New Mum seeking new body by Christmas!

[CoraBear]

My baby boy is 6 months old and I am quite overweight. Ok, I'm alot overweight (takes deep breath) I'm 15 stone. At 5 ft 7 this is waaay to much. I am sitting here in the one pair of trousers that fit me and my DP's tee shirt because none of my tops fit properly. Basically my stomach looks like a deflated paddling pool and my thighs are so big that I'm fairly sure that if I sit down too much longer they will burst open.

After I had the baby I took the very grown up approach to weight loss and I hoped that if I ignored the problem it would go away and somehow I would have a body like posh spice-because all new mothers lose all the weight instantly don't they? Turns out they don't, and surviving on mini aero's didn't help. I weigh more now than when I gave birth.

I have a serious lack of motivation but I decided to see if I could lose some pounds before Christmas, as I'll be seeing people I haven't seen since I was pregnant and want to look casually fabulous. So are any of you interested in holding my hand, kicking my arse and generally helping each other to stay on track? I really want to do this but I know if I'm not answerable to others my resolve will slip.

I have my first weight watchers meeting tomorrow, which I'm dreading as it will mean that the leader will weigh me and know what a tubby fecker I am. So, if any of you weight watcher followers or followers of other plans would like to come and join me and share stories of jogging up and down while eating maltesers so the points are being eaten and burned off simultaneously or just have a rant about how unfair the world is when you're hungry, you are welcome.

Right, I'm off to remove all the biscuits, chocolate and sweets from my house before tomorrow. That's right, when I say "remove" I do of course mean "eat them".

Ooh Solitude, fingers crossed today is the day. Wishing you an amazing birth. Keep in touch when you can!

Agree re not weighing, I lost the lb I thought I had put on, now not weighing until Tuesday. I have lost 13lbs since starting ww, 27lbs in total since the birth of tiny. 16lbs (minimum) to go. I would like to lose 10lbs ideally before holiday, am going to be super good from Friday...

Hope everyone has a brilliant week, I will check the thread for baby news.
Will be joining you for soup in Jam/Jan shooting.

Hope everyone had a brilliant Christmas. We truly feasted in the Choo house. Drawing a very firm line under it and started ww again today.

Nay baby news Solitude?!!!

Hi all,

I do indeed have baby news. TinySol arrived on Christmas Eve, it was all a bit full on and there's been a bit of recouperating going on. Only for me, thankfully he is doing really well. I was in labour for well over a day and had to have a csec in the end, not the straightforward birth I'd hoped for. We had no Christmas as such as I was in hospital, but we're all home now so it's getting better. TinySol is gorgeous and I am well and truly in love.

I'm going to do a weigh in tomorrow and see how much I've lost in a week and use that as my start weight to try and get my self sorted out. I'm going down the healthy eating route first rather than going for weight watchers.

Hope everyone had a great Christmas!

Congratulations!!! Very happy for you all, sorry the birth was not straightforward. Please try not to worry too much re weight now, sounds like rest and relaxation are in order.

So delighted for you. Enjoy new baby cuddles. I hope LittleSol is coping well too.

Thanks a a mill. DS has been fine about the baby, he didn't care for me being in hospital though and gets a bit freaked out if I go out without him. So we're bedding in for the next few days, hopefully that will make him feel a bit more secure.

I weighed myself this morning, I'm 15 stone. So pretty much back where I started with this thread. I'm not putting myself under pressure to slim down, I just don't want my weight to get out of control like it did with DS 1.

Happy New Year!

Enjoy having a cosy few days in. How lovely to be a 4.

Think you are being very sensible re weight, definitely don't put too much pressure on yourself.

I have decided I am eating far too much sugar and so I am going to try and abstain from chocolate, biscuits and cake for 21 days. I think my occasional chocolate fix has been far too regular and is probably the reason my weight loss is slow. It will be hard but I want to do it, afterwards I will probably going to allow myself treats at the weekend only. Want to do this for health reasons too, having seen 2 relatives with diabetes over Christmas was like having a warning.

Just checking in to see if any baby news and there is! Congratulations! Is tinysol a boy or a girl?
Good idea on chocolate choos. Diabetes is terrible and people don't realise how serious it is. My fil has it and it's nasty. He's just been for two scans on his eyes as his vision is blurring and apparently he has a growth behind his eye caused by diabetes.
My weightlloss attempt starts on Monday........

