Seriously need to change please help

[bigbum44]

Since having my last baby 5 months ago my entire body shape has changed and I feel awful. I have had 2 sections now and have the biggest overhang. I had this before but not to this extent. I've been eating badly and I know I'm putting on weight but this new shape is so unforgiving I just feel terrible in myself.

My eating habits are shit. I don't like cooking so im constantly snacking on packet foods like crisps and biscuits. I love carbs especially white carbs like bread and pasta. I don't eat enough fruit and veg and I feel hungry all the time. There's no wonder I'm putting weight on when I eat like this.

I do loads of steps but I don't workout as I hate the gym and cardio exercise in general. I do enjoy yoga and Pilates - gentle mindful types of exercise but lately my motivation for them seems to have dipped too.

I need someone to give me a slap and a meal plan so that I can take control of my life and my health. My self esteem is at an all time low and I've only myself to blame but I just don't know how to get out of this rut. If you've lost weight please let me know how!

weigjht Training squats sit ups 75 a day each. less bread and food that bloats
go vegan if you want
drink water

Firstly, be kind to yourself…you’ve just had a baby….it took 9 months to make and you’ve only had your new baby 5 months.

sleep can effect your need for more food to fuel your body because of lack of sleep. Fill a litre bottle of water each morning and drink it through the day so you know how much water you’re drinking.
If you love pasta then buy wholewheat (boil it a little longer than the white stuff so it isn’t al dente)
choose sweet potatoes instead of white ones. Try to reduce salt which helps water retention.
Don’t keep biscuits and sweets at home so you won’t be tempted. Buy frozen yogurt instead (there are some chocolate versions which are nice)
You don’t like cooking so buy fresh soups for lunch and have them with crackers instead of bread.
Avoid ready meals which are full of salts, sugars. Instead, pop salmon or chicken fillets on tin foil with a little oil and bake, then add pesto to either and have some baked or boiled veggies, very quick.

Youll probably be out walking your baby a lot but just pick up the pace a little and maybe add some mild park hills. Try planks for your core.

Mostly though….enjoy your baby…your body will return xx

Thank you very much for the replies. I feel so disconnected from my body at the moment. We were on holiday last week and seeing my body in different mirrors and having to wear swimwear etc just made me realise how out of shape I am. I need to make long term changes.

Wow - you've literally just finished building a whole new human, give yourself a break!

If you want to try and eat healthier to feel better, would you be up for doing some batch cooking? There are loads of healthy meals you can make in bulk and freeze, then during the times you don't have the energy to cook you just reheat them.

It's more snacking that's the issue for me. I am knackered, lacking in motivation and always hungry. I just reach for quick and easy snacks. I find sugary and carby things so comforting but they are doing me no good at all :-(

I keep boiled eggs and cooked chicken in the fridge for quick and filling snacks, along with fruit and cut up carrot sticks etc. Imo preplanning is key.

Be kind to yourself, you’ve been busy being a parent!

In a similar situation, I decided to change one thing at a time and it made it easier to stick to it. So I started going for extra walks to start my exercising, then once that was established I swapped my snacks out one by one to healthier ones. Then I improved the meals I was eating. I found the more I was making the healthier choices, the less I wanted to undo the hard work by eating crap. But life wasn’t miserable while I established the better lifestyle choices as it was all gradual.

It's more snacking that's the issue for me. I am knackered, lacking in motivation and always hungry.

It's no wonder you're feeling like that if you're esting that way. Constant sugar/carb crashes will be making you feel crappy and desperate for the next hit.

There's no magic answer - you just have to break the addiction by stopping having all the sugary/carby stuff (and preferably banishing it from the house for a while). You don't need a meal plan, you just need to eat filling, proper food with good protein and plenty of veg.

It’s the sleep, once you get enough sleep you will be much more motivated and positive and able to make effective changes. That’s why you want the stodgy white carbs. Makes sure you do exercise that makes you properly tired in fresh air, hill walking with the pram etc, so when you can sleep it’s better quality.

Congratulations on your new baby, don’t be too hard on yourself. I bet you still look fabulous. Any small changes now will equate to big ones later so even 1 less piece of toast in the evening must be celebrated. From what remember I switched to baked crisps and lots of carrot sticks and didn’t eat after 7pm. I’m still too chunky though😁

Please do not do sit ups or planks yet.

Sit-ups at this stage will set your abdominal muscles and if the gap between them hasn't closed yet you will actually end up with a pregnant-looking belly. From a midwife with my first, stick to pilates or belly dancing exercises, which will help close the gap between your muscles as well as strengthen your core and pelvis.

Planks are really bad for your pelvis, too - they can put so much strain on it that you may hasten incontinence, or make it worse if your pelvis isn't fully back to its old condition.

Stick with gentle exercises, walking, water or herbal tea and healthy snacks.