weight loss - help?

m0mmysmurf

I'm about 4months PostPartum and STILL 20lbs heavier than I was
- this time last year...it's driving me CRAZY ; i'm so insecure.
The stretch marks im learning to live with - but this extra weight I just can't get over..I'd love to wear a bathing suitt - even if it is a one peiece..

I feel like LO being in the NICU+the added stress ..lead to some pretty unhealthy eating choices - plus the fact that i was pumping
(and just stopped about 4days ago due to not being able to produce) - i know your body naturally holds onto fats to keep up your supply - but really 20LBS!!!! ugh.. i'd be happy loosing 12-14lbs i just can't stand seeing 155 looking up at me any longer.

I feel like my motabolisim is starting to speed back up, FINALLY - but i probablly dont make thee best choices for snacks,sometimes i dont eat until 2 and when i do i eat more than enough. I need to make changes,but how? Now that i dont have to think about pumping - morning snack +2 meals a day is more than enough for me .. How can i change my eating habbits and influence SO to do the same - and work as a team?

Anyone have any advice.

Thanks ladies.

Sweets2005

You said "morning snack" but you need a real breakfast. It can kick start your metabolism and set it for the rest of the day. But if you start off hungry, you will be hungry all day. So I would start with a healthy and balanced breakfast (protein + complex cards).

Also, you could possibly have some success if you ate 4-5 smaller meals rather than 3 big meals, in which you may overeat. It is a strategy you see on tv and read in magazines a lot so maybe you could try it. I sorta do it. I always have a small breakfast, morning snack, small lunch, afternoon snack, and small dinner. If you can't do that, then try small plates at dinner. But do not starve yourself or your body will only hold in to everything you eat and you will lose muscle not fat.

You could try joining weight watchers for support, I don't know much about that, though. As far as influencing SO, who makes dinner? If it is you who prepares the meals, they just make healthy stuff and he will have no way not to be on board! And when you grocery shop, only buy healthy stuff, if you don't have the unhealthy stuff in the house, then you can't eat it.

And lastly is exercise. Can you join a gym and maybe go when SO gets home? 

Well, good luck! It sounds like you know what to do, and you just have to do it!

FisMom

A few years ago I wanted to change my eating habits. One thing that helped tremendously was planning out what I ate, three days at a time. On Sunday I would plan what I was going to make for dinner on Monday Tuesday and Wednesday, then on Thursday I'd plan Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Some of those days were "leftover days". I made sure to always make enough to have leftovers for my lunch thte next day and dinner two days later. If I don't have leftovers, I eat PB&J for lunch.

Planning meant that I was never standing there at 6 or 7pm, starving, with no food in the house and not sure what to make. It also meant that I didn't have food go bad in the fridge because I got so long ago, because I only shop for 3 days at a time.

A good book about eating in general is Nina Planck's Real Food or Real Food for Mother and Baby. I followed her guidelines while pg and DH lost weight even though the food was not low fat.

Good luck!

Cara03

I just wanted to tell you that you are not alone in the extra weight category. I'm about 25 pounds heavier than prepregnancy and embarrassed to admit that I gained more after LO was born with the NICU stress, poor eating choices, fatigue, and no exercise, and continued to gain the first few months LO was home for the same reasons. I'm trying to turn it around now by making time to exercise 6 days a week and eating smaller meals & healthy choices frequently. Good luck - It's so hard.