9 months on 9 months off?

[snowboarder]

Well come month 10 and it ain't. The baby weight that is. I need some ideas to get me into and exercise and better eating regime.

Eating I suppose if I put my mind to it can sort out - just somehow need to get inspired. Signed up to ww online a bit ago but there's NO way I can fill in the food diary/points palaver. Exercise is v tricky in terms of time. Am at home with 2 children under 3. Husband leaves around 8am and often back post 8pm, so gym etc not really an option, and by bedtime I'm pretty much asleep standing up. Still bf youngest so physically too much jumping around isn't great gravity wise! Exercise (running and hockey) always used to be my way of keeping the pounds off rather than dieting but my day already starts around 6/6.30 so just don't know how to fit it in!

Please I somehow need to get myself sorted out. Every time I catch sight of myself in the mirror I pretty much want to cry - and yet I just polished off a discarded pack of chocolate buttons. ARGH!

[Strawbs]

I've just started ww online.. Do you have an iPhone? If yes there is a free app and you can track your points in seconds and we could start a thread on here for support? I know a few people on the forum have just started.. My weigh in day is Monday.. First week last week lost 3lbs but reckon I will stay the same this week as I'm literally up for 20 out of 24 hours at the moment so bloody starving!!!

I walk every day to get activity points but don't use them.. I know it's hard for you to get out but obv are welcome to walk with me...

X

[uptime]

I did the Dukan and lost 4-5 pounds very quickly. Of course I put it on again all over Christmas and have now joined a gym instead, but I do know someone who lost a stone over 3 months so the diet does work if you can stick to it. You need to like steak.

[helena handbasket]

I was starting to feel like I was on the nine months on, nine YEARS off plan, so I did the South Beach diet last summer (very similar to the Dukan) and lost 12 pounds in about two weeks. It fell off. The two weeks is very specific because the body really does need some carbs and going past that gets unhealthy. That's when phase two starts and a few high gi carbs get introduced. I went on holidays at that point and didn't exactly get past that, but the original lost pounds have stayed off.

I liked it because it was simple: no carbs. I just did a simple google search to get the gist of it.

I was very strict about it as I wanted to see just how well it could work (and I know I can do anything for two weeks), but would probably slightly cheat next time. A small bit of oatmeal with a handful of berries in the morning would have made it easier, but I honestly didn't find lunch or dinner difficult at all. I didn't worry too much about fats because (for example) high fat cheese is so rich that I can't eat much anyway. And this will sound stupid but I bought my own potted butter leaf lettuce so I always had nice fresh crisp lettuce for my wraps (it's a substitute for actual tortillas). I actually felt pretty good and learned that protein really picks me up and carbs really drag me down. Duh.

A couple of friends saw how well it worked and tried it too. They look amazing.

The only down side is that I now understand how how disastrous my beloved bread and potatoes are to my figure!

[Sanne Panne]

South Beach worked for me too (lean proteins, non-starchy veg and many liters of V8), when you breastfeed Dukan is probably too strict.

[elsie tea]

I read this week that even one cup of green tea a day can help you lose weight. No idea if it works but easy to fit in and healthy, too! Best of luck. I put on about 4 stone with each of mine and took ages to get rid of it. It does go eventually, though.

[pebbles]

I go to WW weigh in on a Wed am at Church at top of Barry Road. I take my 2 yr old daughter and she's quite happy running around and generally flirting with everyone. I started on 20 Sept and have lost 2 stone 5 lbs to date. I think WW rocks as I still drink, eat carbs etc but as i count my points it's all about portions (no brainer really but i couldn't do it on my own). I also count everything on my iPhone so it's very very easy.

With regards to exercise I love the 30 Day Shed by Jillian ?? (it's only a 20 minute work out but my god it kills and does the job i think even better than any of the hr long videos out there. I can't recommend it high enough.

I've done a few fad diets in the past but have always put the weight back on so that's why I'm loving WW cos i really can see myself living like this forever as I don't feel i'm missing out.

Good luck

[jollybaby]

This thread has made me realise that I do need to do something about my weight and fitness. Since getting pregnant my diet has been atrocious. I'm still a good stone over my pre pregnancy weight. Miss JB is now nearly 16 months and I'm still finding excuses for having that extra slice of cake, takeaway etc. I think i've nearly exhausted the back to work excuse - 4 1/2 months ago! We're moving soon and that will b the next one.

