postnatal weight loss

[Bo]

Any ideas how to safely shift all that post natal weight? 7 months on after having 2 very close together I am getting fed up with all my bulk, but I'm still breast feeding, so feel I need to be careful, especially as I am very low in iron (at least).

I know I could loose some weight when I stop breastfeeding, but that doesn't help me now! I hate cooking and preparing food, so I can't do anything too complicated. my husband had a fit when I even suggested something along the lines of slimfast. Any words of wisdom gratefully received. (Ireckon I need to shift about 15 Kilos)

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Suew... fantastic! You are doing so well. Brilliant!

Hi everyone how is it all going? I am feeling really positive about the weight loss and getting fit as I can really see the changes at the moment. Hope it is all going well for everyone else too...

Hello there,
I'm soooo impressed with you Suew, I wish it was me. Though I shouldn't really complain, it's just that I seem to be stuck at the moment. I've lost just a pound this week and that's after leaving it for a week and a half after the wedding weekend. So must find ways of not crumbling under the pressure of thinking 'well, if I'm not losing any then I may as well eat what I like'. I don't feel to bad just yet but I'm going away for a week next week and I don't want to go with the wrong attitude. Yeah, I know it's a holiday and I'm not going to calorie count everything but I don't want to end up giving in to it all. Argh, the pressure...!

Actually I'm reading a really interesting book at the moment called "The Diet Cure", has anyone read it? It aims to combat the emotional causes of over-eating and binging to stop the repetitive cycle of dieting and re-gaining weight. It has some unusual stuff in it about using amino acids to regulate your brain chemicals and information on thyroid problems, PMT and allergies. I'm not sure if I'm going to begin buying copious amounts of amino acids, but it seems to make sense in a very scientific (ie - I have to have a lot of patience to read and re-read it!) way...

Hope everyone's keeping healthy and happy

hi everyone - it's been ages since i posted on this, but I've had a pretty bad 3 weeks or so, and I've gone completely the opposite of someone on a diet - I've gone sweets-chocolate-quiche crazy. I've put on loads of the (not very much) weight that I worked so hard to get rid of in the first place. I am pretty much back to square one, with lots of effort (and encouragement ) needed. I'm going on holiday in a few weeks to see an old friend, who hasn't seen me since I was pg, and I'd LOVE to feel I lookes amazing - ha. Anyway, I am determined (again). I have put post-its on the fridge door. Help!!!

Lizzer, you've lost a 1lb - why are you caning yourself when you should be celebrating! Weight loss slows down after a while and what is important is that you lost it rather than gaining it. When I started I lost 4lb in my third week - now it's a 1lb here or 1/2lb there. But it's coming off not going on so I'm still happy. Think positive.
On another note, does this book you mention say anything interesting about underactive thryoids? I've had one for the past fifteen years or so so would be interested to know if you think book worth buying for this information alone.

Willow2, yep the book is full of info on hypothryroidism and thyroiditis. I was wondering if I had an underactive one myself but my test results came back fine. However, in the book she (author: Julia Ross) explains that there are a number of more acurate tests than the standard one they use in regular blood tests and as I have doctor's appt. tomorrow (for yet another smear - joy!)I was thinking of asking about them, when the lists of how you feel sounds so like me 24/7. I dunno, maybe I want it to be the easy option but I just don't feel great. Anyway, it's definitely worth a read for the in-depth sections on the thyroid alone. I have skimmed the pages of so many diet books in the past, but this is very well written research rather than mindless drivel. See if the library has it, maybe?
Oh, and thanks for cheering me up on the weight loss front, I know it's going to slow down a lot now, but I just wish I could stay focussed...

Bo, hope things have gone well for you today, keep looking at those post-its!

Lizzer, think of the TOTAL loss, not the weekly loss!! Stay positive, you are doing really well. Would write more but I'm too tired! Up the stairs I go ...

HAVE BEEN READING THIS , WHILST EATING BEN AND JERRY'S COOKIE DOUGH ICE CREAM AND PRINGLES TO FOLLOW , WASHED DOWN BY A LOVELY GLASS OF NZ CHARDONNAY-DUE TO MAJOR DEPRESSION OVER LACK OF WEIGHT LOSS! BUT THANKFULLY NOW YOU HAVE GIVEN ME THE WILL TO START WITH THE DIET(CAN'T QUIT THE CHARDONNAY THOUGH-I'M AFRAID-IT'S THE ONLY SANITY I HAVE IN THE WORLD AT THE MOMENT!)

