah (5.10.03)