Stretch marks and cellulite - any tips?

[MrsThierryHenry]

I faithfully massaged nutritious oils into my tum every day during pregnancy but STILL ended up with enough stretch marks to leave me with a post-natal concertina tum (great for bikinis) and as if that weren't bad enough I have stretch marks at the tops of my thighs and around my sides - really bad ones like I've never seen before. I also have cellulite on my thighs and upper arms, which I never had before pregnancy. I used to be a svelte size 10 and am now a lumpy 14 and despite 4 months' exclusive breastfeeding, can't seem to shift a pound. Anyone have any tips on how to tackle any of these bodily woes? I think I might spend the summer under a sheet.

No advice I'm afraid in response to your question, just wanted to express my deepest envy at your name

Exercise my dear. Tis the only solution.

A good routine of cardio-vascular exercise of no less than 3 hours per week will do the trick.

Combine this with a low-calorie diet and loads of water and you should resemble your old self within 3-6 months.

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I did the same as you, massaged creams, oils and lotions a throughout pregnancy - still got strechies on Tum, Thighs and Bum (grr). Cellulite arrived during second pg (more grr). Have found no way to tone these down at all but would be interested if anyone else has though! On the weight front I was lucky enough to not put on too much weight while pg - mostly water. The last half stone or so dropped off once finished BF.

would definitely start doing weights to tone your arms (you can use 2l water bottles too) - if you can start doing them daily for 10 mins you'll start getting results in about 3 weeks! For actually shifting weight the only things that really work for me are running/spinning - again about 3 weeks to see results, and swimming/aqua aerobics for toning! hope that helps....

Yeah, Willywonka, I'm really lucky that Thierry still loves me despite my lardyarse!

I repeat Va va voom...

seriously though.

I put on a whopping 60lbs with DS1. I was a rather buxom lass after his birth.

With the routine I described earlier I lost all the weight and another stone and have never been fitter in my life.

My stretchmarks faded to the point that you could hardly see them.

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Dejags, you have given me SO much hope!! I've gone up from 20 years as an A cup to a whopping DD, and right now I feel as though I'm destined to have a body like a (busty) squashed pear for the rest of my life. I can't do full-on exercise like running, which I really miss, as apparently when you're breastfeeding, hormones such as relaxin are still active and making your joints loose. However as it's a sunny day I'm going to put my bambino in the pram RIGHT NOW and go for a long power walk. Va-va-voom.

MrsTH a couple of thoughts - first, I did lose some weight whilst bfding, but not tons, but then again I had over 3 stone to get rid of. When I stopped bfding I lost a stone in a matter of days. This was after a year of bfding. Theory I believe is that when your body settles in for the long haul it wants to make sure you can always find the energy to make the milk. Dunno, but it was a huge difference. Should I have even said that - not a good enough reason to stop bf imo. Also, I've never had cellulite, til recently, and I always drink tons of water (at least 2litres a day) used to always have lecithin (can't remember which B-vit. that is) alot, and have gone back to it. Quite recently I read that it was one of the few supplements that really could make a difference. ? Worth a shot?

Finally, agree about the exercise and loads of water theory. But, don't feel overwhelmed by the idea of doing 3 hours... when I added up all hte pram pushing I was doing at as fast a rate as I could manage (v.heavy pram, v.heavy baby., lots of hills :-) it was about that a week... and still is. Although what used to take 25 minutes now take just under 15

So, to conclude (god I can waffle!)... I've lost over 3 stone, have just been measured/body fat etc. endlessly for a medical trial (no drugs, don't worry) and my fat/cellulite etc is really very minimal, although I'm still a small size 14 rather than my usual size 12 (but this is from an 18/20). TBH I didn't notice most of this happening as it's been so slow and whilst busy thinking about other things. Ony thing left is my tum, which is pretty much OK now, but needs lots of toning (that crepey look has nearly gone of its own accord) and I'm going back to pilates (swear by) next week..... all this has taken 18 months, but pretty much incidentally.

Having said all that, maybe my aims are a little lower, I don't feel the same urge to be sylph-like that I used to!

Good luck!