Lizzer as my SW consultant would say, 1lb is 8 sausages!!! (off your bum!) when put like that it seems even better.

I'm now on that hardest bit of all - the last 1/2 stone!! I started out this diet wanting to get down to the weight I was when I got pg, well I've done that now, and the baby is 2 days shy of 5 months! However I now feel that I could get rid of that last 1/2 stone that I never shifted between babies. This would put me just into the nine stones range (9 st 13 lbs) and I would be thinner than I have been since I got married. This time I know I can do it, as I have already lost 3 stone. Also I have decided a way of keeping the weight off will be to run next years London Marathon. I know that seems a bit drastic, but I the last 4 months I have gone from unfit and 13 st 7 lbs to being able to run 6 miles (I did that on Sunday in just 1hr). Since the maraton is next April,I need to stay fit (and get much fitter), and I will be raising loads of money for charity, I can't put the weight back on.

This will give me a goal to work toward even in the middle of winter when I don't feel like exercise, and when I have a goal to work for I always do much better.

Anyway, the exercise will keep the weight coming off and the bum from wobbling too much when I go back to work in 20 days time (boo hoo) At least I'm going back thinner than they've ever really seen me, because although I weigh the same as when I got pg, I am much more toned and therefore thinner!!!!!!!! WOOOOO HOOOOO

Crunchie your hard work really has paid off. Well done you... what an inspiration! The marathon is a great goal to work towards. I am going to think of something similar. I used to run but it was a long time ago and the thought of it right now makes me cringe but maybe sometime soon... as for your 1lb = 8 sausages...thanks for that... MMMMmmmmmurgh...will keep that in mind everytime I am tempted to lapse.

Lizzer, you are doing so brilliantly keep looking at the overall picture...

And Bo, keep at it, it is hard but you obviously want to make a difference. I try to keep in mind that if I change my eating habits and loose on average 1.5 lbs a week, in the length of time I was pregnant (42wks) I can loose 4st 7lbs!!!!!!! Which really does put the effort involved into perspective because whilst pregnant it seems to last forever but once the baby is here how quickly the pregnancy falls into history!!

Dorisday, welcome on board and good luck!

Crunchie what a great goal and fantastic achievement that would be, well you've got LOADS of potential sponsors here!

Love the 1lb, 8 sausages....

i'll be dreaming of sausages now...
The post-its have fallen off the fidge, and hubbie is out tonight. I've got nothing 'naughty' in the house, but I need to go to the shops for some milk, I just know I won't be able to retrain myself.

I've been better ( in the food dept) the last couple of days, so my shorts are feeling a bit looser thanks goodness.

I bought some trainers yesterday - so full of good intentions. I want to take up jogging, but I'm definitely not up to the amazing standards of Crunchie, but there we go. maybe next year :-)

An acquaintance of mine, wanting to shift the last of her post pregnancy weight gain, started running a month or two ago. In just this very short time, she has got noticeably slimmer and more toned, and, knowing her, she is not a healthy eating or fitness fanatic.

Makes me want to give it a go, but how do I organise running after 9.00 pm, when children are in bed, in a not exactly law-abiding bit of SE London? Especially when it gets dark?? I suppose I could do it on some quiet country lanes in my lunch hour (I work in a village). But how much would I need to do to make a difference?

thanks for the welcome winnie, it takes a bit of getting into -this website -i'm starting to feel more at home now! the diet started today after a 1st meal out after the baby (last night ) and a last meal out due to diet .hubby and i are on a crash(healthy though) diet -andrew has put on 6 stone since we met 7 years ago-he now is a healthy 19 stone! fortunalely he is the chef in our household-as i cannot cook -left home and moved straight in with him(he's been married before and done the student away from home thing!) sorry i'm going on -i feel invigorated having had our first (tasty) diet meal-tagliatelli, tuna, tomatoes,garlic , chillis, peppers,red onion, spring onion, tomato paste-yummmmmmy! i just need the personal trainer now !!!

