NBR: Weight loss tips

ksyknelvr73

My best friend and I are about to try to embark on a serious weight loss journey. I need to lose about 20 lbs and she wants to lose 60-70. We have both lost weight before and generally know what to do....eat right, exercise, etc. But if you know any tips and tricks to help out, please share. If you know of any particularly awesome healthy recipes or snacks, please share. Basically anything

ksyknelvr73

Oh wow, that is really interesting...did you have any indication you had those allergies? I think dairy is some of my problem also. I have actually dropped baby weight much quicker with this baby than my older son, but I think I finally hit my wall. And I am having a hard time getting motivated.

firebelle26

Also, get your thyroid checked. Many women are very hypo-thyroid (low) after having a baby. When you are hypo, your body has a hard time metabolizing appropriately. Hence, your body holds onto the weight.

spinsoffresonance

I lost 30lbs before having babies. I already ate a fairly balanced diet so the biggest thing for me was watching portion size. In the US we're used to seeing ridiculously large portion sizes everywhere so we kind of have a distorted view of what a normal amount of food is. To lose weight I had to cut down my portion sizes in half. So I decreased the amount of carbs I ate and replaced it with veggies/fruit so I wouldn't go hungry. Also made sure to eat a proper serving size of meat, and increased my protein intake throughout the day (eggs, beans, yogurt, nuts). I also avoid anything fried, and anything in cream sauce. For snacks I like a combination of fruit and dairy. I used myfitnesspal to keep track of what I ate. Aimed for 1400 calories on days I didn't exercise and 1700 calories on days I did (I'm 5'4"). Exercised 4-6times a week (weight training 2-3x and cardio 2-3x per week). The hardest is getting started and finding a good routine! Once you're in the groove it's a lot easier to keep up. Good luck

bridetobe9132013

I feel like crap a lot, maybe I should get tested!

bazingaa

Drink lots of water.... Especially right before a meal.

bridetobe9132013

This is not related to weight loss but I thought this would be a good place to ask this question. Almost every evening/night ive been feeling sick with stomach pains and nausea. I know im not pregnant. This has happened in the past and it went away for awhile and came back. Anyone experience this or heard of it?

yvanehtnioj

I have brought this up before but I am using the Blogilates beginner's calendar. It's 1 month of workouts, rotating between full/upper/lower body, organized into playlists for each day, and it's all free. Each day takes no more than 20 minutes, some days 15. Because of that, you'd still need to add cardio but at least the workouts are HARD. I have noticed a different in my arms, legs and butt. The mom butt I developed during pregnancy is gone! My abs feel nice & pulled in under the fat but yeah...there's still fat there.

One thing that has helped me immensely is eating the same things for breakfast, lunch, and snacks. I used to view almost all meals as a chance to indulge, not realizing what a true indulgence is. But our boring, everyday eating should be about refueling and hopefully giving yourself some  nutrients in the process. 

And plus another one for my fitness pal. Before, I didn't know what a normal 1600 calorie day looked like. I would eat like 2700 calories and think I did OK! MFP made it very easy to see where my worst habits are, and I was able to make some choices, like do I really want to be drinking my calories at Starbucks everyday?

ksyknelvr73

yvanehtnioj said:

I have brought this up before but I am using the Blogilates beginner's calendar. It's 1 month of workouts, rotating between full/upper/lower body, organized into playlists for each day, and it's all free. Each day takes no more than 20 minutes, some days 15. Because of that, you'd still need to add cardio but at least the workouts are HARD. I have noticed a different in my arms, legs and butt. The mom butt I developed during pregnancy is gone! My abs feel nice & pulled in under the fat but yeah...there's still fat there.

One thing that has helped me immensely is eating the same things for breakfast, lunch, and snacks. I used to view almost all meals as a chance to indulge, not realizing what a true indulgence is. But our boring, everyday eating should be about refueling and hopefully giving yourself some  nutrients in the process. 

