Advice on weight loss and fitness with diastasis recti postpartum

[Sunshine8537]

Hi all,
some advice would be appreciated.

so I’d say im about 14-15 stone and 5’2. 8 months post partum and im ready to start to get fit again however im struggling to lose the weight. Ive got diastasis recti which has been measure at 5cm which doesnt help my look. Also this is preventing me from really getting stuck in with exercise due to pain and lack of core strength. Bit of a catch 22 situation.

what recommendations do you have on losing weight - I haven’t got a big appetite as it is. I could literally go most of the day without eating and then I’ll have 2 pieces of toast and a Kit Kat. One issue is tea with sugar which I need to kick to kerb. Calorie deficient wouldn’t be an issue for me.

i don’t particularly want to go on jabs because i want a lifestyle change rather than a quick fix and also i don’t think the risks are worth it considering the amount I want to lose (about 3-4 stone). I have however looked at Berberine but all these supplements seem to be appetite suppressants which I don’t think I need.

any advice on next steps?

Honestly OP just start with a calorie deficit and go from there, have a look at TDEE calculator for free online and calculate your deficit that way x

If you were just eating 2 slices of toast and a kit kat all day you would be losing lots of weight daily. There must be much more you are eating so I'd download myfitnesspal app and see what you are eating and look at your macros as it looks like a high carb and sugar diet.
You really need to increase your protein or you will have low muscle mass and metabolism if you don't eat enough protein and eat regularly. Fasting most of the day is not good for stress on body which ends up leading to increased fat storage, eating little and often is better.
Also get more steps in like on a walker if you don't want to go outside or youtube Growwithjo has walking sessions but also other exercises, easier standing up ones too.

My problem is cups of tea with sugar and I don’t drink enough water - which I know is a must

Even with sugar in tea, surely that can't account for 1000+ cals a day etc and then what goes on the toast and if you drink alcohol or fizzy drinks that's just empty calories. 2 pieces of toast and a kitkat can't be more than 500 cals and there's no way you've gained on that and a few cups of tea and sugar.
Well you know where to start, it's a high sugar diet that doesn't fuel your body and muscles, it's quick energy that's end up coverted to fat. At least you know where you are going wrong so time to overhaul your diet.

I’ve had a similar issue with my core after having the kids, and honestly I’d focus on getting the diastasis properly assessed before going too hard with exercise. I started with gentle walking and Pilates-type movements and built it up gradually. I’m using Wegovy now, but I’ve found the biggest difference has actually been getting into a decent routine with meals rather than trying to eat as little as possible.. definitely speak to a physio who specialises in postnatal/core rehab too.