Best way to tackle post pregnancy weight.

share bear

Hi everyone,

With the new year coming up and getting married next Winter,I have finally decide to seriously start tackling my post pregnancy weight gain :-(

I didn't actually put on much weight during my pregnancy but have found I have gained a lot of weight in the last 6 months, with eating for energy and eating dinners very late at night etc..

I am just wondering if anyone has any advice on what worked best for them eg. Mummy/baby exercise classes, gym sessions at night or short work outs at home during baby naps.

December2012

I did weightwatchers after my second baby to manage my nutrition, and I did special post natal exercise classes. If you're in Dublin the elbow room is good.

Madisson

share bear wrote: »

Hi everyone,

With the new year coming up and getting married next Winter,I have finally decide to seriously start tackling my post pregnancy weight gain :-(

I didn't actually put on much weight during my pregnancy but have found I have gained a lot of weight in the last 6 months, with eating for energy and eating dinners very late at night etc..

I am just wondering if anyone has any advice on what worked best for them eg. Mummy/baby exercise classes, gym sessions at night or short work outs at home during baby naps.

Diet is 80% of losing weight so try focus on what youre esting. I have my walk built into my daily routine but if you want to lose it and tone you really need to include weights or do muscle strengthening exercises. If youre not working try the mammy and baby yoga or buggy bootcamp also the woman in malahide is a personal trainer and will come to your house and train u from home so im sure plenty more do that and if you are you should try one of those 4 week challenges that most pt's are doing. They will give you a eating plan and teach you how to use all the equipment so that u will be able to continue in the gym

definitely start on the diet though nobody ever tells us about all the biscuits and crap u will demolish when u have a baby

January

Strict diet (I low carbed) and gym every day for a month saw me lose a stone before I got pregnant on this little guy. I'm getting married NYE next year and plan to go back to the strict diet (with carbs as I'm hoping to brestfeed) and TRX classes 3 times a week as soon as I can after baby is born. I have at least 5 stone to lose, but if I am for 3 I'll be happy.

share bear

I have about 5 to loose too and I'm determined to make it a lifestyle change as supposed to just a quick fix.

I find it hard to believe I'll have enough energy to exercise but I'm sure if anything it'll give me a badly needed energy boost.

PT would be amazing but I'd expect they would be pricy?

Ms2011

Can't recommend Slimming World enough, not least because I lost nearly 3st in less than a year on it but because it's such a healthy plan. I don't even consider myself on a diet, it's just how I eat now

January

share bear wrote: »

I have about 5 to loose too and I'm determined to make it a lifestyle change as supposed to just a quick fix.

I find it hard to believe I'll have enough energy to exercise but I'm sure if anything it'll give me a badly needed energy boost.

PT would be amazing but I'd expect they would be pricy?

There's a deal in a gym close to me (dublin 15 if you're close) where they are doing 4 personal training sessions, 1 month gym membership, weekly weigh in, diet plans and all gym classes free for 100 for the month of January.

My PT does online correspondence too, although I'm sure how much he charges for that I know he charges 50 euro per session in the gym.

December2012

I would love it if you could send me details of that gym / trainer please?

Chattastrophe!

How soon after giving birth can you usually start exercising? Assuming it's a normal straightforward birth. And does it make a difference if you're breastfeeding?

December2012

Chattastrophe! wrote: »

How soon after giving birth can you usually start exercising? Assuming it's a normal straightforward birth. And does it make a difference if you're breastfeeding?

When your dr says you can. Having said that, for the most part, most women will be walking / pushing a pram before they will have seen their dr for their post natal check up.

But no more than that. And breastfeeding has no impact on your exercising - in fact it helps burn more calories so make sure your calorific intake is appropriate (e.g. if you do WeightWatchers you get more points to use)

share bear

Chattastrophe! wrote: »

How soon after giving birth can you usually start exercising? Assuming it's a normal straightforward birth. And does it make a difference if you're breastfeeding?

As far as I remember you can start exercising a couple of weeks after or in the case of a C-Section I think you are supposed to wait until you get the all clear at the 6 week check up.

Just don't leave it as long as I have. I'm so stiff and sore from not doing much exercise since the birth and really wish I'd kept on top of it from the start.

January

Chattastrophe! wrote: »

How soon after giving birth can you usually start exercising? Assuming it's a normal straightforward birth. And does it make a difference if you're breastfeeding?

Usually 6 weeks if normal birth or 12 weeks for c section. I was told after first not to exercise for 12 weeks (c section).

December2012, I'll PM you details now.

