How can I lose baby weight (too tired to excercise and constantly hungry)

[jumpyjan]

Have just weighed myself for the first time since having DS - 10 weeks ago and am officially overweight.

I have tried to go for a run but immediately came down with a cold afterwards and I just feel that I don't have the energy for serious excercise until I am getting better sleep. I am doing pelvic excercises for split abdominal muscles but don't think they will burn many calories.

Just wondered if anyone had been through similar and had any advice or diet tips - particularly as I am constantly hungry I think due to breastfeeding and keep reaching for the biscuit tin - any good snack ideas other than biscuits would be welcome!

God I remember how awful those first few sleep-deprived months were - no wonder you're reaching for the biscuits all the time.

To be honest, since you are breast-feeding and sleep-deprived, is it really the best thing to be beating yourself up about your weight right now? After all your little one is only 2.5 months old! Be kind to yourself and maybe re-visit the situation when he turns 6 months?

I am a personal trainer and there is no way I would advise a breast-feeding mum of a tiny baby to diet or launch straight into vigorous exercise especially when your tummy muscles are still repairing themselves.

What I would suggest, though, is gradually building up your fitness by walking - pushing the buggy and getting out into the fresh air will really energise you and get you feeling good. Also, rather than cut down on calories, perhaps you could try a low GI approach to eating, so instead of relying on the energy of a sugar-rush from biscuits you get a more continuous supply to keep you going for longer. you can get all sorts of books about low GI eating with plenty of ideas about healthy snacks.

Hope you feel better soon and concentrate on enjoying your little DS!

Your son is 10 weeks old- give yourself a break! It may not be what you want to hear, but I can't lose weight when breastfeeding. Not a pound. Then it all falls off when I stop.

Little Lamb - I think I am the same. I keep reading about how breastfeeding helps you to loose weight but with my first child it was when I stopped breastfeeding that the weight finally came off.

43Today -thanks for the advice. I agree vigorous excercise is not really an option (particularly with split muscles) and low energy levels but like you suggest just thinking I could maybe do a bit more walking and perhaps a cycle ride a couple of times a week.

I am just worried that I am getting heavier so have bought some scales today so I can keep a check on it. I am not considering a crash diet or anything just trying to stick to 3 decent meals a day with no snacks as I know I have been binging on the goodies a bit too often.

My baby is 4

4 years

and I am still overweight. [sob]

I started weight watchers when DS was 6wks old (had baby weight from DD to lose who is 3.yrs old, generaly fatness from prior to DD and am 40 next yr - could not wait any longer!). THey give you extra calories to eat and I found it more than enough. I have lost weight (32lb so far and DS now 5mths old and thriving) and have felt fine.

I did check it out with the Dr and HV first and they were happy for me to lose weight (got about 5stone to lose all told so needed to get it gone).

Wow thats really good MyCats. I did have a look at the weight watchers site for some ideas.

I never properly lost the weight from being pregnant first time around either.

I have put together a healthy mealplanner for next week so will see how I get on with that. Problem is I don't know what to eat when I am really hungry mid morning or mid afternoon other that biscuits.

I found WW online v good but unfortunately put weight back on when I returned to work - will be joining WW again this time round.

Mycats- I love your MN name!!

jumpyjan - thanks - I have never lost more than a stone and half before and am so proud! And I have to say, I have found it easy sticking to the plan. I have tried loads and loads of diets in the past (slimming world, atkins, diet pills, cabbage soup -yuk- ,slim fast, etc etc etc) and this is the only one that has worked for me and they cater for bf too.

pasturesnew thanks re my name. I was on another thread about bastard cats and thought it appropriate (got bored with old name)

If you are hungry mid-morning or mid-afternoon try eating fruit or oatcakes rather than sugary biscuits. It is easier said than done, I know. I can't have biscuits, etc in the house if I want to lose weight!

WW online is good for losing weight but you have to be very strict with not eating more than the daily allowance.

WW online has a no points thing as well which might be worth a look if you don't like counting. I try and follow points but with a sort of GI approach, you can get a long way on the points with oat cakes and vegetable stew rather than toast and so on. The points are skewed to healthy food, they're not done on a straight calorie basis.

oh and protein in snacks really helps, like reduced-fat houmous + oat cakes or yoghurt and seeds is more filling than equivalent calorie amount in hobnobs.

Best advice I ever got about this - from a lovely fitness instructor friend of mine - was 'don't even think about diets or hardcore exercise or anything aimed at actively losing weight for the first 6 months after having a baby.'

your body has been through a lot. Indulge it a little.

