I'm full of self loathing at the state I have got myself into: I HAVE to sort this out but never dieted before and have no clue. Any tips?

[Honeybee79]

I have 2 stone to lose following birth of DS 6 months ago. I'm ashamed to say that I put most of that on AFTER he was born due to being a greedy so and so and spending lots of time sat on the sofa feeding DS and myself. I also really struggled in the early days of motherhood and comfort ate like crazy. DH also loves his food and so I find it tough to resist when he's tucking into a plate of cheese.

Before I got pregnant I ran about 20 miles a week and was fit and healthy. I have never felt so unhealthy now - I feel knackered, sluggish and down.

I actively avoid mirrors and still wear my maternity clothes. I feel like I don't deserve new clothes or nice things. I feel quite disgusted with myself.

So, I need to sort this out. But where to start? I have no clue about diets. Please let me have any tips/advice/inspiration!

you poor thing! It is hard to make time to look after yourself when you are looking after everyone else.

My only tips are:
keep a food diary and see when you eat - be honest tho
join something - like weightwatchers f you can get out of the house/can afford it
or join tesco's diets online (I used this and found it great)
use the GI plan as the basis of losing weight as it is really sensible and doesn't feel like a 'diet' and up your exercise levels. Walk everywhere and it will drop off, I promise
aim just for 10% of your body weight as your loss to start wth, chunks are easier to deal with than 2 whole stone at once

good luck!

Thanks, I like the idea of something online as I think I'd struggle to get to actual meetings at the moment.

Have started a food diary today to see where I'm slipping up.

Feel so miserable about my size . . . and cross with myself for letting it get this bad.

First of all - stop with the self loathing. Totally counter-productive. You are much more likely to lose weight and keep it off if you feel good about yourself. You are a mummy. You have a beautiful baby. You did that. You're fab.
Now as to dieting - what works for one person might not work for another. For me becoming more aware of the calories I'm actually consuming helps a lot. So weigh out portions, try something like the fitness pal app. Knowledge is power. Start gentle exercising. You are fitter than you think you are. If you want to get back into running - the couch to 5k programme is great. And there's a fab thread on mn!
Then you're ready to get losing. I don't follow a specific diet or group like WW I just work on the eat less, move more principle which works for me. Worth remembering the old saying 9 months on, 9 months off. Not just about pg weight gain IMO but it relates to feeling normal again after a baby. With all 3 of my dc I don't start getting sorted mentally, physically, whatever until 9 months is up.
HTH and good luck

Molly, you are right. I have been chanting "9 months on, 9 months off" like a mantra all day.

Been out for a walk today and going for a gentle jog tomorrow. Got to start somewhere.

Honeybee79 - please stop self loathing. I just did the same - except it was 3 stone and I have no excuse it was DC3 and he had been a really good baby!

I have lost it all (and more - 47lbs!) by his 1st birthday last month - most of it within the first 3.5 months. I am now a size 10 and have bought lots of lovely new clothes, and feel good about how I look.

I recommend:
a) getting fit again, choose an event to train for - for me its a triathlon, now in a month (gulp) - why not find a 5km run in the summer and a 10km run in the early autumn and train for that?
b) keep a food diary on MFP to see what you are eating and help you control portion sizes - I did tesco diets totals plan but now do MFP as its free
c) eat loads of vegetables and cut out all white carbs eg sugar, white flour etc

If you focus you'll get most of it off in 3 months.

Forever, thanks for the encouragement.

I really want to get back to my running as miss the social side of being in a running club and the company on runs. It's just that DH is out every other Tues night and Tues is club night. Plus I am too scared to go back. Have just been for a gentle jog round the park though!

Please honeybee come to Paul Mckenna (see our thread) for easy re-education of yr attitude to food NO horrible diets!!! See you there!

Oh I forgot i lost my target of 2 stone on Paul Mc. in approx 6 months!