I've been on weight watchers in the past and after the first week found it quite easy to follow. I lost nearly 2 stone. I think it's time to renew my subscription. I may start tomorrow though as we're having curry tonight!!

[supergolden88]

The Dukan diet worked for me - especially after combining it with exercise. It took a a couple of months (probably more than a couple) but I have dropped over 2 dress sizes. I do find it almost impossible to lose weight so it was not easy. I loved the Dukan because it is so easy to follow, did not need to count calories or pay any money other than to buy the book. In terms of exercise I worked out to DVDs at home and used my powerplate for about 10/15 minutes whenever I could. I also did some running round the park.

I am addicted to this exercise dvd currently. It is low impact but my god is it hard to do. Seriously, seriously addictive.

http://www.amazon.com/Complete-Physique-57-Workout-Exercise/dp/B005H0GLOC/ref=pd_sim_mov_3

http://www.physique57.com/

This is also very good

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Strong-Body-Fit-Muscle-Weight/dp/B0044DAOSC/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1326540230&sr=8-1

As is this

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Totally-Ripped-Core-DVD-Worldwide/dp/B005GGO32Y/ref=sr_1_7?s=dvd&ie=UTF8&qid=1326540455&sr=1-7

[Hesmall1]

Hi Snowboarder! My LO is also 10 months. I've been working hard to shift the baby weight via a good diet and exercise when I can. I don't have 3 at home, but can relate to the tiredness at the end of the day. I've been going to the Fusion gym on CPR and use their fantastic creche to watch my LO. This gives me an hour twice a week of exercise and focus on me.

Regarding diet, I haven't picked up a book or joined WW, but am simply keeping a food journal and watching my portions. I find writing EVERYTHING down makes me less likely to snack on unhealthy things. No magic pill for weight loss, I've had to cut the calories going in and increase my activity level (walking everywhere with the pram does count as exercise).

A big difference for me has been stopping ALL of the cakes and coffees with Mums. I go along, but I bring a piece of fruit to eat and order a mint tea (or just drink my water). It is hard and I've asked my Mum friends to support me in this so they don't push it nor do they bring the treats to my house when we have playdates. Mr Small also helps me at home by not loading up my dinner plate and he helps me watch my portion control. No more seconds and I'm stopping once I feel full and pushing the plate away.

Good luck to you and maybe see you out there walking!

[Grotty]

More support for WW online here especially with iphone app - very very easy to use - and i still get to have a couple of ginger nuts with each cup of tea!!! I've tried many different diets over the years but WW for me is by far the easiest to follow and easiest to stick to. After pregnancies and 2 years of tea/cake mornings i was 15kg heavier and now determined to shift it all. Have been going 4 weeks with 2 of those involving no dieting at xmas, but have lost 10lbs....

[nylonmeals]

With baby 1 I found that Davina DVDs were my salvation - they really are good and I love the fact that she quite openly admits that she put on 4 stone with each of her 3 children. This one in particular I thought was good http://www.amazon.co.uk/Davina-Super-Body-Workout-DVD/dp/B001F3QJIS/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1326816966&sr=8-6 Regarding food, its a constant battle of willpower - I just can't have chocolate, biscuits etc in the house or i eat them all. So we've had to change our shopping habits - having healthy stuff to pick at helps, whether its things like almonds or pomegranite seeds etc. It's dull, but stepping on the scales once a week and seeing weight go down is such an amazing feeling.

[Strawbs]

Pebbles - what time is your ww meet please ? Thanks

[pebbles]

It's 9.30 weigh in however I find with kids it's easier to get there early and queue before rather than queuing to weigh - if that makes sense.

I'll be there straight after dropping my son off so just after 9

Well done u

[RhubarbGarden]

No diet or exercise suggestions sorry (I'm rubbish at both) but I DID find that when I stopped breastfeeding the last of my babyweight naturally came off. Not suggesting you stop - just offering some encouragement that you may find this happens too when the time is right!

[laurac]

RhubarbGarden I found exactly the opposite - when I stopped breastfeeding both of my two (each at about a year old) I started to put weight on. I am actually now much heavier than this time last year when my daughter was six months old. So I guess works differently for everyone..feeling inspired to stop eating so many biscuits!