And plus another one for my fitness pal. Before, I didn't know what a normal 1600 calorie day looked like. I would eat like 2700 calories and think I did OK! MFP made it very easy to see where my worst habits are, and I was able to make some choices, like do I really want to be drinking my calories at Starbucks everyday?

Would you be willing to share any of your meals you eat? I did the same thing where I ate the same food every day but my memory is shot and I can't remember what food it was!

thefussybunch

I still need to lose about 20lbs. I've used WW in the past with success and am thinking of trying that again, but I don't want my milk supply to drop. Also, I've noticed I'm stress eating a lot, which I need to cut out. I just get so, so tired in the mornings and late nights, I've been grabbing quick and easy "feel good" foods. It's gotta stop.

yvanehtnioj

ksyknelvr73 said:

Would you be willing to share any of your meals you eat? I did the same thing where I ate the same food every day but my memory is shot and I can't remember what food it was!

Go to breakfasts:

Grapenuts + almond milk + small banana

1 slice of a low carb bread + very generous smearing of almond butter or natural peanut butter

Oatmeal (ok this is probably a terrible one since it's all carbs but I will never get tired of the tastiness & ease of a packet of good old Quaker oatmeal)

Favorite lunches:

- kale salads! Great for work- make it on Sunday, pack it into individual ziploc reusable containers and there you go! They last 3-4 days before getting soggy. One of my all time faves is this one 

- a veggie based salad such as Thai carrot, adding chickpeas for protein. This is another you can make ahead of time and eat for a few days.

- Soup - premade, homemade, doesn't matter. so easy.

- Veggie burgers + pitas. Condiments vary depending on veggie burger (avocado with the black bean one, hummus with the tomato basil flavor etc.)

Snacks

- Cheese stick + fruit

- Plain yogurt or cottage cheese with either fresh/frozen berries. This is another easy thing to get prepared on Sunday. 

- Avocado toast! I'll smush 1/2 an avocado onto one piece of bread. Add a little salt.

- Cut up broccoli or cauliflower + dip (currently using TJ's goddess dressing). I measure the dressing so I don't accidentally eat like a half cup of it with my broccoli.

I eat these things all the time and if I don't, I get lost. Grocery shopping gets harder and I can't pack my lunches efficiently and I end up eating out or impulse buying sugary snacks while I'm at work. Having gestational diabetes taught me a lot about how to structure my meals. I value protein & fat way more and try really hard not load up on carbs & sugar.

Hope that gave you at least a little bit of meal inspiration

yvanehtnioj

thefussybunch said:

I still need to lose about 20lbs. I've used WW in the past with success and am thinking of trying that again, but I don't want my milk supply to drop. Also, I've noticed I'm stress eating a lot, which I need to cut out. I just get so, so tired in the mornings and late nights, I've been grabbing quick and easy "feel good" foods. It's gotta stop.

I believe Weight Watchers has a special diet for breastfeeders. It's a points plus thing.

thefussybunch

Thanks @yvanehtnioj! Must look into that

operaghost

The biggest thing that helped me lose weight was watching my sugar intake. Sounds obvious, but sugar is EVERYWHERE. A single serving of milk can have 11g of sugar. You think you're being healthy and having a Greek yogurt... Some of them have 20g of sugar. Sugar is in bread, jarred pasta sauce, salad dressing, etc. You have to really pay attention to labels.

Good luck!!

bridetobe9132013

@yvanehtnioj‌ costco has a Kale salad package that is amazing! I will try some of your meals!

kat8805

firebelle26 said:

Also, get your thyroid checked. Many women are very hypo-thyroid (low) after having a baby. When you are hypo, your body has a hard time metabolizing appropriately. Hence, your body holds onto the weight.

Ugh. I've been on Levothyroxin for almost 2 years now. I will admit I feel more like the snail, than the slime it left behind now, but it's complete BS to think my metabolism would, I dunno, be anything more than nonexistent after getting my numbers on track.

Once I'm done BFing in a month or two, I'll be eating all the meats, cheeses, and non starchy veggies to lose the small person worth of weight between me and surrogacy.