I hear you about the regular chocolate fixes. I ate one od DS's selection boxes in a day (so much for healthy eating) and the worst thing was that I barely noticed I'd eaten it all until I went back for more and there was none left. I'm trying to have porridge or a protein based breakfast and soup or a sandwich for lunch but by mid-afternoon my resolve is gone.

TinySol is fast asleep on my chest as I type this, he is very sweet and I'm very much enjoying his snuggly newness. Although he's been doing some spectacular vomiting today.

Dreading my weigh in tomorrow due to my excessive chocolate consumption, but it might be the kick in the flabby arse that I need.

Congratulations solitude, so happy for you! Haven't posted in so long so it was nice to catch up on the good news! Hope you and baby are doing well.

How are you getting on choos? Hope everyone had a nice Christmas and new year!

I'm trying to wean myself off chocolate and crisps, I've only had 2 days off them so far but I'm feeling determined! We've just booked our holiday for may and I really want to lose weight for then.

So I lost a lb… which is fine but seriously I had no cake, biscuits or chocolate for 7 days as well as doing ww, so I was hopping for more. I have a new strategy. I really think it's the carbs that cause my gains, so I am cutting carbs from lunch and evening meal but allowing myself a small amount of chocolate as it will find it difficult to low carb but not have the odd treat.
Today I had:
Bfast - weetabix and ss milk,
snack - handful of nuts, low cal hot choc
Lunch - tuna salad, banana
Dinner- salmon, broccoli, carrots, green beans. 2 chocs (left over from Christmas).

Chocolate and crips? That's impressive sayHello. Where are you going on holiday? Hope you had a good Christmas and New Year.

Enjoy your new baby snuggles Solitude. Could you plan a mid afternoon snack? The tiredness hits me then too. I normally have a hot chocolate and a banana.

How are you getting on Shooting. I have made a good reduction in my sugar intake, was probably a bit silly to try and stop totally. I am also avoiding bread, white pasta/rice as I know from when I had GD in pregnancy this makes blood sugars shoot up. Bizarrely I was always fine with chocolate. I am planning to just have chocolate as a treat rather than daily. Have not missed having cake or biscuits, so it won't be hard to continue avoiding these.

Have just started to wean Tiny, she loves everything so far (fruit/veg and even baby rice). So nice not to have to try and persuade, LittleChoos always needed ++ encouragement. Still BF and will try and continue until she is a year.

Sorry, massive post.

Hi all,

I wrote an epically long post but MN went offline and I lost the whole thing.

I've started doing WW again, my weigh in day is Tuesday (with daily weigh ins to freak myself out!). My start weight is 14 stone 5 lbs, which is pretty horrendous, even though I weighed 15 stone a few days ago and I was kind of alright with it. I get 14 extra points per day as I am exclusively breast feeding and I have done the mature thing and earmarked them specifically for chocolate.

Well done on being a pound down Choos, I know it's demoralising when you feel like you've stuck rigidly to a plan and only lose a small amount. Have you seen the new WW plan, sure start or something? It seems very like Slimming World. My friend has signed up to do it but it seems very complicated so I'm avoiding it and sticking to Propoints.

I admire your lack of carbs Choos, I would fall down if I ate that little, but then again I am a savage. Do you not feel very tired / headache-y with so few carbs in your diet? At least you know the foods that cause your blood sugars to spike, white rice is basically sugar so best avoided completely. Have you given up alcohol? I'm with you on having to have chocolate every day, it makes battling the tiredness that bit easier and I don't feel like I'm missing out on the tasty stuff that way.

Happy New Year SayHello, where are you off to on your holidays? It's always nice to have a trip away as motivation.

I have had the most positive side effects since I started weight watchers. All of the fluid that had made my feet puffy has disappeared (though I still have a serious case of preggy fat face), my energy levels are much more stable and I generally just feel less sluggish. I wish I had felt this well when I was pregnant. My 5am start to the day is seeming less exhausting as the days go by, I think it's because I'm relying less on sugar to get me through the day.

My weigh in tomorrow is a bit scary, I am hoping to lose 1 lb per week. The extra 14 points per day are being used up pretty much every day because I'm starving but I've hardly used any of my weeklies - about 6 I think so far - because 14 extra points per day adds up to an extra 98 points per week.

How was your weigh in Shooting?

Is it your weigh in tomorrow as well Choos?

I'll post up how I did. Fingers crossed for 1 lb down, even though I'm experiencing good changes from starting the diet, I will be so disappointed if I don't at least use a pound!

Afternoon Solitude!

