Overweight and unhappy- wait for cosmetic intervention or do now?

[Motheronamission]

I just had my fourth (and final!) baby 8 months ago and I’m nearly finished weaning him off the breast.

I’m the heaviest I’ve ever been (74kg and I’m 5”1. Was 52kg pre-kids) and I HAVE to wear Spanx every day bc I have a huge tire / hip dips / muffin top situation and clothes look terrible otherwise. Even then, I’m extremely limited in what looks flattering. Maybe 1 in every 20 outfits look good if I’m lucky…

I’ve been looking into Aqualyx fat reducing injections as well as Coolsculpting. Hubby says I should wait a year and try to lose weight naturally first but I’m desperate to have something done asap to get the ball rolling. AIBU??

Being this weight doesn’t suit me at all and I’m so uncomfortable in my own skin and can’t fit into 90% of my clothes. It doesn’t help that all my good friends happen to be the skinniest they’ve ever been, including my friend who was always bigger than me since childhood. And even Adele too 🤪

Would really appreciate getting some perspective on this please 🙏

Have you tried dieting? Seems a bit dramatic.
If not, download a calorie counting app (my fitness pal or nutracheck) and set yourself an attainable goal. Maybe 1600 calories and then lower it a little once you get used to it? Assuming you just be quite active running round after the children.

You sound a bit mean about your friend.

Other than that do what you want rather than your husband.

I'd never heard of Aqualyx so I googled it and found this on Dr Leah (the Apprentice winner)

Please note that Aqualyx® fat dissolving injection is a body contouring treatment, not a weight loss solution. Aqualyx® treatments are only applicable for small, localised areas, and patients should already be within 1 stone of their ideal weight.

It doesn't sound like it will do/is suitable for what you want it too.

I lost 5 stone 23 years ago and have kept the majority of it off, with a combination of SW/WW/Calorie Counting over the years. They all work you just have to stick to them.

Unfortunately there's no quick fix OP. It's a hard slog and a lifestyle change if you're going to keep it off.

Hey there,

What ages are your 4 children, will you have school runs to do over the next few years. I was never as fit as when my 2 were in junior school, and I would literally nearly run them to school and me back home to get in the car and go to work. 20 mins run in the morning gets the adrenalin going for the day. BTW I would never run, unless I was late and literally had to, which was every morning. Will your routine require exercise?

Also, you might end up losing weight naturally, if you have teething babies that you have to take out walking all the time. Don't be too hard on yourself. It takes time for the body to adjust after having kids. Big is beautiful too!!

If you decide you want weight loss assistance, and if you have the money, then go for it, but keep in mind the impact of any interventions and whether you can manage recovering from those interventions along with your busy daily life.

I recommend saxenda on private prescription

Works by suppressing appetite and boy, does it work!!! Look it up

It's been effortless for me I'm almost 4 stone down

I don't know much about it but surely aqualyx isn't suddenly going to make you a size 8

So you'll still need to do diet and exercise stuff regardless.

If you think it will help you feel better about yourself and you can easily afford it, then why not try it? Just don't expect miracles.

This isn’t a magic fix. It won’t work long term because the issues that brought you to being overweight will persist.

You need to exercise regularly and eat healthily, with good portion control.

I lost 3.5st on WW but had stubborn areas on my hips that would not shift. I have spent a fortune on 3D fat freeze and cavitation .... and it hasn't made any difference.

I was measured at the start...and they kept saying they could see the loss...measured again last week....nothing.

So l wouldn't waste your money on a quick fix.

Exercise and diet is the only way to loose it.

I think you can do this on your own, you don't need injections. Yes, you're carrying too much weight right now, but it's not out of control. You can do this.

Didn't CoolSculpting ruin Linda Evangelista's looks? I'm not sure what it actually is but do remember her saying it was bad.

I think you're probably better off with old fashioned diet and exercise because it doesn't sound like injections would do that much? Unless you go for lipo? I'm not an expert though so I'm not sure! I can totally understand doing something quick to kick things off and get motivated though - maybe see a personal trainer or a nutritionist and get them to make you a plan?

How much has it cost you so far if you don't mind me asking?

If you are desperate to get the ball rolling right now then start dieting right now. This time next week you will be lighter than you are now. Cut back on calories in and take the baby out for a walk every evening/whenever suits. You can take control of it now, those cosmetic procedures will see minimum effect anyway. You'd probably see more from 1 month of eating well and moving more.

I'm not sure the treatments you're suggesting will actually work they way you hope they will. Even if, by some miracle, they do work, you would still have to change the way you eat, introduce exercise etc to sustain whatever weight loss you achieve..

Why don't you and DH compromise and you spend the next six months really focusing on what you eat, start a little exercise programme that you feel you can fit in (easier said than done, I know). One of two things will happen; you'll either surprise yourself and know you can do it all on your own and have a huge sense of pride, knowing you're are being healthy and you can spend all that money on new clothes to flatter your new, leaner body. Or your husband will realise thsr losing baby weight after 4 kids is not as easy as he seems to think, despite how dedicated you've been, and then you can both look into what treatments might work best for you, agree a budget etc.

Either way, good luck on your journey. A lot of us have been there and know it's not easy

Just go and get weight loss surgery. 6 months after that you'll be slim.

Please don't muck about with injections. They are not a quick fix solution. The only way to do this is diet and exercise. Throw out any crap food, stock up on fruit and vegetables and get cooking healthy meals. Cardio and strength training (the whole notion of 'running about after kids is rubbish, while it might be tiring, it is not sustained cardio, and if a toddler can outpace you, that's not good news).
You can do this OP and you will! Good luck and start today - ignore DH, a year down the line it will be harder still.

