Still Look Prego After 10 Months!!!!

Hi H. T

I worked out for many months without many results. I just tried Nutrisystems and within the first 5 weeks, have lost 6.5 pounds and my tummy is going down. it is pretty cost effective.

Sorry no advice, but I am having the same problem after 6 months & a second child! I am interested in what the doctor's advice was to you or anything else that has helped let me know of the responses you get. The only difference is I still look 6 months prego!

Hi H.,

I had three babies in three years and ALL three were c-sections! I am in training for the AVON Breast Cancer walk and walking anywhere between 12 & 30 miles a week. I still have that baby fat and I am SO frustrated. Keep up whatever you can... Good luck!
T.

I read the responses and they are very good. I am a personal trainer and I had five children and my muscles were separated also after that many pregnancies. The doctor told me I would have to live with that forever. He was wrong. I cannot tell you how long it took, but my muscles have build up now and you can punch me in the stomach and there is no separation. When I would do a crunch the center of my stomach would push up towards the ceiling just like a huge long hernia. I teach physioball classes which are constantly working your stomach muscles. I incorporate pilates, somatics, and Optimal body performance techniques. All these will help, but you have to be very patient and it takes a long time. I would recommend that you constantly work your Transverse abdominal muscle which you must pull in all the time wherever you are. That is the deepest and hardest muscle to work out, but it is the one right across your lower abdomen. If you want to call me if you do not understand. Please do as I have great empathy for you. Also, as the one response said, are you breastfeeding because that will keep the body fat on you until you quit. Please don't quit because of that though, you need and your baby needs all the breast feeding he or she wants. I hope this helps. ###-###-####.

Hi H.,

I've read a lot about the seperated muscles, not sure if I have that or not but I've heard that Pelvic tilts are the best way to get those muscle to come back together. I searched google and found like 10 different exercises that will help to fix the seperation. I did the pelvic tilts for about 6 weeks and now I'm doing pilates. Seems to be working, my buldge is shrinking.

Holly, your problem isn't fat. It is you separated stomach muscles. You don't have a choice, but to get with the program, your doctor recommended. Your stomach mucles are in great need of repair. You need to rebuild those muscles. Most gyms and health clubs have daycare centers in them. Do to being separated your muscles are very weak. They can't hold them selfs in place. I bet when you lay down your stomach is flat. That's when your mucles are where they should be. If you have a club membership, they do have personal trainers that can help you. (normally included in membership) If you plan on having more kids, don't get pregnant again until your muscles have regained there strength and can support the weight of another pregnancy. Don't expect over night success. They were stretched out for months during pregnancy. It will take time for then to get back into shape.

I can't say I still looked prego afterward. However, when I was losing weight I was STUCK for over a year without losing a pound and I was running 16-20 miles per week eating 1200-1400 calories perday. Anyway, in the end, it was sugar! Not just sweets, but ANYTHING with added sugar. I completely eliminated any food with sugar or high fructose corn syrup in the top 5 ingredients. It was amazing how many foods had sugar in the top 5 (most bread, salad dressing, "healthy" cereal, etc.) Once I committed to this, I dropped INCHES and INCHES and then 30 pounds! So, try it. It takes an amazing amount of discipline - but it worked for me. In fact, if my clothes are feeling tight, I eliminate the sugar for a few weeks and I'm back to normal. Fruit is NOT added sugar! It is NATURAL, so I did NOT eliminate fruit (like some people do).

Good luck!

This is going to sound wacky, but if you use some Ben-Wa balls or Pleasure Pearls they encourage subconcious contracting of those very muscles you want to tighten. I sell "intimacy enhancement" products through home party sales and teach about these all the time. If you do a Kegel excercies (tightening vaginal muscles as if to stop the flow of urine) you will notice that your entire lower body tightens as well. This is a GREAT cure for the "mommy tummy" that many women battle. If you need or want any more information please feel free to contact me at ____@____.com Hope this helps!

Hello H.,

I used to complain about the same problem when my daughter who is now 16. I found one cleanser that really made my stomach decrease fast. Are you familiar with the Stanely Burroughs Lemonade Diet. The Master Cleanse. You can look it up online. This will shrink your stomach instantly. However if your nursing I wouldnt Suggest it. But go online and read the paper back thin book. Youll will be amazed at the results. And it takes strong will power but you can do it. Even if you follow the book and do it for one week your stomach will go away. I lost 13lbs in one week. I also walked daily for 20 min. Hope you can do it.

My friend had her abs split with her first baby, and she looked about 6 months pregnant all the time. She has had baby #2 and after looks a little less pregnant, but still looks it just the same. Her doctor told her surgery may be her only option, but not to do it if she plans on having more kids. This information is second hand though, I would look up about having split abs and see what results you get.

