Weight gain after kids

[Fistikfistik]

So I have just turned 30. Have 4 kids. Wldest is 9 youngest is 3. I am a size 16. Was a 12/14 prior to kids and want to get back to that but I can't keep it up. I managed to lose 1.5 stone in locldown by doing some workout videos daily abd watching my intake but because we where home I had the time. Once lockdown was over and life resumed to normal it wasn't sustainable as 4 kids and different activities, work and school collections I couldn't fit it in. So I went down to a 14 but now back to a 16.

I am about 13 stone. However I still breastfeed the youngest. Hoping to stop soon and I have quite large boobs. So I hold some weight there. And my hips are wider. But I don't think I look terrible. But I feel heavy.

Is this terribly big? I am 5 ft 6. Just about 13 stone. I'm hoping to lose some after breastfeeding ends. I am an hour glass shape. Can any one recommend a form of exercise that helps? I was doing steel City workouts and walk with Leslie and it hoped but I need to tone too. Any recommendations for little time in the day?

You say you’re an hourglass - what measurement is your waist, as that’s quite a good indicator of health. Your BMI is very close to obese though. Diet is probably going to make more of an impact than exercise at the moment.

I will measure in a minute. I don't actually know. I know my bmi isn't great but the gp was never concerned when I have had checks at the begining of pregnancies.

Have you ever counted how many calories you're eating each day? Because that's the thing that has greatest impact on body weight. Exercise is great, for all kinds of reasons, and being active burns off some of those calories, but how many you put in your mouth each day is the main issue.

My doctor told me that as long as you're a healthy weight/size at 20, that's the weight you should aim to maintain throughout your life.

I found this online and put in my measurements. A size 16 is slightly loose but a 14 is too tight

That's the thing I don't eat a lot which I know is part of the problem. I will either have peanut butter toast if I'm in a rush with coffee or porridge with honey and strawberries and coffee. If I have lunch depending know time I will have a tuna salad and then dinner is always home made. Normally a Mediterranean diet. I don't eat much meat but if I do its chicken or beef or fish. Sometimes I skip this too as cooking can put me off eating. So my feet sint awful abd I don't drink fizzy drinks or juice. A lot of coffee and water though. Only snack occasionally.

My diet isn't awful.* not feet

Where do you think the weight gain has come from? Do you think you’re accidentally serving bigger portions? It’s easy for that to happen over time. I would have a week or two of weighing everything to see.

Exercise is brilliant but it’s not great for losing weight. Diet is the biggest factor there.

I'm not sure. I guess from not being very active. I have calorie counted before and wasn't much of an issue. Its only after my last baby that I put some weight on. So 1.5 dress sizes. Although I think I carry it well. I guess I'm getting older now and my metabolism is changing? Last baby at 27 and 30 now. I work from home so literally stay home but very busy all day. So.working, collecting kids. I don't get much sleep either as youngest still wakes in the night. I average about 5 hours a night sometimes more or less

Do I sound very over weight?

It sounds like you could lose a little to get back to the healthy range.

Hmm well from what you've written that's not a lot of food, but portion size is relevant, so for a week or two it would be good to weigh your food and calculate the number of calories just so you know.

In terms of moving more, you can build in activity quite easily just through walking or taking the stairs or running a daily mile (which only takes about 10 mins), or just doing some old-fashioned PT in your lunch break - star jumps, burpees, running up and down stairs, that kind of thing.

What I’d think about is whether your weight is stable or increasing. If it’s going up and you don’t change anything, wanting to lose a stone could become wanting to lose three, or six…

It’s much easier to deal with when it’s not much. Getting more active and eating more healthily is good at any size.

Yes I have calorie counted etc in the last couple of months and I don't over eat. My plan was to go for a long walk twice a week whilst youngest has started nursery but they have taken it in turns with a stomach bug so have only managed it once. I will start doing my videos again as I lost 1.5 stone in 4 months doing that. But I'm bored of them and want something new. Not high impact as I have a dodgy ankle.