After my second and last child I went and got a bbl and lipo down london when they were 6 months, I wasn’t overweight around 11 stone but the areas where the fat had accumulated from pregnancy’s was something I hated they managed to get 2 litres out , I’ve never been happier I’ve looked into cool sculpting and I would only get it done on a small area like the neck etc it does work but it’s expensive and the reduction each session isn’t that much , you could also go down the diet and exercise route too I sort of just cheated with the lipo and stayed at a stable weight now the little ones in nursery I’m going to join a gym. I will say though the lipo recovery was long I’d say 12 weeks until I had fully got back to normal , the pain the first 3 weeks was indescribable. I wouldn’t waste your money on the other methods do what ever makes you happy!

Ah thank you all so much for your replies!

@acquiescence I wish but in my teen years I had an eating disorder so I try to be healthy but try to avoid being obsessive about food and calories. Whenever I’ve been skinny and happy while not having an eating disorder it was just that I didn’t have an appetite and only ate when I was hungry

@Burnamer 🙈 yes you’re right I was a bit mean about my friend. In context though she has become a very difficult person to be around as she looks down on everyone eating more than her. Not good energy to be around.

@PieonaBarm I came across that too but was thinking that if I just have one treatment now and then do a full course in a year, it might help my confidence and just help me fit into a few more clothes. My fat has gathered so much around my mid area and it’s not smoothed out unless I wear Spanx which is why I’m thinking maybe it would be good for me

@VatofTea my others are 10, 7, 4 - until now I’ve had to drive to do school run due to lack of time bc my baby has been difficult. Might change though and can maybe run to do the school pick up with him in the buggy! And thank you! DH thinks big is beautiful too 🥰

@ThatGirlInACountrySong oo thanks so much for this suggestion! Are there any side effects? How long were you on it for and was it easy to wean off?

@Tigofigo 🙏

@YellowTreeHouse I hear you and I do have good eating habits with food choices it’s more about the giant appetite that came from breastfeeding for me. Just thinking it would be good to help get the ball rolling

@iRun2eatCake LOVE your username 😂 which fat freezing and cavitation types did you try? And have you managed to shift that stubborn fat in the end?

@Cameleongirl you’re very sweet thank you ❤️

@SpaceyCake yes I have been following her case but seems like an extremely rare side effect. Would totally do lipo in theory but the recovery seems a bit much and I don’t think I could manage with the kids (DHs job is very full on)

I’ve already been using a personal trainer twice a week for months, as well as taking long walks every day. And I’ve also started seeing a naturopath who’s a nutritionist

@Foolsandtheirmoney @Foreverinblue @Mariposista thank you I think Ive covered that just now above

@DenholmElliot1 which surgery?

@mrs55 ah wow. What did you do with the kids for the first 3 weeks? We’re you still able to pick them up?

Nope... it's still there. It's like saddle bags on my outer thighs.

3D-Fat Freeze

Stubborn pockets and body sculpting. Treat stubborn areas such as inner thighs, lower abdomen and ‘muffin tops’

Commonly known as Cryolipolysis, Cryotherapy or Cool Sculpting, 3D-Fat Freeze

3D-Cavitation

Overall fat reduction. Treat larger areas of fat such as the abdomen, thighs and ‘muffin tops’

Cavitation uses ultrasound waves to break down fat cells that are then metabolised by the body.

It was this bulge l wanted reducing. Hasn't shrunk at all. Is the same size as when l was 3.5st heavier ... and prior to any treatment.

I had the kids watched from the Friday until following Wednesday had my surgery on the Saturday also have a 6 year old and she’s pretty easy , husband was off as it was the queens julbilee on the thurs and fri it was painful but I just got on with the bottle feeds etc baby still had multiple naps used a boppy pillow for the school runs on the following Monday I could still pick him up etc it was just painful but not horrific the pain was mainly in my stomach that was the worst area if you were lying down for example if was 10/10 pain to get up would of been much easier if I had more childcare but it was bareable and worth it and I just got on with it. It’s like when your I’ll and have kids and just have no choice but to deal with it. Even after all the pain I’d still do it again even when I was a size 6 my stomach was never as flat as it is now!

Also my husband works away so I was doing it on my own and I did cope.

Let me tell you how to lose weight easily OP. I was recently 77kg. I decided to eat for maxiumum nutrition at every meal because I wanted more energy. (felt very run down). So each mealtime my first question was how many vitamins each food item had? Nothing was off limits, so I didn't tell myself no cake etc. Losing weight was never my wish at that time. Well I nearly fell off my chair to find out I'd lost 8lbs in the first month without even trying. And this was whilst eating to my fill at each meal. Now I've started & seen the side effect, I'm going to carry on.

Cosmetic surgery is a waste of time if you don't fix the route cause, which is consuming more calories than your body uses in a day (calorie surplus)

Diet first before surgery, change your rating habits and establish new routines, exercise often and eat well. Work out your basal metabolic rate and eat 500 calories less per day, aim to get 10000 steps a day and 20-30 mins of exercise in and you will easily lose 1.5-2lbs a week, adjust calorie intake as you lose weight.

Why did you need to bring your friend into this?

The fat loss injections don't work on everybody and they can be extremely painful. They also can't reduce fat by much, at all. They might have some effect on a double chin but certainly not on love handles. They can probably disolve literally a couple of grams of fat at best.

Cool sculpting is expensive and doesn't work particularly well. It is best suited to somebody who is trying to spot reduce. Again a double chin or other small pockets of fat on an otherwise athletic build, such as the stubborn area below the belly button etc. Again I'm talking a few grams of fat loss.

The only way is dieting I'm afraid. I know it's not what you want to hear. Keep in mind dieting is also relatively safe but reactions to the injections and cool sculpting are possible.