Exercise Question

CubanPinky · September 2014

As of right now I am 37 weeks....and this whole pregnancy I have literally loss weight (not trying to turn this into a "omg i gained no weight post either")...my weight prior to me getting pregnant was around 220 due to me already on a strict diet for about 6 months prior to getting preggers (i was trying to get back to my cheerleader/dancer size). Currently I only gained 9lbs, but as of yesterday i dropped 7lbs. Im not a small girl by far, but i am mainly alot of muscle from like 19 years of dance/cheerleader training. My question is this....with my past two pregnancies..i did gain weight...but afterwards i loss it without exercising or dieting. I want to get back on my diet and workout routine right after I have LO mainly bc i feel, physically and mentally, better when im working out and all. Plus, Ive personally suffered from depression for years and have learned that when im out and about exercising and enjoying being healthy....i can focus more on the positive in my life rather than the little hang-ups.

If you are/were into exercise and dieting...how far after you had LO were you back into the swing of things? And this is for all moms...especially repeat csection moms or VBACS. Also what classes/routines did you do to build back up to your usual routines you did pre-pregnancy?

8-| :-O

Emerald27 · September 2014

Most mothers need to wait 6-8 weeks before resuming an exercise regimen. Your body needs time to heal, and life is so sleepless and exhausting with a newborn that exercise may be far from your mind for a few months.

As for dieting, your body just went through some amazing stuff. You might want to discuss this with your doctor, because you definitely need to eat a healthy diet, but you'll need enough calories to fuel your body's healing and give you energy for acting for baby. If you're planning to breastfeed, you might do best eating when hungry and just making healthy choices. Breastfeeding moms need more calories, but they also tend to lose weight faster despite their greater need for food, because breastfeeding burns about 500+ calories per day.

ETA: Forgot the "about me" part: I plan to begin light exercise, walking to start, once I'm cleared for it at 6-8 weeks postpartum. At some point, I would like to take a Pilates class or maybe do the couch to 5k program, but I want to work up to it carefully. I do not plan to "diet" for quite a while, but I will be trying to make healthy choices.

jesslinnn · September 2014

I started walking almost right away. I had two very easy vaginal deliveries and recoveries though. As soon as my OB gave me the okay (I think at 6 weeks..?) I just jumped right back into working out... cardio/HIIT and lifting weights.

AmandaJean12 · September 2014

I can't say I've BTDT, but I was just talking to a friend of mine who is a trainer talking about how new moms often try to jump back into old exercise routines too soon. He was recommending really seeing how you feel, and then slowly adding to your daily activity so you 1) give yourself time to heal and 2) don't get frustrated and beat yourself up.

Personally I was losing weight too before I got pregnant. He told me to give myself a few weeks, then put my fitbit back on and see what I am averaging, and then slowly up my walking to build stamina before I tried getting back into classes or anything.

Liss1481 · September 2014

I had to be cleared by my OB before I could start really working out again (Zumba, yoga) - I just resumed what I had been doing previously. I did start walking again a few weeks after delivery but nothing strenuous - it was more to just get moving and get out of the house. I didn't do any dieting and with breast-feeding, I was ravenous and didn't worry about it.

CubanPinky · September 2014

yea i was thinking about yoga to start off with. i know for sure i will be walking at least two weeks after my csection...mainly due to the fact that walking=circulation in the lower region..plus i brought this amazing running stroller that im so anxious to use

Maggie6424 · September 2014

With DS1 I had a very rough birth, gained 65lbs, awful ppd, and no motivation. I started doing the couch 2 5k plan when he was about a year old but I was still carrying an extra 30lbs when I got pg this time. I'm really hoping to start walking pretty soon after his birth and start the couch 2 5k program again once I'm cleared (hopefully at 6 weeks pp). Diet will really depend on circumstances and breastfeeding, but I'll likely just try to eat healthy.

vrj0522 · September 2014

I am very active outside of pregnancy and actually worked out my entire pregnancy with DS. I was planning on getting back at the 6 week mark but I was exhausted from lack of sleep and still didn't feel ready to get back full swing. At about 8 weeks, I started doing light weight training twice a week and a couple weeks later I added one jogging session per week. I also went on walks with DS from time to time. When he turned 3 months someone invited me to run a 5k with them and that was my motivation for really getting back into working out. I plan on doing something similar this time around. If the motivation to workout doesn't come back naturally, I will probably end up signing up for some race so that I can force myself to get ready for it.

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