Can you use the baby weight excuse 5 years down the line?

[FeelLikeTweedleDee]

I've met a few women who say "I'm overweight because I've had babies" and their children are 5+ years old. My mum (bless her) used to say this to me, and I'm her youngest child pushing 30!

So how long do you reckon you can use the baby weight excuse for? And who actually believes it? Men? The childless?

Bitch away.

i can't beleive that nobody has mentioned or cares that fat accumulation is governed by hormones. this is a scientific fact.

while it's not known yet what exact effect pregnancy and breastfeeding hormones have on fat accumulation and fat burning, we do know that the menopause has a marked effect on fat accumulation in the abdomen (if no hrt taken) so it's not out of this world to assume pregnancy and bf also have an effect.

those who get on the moral high ground about how we should all eat less and move more are imo simply the lucky ones.

Well said Sardine (again) :)

I always got slimmer after the first year until I had my 4th in my early 40's - I just can't shift the weight at all. My sister read a paper recently on psychological aspects of pregnancy and reckons it's because I loved being pregnant so much and don't want to really acknowledge that my childcarrying days are over that I deep down like having the roly poly tumm and hence despite running, workouts and diets I can't lose it!

novice, I merely meant to use the example of playing with baby as an example. For the past 4 months I have not been able to prioritise exercise because DS2 is such a bad sleeper I need to prioritise sleep. There are lots of challenges to looking after a baby, not just playing and some mothers need to make other things a priority instead of exercise.

It is vanity to want to look good, however, this is less of a "sin" than looking down on people who are struggling to lose their baby weight for whatever reason.

AliGrylls, I understand where you're coming from. :) I am currently pregnant again and looking forward to the baby but dreading those first few months when it all seems to stretch into one very long day! Hope DS2 sleeps soon.

Do you have any links to this info please fluffles?

I could not agree more SardineQueen.

This is a horrible thread, maybe we should all keep our noses in our own business and not judge other people's weight when we have NO idea about their circumstances.

pepsipopcorn i would recommend this guy's writing: www.garytaubes.com/ however you really need to read one of his books to get to the bottom of it all.

I'm eating biscuits while I read this thread.

Thanks fluffles! :)

mosschops30 Sun 20-Mar-11 17:35:03

You dont need to goto a gym to lose weight, misconception.

Run outside, take a jog, do a fitness dvd, or if you have a wii use that, do squats/lunges/sit ups at home. Use classes in a leisure centre or church hall.

Why dont you incorporate it with your kids then muddling? 10 hours a day get outside and run round parks, walk, carry bags etc. I dont think exercise is something that should be seperate or anything extra than what life is normally like with kids.

noodle69

Sorry, if I'm being dense, but what 10 hours a day?

Most of the time during the week when I have no kids (ds at school, dd in morning nursery) I'm working. I do a lot of walking to and from buses, and that does help, better than jumping in a car, and I do walk places when I can. However, often I'm pushed for time because I need to be somewhere and end up getting a bus instead.

My daughter can be the world's worst slowcoach, which is really frustrating as she started off being a fast little walker, so going anywhere with her walking is usually just a stress-fest right now.

I'll get there in the end, and heaven knows I want to shift the weight, I'm certainly not comfortable like this, but it's not top priority right now.

You can so a fitness dvd with your kids there, do it with them, something fun like zumba where you can all dance around. Also you could do squats lunges and sit ups there with the kids.

Therr is space for exercise in most peoples lives unless you have serious health problems,but like another poster said most people will prefet tsi down with a cuppa and watch eastenders or go on mn than doing something useful

Oh right I thought with kids at home. I work with kids and have a child and I run around with them a lot. I have the opposite problem in the day I hardly get to sit down as the kids will never let me!

It is harder if you are working but I definitely recommend trying to incorporate it in to your actual life rather than making extra work for yourself. I do stuff like run around with the kids, go to the soft play after work and run around up and down the slides, go on the park, obstacles course at the park etc. Also if you are lucky to live within a few miles of the shops walk back with all the weekly shop. It kills your arms but good for toning.

I'm definitely passionate about helping mums be active and healthy (it's my job!)... but I hate to hear that we need an "excuse" to do what we want to do as mums.

If YOU don't want to be fat (e.g. to be more healthy, able to do fun active things, set a good example to your kids, fit in clothes you like etc.) then don't be fat. Even if you do decide you have a "great excuse".

Would we dodge the shower and be smelly if we had a "great excuse" for being smelly??

(Does this analogy actually work?!)

Thing is, to honsestly make a serious difference with exercise you do have to do a LOT. This twenty mins a day thing is crap (unless, Like my DP you can run about 7k in that time ) and most mums of small children simply can't logistically fit it in regularly enough because either the time just isn't there, or else when they do get time, they prioritise housework, paid work, maybe spending an hour or two with their partners even!

Zombie thread KatyTuncer. I presume you bumped it since you have a vested interest if it's your job?

I'm my normal weight 6m after dc3 but I have no arse, tits or waist :( How the fuck did that happen and what do I do about it? My arse is literally flat and I used to have a nice round one

Actually you don't have to exercise a lot to make a difference. The Shred takes 25 mins a day and you will see a huge difference if you do it daily.

Do it, don't do it, but no time is an excuse. If you can't make 25 mins in your own living room.......

11 day so I'm clearly a more selfish mother than any of you.

I'm now on a major weight loss programme because I was overweight before I got pregnant and I don't want to be someone who blames having children for their weight.

Like another poster stated, it's more than possible to find time. I have 2 under 2, work ft, have my own business on top of that, no family for 500 miles and I still find the time to go to the gym, ride my horse and bike (albeit with a toddler on the back).

I refer you to my first paragraph. ;)

Depends how many kids you've had I guess. Some people find it harder to get back into shape the more they have. I'm not overweight but my body has def changed after one and I can't pig out like I did as I put weight on my tummy which I didn't before.

Once you decide it's a priority then I've found that almost all mums can get healthy and not be fat. Doing 20 mins exercise a day (or 25) is a good aim, but there are also lots of ways to make being active part of normal life so it doesn't seem like such a time drain. Basically things like standing up when you're on the phone, pacing up and down when you're waiting for a bus, holding your tummy in and walking a bit faster when you're pushing the buggy, balancing on one leg when you brush your teeth, pelvic floor pulses while you change a nappy.....

I still have post pregnancy flab. it's only been thirteen years. Gimme a break!

Ha I lost it all and then some within 4 months of birth. So pleased was I that I have been stacking it on ever since. :D