I will check out Paul McKenna though I have to admit to being a bit sceptical. But hey, no harm in having a look!

Honeybee79 so sorry you feel so stressed about this but totally echo mollycuddles and foreverondiet 'stop with the self loathing'.

You are an amazing mummy and you have grown a baby!

Don't avoid mirrors, love yourself and you will be better able to pass on a healthy self image to your lovely baby. If you are a bit bigger than you were, do not worry, you can control it and change with time, be gentle on yourself. You want to be healthy again, rightly so, but just be nice to yourself along the route - you will be more likely to stick with it and will arrive in better shape all round when you get there (physically and emotionally).

Now you are having to have a more 'still' time of it at home and not getting the exercise you are used to - so of course you are finding it hard to burn up the calories, especially if you are eating more due to boredom. I know all about that as I have real problems with food to do with eating because of boredom and all kinds of things. I have started doing 'mindful eating', eating slowly, stopping when full, and if I fancy a snack or some food I am trying to question myself, do I really need extra food. Is it healthy, good for me? I can have nice treats sometimes but do I really want it. Do I want that chocolate bar/biscuit whatever or is it that my daughter has taken a bite out of it and said she does not like it! So am I using my body as a bin by eating something I don't really need! Very unlikely your baby is offering you food but you know what I mean!

Try eating healthy food, sounds obvious but go for fruit and veg when you can, these will be filling but also give you lots of nutrients. I get bored eating apples etc so I slice them up thin like potato chips and carrot batons to crunch on!

I go walking (with friends and friend's dog).

I am thinking of doing a race for life
www.raceforlife.org
here

Race for life might be something to aim for - you can even walk it. If you are fit enough to do something like that maybe give it a go. Maybe a gentle post natal exercise DVD you can do at home? A walk with a friend once a week at a time when DH can have some time with baby. My DH looks after DD one night a week so I and a couple of girls can go for a walk. We chat, get fresh air and amazingly we have been very lucky, in almost a year it has hardly ever rained on our walk night!

Anyway, try all these ideas and the others mentioned but do stop being cross with yourself, you can be in control and just keep an eye on your emotions and how you are feeling. If you are worried, talk to someone in real life.

Best wishes.

The reference to fruit and veg was for extra snacks when bored, not instead of regular meals! I just read that back and wanted to check I had not given you the wrong impression!

Why not give the Paul McKenna thing a try, come over to our thread, we are v nice and we don't bite (well not unless we're hungry)

I spent 6.99 on a book and nothing else.

Honeybee are you there? see you on Paul Mckenna then!

Honeybea79 hi, how is it going?

A few of us are posting on this thread www.mumsnet.com/Talk/big_slim_whatever_weight_loss_club/1216651-Anyone-want-to-join-a-thread-about-Eating-Less

yes

about eating less and it is very helpful, do please come and join us if you would like to.

Hey honey drop by our WW propoints thread too. I have tried and tried to lose weight on my own (2 stone after DS also) and just struggled. I have only been going 2 weeks but it is really working for me. 5 pounds gone already- 20 to go!

I have tried lots of things-but always got discouraged. WW seems to fit with me for now. It may not for you, but worth dropping by as you cruise the other threads too!

i think the important thing to remember and realise is that it takes time/it doens't happen over night/it's ok to have an off day and it isn't a case of all or nothing. Sometimes the smallest changes can make the difference just to get you stated. So to ease you into it make one small change each week. So for example

wk1 - i will drink 1.5-2l of water every day. If you maintain that for a week then
wk 2 - maintain wk 1's goal and also to get 5 a day every day (if that's too much then 2-3. Something is better than nothing)
wk 3 - maintain wk 1 and wk 2 goal and go for a 30 min walk 3 times a week

and so on

i know from working with my clients it can seem overwhelming to overhall EVERYTHING all at once. So break it down. See where you are going wrong and just change 1 thing a week. It's more realistic, it's more maneagble and easier to maintain long term