meal replacements to kick start post baby weight loss

[damphouse]

i gave birth to my first 5 months ago.

I have since stopped breast feeding and getting regular exercise and eating healthily but the baby weight is just not budging any further.

I was a size 12 before baby, and am now a size 16 (in stretchy clothes) so approximatley 3-4 inches to lose. I am short so at a size 12 i am just within healthy bmi range, and a size 16 on my frame results in double chin and at least 2 rolls of back fat.

I have tried restricting calories further and increasing exercise but I seem to have plateaued and want to find something that will at least give me some confidence that I am heading in the right direction.

I have never dieted before as I have strong willpower and active lifestyle, so feel meal replacements might help before I book a consultation for a cosmetic weight loss procedure.

Has any one been in similar situation?
If so can anyone suggest a worthwhile meal replacement plan for me to try that doesn't involve a weigh in or meeting with a rep?

You are doing calorie restricted right, so I guess that means low fat.
Well I'm sorry to break this to you but low fat and calories restriction aren't very effective at all . What you need is to do lower carb and eat all full fat healthy fats.
Less bread, pasta, rice, potato etc and more fresh meat, eggs, fish, nuts, mushroom,vedge and fruit ( I'd avoid banana, grapes, pineapple). Nothing starchy .
Good news is you can eat huge meals that fill you up for ages such as grills, as long as its low carb and low sugar and you will lose loads.
Ask said no low fat food . Have full fat Greek yogurt with berries for dessert if you want something sweet

In a month I'm. Down a size already and honestly it's a very satisfying lifestyle change and you are never ever made to go hungry.

For example this morning I had sausage, bacon, egg, mushroom, and tomato for breakfast and it was only 5 carbs. I was stuffed. I regularly eat a bowl of nuts at night and I'm still losing. Fat isn't evil. Good fat is amazing

im not doing low fat. I restrict carbs.

I make a ginger, rasberry and yoghurt smoothie each morning.
For lunch I have soup (no bread), and if no soup i will make an omelete.
For dinner I usually have a normal meal which is typically chicken based, and if there are carbs it is brown rice or brown pasta.

The rest of the day I dont have sugar as I drink just water and tea.

i ate a snickers ice cream last night though... and I had a dominos tonight because I feel so fed up (bad decision and exactly why I need to see some results fast!)

*nb - i didnt eat all the dominos and I had just the vegi supreme

Hmmm, ditch the soup , pasta and rice. They spike Insulin and raise blood sugar. I've completely cut out all food like that which would for me.
Also smoothie can be chock full of sugar which won't help weight loss I'm afraid. Same reason as above. Save the smoothie for once a week treat

• which works for me I mean although not while I'm sick with a bad cold. Very bad tea last night ( parmo lol) .

But I do intermittent fast at the same time. So far I've done two twenty hour fasts and today was only 16 hours. Tbh I very rarely have more than one or two meals a day as I normally completely skip breakfast.

I’m ok skipping breakfast?

It's actually very healthy to skip breakfast.
jamesclear.com/the-beginners-guide-to-intermittent-fasting
www.healthline.com/nutrition/10-health-benefits-of-intermittent-fasting#section1

Here is the different types of you are interested to know. I do 16/8 daily and occasionally 24 to 48 hour

www.healthline.com/nutrition/6-ways-to-do-intermittent-fasting#section1

Wow! Thank you , Il give this some reading and have a go.
Il start having more eggs and cheese and avocados for my daytime meal and try to stretch out the time in between eating

If it helps I stop eating by 8 or 9 pm and start again at 12 or 1 the next day. Super easy 16 hours and you sleep through most of it :).
Must admit though I do still enjoy my dark chocolate lol. 70 to 85 percent Cocoa is classed as low carb so excellent news for me

Dark chocolate is a good option for a treat and will stop the snickers ice creams coming out.

16 hours I can do as I’ve usually had dinner by 8pm too and getting up and out with baby usually is a mission enough that I’ve been rushing around to try and fit breakfast in.

Am I ok to have a glass of red if an evening though?

I'd imagine one is fine but I'm teetotal so not sure.

Good luck op. I came on to say I lost my baby weight doing Slimming world, but it sounds like you are going with the lchf. I know that works for lots of people.

I started juice plus weight loss shakes after I saw my mate loose 5 stone. They taste great. You get loads of support and a mentor who keeps you motivated on bad days. The diet plan is designed for humans not rabbits and I love their secret recipe group on Facebook

I feel like I’m putting on weight despite working out so much.

I’ve just taken my rings off as my fingers have got fatter and I looked through photos last night and noticed that my face has got fatter since I gave birth. My face looked a lot thinner at even 8 months pregnant.

I’m starting to think this isn’t normal and going to book an appointment to have blood test.

I have history of PCOS which I thought had gone away, but I’ve had no periods despite not breastfeeding for the last 12 weeks and scared that’s a sign it might still be a problem.

Has anyone had experience of PCOS postpartum and preventing weight loss or causing weight gain?

My family keep trying to reassure me that my hard work is paying off and I look slimmer, but that can’t be the case if I’ve had to take my rings off now