Bootsie327

susanoutloud said:

I'm a weight watchers devotee. It works for me and is easy. I only gained 12 pounds during pregnancy and have lost that. Now I'm working on losing the weight I should have lost before I got pregnant.

I wish I could afford allergy testing....

I'm also a big WW supporter. I lost 37 lbs in 2007 and kept off most of it for years, until I got pregnant and gained 65! I started WW again in August as a lifetime member coming back from a pregnancy (12 free weeks!) this time with 45 to lose. I'm down 8 lbs in 5 weeks and it's so easy to follow!

tbiscuit18

yvanehtnioj said:

Go to breakfasts:

Grapenuts + almond milk + small banana

1 slice of a low carb bread + very generous smearing of almond butter or natural peanut butter

Oatmeal (ok this is probably a terrible one since it's all carbs but I will never get tired of the tastiness & ease of a packet of good old Quaker oatmeal)

Not sure why this is typing in the gray, but oatmeal is actually a great breakfast! It's full of protein which will keep you feeling full longer and speed up your metabolism so you're burning more calories as your body works to break it down in digestion. It's also high in fiber. So eat your Quaker oats without feeling guilty!

tbiscuit18

@ksyknelvr73 I am so glad you posted this! I need to lose about 20 lbs as well and I popped on here this afternoon looking for inspiration. This is great! 

Is anyone else struggling with their weight kind of plateauing? I have literally been stuck with around 15 lbs to lose and despite my best efforts my body is not responding. I have hired a trainer and for the last month have been working out 2-3 times a week with him. Plus doing light/moderate cardio on the off days. I'm a really convinced that it's my hormones making me hold on to that extra weight. Since I'm eating super healthy and balancing my protein intake with my weight training. 

Also curious, did any of you have more success losing weight after weaning? 

yogasailmomma

ebuge said:

@ksyknelvr73 I am so glad you posted this! I need to lose about 20 lbs as well and I popped on here this afternoon looking for inspiration. This is great! 

Is anyone else struggling with their weight kind of plateauing? I have literally been stuck with around 15 lbs to lose and despite my best efforts my body is not responding. I have hired a trainer and for the last month have been working out 2-3 times a week with him. Plus doing light/moderate cardio on the off days. I'm a really convinced that it's my hormones making me hold on to that extra weight. Since I'm eating super healthy and balancing my protein intake with my weight training. 

Also curious, did any of you have more success losing weight after weaning? 

I have also gotten stuck with about 15lbs to go despite eating very healthy and being really active. I walk a ton, stroller work out 2/3x a week and go to at least 2 yoga classes on top of the yoga I do daily at home. I feel like with breastfeeding your body tends to hold onto some weight.

No advice, just commiseration!

spinsoffresonance

I still have 15lbs to lose too. I really can't diet while BFing tough. I'm starving all the time and have major sugar cravings. So it will have to wait. I got lucky with DD1 I managed to lose all 50lbs of baby weight by BFing alone but it took a full 9months. I'm gonna wait and see where I'm at in about 4months.

thefussybunch

I'm on board with waiting four more months or so as well. I EBF and an hungry all the time too! I do think BFing does make your body hold on to some weight. I just need to be careful about my stress eating and not gaining tons more!

bridetobe9132013

This thread has been so motivating for me! Ive been eating better and smaller portions and lost 2 lbs since last week

yvanehtnioj

@becole42‌ the only time I can fit in a workout is 5am. do you have your own office or can you afford a gym membership somewhere near your work? cause if I had either one of those things my ass would be asleep at 5am!

