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?

Breastfeeding made me lose lots of weight. I also walk a lot every day to help the baby nap.

Also being very stressed out but I don't recommend that!

I'm 6mpp and feeling the same. This is my second baby and first time was so much easier to find time to exercise. Now I'm exhausted every evening physically and mentally from dealing with toddler behaviour, baby napping on me, etc so I eat far too much chocolate and sweet stuff. I know I should have healthier snacks but reaching for a sugary cereal bar is just so easy. I hate that I can't fit into my normal clothes yet. Think I need to be much stricter with myself about that rubbish I'm eating tbh.

I agree that the focus needs to be on what you eat.

I lost weight by the shedload both times, whilst cramming chocolate bars down my face all day, but I EBF and that worked for me.

It’s still early days, and your body has just done the most wonderful thing, so don’t be too hard on it.

Fast 800 plus 16:8 intermittent fasting worked for me after DD1 - although i stuck to around 1000kcal rather than 800. Lost 12kg in 12weeks and was almost at prepregnancy weight. The plan then moves to something more sustainable but at that point I found out I was expecting DD2 so I relaxed my diet a lot. Planning on doing the same again once I stop bfing DD2.

It takes 9 months to make a baby, and it takes 9 months to get back to normal after birth - that's what a GP said to me years ago and it's always stuck with me.

I never lost much weight after birth until about a year later. I was breastfeeding, constantly hungry, and tied to a small, needy human. I couldn't do much more than just keep myself and the baby alive. That's all that was necessary at that point, tbh. After a year, it was like a switch was flipped for me and I could face dieting, I could manage exercise (and not eat the calories back), and if I was still breastfeeding I was able to calculate that into my calorie deficit and lose weight faster.

It just takes time.

Im a Pt, had my second baby in the last year. I am pre baby weight finally (11months later). My body isnt the same but it can actually take years to go back to what it was...or close. I gained a permenant double chin too,thats fun!
Best thing is to have a deficit of 3-500calories a day, log what you eat, and weigh your portions, id also recommend a high protein diet! i grill everything on the george foreman! With a whole bag of veg at dinner every day.
My diet is boring as hell, but i follow it as thats what gets results. I never undereat my calories but its all about the choices you make when you select your food. Protein keeps you fuller as does fibre. Junk food like chocolate and crisps, is only going to hinder your effort.

I avoid alcohol but sure as hell order a takeaway a couple times each month! It shouldnt be a punishment when it comes to losing weight, nor should you starve yourself, but to anyone who does want to lose weight healthily and keep it off, rethinking your relationship with food is beneficial.

Also...my fitness pal is game changing!!

@Nelbert19 how many weeks old was baby when you started this? I want to do it but worried about milk supply as plan to exclusively breast feed

I did slimming world (you can get ready meals from Iceland and they are really nice). I also put the baby in the pram and walked for an hour twice a day. Lost nearly 3 stone doing this.