It takes time to lose baby weight – so take it easy on yourself.
A guest post by Amy
I remember a family member saying to me, “You look great, for just having a baby.” I was around 3 months postpartum with my first baby and I still felt terrible about weight. I had gained 40lbs during that pregnancy, and I felt like a beached whale the last 2 months. I kept asking myself, “When will I lose this baby weight?” Much to my dismay, it didn’t happen overnight or even in a couple of months postpartum.
*Note: never compare yourself to celebrities that hire personal trainers 7 times a week with a personal chef*
In my personal experience, breastfeeding to lose weight did not work for my body. In fact, I was
even more hungry than I was while I was pregnant and that was fine — but the stories that other moms tell of miraculously losing weight while ONLY breastfeeding were not true for me.Finally, after my daughter turned a year old, I nearly shed all but a few of those 40 extra pounds.
Five months later, I got pregnant with our 2nd baby. I was overweight to begin with, so I vowed I would NOT gain 40lbs again.I guess chasing around a not-even-2-yet toddler helped with that because I only gained 20lbs total. *my doctor was fine with that being that I was about 20lbs overweight starting off*
After the birth of my second daughter, I was right back where I started. I will admit, I was lazy. It was only until we got some family photos done for Christmas 2011 that I wanted to change. I looked at them and was amazed how much weight I actually put on due to being pregnant twice in 2 years.
From then on, I was determined to lose the baby weight.
Here’s how I determined to lose baby weight:
1 .I stuck to a healthy diet of good, wholesome foods. I stuck to a 1300-1600 calorie diet depending on the intensity of my workout that day. A great *FREE* site to help you out is My Fitness Pal. You can track your exercise and your calorie intake, plus weight and measurements.
2. I moved my butt. Literally. I bought the DVD workout system called Brazil Butt Lift by Beachbody. I also began running about 3 miles, 3-5 times a week. Any type of physical activity 3-5 days a week for at least 30 minutes is great! Some particular exercises for losing the baby weight are ones that strengthen your core muscles. Planks *curse them*, sit ups, crunches, side bends, etc. Pilates is also very good for your core as well.
3. I didn’t stress out if the scale didn’t move. Sure, it can be VERY discouraging when you work your booty off for an entire week and that stupid scale blinks 0 weight loss. But numbers on a scale are not a true indicator of your fitness level.
4. I MEASURED! Measure yourself before you begin. Even if that scale doesn’t move, I bet your measurements will. Losing inches can be really fulfilling, even if you are not dropping the pounds like you want.
5. I stayed positive. Joining an online group with people just like you will help you along your journey to lose baby weight. I’m in a group with ladies just like myself, and it’s so much easier than doing it alone. You won’t feel defeated if 5 other people fall off the wagon. Just get back up and start over. Also, if your husband is on board, have him join you! My husband was able to shed 30lbs along with me. It’s great to have support at home.
Just remember the saying, “It took 9 months to gain it, it’ll take at least that to shed it.” After almost a year, I was able to lose 40lbs. My BMI is in the normal range, all my blood tests are normal and I’m the smallest I’ve been in my adult life. It’s truly satisfying to work so hard for something and finally achieve it. In May, I was even able to run my first half marathon.
You can lose baby weight but you will have to work to make it happen. Keep moving, eat healthy, and don’t give up!
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Tags: Amy