If you can get in a brisk 30 min walk down to the supermarket or round the park once a day you are doing fabulously well. Even every other day . Stretching a bit every morning to limber up is also a good introduction back into exercise. Yoga or pilates would eb good, actually. Get a DVD if you are too tired to trek to a class.

Try to eat a big, hearty breakfast (eggs and toast, porridge & fruit etc) and eat healthy, hearty meals - jacket potatoes or homemade soup for lunch, fish or chicken with lots of veg and some good carbs for dinner. Will help to reduce biccie cravings.

Do NOT beat yourself up. 10 weeks is a ridiculously short time after giving birth to be putting pressure on yourself to slim down.

Thanks for all the responses.

MrsMattie - Unfortunately I can't do any of the pilates type dvd's until my split muscles are sorted. Am doing pelvic tilt excercises that the physio gave me to try to stregthen that area as it is so weak. I am thinking along the lines of healthy hearty type meals and was also thinking about having a big breakfast and proper lunch like a jacket potato or something that might actually fill me up. I think the problem is I am just having a small sandwich or something and then fill up on biscuits.

I know its still early days but I think I will feel better if I can firstly stop putting weight on and gradually try to bring my weight down. I think its just that I know it is not healthy for me to be scoffing loads of biscuits and I am a bit of an all or nothing person. So if they are in the house I will eat loads of them! I think therefore I will have to ban all goodies from the house as its the only way!

I will definitely try the oatcake suggestion as I imagine they might be quite filling.

Thanks for the tips.

i think early days with first baby = very difficult to lose weight, especially if you're still sore from the birth.

the stage i found BF helped was when I went back to work - i didn't have time to snack so every feed was like un-eating a biscuit or five. Before then it was neutral - i was at home surrounded by snacks and bored....BF or no BF I'd have been eating.

i agree that walking is a great way - especially as your baby gets heavier, pushing them around town or sling carrying them burns the calories something wonderful, as well as being a good mood-booster. Also gets you away from the biccies....

One thing: it is important to watch your mood, sugar lows whilst in the hormonal post-partum haze can make you very miserable and should be avoided.

Thanks OOM - I do love walking and we go out every day. However, I have a toddler too so we have to walk at toddler pace (and stop to look at everything along the way) so I don't really feel like its excercise! I do agree its a great mood booster though and like you say keeps me away from the biccies.

I know what you mean about the sugar lows. Its hard to know how to avoid them without immediate sugar rush foods.

I'm in a fairly similar situation (DS 15 weeks old) and started slimming world two weeks ago. I have never dieted before and as has been recommneded above, for the first few weeks I did nothing more than a mile and a half walk with the buggy (more to get me out of the house than anything else to be honest). At 8 weeks I tentatively went back to the gym (taking it very easy and getting advice from the staff there). I was still finding my last stone really difficult to shift (hence slimming world) and so far I have found it really really good. I love my food and as I said have never dieted for this reason, but with SW I'm never hungry - it's more about a combination of food rather than not allowing you anything nice! You said you went for a run which makes me think you were fairly fit before pregnancy?? I signed up for the Race for Life 5k run (completed last weekend) and just having a goal really helped. I've now signed up for a 10k (can't work out if this is a good idea yet?!) for September , again giving me something to aim for. Also going to a proper weight loss class really helps as all the other members offer you the support and determination to stick at it. Gosh, what a long post...sorry! Hope it helps anyway x

Yes, don't do anything strenuous for at least the first few months, but get out for a walk every day - will do you both good

agree with you to have a proper breakfast and lunch, What's working for me is something like scrambled eggs and wholemeal toast for breakfast, have a big strong coffee at 11sh, beans on toast or jacket spud for lunch, and then an apple at 5pm when DS has his tea (we eat stupidly late)

But yes, give yourself a break, 10 weeks is tiny. Just concentrate on eating well, and looking after yourself.

Thanks DCGC and good on you for entering a 10k. Yes I am (was) a runner and miss it loads. It is also almost an instant weight looser for me and the pounds just fall off when I run. However, (and I remember this from last time) if I go running I seem to come down with a bug afterwards as I think its just too much for me at the moment with the lack of sleep and everything. Also the physio has said its not a good idea at the moment due to my back problems (caused by split tummy muscles). When I run I don't have to worry at all about what I eat.

This is why I have come to the conclusion that I need to watch my diet as I am not really able to do much excercise at the moment. So I guess diet is the only way I can loose weight until I am able to go running again.

Sheeta - tea time is a tricky time for me too as I have got serious muchies so perhaps I might try some fruit then. Wish I liked fruit more - only really like bananas.