H.-

Have you looked into a membership at your local YMCA? They have free chidcare while you work out and trained instructors to help you learn on to exercise correctly. They also offer mommy & me classes which could be fun for both of you.

Good luck,
M.

Hi H.,
Every woman's body responds differently to pregnancy and nursing in terms of weight gain. Some women lose weight very quickly after pregnancy. For some, nursing is what helps them lose weight. Personally, I couldn't lose any weight until after I weaned. My body was hoarding the fat to be sure I had enough to make milk. Once my hormones returned to normal, it just melted away. I was so worried about it, too. I thought I must have developed a thyroid problem, or that something must have been wrong. Instead, it was my body's innate wisdom that was keeping what it needed. I certainly don't recommend weaning just to lose the weight, but just have faith that your body knows what it's doing.

As a holistic nutrition consultant, I would definitely tell my clients to stay away from the restricted calorie dieting. It will only slow your metabolism and cause more weight gain in the end. Eat a whole foods diet and do some exercise and your body will come to it's own state of health. It may or may not look exactly like it did pre-pregnancy, and that's ok. A healthy weight is the result of a healthy body, not the other way around.

I also wanted to say that even though I am very close to my pre-pregnancy weight now, my body shape has changed. Even though I still wear the same sizes, the same clothes don't always fit. Bigger hips or something. Sometimes I feel frustrated by that, but I try to remind myself that it is how I got my beautiful son!

best,
Emily Bender, NC, CHN
www.nutritionforthewholefamily.com

Curves has a new program. It's a health study - $30 for 30 days. Also check out SlimQuik. Both work fabulous togehter! Good luck

I use a bender ball, and it is awesome. It is a great workout for your abs...benderball.com, runs about $10. And you can do it at home whenever you have a free minute!

It sounds like your doing a lot. I work a lot too, but I still have a big tummy. I'm not sure what your diet is like, but food makes the difference with the fat and of course combined with excercise. However, it may be you just have to wait a little longer. I've had 3 children and the older I get the longer it takes me to lose the wait, but on average my body didn't completely kick in until after 12 months. Also sleep plays a role in weight loss - the more sleep the better.

Hi H.,

If you are looking for a work-out program that you can do with baby, there are a couple great classes that I have been doing - Mama Fitness and Baby Boot Camp (both in Novato). If you are interested, I can send you more info. I have a 9-month old and have also been struggling to get my belly back to normal..

-C.

Hi H..

My advice is to start wearing girdles and other slimming garments. That at least will stop folks from making comments. You seem to already know that it will take some time before the stomach will go down, so the only advice I can give is slimming undergarments!

I had a similar problem as I nursed my son until 14 months. The residual "still making me look pregnant" fat didn't go away until a few months after I stopped nursing. I had the same problem with my stomach muscles and my doc suggested crunches but holding my stomach with arms criss-cross while I did them to support the muscles since I said I didn't want to do surgery. Also I did and am doing core muscle exercises and that seems to help. I will warn you, I too was a skinny thing before and have gotten back to the same weight finally but my body has changed forever and I've finally come to grips with the fact that I will never be the same "shape" I was before even if I am the same weight and size. Good luck!

I feel for you - my son is 2 in July & I STILL have the baby belly :( I've been going to a gym for 6 mths now & though I've noticed a slight decrease in my hip size, I weigh exactly what I weighed when I left the HOSPITAL. I'm convinced my C-section & my age (36) have a lot to do with why I continue to just be at a stand-still, but belly fat seems to be impossible to decrease. I don't drink soda, I rarely eat ice cream anymore :( I "try" to work out 3 days a week or more (an hour at a time). I never had a weight issue before baby, I only gained 20 lbs, but have only lost 5 lbs since his birth. I'm afraid I'll always have "junior" with me for life at this point!!

It sounds like you're putting in the time & energy for exercise, which is good, but I read that women over 30 (not sure of your age) need to work out 5 to 6 days a WEEK to see results & keep results...very hard to do with a little one - at least for me. Keep asking folks, maybe ask someone at your local gym about specific belly busting exercises you can do at home, etc. I'd love to hear if you see any progres in a few months!

You know you say you don't have the time, but you have to make it if you want the results. I just had my second baby five months ago. I have been able to work out 1-2 hours a day. I work out in the mornings with my 5 month old in a swing and my 2 year old running around-she also does the workout with me some times. If I am up to it when my husband gets home and we put the girls to bed we work out either with one of his videos or I get on my treadmill. Ab videos have worked the best for me. I have also been told that yoga works great to. I am nowhere near the weight I want to be right now, but my daughter is only 5 months. While I am not seeing the weight come off very quickly because of my ab videos I do have a flatter stomach.
Another thing that has helped out was to get a partner. My sis and my mom are doing weekly weigh-ins and measurements. No contest or anything, just a goal to lose some weight. It makes me want to work out more and eat better.
Anyhow I hope this helps out a little and good luck. I was in that same boat with my first daughter-so I know what you are going through. Good luck!

