To ask the best way to lose 15lbs when you can't exercise much?

[TaliZorah]

Posted somewhere else but got no reply.

I had a c section 7 weeks ago. I was 135lbs before pregnancy and am 140lbs now. I want to be 125lbs.

I'm eating 1,500 calories a day and walking a lot, but since the birth I have a really bad back that makes lifting extremely painful. Until I find out what it is I don't want to do any strenuous exercise, and probably couldn't anyway

What can I do to lose weight when I'm limited in what I can do? Thanks

Don't over eat, but don't skimp on food either. Your body needs good nutrition to recover from the pregnancy, and birth. Remember it is major surgery - just because it's a common operation and comes with a cute baby, that doesn't minimise the recovery. Infact the cute baby makes it harder to rest and recover.

Your abdomen has had to stretch for the bump. That will take time to settle. Your abdominal muscles will have separated which puts strain on your back. When you are ready, check for abdominal separation (like gently lifting to a crunch and feeling the width of the gap near your navel. There are exercises that can encourage it to close, and others like crunches and sit ups to avoid.

After my babies I started with walking to the end of the road and back (then lying down to recover!). I gently added in a postnatal exercise dvd, then a buggy fitness class. It was about 6 months before I was ready for mainstream exercise after my CS, and 9 months after forceps trashed my SPD recovery.

For calories, look up a calculator based on your height/ weight and activity level. I'm small so my maintainence needs vary from 1700 on a sedentary day to 2200 if I've been very active. Don't aim to cut too much too fast as you'll miss out on good nutrition. Slow and steady keeps it off. I had 2 sts to lose both times and lost an average of 0.5 a week over a year. I was careful to gently reactivate my metabolism with appropriate exercise, and be more mindful about low nutrition treats and portion size rather than doing a "diet". My fitness pal is useful for keeping track.

You will get back to being you, but be kind to yourself and patient along the way.

Just be careful. Plenty of mumsnetter would give anythnig to be your current weight. 95% of people who go on diets put more on so if you do try to diet you might end up a lot fatter. If instead you just change how you eat for life and eat well then you are more likely to lose weight and keep it off.

Op, can I suggest you try not to think about weight loss for a few more months, maybe pick the idea up again in the New Year? Just avoid the scales and eat healthily so you have enough energy to heal. You will be surprised how your body will recover but you can't force it to happen fast, mine certainly took a good six months or so. If you can, get out every day with the buggy, up and down some hills.

Your bmi is normal and if you push to lose weight so soon after a section you risk losing condition - frankly for you and the baby.

Why not concentrate on nutrition and health for you both rather than a number on the scales? I'm one week past a section and I'm actually a bit lighter than pre baby I know the number on the scales isn't an accurate measure of recovery.

It takes about six weeks for the uterus to involute fully - plus the surrounding tissues have to readjust, organs need to get back to where they were, etc. Simply put recovery from birth takes months - not weeks.

So concentrate on eating well as a goal, on physical condition, mental wellbeing etc. On sleep, good nutrition and perhaps on your recovery, not the scales. Yes you could starve and hit your goal weight but that's not recovery - it's just one measure. Your body needs some tlc to get over birth and cope with looking after a tiny needy infant.

I know it seems low but I have a small frame. Thanks for all the advice

Replace carbs with veg and lentils/protein.

I would recommend Slimming World and I have lost quite a lot of weight with very little exercise.
It's a healthy eating plan and I find it works best if you plan all your meals, which would help keep you organised when you've got very little time while looking after little one.
Going to group is also a nice little outing and loads of people at mine bring their kids.

I would worry more about staying healthy.
You'll be needing all your energy to take care of your LO.
One possible tip though is to cut down/avoid simple carbs like white bread, potatoes, rice, pasta, etc.
I think you can avoid those and still have a healthy diet with lots of veg, meat, etc.