How long post birth did it take for you to be back at pre birth weight?

[pamelat]

Hello, am a bit worried as post DS (just turned 8 months old) I still have a stone to lose. I am exercising 3 times a week and nothing is changing.

I have 3 year old DD and think it took 12 months after her birth but it was easier after her.

I have a bridesmaids dress to fit in to by July which is a good 2inch too small on me!! A whole dress size!!

I am not on a diet as I love food. I have never needed to diet before, maybe its about time .... ? would rather just exercise a lot.

Not breast feeding anymore, stopped 4 months ago so no excuse really.

I have spoken to other mums who say it takes a good 12 months to get back to similar ish weight??? did you find this?

22 years and counting!

I was 9st 5 the day I found i was pg with ds1. Haven't been that since.

What sort of exercise are you doing? You perhaps need to do eat more sensibly? The weight can be harder to shift as you get older.

Weekly exercise currently is a spin class, body pump class and then usually a swim 40 lengths breast stroke, the swim is easy and more relaxing than exercise really.

I cant do much more as 2 children to look after and alternate gym nights etc with DH.

I am not eating cakes or chocolate, for first time in my life. But we eat a lot of carbs, pasta, bread (my favourite food) etc but I have always eaten like that.

I put 3 stone on in the pregnancy so have lost 2 since the birth, 1 of which was actual weight to lose. Its just taken a long time and now I seem to be stuck.

Breastfeeding seemed to make me put weight on, probably because I was exhausted and ate about 3 chocolate bars every day!!

I am always hungry.

Am finding that I eating breakfast (2 slices of toast), lunch (sandwiches usually) and fruit and then tea being carb heavy. Drinking a lot of tea.

DS still waking a lot in the night, could swear thats why I am so hungry.

Pamelat DD2 didn't sleep through the night until she was nearly two, and I read an article that said that when you are tired you don't have enough energy, so you tend to crave high sugar / fatty foods to get extra energy.

DD2 is now 3 and I still have a few kg to lose... I used to exist on cigarettes & black coffee before having DC, and never had any problem staying skinny slim.

Don't know, it's not happened yet post ds1 6.5 yrs. If When it happens I'll let you know

You're eating far too many carbs. Replace it with protein, it will help you feel fuller longer. Do you know how many calories altogether you eat per day?

12 years!

Not quite as bad as it sounds , as the worst came off in the 6months after I finished BFing. But I think I'll lays be about half a stone up on pre-preg weight.

Lack of sleep can affect your weight.

Exercise sounds good but I agree about the carbs. Try eating less/better carband more protein. I know it's hard though - I love carbs.....

17 weeks, but I was very lucky that breastfeeding seems to help me lose weight. I did also start slimming world (unifficially) when she was 3 weeks old.

about 10 minutes. i was very lucky!

I was back in my normal clothes within 2 weeks (felt v smug)
Nearly 4 years down the line I've gained a dress size (less smug now)

I fear its because 1) Am so tired that feel like need the carbs and 2) am "only" 10 stone so maybe not excessive for me, so maybe body happy here, but I cant fit in any of my clothes!!

DS2 is 9 months old. I still have a stone to go (now 10 stone 4), have lost 2 stone though strict dieting now since October. I also do lots of exercise but think if I didn't diet I'd never loose it.

If you haven't dieted you should be able to loose a stone in a couple of months on a diet, so why not wait until April and see how you are going, and go on a diet then.

Am doing tesco diets, on around 1200 a day. Slow long boring....

TBH I was so overweight when I stopped feeding that I was motivated to do strict diet to loose more quickly.

Tiredness is a big big thing in weight loss. I am heavier then i was just post birth with ds and it is simply down to lack of sleep. I am hoping that if i can get the sleep fixed the weight will start coming off. I have tried dieting but it hasnt had an effect. So i assume that my body is being stubborn with how it is processing food due to having messed up biochemsitry from sleep deprivation. Currently i am doing 20+ hours a week exercise and cant shift the weight so am going back to the duvet diet which is the only thing i have found help.

Just remember that you clothes still might not fit even if you lose weight simply because your body changes shape during pregnancy and it might never go back to the pre dc shape of old clothes.

Exercise is good for firming up and sometimes getting you back in touch with your body so you stop overeating. But to lose weight you probably need to watch what you eat. Exercise can only burn so many cals.

After having DS, it took me about 8 months to lose get back to my pre-pregnancy weight. That was far too long for me personally, so after having DD I got my arse in gear and was back in shape after 3 months- and lost I've lost an additional half a stone, so I'm smaller than I was before I had kids! Although I have the dreaded saggy stomach which no amount of crunches can flatten!

Update. 10lbs to go

I cant make myself diet, its too depressing. Although I will do if it gets to May and I don't fit in to the dress!!!

Upped my exercise to 4 times a week. DS 9 months now. 4lbs a month would be brilliant.

That's great, am v that you can loose without dieting. I still have 5lbs to go and am still on 1200 calorie a day diet and am not eating any carbs with dinner.

I have stopped the cakes

I lost pregnancy weight just by giving birth, didn't have a big appetite during pregnancy with DD and only put on 14lbs (was overweight when I got pregnant though) and had lost 15lbs when I weighed a few days later I looked great. Then i put on 2 and a half stone over 17 months [shocked] and have just lost 4lbs in my first week at slimming world.