Tired of Being Asked If I Am Pregnant

I know how you feel...between my schooling and 4 kids, I had the same issue. I went on the South Beach Diet which doesn't take a lot of effort and the pounds just went away. The best part is it stays off. All I can say is just watch what you eat (to an extent) and the amount that you eat. Good luck.

I know this is going to sound weird, but eating several, small meals during the day is what worked for me, I also eat a lot of fruit and raw veggies. I east six meals a day, but they appear more like snacks to other people. For instance, I'll have a quick bowl of cereal, with some fruit (usually a banana because it's easiest) for breakfast, some yogurt and something else (usually a granola bar) at about 10. For lunch, I'll have a very small lunch like a sandwich or some soup, I'll have another snack at 3. Dinner is usually my biggest meal, because it's for the whole family, but I eat a portion the size of what my 7 year old would eat and then I have another snack at about 8. I seems like it's more food, but once you train your stomach to get use to this, it works really well. It increases your metabolism, so your burning more calories during the day when you're not taking more in. Also, you'll find that once you're been eating like this for awhile, it's really hard to overeat. I hope this helps you!

Hey M.,
How ironic that I read this today. I was at Fiesta with my girls & some friends. A pregnant girl sat next to me & I looked at her & thought. I look like her & I'm no where near pregnant! My girls also tell me I'm "Fluffy" (our alternative for Fat). They are not being mean...just truthful.
So I decided to make a change.
I'm not a trainer or health professional and you should check with your doctor but these are some things that have worked for me in the past:
Eat the following:
- Chicken
- Fish
- Veggies
- Fruit
- Water
- Tea
- Coffee

You can eat the chicken and fish any way that you want EXCEPT fired or breaded. This means grilled , broiled, steamed adn fajitas are okay.

Your chicken or fish should be the smallest items on your plate (about 2 ounces - or should be able to fit in the palm of your hand). The plate should have more salad and veggies than anything else.

Try to eat soemthing every 2 hours. Breakfast then a fruit snack, lunch, then a fruit snack, dinner, then a fruit snack. At first it is hard and seems like a lot of food but it speeds up your metabolism and soon you get used to it.

Try to drink 1 gallon of water a day. OMG! That is a lot but spread it out through the day. Each time you eat something...drink a big glass of water. Before you know it...you will be up to a gallon with no problems.

Exercise!
- The gym is expensive and not all of us can afford it so...if you have Time Warner & the On Demand option...channel 990 is FREE Exercise on Demand. Lots of different choices so you don't get bored. (get up 30 minutes earlier & go to bed 30 minutes later) The programs vary from 12 - 35 minutes each. Run of thumb...30 minutes a day keeps you where you are 1 hour or more a day actually burns & tones which results in loss. Thus 30 minutes in the am & 30 minutes in the pm will get you at an hour.

- Also Tae Bo works good & you can pick up these videos used at 1/2 price books, thrift stores and garage sales.

- All of the high schools in town leave their tracks open for walkers/runners. ITS FREE. Walk 1 time around, jog 1 time around (you will have to work up to this). DON"T go alone in the dark (morning or evening). Go with a friend or make it a family event. The girls and I all go together & it keeps all of us healthy.

- You can always walk around your neighborhood as well. Be sure to utilize the apporpriate time limit & walk FAST. You want to get your heart rate up.

Dedication & Determination
- It is HARD! MAKE the time! This is for YOU and your family. Being healthy means living longer and enjoying more memories with your family.

As I mentioned...I am at the beginning of my change...again. We can do this together. Email me at ____@____.com or we can just continue to post here supporting each other.

God bless & take care,
R.

M. S.,

Hello. I know it's easy to just eat "whatever you can get your hands on" but that's where we must begin. It has to start at the grocery store, and it's nothing fancy. We must follow the basic food pyramid M.. Plenty of veggies/fruits, lean meats, white before red, some milk group, less of bread group and little/no salts/sugars/fried foods. Once you make the committment to buy "smart/right" foods, it starts to get easy to eat "smart/right." Lastly, drink plenty of h2o, milk & juice and less/no sodas, kool-aid & fruit drinks.

So, we start 3-4 afternoons per week, get everybody together, lab included, and go for a walk. Find a park or school track close by and start with 20mins, then slowly increase to 30mins, then 45mins of brisk walking. Everyone will like it, will benefit from it and it's cardio. (Making sure there's no pain as everybody walks). We all need to "burn" the calories we consume. So, 3-4 afternoons walking and only 2 afternoons at the TV per week. Add a 5th day of softball or something recreational, yet still moving, getting all involved again, hubby and the dog too. So you have 5 days of activity/cardio/movement combined with eating right, and you're all well in your to a healthier/better lifestyle.