I lost 3 kilos after coming off the pill to copper coil. I know they say the pill doesn't effect weight but may have been from bloating.

How many calories are you having per day? The advice used to be 2000 for women but that was when more people walked everywhere, lots of housework etc.

I started for 2 weeks calorie counting. Attached is a typical day for me. I stopped now as I was getting s bit obsessed with it

But it can go up to 1700 depending on if I eat at dinner

I think it's just hard to carve the time when you have kids and you have four. As spring is coming you could maybe do some walks and runs in the playground with the kids. I recommend the Fast 800 5:2, I tend to put weight on easily from holidays and eating out and this has helped the slow creep. I do yoga with Adriene when the kids are in bed but sometimes I'm too tired and try to attend a class in person a few times er month. I think it's going to get easier as kids get older, I hope!

If you’ve genuinely only been eating 1280 calories a day and putting weight on, you probably need your thyroid checking. Had you modified your diet when you did that calorie counting?

I also don’t like calorie counting. I weigh my carbs and focus on eating veg and lean protein based meals if I put a few pounds on.

Cross posted with you

Thanks @IrishMamaMia I will look at that. I definitely need to move more. But as you said I plan to do things but sometimes it's not possible. I tried to do a video the other day. I got half way through and youngest decided to have a tantrum because it wasn't the exercise video she wanted me to do I got her settled but I had lost the mojo to start again. And then had other things to do so didn't have the time. Not a good excise but it doesn't help

I'm not putting weight on. I have stayed this weight since the last baby
She is 3. I lost weight in lock down by doing 1 hour exercise a day and calorie counting. But I stopped when we came out of lockdown as I didn't have time. But I have stayed this weight for about 1 year now. I'm not sure what I'm asking really, just feeling down about it! I just need to get my but moving

Assuming you don't have an underlying condition such as thyroid issues, your food tracking is waaaay off.

You're 30, 5'6", weigh 13st, and you're breastfeeding. You're calorie burn is going to be about 2500-2800 a day! If you're not losing weight, it's because you're eating way more than you think.

1. Stop guestimating your food intake. Actually weigh it. All of it. Including drinks and snacks. And then make sure that the calories on the packet match the entry on my fitness pal (because some of them are wildly inaccurate) before you enter it. You may be surprised.

1. Don't eat back any exercise calories. We massively overestimate the amount of calories that exercise burns as a general rule.

1. It's not your daily calorie count that matters, it's your weekly average. Yes, you might have a few days of 1200, but if you then have a blowout over the weekend it can put your average back to almost no deficit at all.

1. You don't need to do any elaborate exercise. Walking/steps is plenty good enough. Aim for 10-15k steps a day.

Try these things and see what they show you. Do it for 2 weeks. If your tracking is absolutely on point and you aim for about 1800-2000 calories a day, you'll lose weight to the tune of about 2lb per week. If you don't, you'll either find that your calories are considerably higher than you think they are, or you should see a GP.

Thank you. Yes calories are accurate and I check it against packets etc. I think the lack of sleep and movement is the problem and not a regular consumption of food. As I said one day I eat breakfast lunch and dinner and then another day I may not have breakfast or lunch etc.

No you’re not massive at all but do fall into the overweight category. You probably need to lose 2 stone to be a healthy weight again and it’s completely doable. I have 5 DC aged between 19 months and 12 and I’ve lost almost 2 stone this year, I’m also still BFing the youngest. You’re making excuses which is easily done, I used to do it too. If you’re motivated enough to lose it you will find the time. I do couch to 5k 3 times a week, doing the last run of week 7 tonight. I limit calorie intake and do a 30 min HIIT video 3 times a week and 30 minute Pilates video twice a week. The weight has honestly flown off but I’ve had to put lots of effort in, it isn’t easy.