I am so impressed that you have started back with ww, but I do feel you shouldn't be too strict, it's very early days yet and you must be so tired. Having said that a lb a week sounds very sensible. What;s your goal weight?

I have switched m weight in to Thursdays. I am having the odd glass of wine at the weekend. It's chocolate I find really hard to give up :(

I don't really feel hungry with the lcm of carbs, I have been snacking on fruit/carrots/hummus. It's just a bit boring isn't it?
That's interesting about rice. I decided cutting out rice/bread was the lesser of 2 evils!

I scoffed all the Christmas chocolate before I started ww, I don't usually have any in the house so I'm safe from temptation - I can't get to the shop because I had a section so I can't go and stock up on junk food. I really want to start losing weight because my belly looks dreadful and it's pretty depressing to think it could look like that long term.

I also don't think we'll be having any more kids so I want to get back to looking how I looked before I was pregnant. To be honest I knew after DS1 that we would have another baby so I didn't really have the incentive to lose all the baby weight and tone up after he was born. With all the extra points I'm not too hungry but I'm definately eating healthier which can only be good. I was eaing an awful lot of crap shortly after the baby was born.

Wine and chocolate are integral parts of life, no wonder you find them hard to give up. Vodka is low points and low-carb, would you consider moving on to spirits if you fancied a drink? If you're breastfeeding every few hours you must be exhausted too, and you've been doing it for way longer than I have.

Dieting is boring, but I find appreciate my chocolate/ delicious meals/ takeaways and glass of wine much more now that it's not a regular thing. Will you have a day off weight watchers after your weigh in on Thurs? I plan on having a takeaway tomorrow night if we get ourselves organised to have a quiet evening (the evenings have been a touch chaotic since DS2 arrived).

My goal weight is ten stone, however my first goal is to each 13 stone 0 lbs. I haven't weighed that amount in years so it's a big goal for me. I have lots of clothes I want to wear again so fitting in to them is a goal too.

What's your goal weight Choos?

Can't type full answer as DD asleep on me and typing with left hand!
10 stone 2 initially. but then will reassess and may try for 9 stone 8 isn. But not been that weight for many years.
I am currently 11.8

vv tired, DD waking at least 4 times in night, we are now co sleeping from about midnight onwards.

I agree, I'm eating so much healthier, can only be a good thing long term.
How is your DS sleeping/feeding? How is LittleSol?

10 st 2 lbs isn't too far away. I like having short term goals, it spurs me on. You must be absolutely exhausted being woken 4 times per night, can you express some and let your DH do some night feeds?

LittleSol sleeps differently every night, but generally only wakes once for a feed, at around 5am. He has his last feed at about 10.30pm. But he feeds on average every 2.5 hours during the day which can be very full on. I express milk 5/6 times a day and then I breast feed him during the night. I couldn't breast feed all day, otherwise I'd get nothing done, so he has the bottles of expressed milk during the day.

DS1 sleeps 8pm-8am most nights. He wakes up to go to the toilet and the odd time he can make a fuss about wanting to come in to our bed, but he's generally very good. I've jinxed myself now!

I think sleep deprivation is so bad for your health, especially long term. I get so accustomed to the exhaustion that it almost feels normal to feel so tired, but it affects your health so badly. As for healthy eating, I feel so much better even with the small changes I've made so far. I have my fingers crossed for tomorrow, just a pound gone...that's all I'm asking for.

Fingers crossed for you. Great you already have those positive effects from starting ww.
I am so cross with myself, we go on holiday next week and looking through my diary, I have only lost about 1/2 stone since I started in October and my plan was at least a stone. I only have myself to blame, I just have not been strict enough.
I am just fed up that once again I will have a holiday where I feel overweight (and all the countless holidays, weddings (including my own) and other events where I have been overweight and thought if only I was a stone lighter.
I have no more than 2 stone to lose, so why can't I do it?
Rant over.

Rant away Choos.

I know how you feel, I've been at so many functions where I've felt uncomfortable and wished I looked different (I am always convinced I will have a better time if I'm skinny) and as for holidays; there are really only so many layers I can cover myself with while I'm sweltering in the sun.

Don't be cross at yourself, don't let it bring you down. You've done really well to lose half a stone since October and not pile it all back on over Christmas. The reason it's harder to do it now is because your life is more hectic than pre-kids when you had time and energy to focus on toning up ad dieting. And lets be bloody honest, I know that if I have an hour free to myself I am not spending it going for a power walk, I'm going to sit down and unwind.