As for strength training, 1-2x/week, a simple 15-20mins dumbell routine in your livingroom or back porch will do the trick, again getting your daughter and hubby involved also. Your safest/best workouts can be found in Shape Magazine or from a personal trainer. It should only take 1-2 sessions with a trainer, writing all exercises/reps down, then you're off to teach the family! Remember to stretch after all workouts, walking or weights please.

It may seem like a lot now M., but in time it will make a difference. You'll notice 1)in the way clothes fit, you'll feel/sleep better, 2)inches will decrease, then lastly 3)pounds will decrease too. It will all happen slowly so have patience and above all, have fun! :)

If at any point you have questions feel free to contact me please. I'm a Personal Trainer, Licensed Massage Therapist, Birth Doula, Physical Therapy Tech and former Group Fitness/Aerobic Instructor(of 12 years). I'm at: ____@____.com or ###-###-####. :)

Warmly,
D. P., LMT, CPT, Doula

I feel your pain. My daughter turns 3 in july of htis year. Like you I work full-time. I am also a single parent trying to be everything my daughter needs, since her father does not seem to want anything to do with her. He does not visit her, but can go nextdoor (Literally) to visit his brother. Along with not paying child-support. I also go to school trying to finish my bachelors degree to hopefully get a better paying job so that my daughter can have everything she deserves out of life.

I can tell you - I have become frustrated with my weight and being asked if I am pregnant again.... So this is what I have done, and it is a slow process but it is working for me.

I take snacks to work everyday that are much healthier for me than the typical snack machines full of junk. I also take a water bottle or something of either tea or rystal Light - it helps me avoid the soda machines....

I also invested money in myself by buying a Gazelle Edge workout/ski machine.... I use it every morning before I get my daughter up and in the evening after I put her to bed. I have it in my livingroom so that I can workout and watch TV.. my mind drifts into the show and before I know I have been on the machine for 30 minutes.

For breakfast in the morning (because it is the most important meal) I have my coffee (or Hot tea depending upon the weather) and some Whole grain or German Rye bread with some cream cheese and some fruit or tomatoes.... and then for dinner - I fill my plate with veggies I like and even indulge in cheese toppers... and I cook as healthy as I can - but something that my daughter will eat as well... I cant cook different meals because she always asks - WHAT YOU GOT... or I WANT SOME - So I make things like fajitas or burritos and such - I just eat mine without the breads MOST of the time - I make mine into a salad or something.

I have also found out that Olive Garden sells the salad dressing - and I love it - so, with a bottle of it at home - I find I am more willing to health salads at home as well.... and I am not big on salads.

I hope this helps -

Oh - and one more thing - www.slim-fast.com is free to register. I log in EVERYTHING I put in my mouth throughout the day - if it is not in their database I add it.... but it helps me realize what I eat and what I should be eating.

so far I have dropped 10 lbs in about 2 months.....

If you are in north austin and could spare an hour a day I would be willing to work with you on this. Many gyms offer child care while you are there, and if you need a work out partner i am available. I previously worked in a gym training and mangaing prior to moving here and have not yet been back to one since my move and my baby.

If not you can try going for a walk or light jog with your child maybe while they ride their bike, or with summer being here swimming is great exercise. Also try packing a lunch for work the night before you will save countless calories that way. Try packing things like sandwich, cottage cheese, tuna, fruit, and juice or water for beverage. You will drop some weight just by removing soda from your diet. you can also try protein bars. there is one brand in particular that arent as healthy as others but dont taste like cardboard they are called zone perfect. try having one of those on hand instead of getting fast food, or you can keep a few granola bars stashed on hand to have one to hold you over till you can get home to eat healthy. And foremost do not eat for 2 hours before bed, and try not to have dinner be your biggest portion meal of the day, the earlier you have the largest portion the more that will burn off during daytime activity! also many small portions will help out try doubling to 6 small portions.Best of luck If you need any advise or a work out partner please feel free to get a hold of me

Hi M.,
I know how you feel. I was asked one time by some kids that I used to work with if I was having a baby and knew it was time to get on the ball : ) In the middle of April I decided to give myself a graduation present (finished my bachelors and start masters at the end of the month) and I joined LA weight loss. It is kinda expensive, but I have also done nutrisystem and slimfast, and the price is definately comparable to them. I have been on the program for a little over two and half weeks and have already lost 12 pounds. I am never hungry and you eat your own food. I will be more than happy to share some pointers with you that I have learned. ____@____.com

My husband and I have a busy schedule so I understand. My husband has tried multiple diets since we have been married and none of them seem to fit our schedule of living. In November he heard about this deit called the Abs Diet. He went to Barnes & Nobles and bought the books and he absolutely loves it.

