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".

mumtosophie - hope it's going well too!

Oh dear. Don't think I ate enough at lunch as I am so hungry. I had a handful of almonds at lunch to add more protein and a pack of blueberries about 1.5hrs ago but I just also had a teaspoon of no sugar peanut butter as dinner won't be until 7.30 and I'm ravenous. Maybe a whole tin of tuna for lunch next time.

I'm so annoyed with myself :( I just had two big chunks of toblerone, I didn't even need it and now I feel a bit sick! I think I've got in to the habit of having something sweet to eat at night time, really need to stop that.

I'm actually feeling a bit rubbish today, I looked in the mirror and thought I looked a bit pregnant. I should take a photo and stick it on the cupboard where all the chocs are, might keep me away!!

Hope everyone else is doing good.

mumtosophie: I know what you mean about habitually finishing evening meals with something sweet. I just had to brush my teeth and gargle with mouthwash to try and prevent a raid on the cooking chocolate (g&b 70% rather than actual cooking chocolate which is quite grim IME). On the plus side, it seems to have worked and the only addition to my meal plan (other than peanut butter) were carrots and mushrooms. Just need to make it to 10.30 and LO's dream feed without eating....

Hi everyone,

Had points free soup for the first time in ages today-I forgot how boring it was, I felt full but I am hungry now. Don't think it fills the post-Christmas appetite just yet. I haven't exercised in any sort of organised fitness way but I cannot find the time (I am aware that I have time to type this, but I don't think 3 mins on the cross trainer will do much good), I have the offer of a lend of a wii so I might try the wii fit.

MTS don't feel to bad about the toblerone, it is delicious. But is there any way you can get rid of all of the sweets out of the house? I can't have anything like that in the house, the first line of defence is the trolley and I just don't bother buying it.

rosalux I think you need to eat a bit more. And don't forget that fruit is points free so if you're starving you could have some of that.

Choos- good luck with this week. I think you have the right idea to get the m&s meals in. Anything that takes the pressure off you if you are up to your ears.

Just had a call from my Dad reminding me that I have a family dinner tomorrow night so I'm off to google the restaurant and look up the menu, so I can pick what I'm going to eat now and I won't have to look at the menu tomorrow when I'm starving and choose something really high in points. I am a ww nerd!

Hurrah! Day 1 over and only a minor deviation. Think I may include a teaspoon of peanut butter with afternoon fruit as it really seems to help stave off hunger. Today's meal plan looks like this:

B: porridge with organic dried apricots, skim milk and almonds
L: left over pumpkin dahl made into soup with a chopped tomato thrown in and wholemeal pita bread
D: steak and home made chips with kale fried in garlic
S: fruit of some description and peanut butter

As it's Friday I get to have a glass of wine, but this is normally when I start roaming the kitchen for sweet food, so I'll have to have it with dinner and then brush my teeth like last night and hopefully I can resist the lure of the cooking chocolate.

No DVD today but will be going for a walk with LO strapped to my chest and I live in a very hilly part of a quite hilly city so it's definitely cardio!

corabear good idea to investigate menu options before going out. Some places (chains) even tell you nutritional information on their website, though this can be a mixed blessing as I discovered when I learnt (ex post facto) how many calories were in a pizza express chicken salad!

MTS I had to give my hairdresser a box of mini-toblerones that I had bought before xmas after I munched my way through the other box I had bought so I think two triangles isn't really too bad. What's important is not to let it derail you completely, but I agree that removing temptation from the house is definitely the way forward. DP is diabetic so we have to have some sweet stuff around, so I bought some (fairly disgusting) glucose tablets to replace the box of mini-carmels/chocolate biscuits that he had been using and I had been scoffing.

The day of the dinner is today. I looked up the restaurant and the menu seems alright, goats cheese and beetroot salad for starters and mushroom gnocchi for main. Not too points heavy but I'll be watching what I eat today. It's a restaurant devoted to clean, organic and biodynamic food so it can't be all bad. I think I'm trying to convince myself that it'll all be fine if I overindulge. I don't eat dessert at all, I'd rather have two starters, so I won't go too over my points.

Good luck with today everyone.

Well done checking ahead on the menu Cora, I actually wouldn't have thought to do that but will do from now on. I've got rid of some of our chocolates and cakes, it's just the opened ones that get me. I'll just have to force feed them to guests :)

I'm feeling a lot better today, I had a bowl of fruit and fibre for breakfast and am going to have my soup soon. The last few days I've just been having a banana for breakfast then need my lunch early so I'm starving by the time my partner gets home from work.

I've ordered the 30 day shred dvd (saw some good reviews for it on here) and I've also been googling healthy recipes, I really want a healthy curry one so if anyone has one please let me know.