You can lose your 2 stone, you will do it, it just doesn't happen quickly - especially after having kids. I'm convinced that baby weight is made of cement and glue. Your baby isn't even a year old yet, please don't beat yourself up. Go and enjoy your holiday and, if possible, go and buy a few new clothes that suit your size and make you feel fab. Leave the kids with your DH and spend a few hours finding a swimsuit that suits you and you feel comfortable in, I did this before I went on holidays in the summer - got the matching sarong and everything - and I didn't mind when I had to wear it on the beach.

I had my weigh in this morning - I lost three pounds, so I'm having some celebratory Minstrels!!!

Yay!!! Well done Solitude! Super pleased for you. That's enough to spur you on and you are now in the 14's!

I have calmed down, thanks for your wise words. You are so right. I just felt a bit frustrated. It could be worse, I'm a size 14 with a stone and a half to lose (at least it's not 10), a 6 month old baby who only sleeps for 2 hours at a time and a toddler….
I have got some nice clothes to wear and tried on my swim wear and it looks ok (well I don't think people will be fainting in horror).

I am very wise I understand how you feel, it's shit to feel bad about yourself. And I know that people can just think that losing weight will end the problem, but it just doesn't work like that. I've struggled with my weight for years and even when I was a skinny thing I still wasn't happy with how I looked.

I dream of being a size 14 - I'm sure you will look great on your holiday. Just make sure you have a great time and enjoy hanging out with DH and your babies.

I'm delighted I lost 3 lbs. It wasn't too hard but I definately wasn't eating whatever I wanted. My goal for next week is 1 lb. I don't want to say my goal is 3 lbs again, I don't want to be disappointed and I want to be realistic.

Grr put on a lb. I am unmotivated and tired. Just feel like giving up. It doesn't help that I am getting very little sleep (month 2).
Another rant from me!

Sorry to be on such a downer. Realistically I know I have been about 80% good. I just can't cut out the chocolate as well at the moment. I am so sleep deprived and haven't drank coffee since pregnant (no longer like the taste). I don't think I can do anymore.
Maybe the weight will come off when I stop breast feeding.

How's everyone else?
I think your 1lb goal for next week is a good target Sol.

Oh Choos, you sound so down on yourself. Have you hit "the wall"? I always use that phrase to DH when I have become bone crushingly tired and everything just feels crap. I think you need a holiday more than you realise. Don't worry about the chocolate, unless you are eating massive amounts of it it can hardly be contributing a huge amount to your weight.

However, I guarantee you that long-term tiredness and stress will be causing your body to hold on to your weight. It's all to do with cortisol production and your body holding on to fat for when you need snatches of energy. The easiest way to know if your body is doing that is to see where your body holds on to weight. If it's around your middle, bum, thighs area, that's your body storing it so it can access it quickly as a reaction to the fight or flight response humans have.

I'm probably not explaining it well, but google it, it's really interesting.

Sleep deprivation is also the devil. I can't imagine what it's like to be 6 months in to it. I know that you said you're in to month 2 but realistically you probably haven't slept properly since you had the baby and probably even during the last few weeks of pregnancy. Thankfully I still love coffee, I physically couldn't cope without it at the moment.

I never lost a pound when I was breast feeding. The whole "breast feeding burns 900 calories per day" thing is utter nonsense as far as I can make out. All the women I know who breastfed never suddenly pinged in to super model shape, in fact, the only woman I know who returned to her size 8 figure post-baby / while breastfeeding had major food issues prior to pregnancy and worked out and watched what she ate the entire way through her pregnancy.

Solitude - you are so supportive, thanks so much for your post.

I believe I have hit 'the wall', but I am feeling better already. Met a friend this morning, had lovely cuddles with Little and Tiny. Little is just tucking into salmon pasta after a good breakfast (picket eater) and so the day is getting better. Tiny has been feeding every 1-2 hours overnight for the past 2 months, she slept for 4-5 hours stints before this and I felt fine on this regime. But I ma so tired now and the chronic tiredness is making me feel more negative than usual. But our holiday is soon!! So looking forward to being with my little family for 2 whole weeks.

So wise Solitude, I do think you are right, most of my weight is round my middle and I don't think I'm eating enough chocolate to gain weight rather than lose it!! I am going to forget about it until I get back from holiday (aiming to eat healthily still at least 80% of the time) and then I have a plan.
Couch to 5k! It's an aim anyway…

Thanks again, I really feel like I can do this with you by my cyber side (sorry if that's gushy but I get so much support from you).

How are you finding life with 2 little ones as well as doing your counselling job on mumsnet?