To ask about your postpartum weight loss

[user666555]

Hi,

Posted on here for traffic

I had a baby 8 months ago and haven't been able to shift the weight. I also look quite swollen (round face, swollen fingers/feet etc).

I feel so down about how I used to look compared to how I look now.

Can't go to the gym for financial and logistical reasons as I have no one to look after baby when I go.

Have started walking again but feel so discouraged when the number on the scales doesn't change.

What can I do? How do I go about losing the weight and swelling? What worked for you?

Sorry I can't be of help. my DD is nearly 4 months but I would also love to know anyone's advice. Would do mounjaro if I could afford it

@kiana2015 4 months is still quite early although I know it still bothers you because it bothered me too but I would've expected to have lost more weight by now.

I wonder if it's safe to take Mounjaro? I wonder what the implications are long-term?

I had a baby 4 months ago and have lost a stone so far. In all honesty, it has been hard and I've had to force myself to cook something healthy when I was dying just to order in a greasy takeaway when I was knackered. I'm using nutracheck to log my calories and eating between 1600 and 1800 per day while prioritising protein in every meal. I also have some quick, cheap and easy recipes than I rely on for lunches and dinners.

For the exercise part can you get some dumbells and follow some YouTube workouts in the house? There is some really good 25 min full body ones that you can do with baby playing beside you on a mat or while baby is down for a nap.

My local swimming pool let me have my babies in a car seat by the side of the pool while I swam. You could also take turns with a mu friend. I walked lots - didn’t like being stuck at home. I breastfed and couldn’t get enough calories in me. I lost all my baby weight and then some in a couple of weeks, which I’ve attributed to breastfeeding but I know some women think BF makes them retain weight.

Can you exercise at home? There are trainers like Joe wicks or Caroline Girvan who have loads of videos on YouTube for free.

You might find postpartum while your hormones are all over the place that you need to be quite strict about your diet and consciously make an effort to eat healthily.

@Threetrees745 thank you for the helpful response. Glad to hear your journey has been more positive!

Can I ask why protein is important? Doesn't that bulk you up more? Sorry I don't really know much about all of this as I was actually quite petite prior to pregnancy and never needed to worry so much about my weight

In terms of YT videos, are they gimmicks or can they actually really work? sometimes I feel like you get sold the idea of this ideal body on YT workout videos but the reality of it all isn't that straightforward.

I'm literally hardly eating anything now as I just want results and to lose weight. For example yesterday I had a bowl of cereal (was having a down day and didn't cook) and today I've had just a coffee so far.

Whilst exercise is important for physical and mental well-being, it’s diet that will mostly dictate your weight loss.

I do intermittent fasting which works for me. But I didn’t tackle it until about 18 months after having my baby.

Gym and exercise is very little to do with it. Weight loss is 90% what you put in your mouth. Not being able to go to the gym shouldn’t be holding you back.

Hormones are still everywhere at this stage but its diet and portions.

i gave myself a month to eat biscuits and order in deliveroo, then overhauled my diet. Lots of greens and protein and good fats. No sweets- just berries and Greek yogurt. Once I was disciplined, bit of dark chocolate.

i had more energy and felt better as a result, despite being incredibly sleep deprived. It was also nice to feel flexible and ‘light’ and comfortable in clothes when they were at the crawling stage.

being a healthy weight is self care

Are you breastfeeding? Some women absolutely can't shift the weight until they've stopped (anecdotally, but if this is you do Google/search Mumsnet on this). So if this could be you, don't be too hard on yourself... Easier said than done, I know!

Breastfeeding helps the weight fall off. Alternatively I was walking for hours a day when my child was a baby and attended free parent and baby exercise classes in local parks sevwral times a week. It was great to get out, meet some other parents (mums!) and the fresh air meant my child also napped better. There's also loads of free content on YouTube for post partum exercises. Yoga post natal yoga online is also a good idea.

Just try to make small, incremental achievable steps eg do one class a week and one virtual session, plus 5k steps a day (or whatever is really manageable) and then go up from there. I'd definitely focus less on weight and more on being active & enjoying it!

Yes, protein is super important and it doesn't bulk you up if you aren't actively doing exercise to grow your muscles. Protein keeps you full and keeps your hair, skin and nails looking well. I try and eat 120g of protein per day which can be quite difficult ona calorie deficit as ot really forces your to choose healthy and nutrient rich meals to hit your goals.

As for the YouTube work outs , you probably are never going to look like the girls on the video as they are professional gym bunnies but 25 mins 4 times a week is better than nothing and will certainly make and improvement!

Are you saying you are eating the equivalent of a bowl of cereal and a coffee every single day? And that’s normal?

because if you were effectively eating 500 calories a day you would be losing weight

if that’s true, you need to go to the doctor and get your thyroid checked

if it’s not true and just a couple of days this week- and the other days you are eating what you consider to be ‘normal’ food, you need to assess what the other 5 days look like

If it's any consolation, I'm 14 months postpartum and haven't lost the last stone! Wish I could, but also my 1 year is lovely but exhausting and I work full time. I love food and cooking, but I'm so tired that I just cook basic things now. If I have spare time, I sleep not work out! If I'm honest, I think that's what my body needs more. Essentially, I'm trying to give myself some grace and I hope you can cut yourself some slack too. You've done an amazing thing and grown, birthed and nurtured a baby!

