Losing weight postpartum is so hard

[ToddlerBoy383291]

Title says postpartum but my son is nearly 2. God it's hard. Won't go into details but I used to be very fit and then I had a horrific pregnancy, bed bound for the last 2 months of it. Everyone told me not to worry, I'll get back to being fit after the baby.

Hooooow??!!! I work 50 hours a week, at client's beck and call (solicitor). I have hypermobility which was made 100 times worse by pregnancy. It's taken 6 months of intense physio and exercising 5 times a week to get me to a place where I can function now. That has taken everything I had on top of parenting and working. But I don't have the headspace to also diet to the extent needed to LOSE weight. I can maintain but to count calories and starve myself, I just don't have the energy. Breastfeeding is keeping me hungry too, probably, but we're not ready to stop just yet. He has only started sleeping through the night 3 months ago, I'm not messing with that.

I look in the mirror and can't recognize this fat tired middle age woman. I'm quite tall so I just look enormous, as I've gone up 3 clothes sizes (8 to 14). Just a rant really. I know everyone is going to say low carb but I tried it and find i don't have the energy to exercise properly without any carbs.

I wish I could go back in time and not comfort eat so much in pregnancy.

I’m sorry i don’t have any comfort but I feel the same, my child also nearly 2 and I went from 12/14 to a very solid 14/16 and I feel huge. Sometimes I wear something I think looks ok then I catch sight of myself and I just look massive. I hate it so much but I feel powerless to change. I can wear about 2% of my clothes as the vast majority are too small. Ironically, I was doing ok when I gave birth, but stresses with feeding and post partum revelling had my eating far too much and here we are…

Do you think you could be a bit harder on yourself ? You a clever woman who has qualiied as a solicitor, works long hours, carried and birthed a human child which you now feed WITH YOUR OWN BODY. Why are you so hard on yourself. My god. Your body is amazing. Don’t low carb for god sake. Add food. Add lovely nutritious foods - add fruits and nuts and veggies and some whole grains. Strawberries are lovely at the moment with some Greek yoghurt. The judgement and the denial won’t serve you in the long term I promise you

Omg same here, same profession, still breastfeeding. Didn’t weight gain in pregnancy but post due to PND medication. Feeling low and rubbish about it when it’s so hard to not snack when breastfeeding a boob monster 😢
no advice as I’m now restricting calories but solidarity.

You’re not alone ! My third baby has just turned 2. I still look pregnant ! My youngest still breastfeeds, everyone said that would use up loads of calories -but not for me it doesn’t 🤣
before I had children I had endless me time to make salads and do gym classes every day and go on runs, and I just don’t have that now.