Roesy

In the hospital I was told 6 weeks(normal delivery) for anything other than walking. I was recommended by my physio at about 4 weeks to do some specific Pilates type stretches for my back though.

icescreamqueen

I can't recommend walking with the pram enough. I'm on my own so I rarely have anyone to babysit so I need to integrate my baby into my exercise programme. I downloaded an app called Pramometre which I find great to motivate and keep track of calories burned and distance walked.
I also had to cut out buying any treats for my house. The only treat I'm allowed is if I'm out for coffee or in someone else's house. I recently heard a good saying 'you cannot out train a bad diet'.
When I do have a babysitter I try to go to yoga classes which are great for total relaxation and toning up.
Accepting a post pregnancy body is so hard. I think the time to try lose the weight is within the first couple of months, otherwise the weight can spiral out of control.

nikpmup

I have about 3 stone to lose, I didn't even bother trying with the festive season coming up, but now that it's over I want to start in earnest. I want to get back to running, the couch 2 5k is brilliant, I can leave babs with my mam for an hour three times a week (will have to wait until I'm over this chest infection though!)
Diet wise, I'm a fan of good old fashioned calorie counting - the my fitness pal app is great, you can log calories and even scan barcodes to log a meal.
Icecreamqueen, that app sounds great, think I'll start with that before I start running!!

Sweet_pea

I'm not a fan of calorie counting and/or diet programmes, I don't think they actually teach you anything about nutrition and just let you away with eating (IMO) bad food. I think it just takes the pleasure out of food if you have count the calories.

I cook everything from scratch normally and have invested in a slow cooker to help with time constraints after the birth. I've already a freezer full of homemade soups, savory muffins, stews etc to cover the first few weeks.

I don't have a sweet tooth normally but would prob eat anything if it was in the house so once all the festive treats are gone there will nothing else in the house. My rule is normally, if I want something sweet I have to make/bake it so usually I can't be arsed.

I led a very active lifestyle pre pregnancy both with work and social so I was always able to eat what I want and know I'd burn it off. In the future I will get back to this but I know for the first 4/6 months I won't be up to this level so I will have to restrict my diet somewhat.

I'm lucky in that I already have someone to mind the boy for an hour a few days a week so I'll be able to get walking, which will turn to running and add in swimming and pilates till I can get back to my normal routine.

The one thing I have noticed is that it seems best to get in some sort of shape/routine the sooner the better as at times when women stop breastfeeding/go back to work, etc they pile back on the weight.

There is a good health forum on here if you need advice.

bp

For me it was diet (ie stop pigging out) and exercise (currently in gym - boo). But it is mental, I had to decide that I was going to lose weight and stop eating chocolate just because it is in the house.

Also gym instructors will often do PT outside the gym - so you pay them directly and they come to you (eg when baby is in bed)

liliq

Has anyone here tried sling dance? There's a girl who does it in Lucan & castle knock and it's meant to be great! Active mum should bring it up in google. Some of my friends do it, and bring the babies/ toddlers in slings so it's brill if babysitters aren't handy or if you just prefer to bring baby

share bear

I was looking into the mumbadance classes but not sure how well it would work out if baby needed feeding or changing, would it not just be a waste of money if you had to stop and start through the class?

I've decided go start tomorrow. Not really doing a strict diet, but will introduce the "honestly healthy alkaline diet" to a certain degree. Cutting out all junk food as well, not too sure I'm going to be able to function without coffee though.

I'm going to try to do a 20 min workout daily while baby naps and then try to get 2 evening runs in as well, maybe a swim at the weekends.

I'll have to bite the bullet and buy a dreaded bathroom scales to track progress :-(

Aineoil

share bear wrote: »

I'll have to bite the bullet and buy a dreaded bathroom scales to track progress :-(

I don't mean to sound flippant, but don't buy the scales. Buy a measuring tape and measure the areas you want to reduce.

Losing weight after having a baby is difficult. Your body changes in so many ways after having a baby.

Best of luck to you all in 2014.

December2012

Don't get a scales. Weight is not an indicator of health or your satisfaction. Pick a realistic goal - say a pair of trousers you wore at the start of your pregnancy. Aim to get back into them. Or a bra. - my boobs changed size every month during pregnancy so they were great indicators of my shape changing

January

This - don't buy a scale, you'll end up standing on it every morning. Your weight fluctuates throughout the month so you can go up and down by as much as 5 pounds at different times of the month.

Measure yourself, take pictures too and once a month stand on the scales in the local pharmacy.

Chattastrophe!

I've only put on half a stone being pregnant ... will be interesting to see how much I actually weigh after the birth!

I guess I'll be under my pre-pregnancy weight pretty much straight away, but I had a stone or two to lose anyways before I got pregnant. Plus I'd just love to be generally fitter and healthier.

share bear

Don't need much persuasion to not getting a scales. I never used one before I was pregnant, I always just went by how my clothes fit. Might just get out a goal outfit or my old jeans.

Aineoil

January and December gave great advice on not buying a scales. You'll just torture yourself if you stand on a scales every day. It's just soul destroying to do that.

You don't need to do that to yourself after having a beautiful baby.