I've actually been running - me! I must say I hoped noone say me, but I guess the pushchair makes you a bit more noticable. I just hoped they thought i was running for the bus or something. It has had a positive affect on my eating - I didn't fancy anything too bad & undoing all my hard work, but then it's only the first time, so I need to keep myself motivated. Intead of just weighing myself too I found in the chemist one of those body mass things which tell you what % fat you are - I'mm 33% (apparently my ideal is between 17 & 27%0 I can't believe that 33% of me is fat. We're supposed to be 30 % water too aren't we, so it doesn't seem to leave much for important things - better get exercising & get rid of some of that fat!

Although I'm not postnatal, I just had my monthly check-up (currently 5 months pg) and to my horror discovered that I'd added 3 kilos this month. I got the pre-eclampsia speech and all from the doctor and felt absolutely dreadful.
We (dh & I) went grocery shopping immediately afterwards and it was as if I had blinkers on as I by-passed all the naughty foods. He thought it was quite amusing until he realised how upset I was.
I guess an overall (so far) gain of 5 kilos isn't too bad is it?
Any advise welcome on how to be good. I eat fairly healthy foods, drink copious quantities of water and although I don't exercise every day I don't lead a sedentry life either (usually forced on me by situations such as the lift breaking down - we live on the 4th floor!)

Miti I am 28 weeks pregnant and have so far gained 5 kilos which I am quite pleased about as it is a lot less than last time. Off the top of my head, I thought the normal weight gain during pregnancy was around 12-15 kilos in total so it doesn't sound as though you have anything to worry about.

Miti, I've gained 6 1/2 kilos so far (I'm 33 weeks) but my weight's been up and down. Actually, over two months (months 4 - 6) my weight went up 6 kilos and the doctor wasn't concerned. In fact, we were talking about it on my last visit and he said weight gain is vastly overrated. If you gain too much, it'll be harder to lose it, of course, but that's about it (or so he said). Also, I've found with the weird British weather, my clothes and shoes can account for some of the weight changes.

Hey you guys worrying while you are pregnant, blimey!! I ate like a pig, did no exercise and that's why I put on about 60lbs (!) while I was pg. Hence I am now having loads to lose. If you check out my earlier posts I found myself 5 weeks after giving birth 3 1/2 stone heavier than when I got pg, I couldn't blame it on the baby then! Now at 5 months post nantal I am 2lbs less than when I got pg, but it has been a hard slog. I have still got about 7lbs to go to reach my ideal weight and that will make a total loss of 4 stone.

Any how weigh in tomorrow am, and more running I think. I have filled in my marathon entry form, so I've got no excuses. My husband is doing it too, so together we will support each other.

Good for you Crunchie. I have always thought about the marathon and we have also talked about doing it together, husbands work committments wont allow it for next year, maybe the year after. My midwife told me you cant diet while pregnant so dont worry you can soon get it off afterwards. I suppose I would like to lose another stone, its coming off slowly but surely.

Hello everyone! I'm back from my hols and had a lovely relaxing time! Stayed at a holiday village near-ish Dublin which had holistic therapist on site so got reiki and massage - heaven. Retail therapy in Dublin was also good - spent small fortune but it was my holidays! Well I went a full week without knowing my weight but didn't over-indulge in the slightest, just got into eating v healthy stuff - and many potatoes, being in Ireland! Also long walks and fresh air hepled my state of mind. I am amazed but pleased to annouce that I shook off another two pounds and the really good news is that I now after doing this on mumsnet and including weight that I have lost before I have dropped from 14 stone 4 (in Feb this year) to 12 and 13 pounds!! Yay! I am 5'10" so I really look good around the 11 and half stone mark (any less and I look a bit drawn) so I know I've got a lot more to go but seeing as I was 16 stone after giving birth 20 months ago - I'm not doing too bad!

Anyway after all that blowing my own trumpet (and I know I was telling a few fibs about my previous weight loss, but had been stuck at my weight for ages before starting this time and kept yo-yoing for a while so I didn't count everything that had gone before it and really am only counting that I have lost 11lbs, it makes me feel more motivated that way!)

Good luck to everyone else this week, after all my healthy holiday de-tox I'm about to thoroughly RE-tox with a glass or 4 of wine, catch you all later.........!!

Lizzer, your holiday sounds great! Glad you had a good time. Fantastic that you managed to continue loosing weight whilst on your hols!

I am really getting into my get fit regime now and I am beginning to feel less exhausted!! Will way myself on Saturday and let you know of the progree over the last month. How is everyone else doing?