Thanks Jackaroo, this is really encouragins as I also want to lose a similar amount of weight as you did, and am one of the few (well, two) people I know for whom BF has not resulted in spectacular (well, any) weight loss. I'd never heard of using lecithin for SM before - I'll make a note of it in my diary for when I stop BFing. I don't want a models' figure (okay, you got me - I'm not the real Mrs TH!) but would just like to feel sexy and attractive again. I know that once I start exercising in earnest I'll feel better about myself but when everyone else seems to be back in their pre-pregnancy clothes it's bloody annoying!

I did aerobics classes x 2 weekly and at my fittest I ran 18 miles a week (2 x 5 milers and 2 x 4 milers).

I also ensured that I mixed things up with other types of classes - so if the weather was foul - I'd do a Taibo class instead at the gym. Was a good way of preventing boredom setting in.

I don't have particularly good skin, I just think that the toning effect of the exercise and the extra water allowed my skin to rejuvenate.

Having said all that - after DS2 I put a lot of the weight back on. I lost it fairly easily afterwards but never dropped below pre-pregnancy weight.

This time I started 20lbs overweight and have put on 20lbs so am looking at a 50lb loss required by the time the baby is born.

Ho hum.

Oh, tell me about it, it wasn't enough that I had to deal with even getting out of the door with massive agoraphobia and PND, I was supposed to swan around looking like I was going to a premiere...

Lol, I know you're not the real MrsTH, because a friend of mine has already claimed that as her title in RL (but curiously is still married to someone with an entirely different name - what does this man have over you both, except looking quite cool when saying va va voom???).

Fear not, at 5 months, I'm impressed you can even remember what you used to do :-) I do feel a lot sexier already, but it's taken this long.... and being chatted up by someone other than my DH. Wouldn't want to do anything about it in a million years, but made a huge difference to my ego!!
BTW, the lecithin was for cellulite and general skin/lumpiness conditioning not nec. stretchmarks, but they're looking almost white/silver now, I really don't notice. they used to be a livid purple. Yum.

Let me know how you go

Ahh, Jackaroo you're a sweetie, make no mistaking. Had a fab walk out in the sunshine with my little angel and so am feeling both virtuous and positive! . Also is great to hear that lecithin tackles cellulite as I was under the impression that the only solutions would costs 100s of pounds which I don't have. At least I know stretch marks will eventually fade.

Can't believe there's another Mrs TH on the planet, the cheeky vixen. I saw him first. Actually I worked out that there are only 3 degrees of separation between me and the fabulous man himself!

Well done for getting chatted up, you little hottie. And in a few months I will definitely send an update on my quest to become Jessica Rabbit.

xx

As a way to feel better about yourself, I'd try yoga. The psychological benefits kick in before the physical ones, so you'll feel better about yourself and the improved posture you get out of it makes you look better. Cos I'm damn lazy, I do this combined with very fast walking everywhere and it works. Have you tried bio oil? It's the only oil that I found really made a difference, it's about £9.00 a bottle from the pharmacy.

Aw cellilte-y upper arms! I get so depressed about mine! I've kind of become resigned to my horrendously lumpy legs - right down to my knees - and have been fighting off the lumpy arms with massage, body brushing and weights for about 3 years (am 38) but now am pg the lumpiness has just stuck.

I don't find exercise makes much difference to my cellulite - used to run 2,3 tiems a week and do weights and still had it. And am size 10 (pushing 12 now pregnant) I've stopped all that now after first trimester yukkiness though.

Does cellulite get worse in pregnancy then? and if so, does it get better afterwards? It's teh abne of my life!

Mrs th - i love halter necks but this year am resigned to sleeves and am so depressed at the thought that this is it from now on...

off for a swim now, not that it'll help...

Hey, Am also b/f'ing my lo, now 9 months, and i'm still the same weight as just after I had her. Been on a few diets and lost a few pounds but this seems to be my resting weight at the moment.

I too, thought that b/f'ing would dislodge some very unwanted excess pounds but sadly not.

So I have just bought some new trainers and taken up running (I have never run before). I am very unfit so trying to take it slowly. So far I did 20 mins Mon/tue/wed/thurs and a break today. But I cant run solidly for that time (a few walks in between). Am hoping that will sort me out.

Your not on your own, oh how I wish for my size 10 body back [dreamyemoticon].