How did you improve your health/body shape/ lifestyle post birth?

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If you managed to improve your health, body and lifestyle after birth, how did you do it? And how long did it take you? What support did you have in place childcare wise?

I recently had 3rd baby. I tried really really hard to eat well and exercise during the pregnancy and didn't gain much weight until the last month when my weight ballooned and I was eating terribly.

I was 72kg/167cm pre baby and was aiming to lose 10kg to get to 62kg but got pregnant so that stopped.

I am now 83kg 11 weeks post partum and I can't stop (a) eating and (b) eating shit. I was 79kg about 1 week post partum but the weight has just crept up over the past few weeks. It's like I can't find the off switch when it comes to food and it's so depressing. I would like to try WLI but I'm breastfeeding so can't.

I have a bit of an overhang in my lower belly which I dislike. I'm just generally feeling very shit in terms of how I look.

I have started Pilates and am trying to walk at least 7k steps a day but have only really started doing this. I am going to build myself up to doing weights again and hope to start running 6 months pp or when I don't feel too wobbly.

If you've managed to transform yourself post birth, please tell me how?

I know weight-loss will be down to healthy eating and portion control but I don't know how to stop right now.

I am trying to cook healthy meals (plenty of protein and veg) for me and the kids while baby sleeps but I just end up over eating the snacking on shit, I'm ravenous. I don't even enjoy the over eating but just feel compelled to do it. Today I ate a whole bag of kettle chips at lunch and it's like I couldn't stop myself. I am sorely tempted to go eat some ice cream once baby is down but will refrain.

when I lost weight post baby 2 I did the 16:8 diet which worked for me but I'm too hungry and tired for that right now.

Any advice appreciated.

Following as would also like to lose some baby weight

I honestly didn’t even try until my youngest was 3. I know that sounds really defeatist but I only had so much willpower and mental capacity to deal with stress, and I decided that dieting could not be on the agenda until I was done with breastfeeding, sleep deprivation, weaning and potty training. It was the very hardest phase of my life and something had to give. I’m only just through it now but in the last year I have lost the weight through WLIs and strength training and now look and feel great.

While you are in this phase would try and focus on positive things you can do for your physical and mental health other than restricting food intake too much. So trying to carve out 30 mins for exercise 3x a week (easier said than done I know), eating your 5 a day, taking good supplements, getting fresh air and daylight. If you can make healthy swaps in your diet then great. Fruit instead of biscuits, hummus instead of cheese, popcorn instead of crisps etc. But don’t beat yourself up, it is super hard to be a mother of young children and being kind to yourself is really important. The weight will 100% come off in time.

@santasbaubles thanks for replying and great to hear about your journey. If you don't mind me asking, what WLI are you on and how do they make you feel and how much do you typically eat in a day?

I think realistically the weight isn't going to come off easily for me until I stop breastfeeding but I would at least like to stop snacking so much but can't help myself.

@sharkstale from my research to date it seems to be baby weight comes from a combo of calorie deficit and being active. No magic secret. What I would like to know now is how to gain that magic will power to stop snacking.

I was on Mounjaro for about a year although I never got beyond the lowest dose - that was enough to turbo charge my dieting efforts. I would say the strength training has had an equally big impact on the way I look and feel.

When you are still breastfeeding and (I’m sure) having interrupted sleep most nights, you need energy just to get through the day, so no wonder you are craving snacks! Don’t be too hard on yourself. You do need nourishment and trying to cope while in a calorie deficit will be very miserable in my opinion, even on WLIs.