Nikkipal82

I read that babies shouldn't jog with you until 6 months, but I asked my pedi at our 4 month check up and she said it was more like a range of 4-6 months. My beb is very strong with great head control, so I got a jogging stroller and we go 3x per week. I still go alone whenever I can, and so slow (more than usual) with the jogger, but I'm getting my heart rate up.

deanna1313

@bridetobe9132013‌ I have been having the same bad stomach problems since having my son. It's normally every night after dinner.
My stomach was great during my pregnancy, but I did have a sensitive stomach before. This is much worse though. I have PPD so I keep assuming it's a nervous stomach. It doesn't seem likely to me. I keep thinking my system is still getting regulated.

deanna1313

I gained 50 lbs ( and I wasn't eating for two) during my pregnancy. I was very thin before and never had an issue keeping weight off. Not now!!!! I lost 30 lbs 2 weeks PP and I haven't dropped a lb since. Nothing fits me and Im still wearing some maternity clothes. I am hoping to drop some weight soon. So glad this post was started.

One snack that I love is hummus with different raw veggies. Love it! What's great is that when I get bored I can switch the flavor of the hummus and it's so much protein.

yvanehtnioj

becole42 said:

@yvanehtnioj‌ we have gym equipment in my home and I still can't find time! I also feel guilty putting LO down or In a swing to work out since I feel like he's probably in an exersaucer all day at daycare. I breastfeed baby at lunch or that would be a great option. So far I have been putting baby in the stroller when I get home work and he takes a nap while I walk but i would rather do a class or get out somehow.

@Becole42 understood. Do what you can now and realize this is all subject to change. One day your lunch hour will be free, etc.

bumpuser10194737

Another vote for My Fitness Pal.  Love the T25 program for workouts at home too.  Cutting out a lot of bread and soda helped me a ton too.  After my second baby I lost all 39 pounds of baby weight plus another 15 after that with MyFitnessPal.  

bridetobe9132013

Lose it is also a great app! I was using it last summer to lose weight for my wedding. It worked great! I would like to use it again but i am not sure yet if I will have time to log all my food. I will keep doing what im doing, which is eating smaller portions, and if I dont continue losing weight, ill go back to using lose it

yvanehtnioj

@becole42‌ if you can manage to stay up for a night workout, yoga is good. you can choose an active routine that incorporates a lot of strength training. I used to do yoga @ night and I think I actually slept better, even on challenging routines.

bridetobe9132013

Lets somehow keep this thread going! It is so motivating

rona118

I agree.... I do not post much here anymore but keep coming back to this thread for advice etc. I recently saw a pic of myself from a work function and could have died. So trying to watch my calories. I lost 20 lbs before getting pregnant with DD#2 and just need to get back to exercising. Just feel like I need a little more time in the day!

gutsysneakers

@becole42, @yvanehtnioj, , @deanna1313, @bridetobe9132013 - do you guys want to do a weekly healthy living check-in? I used to run one during our pregnancies, but haven't done it since. I signed up for my fitness pal, but haven't logged on in awhile. 

I'm having a hard time with working out now. Like you guys, I used to run/kickbox/hot yoga 5-6x week. I was at the gym in August and tore my meniscus and am having surgery tomorrow to repair it. I've been using that as an excuse not to do anything. I know I could be doing low impact stuff or at the very least situps/pushups/planks, etc. Finding the time is sooooo difficult though! 

bridetobe9132013

@Jcrewgirl85 that sounds food! Were you born in 85? I was born in March of 85

yvanehtnioj

@jcrewgirl85 I'm down! Even though I'm 8 pounds away from my pp weight, I started the pregnancy at my highest adult weight so I've got another 20 added on. I'll be slogging through the exercise routines & diet for awhile.

@becole42 my Fitness Pal name is "mariamagenta" i have been slacking on logging in, mostly because i ate the same stuff each day and got lazy about entering it. 

bridetobe9132013

I meant to say good and not food in my last post haha

gutsysneakers

bridetobe9132013 said:

@Jcrewgirl85 that sounds food! Were you born in 85? I was born in March of 85

april of '85

deanna1313

@Jcrewgirl85‌ I'd love a weekly check in! I think that would be great and very helpful.

deanna1313

I used to do lose it, but maybe I'll do fitness pal with you guys.

bridetobe9132013

Im bringing this thread back because I have been slacking with trying to lose weight. I need motivation again!