I am the SAME way. I just had my 3rd kid. (He is 11 weeks) I am a VERY petite person (size 0-2) and do not gain much while pregnant. (about 17lbs, but it is all in my tummy). I am skinny everwhere else, but just have a tummy that sticks out. It doesn't "roll", it just is out, like I am 3-4 months pregnant. I hate it, I get asked when I am due too. A bigger tummy does run in my Italian family, but this is ridiculous. I haven't started working out after this baby yet, but after the others, I did tons of sit ups and nothing seemed to help. My stomach muscles are seperated too, after my pregnancies. I don't know what to do! I just sympathize with you. I get people telling me that I look great for just having a baby, then on the other hand, I get asked, pretty often by strangers, when I am due!

I had the same problem after my first baby. My body finally went back to normal when I stopped nursing. For some reason the nursing kept the weight on me, rather than help me loose it.

Hi there,
I would recommend Pilates. It's completely focused on the 'core' of your body which includes all those abdominal muscles that became so out of whack with your pregnancy. If you are good at self-motivation which is sounds like you are try picking up a pilates DVD - perhaps one that focuses on abs or post-natal exercises.
Also be sure to strengthen your pelvic floor by doing your kegel excersizes. I just had a second child and had a very difficult time with bladder control the second pregnancy because I didn't strengthen my pelvic floor.

Best of luck!

get a belly dance video. Delilah is my favorite, she has one where she focuses on the belly with different exercises like suck in all the tummy muscles on the left side only... it's impossible at first, but if you try and try you learn to do it and it's fun. anyway, the belly dance exercises can be done anywhere. i'm doing them right now at the computer. you can do it in the car. it's really just tigtening and releasing tummy muscles, with an intent to target specific ones. in the bath tub you can try to tigthen and release your belly in strips, first the muscles right below your ribs, then the muscles one inch down... don't get discouraged, it won't listen at first, but it doesn't hurt to do them, and you can do them off and on all day long without any sweat or lifestyle impact.

you can combine them with kegels to get a whole baby messed up my torso and i need to get it back workout!

Hey there H. T.,

I am the mama to 4 boys, the last 2 which were twins. I had a vaginal and c-section for their births, and it reeked havic on my abdominal muscles. I then had an abdominal cyst removed that had actually attatched itself to my abdominal muscle. They removed a piece of the muscle itself. It left me with very weak abdominal muscles. I was trying different work outs, but not getting the core strength and build up that I wanted. I then stumbled on to the Core Rythms DVD'S. They're Latin ball room dancing work outs! They are fun, easy, and will burn fat around your abs, and strengthen your muscles like nobody's business honey! I can honestly say that because I am currently plus sized, and I have seen the weight and inches come off. I would recommend this to any one, because it's hard core work, but very fun! It's also cheaper than joining a gym, and you don't have to go anywhere! You can order online at www.corerythems.com . I hope I spelled it right! See if it helps, It does for me!

A little about me:

I am 34, and happily married to my best friend. I am the mama to 4 beautiful little boys ages 9,6, and twins that are now 4. I am a stay at home, home schooling mama who loves to sing, cook, hike, camp, and spend time with family and friends!

I am not sure where you are located but you should search Stroller Strides in your area. It is a workout you do with your child in the stroller. The instructors are well trained and can help you out. Its a fun class, you sing to baby while getting a great workout. Check www.strollerstrides.com and put in your zip code. Great way to meet others in your area too.

From what I remember there are specific exercises that you need to do for the separation.
However, if you want to truly lose the weight AND look toned you need to workout. Any good program will have an exercise component to it. Take a look at Body for Life. They are available online. I do exercises with my son. I use him as my weights and I also take him for walks with me. I have a gym membership and can use the Kid's Club or I use the fitness center and take toys or his swing so he can be amused for the 30 minutes I work out. Fortunately, losing weight is 80% nutrition and 20% exercise.

