Exercise Post Baby

[MusicMum18]

Hi
My baby is now 10 months old and I am ready to start exercising again.

I used to be a keen runner, did great north run, half marathons etc but it feels like I'm starting from scratch and I don't know exactly the best way to get my fitness back up and lose weight.

I used to be 9 stone, I am currently 11 stone. I want to g back to my original weight.

I started exercising 2 weeks ago, I started off doing 1 lap of village which is 1km it was a nightmare. Then I did 2, 3 and today I did 4! I've been going steady and pacing myself well.

I don't feel like I've made much progress, my belly is fat and I feel like it's not doing anything and that the weight seems to be really hard to shift.

I'm wondering if I need to mix things up by trying interval raining or different forms of exercise?

I am also breastfeeding and plan to feed my daughter till she's 1, so a couple mor months. I'm not sure if excessive exercise affects milk production?

Not sur where to go from here in terms of exercise and losing weight?

Any help much appreciated!

[mumwhoruns]

Hello well done on what you've done so far! Sounds like you are progressing pretty well to me - going from 1km-4km.
Don't underestimate how much effort it has taken to give birth and now breastfeed plus you are knackered and lack time to concentrate much on fitness so it's going to feel a bit frustrating that results are not as quick as you would like.
My biggest problem after poor fitness was pelvic floors and abs so I did some core work as well. You need to check for that gap in your belly before you do proper sit ups. Planks are really great to do instead. I think to build up running I just did what you are doing - slowly slowly and it will come back. If you can swap one session for speed or intervals that will really help with shifting the excess weight you say you have but be careful not to overdo it as you are still breastfeeding. Swimming a great one to combine with the running. Maybe do a parkrun for motivation? I found if got back into the swing of things one year plus who stopped breastfeeding and baby was sleeping properly.

[hlr1987]

I second the plank suggestion! You may have to accept that the fat won't go anywhere while you're still breast feeding, its there for a reason and your hormones from bf can cause you body to hold onto its energy reserves more stubbornly. I've lost no weight at all since that initial week, my baby is 3m and I'm 4 stone heavier than I was but its going nowhere despite the fact I've built up to running 3times a week again. I'm focusing on yoga and body weight activities instead, trying to get stronger. Without eating at a deficit (or exercising to one) the fat won't move for me, so I'm focusing on feeling fit again, lots of small, moderate exercise sessions to build up overall. I got depressed that the scales weren't budging so read around to find out that lots of women can't loose weight untill they wean, so I'm ignoring the scales!

[mrsvilliers]

My suggestion (and what I did) would be to continue exercising but also keep an eye on what you eat if you weight is bothering you. I did weightwatchers while breastfeeding dc2 and the weight fell off. They add in the extra calories you burn while feeding so you don't feel overly deprived. I lost 1.5 stone this way. Your baby is 10 months old so if you've been fully breastfeeding the whole time it will be well established and nothing much short of dropping feeds will affect it provided you are sensible.

[mrsvilliers]

Oh and I went down the weightwatchers route with dc2 as with dc1 I thought I'd wait until I stopped bfing to sort it out and never did...

[mrsvilliers]

Sudden guilt attack at telling you to diet on an exercise board. Really didn't mean it in a horrid way, its just you sound similar weightwise to how I was and I found the combo of exercise, diet and bfing to be really effective. My baby also got told off for being too fat at the same time so it clearly didn't affect milk production!

[MusicMum18]

Hi,
No I'm not offended that you suggested dieting, mrsvilliers. That's what I'm trying to do but it's hard as I'm permanently ravenous and could eat a horse. Grazing throughout the day is all too easy. I'm trying to have water to fill myself up when I get peckish, that seems to help. Finding time to exercise is pretty hard but my do is encouraging and tries to find time to help after work so I can go to gym/run. Probably going twice a week at the moment.

just not sure when I should see weight loss. Weighed myself yesterday and I had actually put on a pound. So feel really demoralised today. People e told me that the weight 'falls off' when you breastfeed but when is this going to happen?!!

Going to go to gym tonight to do some running and planks.

[mrsvilliers]

I was always starving while breastfeeding, but when I went down the weightwatchers route I realised I had still been eating too much so I think that's why it helped (and it really did fall off at that point!) I don't believe anyone who says they lost weight simply through breastfeeding, all I did was crave and eat fat and sugar! I had to be really disciplined in cutting back. I was also dairy free as was convinced DD had milk allergy. But you sound like you are doing positive things exercise wise and it really makes a difference to have a supportive dp :)

[mumwhoruns]

Yeh I ate so much sweet stuff when breastfeeding. My body craved it - prob to being totally knackered too. Don't be too hard on yourself (hard I know) slowly slowly you'll get back to shape.

[seasaltbaby]

Like you I was a keen runner pre babies & I've been slowly getting back into it over the last year now. I combined running with DVD workouts & found I really enjoyed it. It's really convenient as it meant I didn't need to leave the house so potentially baby could nap & I exercised (well, it was a theory!) but I also really enjoyed doing different types of cardio & strength exercises. Running is still my favourite but I definitely feel the benefit from the other workouts. But yes, don't push yourself too hard!

[RubySlippers77]

How are you getting on with the running MusicMum? My twin boys are now 5 months old and I've recently got back to the gym, really enjoying my one hour (!) a week off….. OH looks after them on a Sunday morning so I can go, any longer than that panics him!

I used to be a real gym bunny but stopped about a year ago, it's hard getting back into it after a long time off (and babies!) - I'm not BF'ing but had a difficult birth and a bodged C section, which didn't help my recovery.

Joined Slimming World as well recently; 10lb down, 30lb to go….. oh well, it's a start!!

[MusicMum18]

Ruby slippers, 10lb is ace.
Exercise is a bit sporadic for me. I'm cutting down food, snd I've just got back from gym where i did 10 mins bike, 10 mins x trainer and 20 mins interval sprint as fast as poss, walk, sprint etc.

I have to confess thought, yesterday I weighed myself yesterday and I still weighed 11 stone, 71 pounds. I was fed up so I had a chocolate brownie and some trifle. So I went to gym this morning as I felt guilty. I've been trying so hard, and apart from the blip yesterday I've been cutting right back and exercising more.

So why isn't the weight coming off? On the plus side I feel like my body's changing shape.

Going running tomorrow, I've worked up to going for an hour now so getting better, but why isn't the weight shifting arrrgggghhhhhh

I'm trying not to get demoralised but it's hard not to give up.

[MusicMum18]

By the way ruby slippers, you are doing super well to even leave the house with 5 month old twins! I think you are doing amazing, it sounds like you had a tough birth!

Thanks to everyone else for the advice xxxx

[RubySlippers77]

Thank you MusicMum, it's hard to leave the house some days but I always try to!!

Your running and gym going is awesome - an hour's running?! I can do 30 minutes walk/ run and that's it! I walk a lot with the pram but would love to get in more cardio too.

I was very fed up after Thursday's SW weigh in, I'd put on 1lb! Went and ate pancakes and then like you, felt guilty. On the bright side, I am almost (not quite!) back in my pre-pregnancy jeans :-)