It is more like a change the way you eat for life rather than don't eat sweets or bread like all these wierd diets. You basically eat whole wheat products and power foods that are good for your body like blueberries, peanut butter, beans, dairy, and flaxseed. You eat three meals a day and you have a snack about 1 1/2 hours after every meal so you never get hungry. When you feel hungry your body has already gone into starve mode and begins storing your own fat.

He has lost over 30 lbs and gone down 2 pants sizes since November and hasn't had a hard time with it at all. Even through all the holiday seasons! And the coolest thing is that you get a cheat meal once a week that you can eat whatever you want!

And another cool thing is that in the book you can get recipies for the diet and also antoher book shows you what to eat when you are out at fast food places.

He loves it maybe you can try it!

First of all the meals you eat need to be small and many. Start with some oatmeal,a small piece of fruit and 2 egg whites. Buy stuff you can put in a trail mix like, pretzels, raisins,nuts, and yes even m&m's. you can snack on this in between your 3 main meals. Lunch can be a sandwich, try the new HEB bakeshop Glycemic Health bread, it's low in sugars. Also try drinks like Fuze green or white tea. It has many antioxidents found in vegetables no sodium and very light in sugar. One bottle is two servings at only 60 calories. Stay away from sodas, diet sodas too. Too much sodium there. You're last main meal should be a light salad with a small portion of meat (preferrably chicken). Try not to eat after 3 hours before you go to bed. If you must make it a light snack like a oatmeal bar or something.
You also need cardio cardio cardio. Try one of those exercise balls.. they usually come with a video tape. Get a small one for your daughter and during you favorite t.v. show, just bounce. Bounce for an hour. Try this for at least a week, you'll feel more energy, than take a walk with your daughter on her bike, walk the dog or something like that. Remember baby steps ok.
Curves is a great place to join as well, it only takes 30 minutes and hubby can have some daddy/daughter time while you have some peer time as well as you time. God Bless you and good luck. Angie

I know how you feel and it is so irritating. You don't want to be rude but just want to scream at the people, and it just make you feel more aware of your weight, and it hurts. I also have a weight issue. My daughter is eight. Now its even worse since I have had my youngest daughter who is going on eight months. If you find something that works to get people to back off, Please let me know. Good luck!

I don't really have advice just to say you are not alone. I too work full time, have a 13 month old boy and get asked that all the time. My husband says I should Something really stupid about making up a disorder that I could have and walk away. I've never done that but it sounds funny just to watch their mouth drop and apologize like crazy.

M.
I know how you feel I was just asked the other day that same question I Just look at them and say I wish that was my problem. That makes other people think twice about asking people that question. I still haven't lost my weight I have 8yr son and 3 yr girl it seem that i will loose the weight after I give girth except 10-20pounds than i go right back to the weight I was when I was preg. I'm a stess eater.I'm sorry I don't have any help But I know how you feel
L. M

Dear M.:

I too have had the same problem and on top of that my kids were calling me fat. Not meaning any harm but just being truthful like kids are. I had to ask myself some important questions though. Not only did I want to lose the weight for outward appreneces but also for my health and I think when we look at it like that we get motivied. Do you want to see your children grow up, get married and have kids? Do you want to be the best person for yourself? Healthy and full in every way. I think as mother, wives and workers we are so focused on everyone and everything else we neglect the one person that is making it all happen OURSELVES!

For me what I did was got up earlier and went to the gym for just an half hour 3 times a week. Do you not deserve that much? Think about it as a life change. Just like we need to work to provide for our families, we need to exercise to provide for our body's. After I thought I was having a stroke and a heart attack I woke up. If I die tomorrow my job, my husband and kids will go on without me but if I take 30 minutes, three times a week I can share in the enjoyment of life with them.

Be blessed

Hi M. - I totally know what you're talking about and where you're coming from. I gained 70lbs w/ my daughter and another 30 w/ my son. I've been overweight my entire life and I know that pain that comes with it. Then I found the most incredible program. Kimkins. Using this program I actually lost 105 pounds in only 5 months! I've kept it off now for almost 3 mos and I am so happy!!! If you want more information on the program you can check out the website at www.kimkinsdiet.net or you can read my story on my blog at http://mytotaltransformation.blogspot.com

I live in Round Rock and I'd be more than happy to answer any questions you may have regarding the program. I really think that it is one of the best things that has ever happened to me. The support is incredible and I certainly cannot argue w/ my own results. Please feel free to email me: ____@____.com. I completely understand and sympathize with you. I've been there for so long and I know the frustration and pain of up and down dieting. I hope that you find your answer... Good luck!