There is an issue with not eating enough though. You should at least have 1200 calories a day (some would say even that's too low and aim for 1500). If you have two little, your body can go into starvation mode and cling on to the fat and calories because it thinks it needs it!

You aren’t eating enough, agree with PP about your body going into starvation mode. If you do lose weight you will lose water and muscle mass and not fat because that’s what your body will hold onto.

Joe wicks definitely works, have done it myself, but what you put into your body in terms of food is the key part of losing weight. Cut yourself some slack though, you just grew and birthed a human being!

I'm only 3 weeks postpartum so not allowed to actually do much, yet. (My midwife is quite clear that I should be resting as much as possible.)
Unlike last time, though, I'm already fitting into my pre-pregnancy clothes. Granted, I wasn't a stick figure before I got pregnant, either. Size 14. However, breastfeeding is working a lot better this time round, which I think helps. It's also rather hot here (30+ degrees) which means I'm not too keen on big meals. I'm trying to drink a lot of water. My gynaecologist has told me to make sure I eat properly. I try to but just lighter meals. I also have lots of Skyr and fruit.
I'm booked in for a postpartum exercise class for when DD is 6 weeks. That one is free. I'm also booked in to take her swimming once a week from when she's 8 weeks. I'll be able to restart Joe Wicks as well. There are specific workouts for after pregnancy available. I've got the app subscription but there are workouts on YouTube as well.
I might even sign up for our three months free gym trial. They have a creche there and would take DD from 3 months so I can go for a swim or do a class.
Last time, I did Slimming World and did lots of walking with the pushchair ever day. Took about 3 months to lose 10kg.

If starvation mode was a thing- no one would lose weight on VLCD, less extreme calorie deficits or fasting

If you are breastfeeding, you might be one of those people that can't shift the weight until you're done. My body clung to the weight while feeding, but when I stopped it fell off without me even trying.

Yes think that breastfeeding def plays a role - couldn’t shift any when I was still breastfeeding, came off steadily when I stopped, due to hormones regulating. Are you hungry?

I'm 9 weeks PP and HATE my stomach after birth I can't do much right now but when I can weights at home and calisthenics

Congratulations on your baby!

I went from 9 stone to 12 stone after my baby and I felt so horrible!

started dieting 3 months post partum, I walked 5 miles every single day without fail with my son sleeping in the pram. I kept the pace quick and when I found it easy I added weights in my backpack.

was strict with my diet too- I wasn’t usually hungry in the mornings so would eat after my walk, usually eggs, avo and cottage cheese. Dinner would be a half a bag of salad, other steamed veggies, some lentils/beans with grilled chicken or fish. If I needed a snack I’d have a handful of nuts. One milky coffee a day. It took me 6 months to get back to pre baby size and at the start I felt absolutely deflated, I swear I didn’t lose anything for 2 months (to the extent I stopped weighing myself as I found it so demoralising) and seriously one day I just lost weight- like it happened over night!

I’ve had no issues maintaining the loss but I think it helps I was back to my normal size.

good luck, keep going because the feeling of getting back into your pre baby clothes is so good!

I'm 10 months PP now and I got back to my pre-baby weight at 9 months PP. It was about the same the first time around. I just reverted back to what I ate pre-pregnancy both times and the weight slowly came off. It's easy to snack more PP and it takes a mindset shift and being very conscious of what and why you're consuming something to get back your previous weight.

I BF both babies (still BFing). I'm not sure if it helped or not. I'm also into running, but we're talking a casual 5km-10km on the weekend when DH could watch the kids in the early days. After 6 months PP the baby could be left on their own to sleep, so since then I've added in an evening 5km or two in the week.

I’m six months post partum and have lost over 3 stone. I’m breastfeeding and calorie tracking. No easy fix I’m afraid - I track every calorie on nutracheck (1600-1800 a day) and walk 7-12k steps per day and do an exercise class 1-2 times a week.

im planning to overshoot my target weight by half a stone to counterbalance the adjustment to going back to work when ill be more tired with less time to cook 😅

I'm not breastfeeding. I formula feed.

I've only just started the 'not eating' approach (not consciously but have also been stressed which naturally makes me lose appetite). Having read about how my body may cling to the fat due to a lack of food has made me second guess this though so I think eating next to nothing isn't the way forward either.

I admit I could probably of go on more walks with the pram. I think I need to stay more disciplined with walks as I just go when I feel like it. I don't really go on them daily.

I feel like my main area of concern is the belly area (c section mum) and my waist/upper hip. Also I'd say my arms are bigger than I'd like them to be but maybe I'm just being too critical

1 hour power walk (or at least not a dawdle) every weekday whatever the weather did it for me. I enjoyed it best first thing in the morning, gets your day off to a nice positive start & gets it out the way so you’re free to do as you please for the rest of the day. You’ll be fine with the weather atm but actually some of the rainy day walks are the ones I look back on most fondly!

Stop starving yourself, it’s not good for you or your baby to deprive your body of what it needs & it’s not sustainable.

Also stop obsessing over the scales. Just make better choices each day (as PP said protein is best for feeling fuller for longer) & check your progress on a weekly basis.

Go easy on yourself & enjoy your baby 💐

I followed my gestational diabetes diet so lots of protein no white carbs or sugary snacks or alcohol