This message has taken me so long to type, my 2 year old has been trying to put her stickers on her baby sisters cheeks and chin, apparently it makes her look so pretty :)

Need to post to stop me foraging in the kitchen! Have managed to restrict my post red wine munching to 5 dried apricots and some licorice and cinnamon tea which is something of a result. Watching the Anna Friel drama on bbc1 and thinking how horrid the protagonist is and trying to spot where on Bristol they filmed it

Managed to avoid further snacking last night and don't feel too bad after my large glass of red wine. Must try to avoid apricots after dinner tonight though as I'm trying to reset my habits. How is everyone else doing? I always find weekends hardest, probably because of the lack of routine and the feeling of 'I deserve a treat', usually a highly calorific one.

Today's meal plan:

B: Dorset cereal, skim milk, almonds
L: BLT on baguette with beetroot juice and celeriac remoulade (I got obsessed by this last November when I did pig2twig and unbeknownst to me at the time, conceived DS)
D: takeaway, probably Thai but only a main course and extra steamed veggies cooked at home
E: DVD (done! Hurrah!)

Hi everyone,

dinner was amazing last night,I could have eaten massive portions of it. But I didn't. I have to admit to some post dinner cocktails though. I feel like it was such a waste of points and I'm so annoyed at myself right now. I never get to go out and was having such a great time but I am so disappointed to have done it. But onwards and upwards and all that so I won't let it slow me down. To be honest I doubt I made too much of a dent in my weeklies but I will have to do some exercise soon.

rosalux, that beetroot and celeriac remoulade sounds gorgeous. Is it points free? I agree with weekends being harder due to lack of routine, either I eat right up to my points limit or I hardly eat a thing because I'm so busy.

MTS let me know how you get on with that 30 day shred, I've heard it's brill. Do you want recipes for meat or vegetable curries? I have a few veggie ones, I'm sure you can just chuck meat in though. I eat alot of chickpea ones because they are so low in points.

Choos, how are you getting on?

Right, I'm off to try and undo some of yesterdays damage. Good luck today everyone.

corabear: not sure how many points in the remoulade, as I'm not doing WW, just trying to eat well and not have kitchen raids after dinner! It's got mayo, creme fraiche, mustard, lemon juice and salt and pepper as well as grated celeriac, but I'm sure it could be made more low fat and still taste delicious. Plain yogurt maybe?

I feel quite full from lunch and have just had grapes and lychees for a snack. I must confess to a slice of wholemeal walnut bread earlier which was delicious, but I froze the rest for lunches with the soup I need to start making. Am having a long soak once DS is in bed later as he refused to nap properly today and as a result has been fractious. Roll on wine o'clock!

Had an indian last night for dinner, it was delicious. But how unfair is it that when I was off ww I wasn't invited anywhere for dinner and the week I started I get asked out for 2 dinners?

So I'm going to have to reign in the points today and the rest of the week. I weighed myself this morning and no extra weight on so far. But I am off to do laps of the park with the baby in the buggy. I have even rooted out my ankle weights to wear.

How's everybody getting on? I hope you were a bit more controlled than me.

Well I did have dried apricots again after dinner but nothing else. Am really hungry today and already had a bit of blue chesese and pastry as I made a quiche to put in the freezer. DS is still refusing to nap for more than 30mins at a time, not helped by moving him into the nursery which doesn't have proper black out blinds. His night time sleeps are so far unaffected, though he keeps waking at 2.30am and I shush pat and replace dummy and he drifts off again, really wish he could do this without me. Hopefully he will learn to now we won't be in the same room, though I fear I may just have a longer commute!

So, today's meals:

B: porridge, skim milk, dried apricots, almonds
L: blt on baguette, celeriac and apple remoulded, beetroot juice
D: roast pork. Roast potatoes (but only 3-4 not 7-8 as before), cabbage and carrots
S: fruit, pastry, blue cheese - no wine!

I am so hungry today, but I've only had 8 points. Oh that's right, it's the return of the no-points soup. I am trying to claw back some of the points I fritted away on booze and indian food.

Did anyone see the photo's of Myleene Klass on her holiday in the papers today? She looks amazing. I'm so jealous. We had our babies in and around the same time and she looks fantastic. I may print off the pictures and look at her very flat stomach for inspiration. I'm even planning to get my arse out of bed at an early hour and do my exercise dvd (rosalux you are my inspiration here as you manage to exercise, why can't I?)

Rosalux you have my sympathies with the non-sleeping child. I am on day 8 of sleep training and we have gone from being up 11 times a night with him to being up with him 5 times a night. Coffee is my friend.

Hi all,

I having even attempting to point the past few days -just having a bit of a stressful week with no time to even make the marvellous no points soup.

