Overindulged and now struggling to lose weight and sad. 😥

[SunnySideUp2020]

I am not going to justify it... i literally ate everything i wanted for most of my pregnancy... and with covid, cold winter, lack of motivation etc. Didn't get to do any exercising.

Anyway i have put on 20kg (about 3 stone) during pregnancy. I was a healthy weight before and now i am 12 weeks pp almost and overweight with bmi of 27.

I am exclusively breastfeeding and not sleeping well since she feeds every 3 hours day and night so find it hard to find the energy to go for a run or something... i still have to do housework, cook and all.

I am on a cmp free diet since mid May after my DD was diagnosed with Cows milk protein allergy. So again i feel a lot of frustration when i eat as my diet was mainly based on dairy before and most tasty restaurant food contain milk or soy 🙄

I hate the fact that i am bigger now tbh. I don't like the pictures my DH takes which is sad as i want pictures with my first baby, and i know people wonder why i have become fat or why i am not on a diet or doing sports to lose weight.

It gets me down when i think about it (when i have time!) But i just find it so hard to do anything about it... but also to accept it.

Has anyone been through this? Does it get better? Any tips? Small changes i could try?

Thank you!

Congratulations on the birth of your baby!

Please be kind to yourself. Your body has done an amazing thing and it isn't going to snap back. It takes 9 months to grow the baby and will take at least 9 months to return.

However, if you are feeling body conscious, then of course you're entitled to feel this way (don't forget, you still have hormones flying about!). I'm 9 months pp and because of lockdown, I walked briskly for at least 2 hours a day between months 3-7 because that was all there was to do.

Give yourself a break - your baby is still tiny! And breastfeeding is knackering and makes you ravenous all the time.

Go for lots of walks with your baby and make sure you're eating enough protein to fill you up (difficult when off the dairy I know, I had a similar issue) Also get some healthy snacks in.

When your baby gets a bit older and you're getting a bit more sleep you can think about a proper exercise regime but it takes time to get back to normal - I put on something like 4 stone and am still working on losing it now, but the difference is that my baby is now 10 months so I have the energy to work out and go for short runs (with the help of an online PT who gives me routines to do) and now the baby isn't feeding as much I have a bit more will power to stay off the sugar, and now time to cook healthy food. It does get easier!

Please don't beat yourself up and honestly, noone is wondering why you're not doing sports with a three month old baby!

Congratulations on your baby! Please be kind to yourself, we are sometimes our own harshest critics You have the rest of your life to lose weight

I’m currently in third trimester and have put on 2 stone since I fell pregnant. I’m really worried about the aftermath too and I can already see such a huge difference in my appearance in a negative way. Just don’t be too hard on yourself and look at what you’ve achieved, a beautiful baby x

Hallo! I’m vegan and had to increase my protein intake when I became pg. You could try adding a plant-based protein powder to help you stay full while avoiding dairy. I usually do a bit of fruit, almond milk, and powder in a blender for a snack/mini-meal.
I haven’t had a baby before… but my friend did have a lot of trouble losing weight after. My met with a nutrition coach who gave her a plan. Not the most convenient, but she said that the prepping and “not having to think about what to eat” were actually very convenient.
Be patient with yourself!

Cut yourself some slack OP, you are sustaining yourself and your small baby and that's an amazing thing!
Are you consistently getting breakfast in the morning? Regular meals can be hard but its so important for keeping your metabolism going.
Remember you don't need to make huge changes, just small ones consistently.
Can you put a step target on your phone? Then set it 5% higher for next week, and 5% higher the week after that?
Rooting for you!

Thanks everyone for the nice encouraging comments! 🥲
Lots of useful advice here, glad i made the thread!!!
The steps idea is great!
For protein my DH said i don't need more calories 😅 so not sure...

Don’t listen to DH ;)
My first pregnancy needed in Mc, but my first trimester fatigue was out of control that time. Once I swapped out some of my foods to get more protein, my energy improved a lot!

I am struggling to lose weight after pregnancy #3 and PPD. Well... too much Nutella it is needed...... kind of.....

I wanted to say that no matter how you think you look, don't skip on taking pictures. Those are important to you and to your child. Imagine if something happened to you (may God forbid) and they didn't have photos with you no matter how big/small/spotty/bad hair/wtv you feel, you're still the most beautiful mummy in the world to them

Cut yourself some slack OP. It took you 9 months to gain the weight, so it’s better to take your time losing it. I live in a hilly place. I lost most of my baby weight post DD1 just by walking up and down the hills for half an hour an evening. Sometimes pushing the buggy, sometimes not. (I liked the break if I’m honest.)

12 weeks is nothing! You've given birth, you're breastfeeding, you're getting broken sleep and you have a small baby to look after 24/7. Food should be fast, fuel, easy, and enjoyed by you as much as possible. Worry about your shape and size in due course. It's still such early days.

You're not that much overweight for being so close to giving birth. I put on about 3 stone with each pregnancy, lost a stone or so in the first month after birth and then about 12 months after the births I lost the other 2 stone. By then I had a bit more time, energy and sleep on my side.

And take the photos! You never get this time back, and if you're anything like me you forget it all. It's just a blur to me now

Goodness me, OP, 12 weeks pp and breastfeeding - thank your body for the amazing things it has done and is still doing and cut yourself some slack. Eat whatever is easy and sustains you, take all the photos, enjoy all the cuddles. Theres a time to focus on getting your body back how you want it, but honey this ain't it! No one is judging you for not being out playing sports 3 months after giving birth! Give yourself permission to put your energy where its needed right now - focusing on enjoying that tiny baby who'll be running around too much for cuddles before you know it, and worry about everything else down the line. Be kind to yourself, OP.

Your DH should NOT be pressuring you in any way or interfering wih your diet. BMI of 27 is not fat. And if it was, it doesn't change the content of your character.
Practice being kind to yourself by dropping the whole dieting thing. Diets don't work long term.(long term 3% keep the weight off after deliberate dieting) Your body will bring you back to a good weight for you, if you listen to it and don't stress it out by dieting. You just had a baby! You grew a new human! You're now feeding that new human with your own body and it's energy!
I highly highly recommend reading The Fuck It Diet by Caroline Dooner.