Please don't yell at me - I cannot shift these last 4lbs, any tips??

[basilbrush]

Lovely ladies - hello!

DC2 is one next month and I am almost, almost back to pre-PG size

Currently weigh in at 4lbs extra and have been stuck here since February, cannot shift it...I am doing pretty intense aerobics twice a week and jogging a 3 mile route once a week to practise for the Race For Life. So hardly a super athlete but hey, surely enough to keep reasonably fit... And, sigh, I know it's not muscle as jeans still feel just a little bit too tight.

I am eating 1500 calories a day, have given up wine and am keeping a track of everything I eat in a notebook.

I have lost NOTHING in 8 weeks, it has fluctuated up and down by 1lb but not gone down overall. I know my weight is stable and I'm a healthy BMI but is really depressing me, I'm trying to be really good and it's not getting me nowhere.

For those of you with more to lose, please don't be mean to me , the less you weigh the harder it gets to lose. When I was a student I was bigger and I lost 2 stone with slimming world, I remember losing 7lbs in one week at one point...and now can't lose 0.5 lb a week!!

The thought of cutting it down to 1200 a day is bloody depressing, am hungry enough as it is!!

try logging every morsel you eat at[http://www.foodfocus.co.uk/home.php food focus]] it's a fab website and may just point you in the right direction as to whats going on.

You also log your exercise for extra calories per day. it's fiddly at first logging everything but you soon end up with loads in your favourites, so is not as long winded.

sorry link isfood focus

Hi Basilbrush

Could you up the running ? I did a lot of running last year to lose weight but found i had to keep upping the distance to see the difference...

furball - thanks, this site looks REALLY useful! Have logged in, it reckons I need 1597kcal a day to lose weight at a rate of 1lb a week. And that's before exercise! So obviously, I must have been eating way more than I thought or I would have definitely lost something by now... Was also a bit depressed to find out my hour of high imapct aerobics only burns around 350kcal. I totally bugger myself in a class full of size 6 sports fanatics in a room with WALL TO WALL MIRRORS and I burn off...a flapjack.

Mind you, was delighted to discover a 125ml glass red wine is only 85 kcal, I thought it was more like 200! So I think, that's going to be my new "treat" at the end of a day

Wheelybug - hello! Sigh, yes, I could. I hate fecking running. I really hate it, I feel like such a prat. And I live in northern Scotland. And it's always really cold. But I really can't do another class and dump another lone bath and bed session with the 2 DC on DH (he already does two nights a week to let me go to aerobics). So I suppose I'll have to run. Grump. Am not natural runner. Have 28 inch legs!!

Short legs are no excuse - mine are about 26 inches and until I gave up cos I finally got pregnant I was running 10K regularly so I won't hear that one, mind you I did enjoy it in a strange sadistic manner.

The cold however, I'll let you use .

Just try upping it a little bit each time you go out - don't go mad .

Hi Basil,

Unfortunately exercise never burns up as much as you think - I'm very active and that's the mistake I was making.

I'm another FF fan - I only want to lose a few pounds and it's working well.

The reality is, when you only have a bit to lose, it's much harder and keeping a thorough track of it is the only way.

Good luck.

It certainly seems a good site for hitting you over the head with the cold, wet fish of reality

Went out for a big lunch today with friend in bistro and so knew meal was a little bit naughty but have just logged it in and it was 895kcal!

So had rice cakes, light philly and two quorn sausages for tea and am still within day's calorie target by the skin of my teeth.

Knowledge is power eh?

Can I just ask: what is all this WLR vs FF stuff and what's BC? (presume type of exercise?!)

Hi BB

I think WLR is weight loss resources (you pay to be a member of this online club) and FF is Food Focus - similar to WLR but it's free.

i think BC might mean Before Children

I am similar to you, just a few more pounds to go.

I found varying the running helped, do sprint intervals one week, then a longer run another week and the usual 3 miles for the third week. If you can mange just one more run per week, this would make the difference I think.

It sounds as though you have the calorie counting fine-tuned now - it's very easy to go over and without extra calories from exercise, there is not much to eat for 1200 a day.

The only other thing I can think of is maybe to incorporate some weight-lifting into your routine - using hand weights and leg weights (I bought mine at Tesco) It's easy to do at home for about 20 minutes once or twice a week. I think the idea is that muscle is 'metabolically active' ie it uses up calories even when you are resting so it might just make the difference for that last few pounds. It's a good contrast to the cardiovascular workout you are doing, too.

Good Luck

Um, sorry if this is unhelpful but if you have a healthy BMI why are you desperate to lose 4 pounds?

Thanks Bob, good advice!

Hi Chequersmate - I'm not desperate, I know it's not the end of the world but, self-esteem wise, I want to get back to the size I was before DC so my clothes fit properly. Current BMI is 22.1, if I can lose just 4lbs it'd be back to 21.4 so quite a difference!

But, bloody hell, if I have to start running marathons to achieve it, I may well say Sod It

Ah, sorry, giving up wine is classed as desperate in my book!

From a self-esteem point of view wouldn't it be better to work on being happy with a perfectly normal BMI of 21.4 though?

How often do you weigh yourself? It's not unusual for weight to fluctuate by 4lbs anyway, on a daily basis - especially when its TOM.

You may be finding your jeans tight because you have become more muscular with all your exercise.

If you really want to drop more weight I think you have to either up the exercise and/or drop the calories. Sorry!

Sorry, 22.1.

Seriously though, it does sound as though your body is at the weight it wants to be at. I can't understand pushing it and pushing it to be a few pounds lighter when your weight seems to have stabilised at a healthy weight.

Hi Basil - i am similar to you (minus the exercise cos i'm a lazy sod!).
was 8,7 pre-dc, my 'wedding' weight. and set myself 8,7 as my target to return to.

have been stick at 8,11 for ages (though Wii Fit did give me 8,10 finally the other day ).

The thing is, everyone says how slim i'm looking now and how well i've done and laugh when i say but i'm not there yet!
i could adjust my goal to be 8,10/11 and be 'done' but that would feel like cheating myself.

that website sounds interesting, may take a look.
though i refuse to give up wine

Ladies - can I just reassure you that I am back on the vino!

In fact, when I discovered yesterday on FF that 125ml of the red stuff only has around 85kcal, I decided to have a wee glass every day as my treat.

And the way DC are going today after another day of torrential rain, I'll be pouring tonight's glass in approx 30 minutes....(5 o'clock on a Sat is civilised surely?!)

JKS - hi! Only on day 2 but would say FF website is extremely motivating! I too feel like I'd be cheating to "give up" yet, I've come this far and just want to make it to the finish line

Chequers - I suppose I'm just stubborn! I've had 12 months off work and I want to return my pre-preg weight. But please don't think I am super depressed about this or basing my entire self worth on 4 lbs - I know that would be utterly pathetic and I know the most important consideration is to be healthy

so sorry i sound insensitive / annoying - I know many ladies have much more challenging struggles with weight than this, indeed as I said earlier I had to lose 2 stone at university (too many drunken portions of chips n cheese, that great Scottish delicacy )

I've a colleage who's 4'8" and who drives us mad saying "OMG, I've eaten too much over the holidays, I weigh SIX STONE TEN " and we all want to batter her one. Hope y ou don't feel the same way! We women are never happy I suppose!

Oh, the other thing is - I am definitely a different shape after having the DC. I can carry more weight, somehow.