Myleen Klass does look amazing - am very envious of mums who look so fantastic - fear it's out of my reach even if I do lose 2 stone (I hasten to add, 2 stone is not my goal as soooo unrealistic!!, would be happy to lose a stone and a half).

Good luck everyone for the week ahead. Will be posting my daily intake from tomorrow.

Hi everyone,

I got up very early and did my pilates abs dvd. It hurt like I thought it would and it was an eye opener as to how unfit I am, as I used to do that dvd but gave up as it was too easy (I used to do an intense pilates class twice a week for two years). This morning I couldn't even get my feet up over my head holding a gym ball (as you do first thing in the morning) so I'm going to be getting up early to work out every day in the future.

Hi Choos- I'd need a trip to the surgeon to get a stomach like Myleene- maybe after I've had all my kids I'll do that. Good luck with your pointing today.

Off to make several litres of points free soup to sustain me. Good luck today everyone.

Hello all. Very impressed with your Pilates experience corabear. I'm sure the muscle memory you have will mean you get back to how you were much quicker than you think. I did my DVD this morning, but fell off the wagon last night with cider, pork crackling (so yummy), and post dinner apricots, buttered toast and chocolate drops. How is it I can stick to my workouts (dragging myselfnout of bed post early morning feed every other day) but not curb my after dinner snacking? Will try again today.

Hi all,

Hardly ate a thing today, just so busy. Have had a chocolate bar and a bag of crisps and still only up to 20 points. My workout this morning only earned me one point but it is better than nothing. I plan to do another tomorrow morning. It's weigh in day tomorrow though so I'm dreading it.

I know what you mean about post-dinner snacking, I try not to eat past 8pm but I've just finished my crisps and it just after 9pm-whoops! I hope everyone had a good day today.

Good luck with the weigh in tomorrow and I'll post my results.

I just typed a huge message and mumsnet went offline and I lost it!

Anyway, good luck everyone today with the weigh in. Sounds like you're all doing well.

I'm now on day 2 of my shred dvd and I found it so hard today, my body is aching but I'm going to stick at it. I'm only on level 1 and this morning I felt like laying down on my mat and not getting up again :( how unfit.

Meant to say Cora, just any curry recipe you have please. We normally have chicken but would be nice to try something new anyway.

Hi everyone,

weigh in day for me today and I lost 4lbs so I was happy enough with that. That last pesky Christmas pound is hanging on for dear life but next week it will all be gone.

MTS I feel your pain on the exercise dvd front. I am in agony every time I sit down or stand up. The pilates dvd blasts your abs and it's so sore. I will PM you some recipes, but it'll take me a bit as my son is being a monkey about going to bed at night.

Right, off to play cars with my son (that translates to him handing me cars so I can roll them down the ramp of his garage to him).

Well done corabear! I'll be lucky if I haven't gained as I've just munched seven squares of home made fudge, a mini mars bar and a handful of chocolate drops, I feel like a broken record. Will be moving to a formula dream feed from this weekend, so no more expressing (which I hate) and hopefully no more comfort eating

So so so hungry today. I think it's because it's so cold here (grasping at straws emoticon). I was up bright and early and did my exercise dvd and then had a toddle around the park and playground with my son and niece. Btw a buggy board with a 3 year old standing on it will give your arms quite the workout.

Rosalux I find it so hard to curb my cravings for junk food. I blame some of it on being so tired that I need the energy. I can't have junk in the house because it sings to me and I have to eat it. Have you weighed yourself to see how your diet is going?

MTS how goes the shredding? Are you in bits?

Choos- how are you getting on?

Well done Cora, I would love to lose 4lbs :) I weighed myself on my mums scales again yesterday and I'm just the same. Really must remember to get my own scales this week though.

Don't feel too bad rosalux, home made fudge would tempt us all haha.

I haven't done my shred yet today, my legs have been so sore I've been struggling to walk up and down my stairs. Once my girls are in bed though I'll do it. Had to take my baby for her injections today, poor thing :( so I've been quite lazy and having lots of cuddles with her.

I have a lot of weight to lose so the weight is coming off quite well. I am going to do a different workout tomorrow with weights and a gymball. I find exercise gives me energy for the day but come the evening time I'm fit to drop. We've had very little healthy food in the house the last two days so I'm finding it hard to eat things low in points. I had some full fat coke and it was 3 points-such a waste.

How is your little girl after her injections MTS? That shred dvd sounds hardcore if you're finding it difficult to walk up and down stairs. I love Jillian Michaels on the Biggest Loser but she is an ass kicker. I haven't forgotten about those recipes, can I put an attachment on a PM or do I have to type it out?

Doing sleep training again tonight with the baby so hoping that wandering around the house in the middle of the night with a screaming child will burn off some points.