[anyjoy]

Oh...was reassured that my last 6 pounds would come off when I stopped breastfeeding. Now a bit worried that I should not rely on that! I put on a massive 3 and a half stone during my pregnancy as was small before! On a slightly different note....any ideas if my belly button will ever look like a belly button again?! :(

[Fidgetsmum]

I found I didn't have time to follow diets or do 'exercise' and certainly not DVDs as I always ended up being disturbed in the middle by one child or another. But I did do the following and am now size 10 (I started as a size 14). It took 3 months in total, but I haven't put any of it back on :

1) When serving up my food, I'd just serve up a slightly smaller portion - not so much that I'd think 'God, that's never going to fill me up' but enough to know it was a tiny bit less than I had been eating before. It works accumulatively.

2) EVERY time I thought oooh I could just have a biscuit, cake, finish that mouthful off my kids' plates, etc, I'd down a tumbler of water - that a) makes your tummy think it's got something and b) keeps you nicely hydrated - amazing how often we think we're hungry and in fact, we're just thirsty - particularly relevant when breastfeeding. My brain then forgot after a week or so that it thought it wanted food, and started to tell me I was thirsty instead - effectively I tried to retrain my brain, and it worked.

3) Every time I was walking anywhere, I just walked faster. Literally, rushed as if I was late. No running, no power plate-ing, no gym. Just walking fast - with buggy, or baby in sling or whatever.

4) As much as I could remember, I held my core muscles nice and firm whatever I was doing. My muscles were shot to pieces after second baby, so I knew that tightening up my core was important. But no sit ups or anything, just a constant tightness for a good hour or so throughout the day (did at the same time as pelvic floors!) generally when washing up, waiting for dd to have a wee, on the phone, etc

I found prior to doing the above, that the more complicated I made it for myself, the less likely I was to do it. Hence not doing diets etc. I Wrote on the fridge:

More Water

Less Food

Pelvic Floor

And that was enough to remind me of the above.

Good luck - it's great when it's done!

[snowboarder]

Ok feeling a bit more motivated now - fidgetsmum I like your style - I have to not rely on 'exercise' although it would be nice to get out once in a while!

Hmming about ww - maybe I should try again? I just found inputting your food a complete fag - especially when you had made sthg like bolognaise - I never weigh or measure anything so I found I could be getting a completely false picture. Will take another look. Am going to have to get husband on board to or it will never work. I strongly suspect he thinks he's having fish and chips tonight...

[Strawbs]

Snowboarder - do you have time to cook? If yes then I reckon try slimming world.. I did it pre baby and it worked a treat and there is no measuring or pointing.. I so wish I could do it but I have absolutely no time to cook so am doing ww so I can do meals for now x

[Yak]

I would still recommend trying to incorporate any exercise you can during the day to get your heart rate up and to build lean muscle - e.g. doing squats while brushing teeth (particularly if you have an electric one and can't cheat and finish early!)

bootcampathome.com worked for me - sends you you tube video each day of your challenge

[sillywoman]

Hmmm, to my shame it's 9 months on 16 years (and counting) off. How embarrassing! :-$

[minder]

I have 3 years on you Sillywoman, eldest being 19 years old!

I've been going to the gym with my son and Zumba classes to try to counteract everything!

[Grotty]

Can anyone offer some motivation for weight loss??!!! Have been doing weight watchers since Xmas and have lost 19lbs - hooray but for the last 3 weeks have plateaued and can't seem to summon the will power to stick to my daily points - have used all extra weeks pouts and been -5ish each week. Boooo. What to do?

[Pickle]

I've been back at WW for a couple of weeks now and loving it (especially all the extra I get for BFing!).

I used to be a leader, pre-kids. My advice to people struggling like you are would have been:

- vary your breakfasts, it's easy to get stuck in a rut eating the same old stuff, try some new things

- buy a new cookbook/magazine and put 10 mins aside to choose some new recipes to try out

- identify your "weak" times and do something to distract yourself rather than eating. Ideally go for a walk!

- before giving in to snacks, drink a big bottle of water, or (extreme case) set an alarm for 20 mins and don't let yourself eat before it rings. A lot of the time the urge will pass before the time is up.

I've enjoyed getting back to healthy eating since I went back, and the whole family are benefitting in terms of different dinners I've tried from my new cookbook. We had pork rolled in sage, then cooked in apple juice with caramelised apples this evening - yum!

I've lost 5lbs so far, have around 2st to lose to get me back to my pre-pregnancy weight. Frustratingly I've put most of the weight on since my little girl arrived, as during pregnancy was on a really strict diet to try and control my liver condition. I made up for 8 months of no chocolate or cake in the space of 6 weeks :-$

Maybe we should use this thread to post our weekly losses? I weigh in on Wednesdays.

Px