Try working with a yoga ball and using it to assist you with situps but this way you can do different situps. The instructions helps with different kinds of situps using the ball.
I had twins 9 years ago and my stomache was a mess afterwards and started using a yoga ball with awesome results. I stopped eating all carbs and eat mostly lean meats fish, chicken, and some lean red meat with a green, i.e. salad and some kind of fresh veggie. I walk 2 1/2 miles each day with my kids in tote(stoller)it's good for them too.
I drink faithfully about 10 glasses of water a day. That is really key to losing weight and burning fat. Also you have to eat to lose body fat. Something small every 2-3 hours. Even if it is an apple or yogurt or a handful of nuts (unsalted- salt causes water retention). Just something so the body continues to metabolize and doesn't think your starving it.

Good luck. Unfortunately the things us women have to go through to have beautiful offspring. Weight gain, stretch marks, sagging boobs, all goes with the territory, but all well worth what's in the end.

my daughter is 15-months old and I am struggling to lose weight as well. I have tired everything and I even nursed for 14-months, which is supposed to help lose weight. I am only 15-pounds heavier than I was before I got pregnant, but my body is just so different.

I don't have any advice about your tummy specifically, but if you're not losing any weight after reducing your calories that much you might want to get your thyroid checked. You could be hypothyroid and that's why you're not losing weight. Sometimes pregnancy can cause a thyroid problem where you didn't have one before. (It did with me.) Good luck!

WOW! You have a lot of replies and I don't have time to read them all. However, what I do know is that medically it takes your body 18 months to recover from pregnancy so you have a little time left. On a personal note, my son is 22 months and I still look pregnant. My legs look great, my arms, etc. but have this big ole belly. But I'm committing to start weight watchers on June 16th. I'll go to a WW meeting once a week while hubby watches kids and then I will start doing some physical activity as well. Either walking the kids, doing the Wii fitness or sports, hitting the gym (they have childcare for $3). My husband told me once when I said "I feel guilty being away from the kids" that by being physically active I'm not only showing them how to be healthy when they get older, but I'm getting healthy myself in able to be here on Earth with them longer. That worked for me, no more excuses.

I know that losing weight after baby is hard, especially if you were tiny before and aren't used to having anything extra hanging around. My first thought when I read your post was "is she still breastfeeding?". Yes, it's supposed to help you lose weight and for some people it does. However, for me, it only helped to a point. I'd get to about 8-10 pounds above my pre-pregnancy weight and just plateau. I would do everything I was supposed to when it came to losing weight, but I didn't lose the last pounds until I was finished breastfeeding. For whatever reason, my body wanted those extra pounds - go figure. Maybe your body wants that extra weight if you're breastfeeding. It certainly sounds like your separated stomach muscles are also playing a role. If you're looking for a fun "in home" workout that helps abs, you could try Zumba - it's a latin dance based workout and it's fun. I do that at home once or twice a week and it's a good workout. Finally, I just want to say that everyone loses weight differently after having kids. I was lucky that I got back to my pre-pregnancy weight after both kids, but I still looked "puffy" three years after I had my second child. Then one summer, it was like my body realized, OK, you're back to normal and suddenly (in 5 weeks) I dropped 8 pounds and looked more toned. Seriosly, some people at my kids school think I lost like 20 pounds (I wish!). I really wasn't doing anything differently - maybe lifting slightly heavier weights, and maybe chasing around a 2 and 4 year old, but otherwise, nothing major. I know it's hard and frustrating to have to be patient (I'm so NOT patient), but I think you will get there eventually if you keep at it. Good luck!

Be patient with yourself - my little guy is almost 10 months and I am still breastfeeding, but nothing helps... Your body needs time to heal and plenty of rest - you aren't getting that now - - - With my other pregnancies it took almost 3 years to get back to my flat stomach...

Do you breastfeed?

Have your thyroid checked. I too was struggling with weight loss and found out I was hypothyroid.

Good luck.

I used several Pilates videos at home that way I could do it according to my schedule and time limits.

H.,
Have you considered a personal trainer to help fine tune your regimen? My husband is a personal trainer who has a studio at our home, but will also go to people's houses to train them with their own equipment (often low-tech). He has very reasonable rates and is effective! He helped me lose my baby weight in about 6 weeks after our recent second child was born in December. His name is Marcelo and we are in the Sac. area- contact # ###-###-#### or you could respond back through the forum. good luck to you! A. R

Hi H.. Because you've had so many responses, I'll try to keep this brief. We have a program that is great for busy people! I'm a health coach with Take Shape for Life and if you are right for our program, I can coach you everystep of the way. Our program is clinically-tested for results. For more information go to www.amazingyou.tsfl.com

Good Luck
R.
###-###-####
____@____.com

Hi,
What really helped me was baby and me yoga! You can take your baby with you, and yoga does a great job of helping the muscles realign. And it is relaxing. There are classes in Santa Rosa and Sebastopol....I've seen signs posted at the Women's Health and Birth Center; its been awhile since I've gone. They also have at home videos, look online!