Know what you mean about running. When I did run (before pregnancy - this is my first baby) the pounds really do fall off if you need to lose a couple, but crikey, how babies change everything!! Sleep deprivation is a killer and whilst I do still get to the gym, it's not anywhere near as much as before. Like you, I figured taking care of the food intake is the way forward! Honestly, I'd give SW a try, I lost 3lbs last week and I have never eaten so much food, it's ace! {grin}

ah well, if you have a toddler too...take it easy.

you have two creatures with you every day making demands of you: don't make it three! (ie add your hunger to theirs)

the reason you feel hungry after all is: you need that food! If you can do a oute like DCGC says that involves large food intake (with less fattening foods) that could work well.

before you know it your toddler may well pick up the pace (mine has gone in a few short months to dragging on her reins after any more than a trip round the block, to sitting on the front of the buggy all the way up the hill (brother kicking his little legs against her back), then running down..)

i need to make mroe of an effort myself, especially with barbeque season coming up...

oom - hoping my toddler will pick up the pace soon. I try to be patient but I am a fast a walker and she like to stop every 30 seconds to look at something! DH is the same but I like to route march!

I am on day 4 of the diet and I have to say it is actually going really well. I felt terrible on the first day and was desperate for some biccies/had a headache etc but stuck to it and I do feel like I am loosing weight. I wrote myself a diet plan pinching bits of weight watchers/recipies from nhs/food standards website and have been eating some nice meals.

Snacks are still the problem but am having bananas, oatcakes with olivio (boring), yoghurt, dried apricots or raisins and like Sheeta suggested a huge coffee around nowish!

I will have a weigh in on Thursday so I can compare to a week ago and if it is good news I will post my genius diet plan on here if anyone is interested.

The main thing I am doing differently is having something decent for lunch so if I am really hungry around 11 I can look forward to having a decent albeit small meal. For example today I am having garlicy courgettes on toast, yesterday I had a courgette and cheese omelette (have an allotment with a courgette glut at the mo!).

Anyway I do feel better for it already and am not thinking about food as much as I was on the first day. Fingers crossed I will have lost a few pounds too.

Does anyone know what sort of rate you should be loosing the lbs if you are dieting aso I know how effective it is?

Jumpyjan - sounds like you're doing the right thing.

Weight loss shouldn't be more than 2lbs a week. Not sure whether it should be even less if bfing. Anyone know?

I've been very good so far this week (since Sunday when realised that my cousin's wedding is this Saturday and I can't quite get the dress done up as had intended to lose a few pounds...) and have lost a lb. This is probably just in biscuit and chocolate intake. If I'd only been better behaved the last 8 months I'd be back to pre-preg weight already... {Shuffles feet in embarrassment}

Thanks Mrs Olf. I guess I must be very impatient as I was hoping weight loss would be more than 2lb a week. I will weigh myself tomorrow to see - then it will be exactly 1 week. I guess you need to make steady progress otherwise you will just put all the weight back on again.

Well done for loosing some weight and only since Sunday. My motivation is to get into a dress too - for DS christening.

My problem is I don't know what my pre pregnancy weight was so not sure what to aim for. I think just to get out of the overweight zone on the NHS website so I think about a stone - a stone and a half. Lots of work to do/biscuits to avoid!

Jumpy i felt like you after having dd1. I felt low because i was really heavy. I had a lot of well you have just had a baby so you are allowed to be fat.
I felt so much better the lighter i got,lifted my mood no end.

I joined Scottish Slimmers and lost tons of weight whilst eating sooo much food. Difference was it was all good healthy food.

I used to chop lots of salad veg every morning so i always had something to munch on which needed no prep.

I was losing between 2/4lbs per week and was exclusively bfing too so it didn't affect my supply either.

The walking is a good idea. Could you get out with DH at weekends and each take a pushchair? Means you could get a good pace up? Or go out alone for a quick walk when he gets in?

AGCHN - 2-4lb a week sounds like a good rate. Well I did the official weekly weight in today and I have lost 3lb! Am really chuffed. DH reckons you can tell by looking at me that I have lost weight and I am starting to feel better for it already.

So I am feeling motivated to stick to it. It has not been too hard - the first day or so was the worst but if you know the biscuits are not an option and don't have them in the house the cravings do subside.

I am going to try to get a bit of speed walking in. Will have to play it by ear and see when I have time/energy but every bit helps I guess.

If I can carry on at this rate I will be out of the 'overweight' zone in time for DS christening which would be wonderful (hate looking at me in pics of DD's christening as I look v big).

Thanks for the support everyone.