I am still carrying around post-pregnancy weight, and I am ready to start my new year's resolution today! I am so tired all the time (no energy), and I just need to make the time to exercise even with a full time career and being mommy all the time! I'd love to lose 30 lbs! Then I'd be back to my pre-children weight...aaah, the good ol' days! What are you gals doing these days that's helping you lose weight, tone up, and stay fit? I especially need help with my mid-section. I've retained extra weight in my belly area that I need to desperately get rid of! Any advice or suggestions (regarding nutrition and exercise) in the right direction is greatly appreciated!
www.sparkpeople.com !!!!!!!!! HANDS down! You input your stats (height, weight, eating habits, exercise habits, etc) and they personalize a diet and exercise program JUST for you! You can set a weight loss goal and they'll adjust your daily calorie intake to reflect that goal (and the same goes for fitness...the more you exercise, the more calories you get to eat! woohoo!) They have optional meal plans (I turn those off because that's just too much for me.... I simply track what I eat normally)
It is absolutely FREE and I've already lost 18 pounds over there without even really thinking too much about it since September 30th! I even lost weight through Thanksgiving!!
If you have any questions about getting set up over there, let me know. ;) It's awesome and I'm amazed that it's free! :)
I gained 50 pounds from my pregnancy. It took a year but I did lose all the weight and am back to my pre-preggers clothes. I did not do a diet and honestly, rarely had enough time for dedicated exercise (running after my child instead!). I cut out all products made with High Fructose Corn Syrup... not just junk food made with corn syrup, but yogurt, bread, crackers, salad dressing, etc. You'll be amazed at what is manufactured with corn syrup! Start reading the labels of what you're eating. Your body processes corn syrup and man-made sweeteners differently than foods made with natural sugar; you just don't burn those foods/calories as efficiently as foods made with cane sugar. Good luck!
Calista,
I am new to mamasource and have just been reading about the kinds of topics discussed on this forum. It's so cool to connect w/ all the moms out there! I checked out a link that another mom posted about weight loss. The title was like flat stomach or something, but I found a very cool, informative, and useful ebook on that site for FREE! I believe it was written by a personal trainer and nutrition consultant. Check it out (the ebook) and see if it may help you with your goals. I surfed the site too and it does have some good info as well.
http://www.flat-stomach-fitness.com/
I'm not done reading it yet, but I love what I've learned (or should I say "re-learned") so far! Good luck!
Calista,
I feel ya knockin'!!! I recently joined LA Fitness. I belonged to 24Hr before marriage and the kiddo. For me, lifting weights is what works. I do not weigh myself. I track my progress with my overall fat percentage and dress/pant size. The impotant thing to focus on is what works for you. I do not believe in "majic" pills or "lose ten pounds fast" fads. The only surefire way to lose fat is to burn more calories than you consume. Many small meals is better than two or three big meals. Many women are sucessful with pure cardio. It does not work for me. When you incorporate any resistance training, such as weight lifting, your muscles are torn down. When the body "repairs" these torn muscles, it uses fat to do so. Hence, fat loss. And just an added fact, women who lift weights for fat loss and toning the body DO NOT turn into those women you see that have big bulky "man" bodies. Those women lift professionally and they train for hours everyday. So, if you decide to lift weights, dont worry about bulking up.
Good Luck in your adventure,
Margaret :)
I was in your shoes at this time last year. I finally decide to try Weight Watchers since my manager at work had such great success with it. I've lost 33 lbs since February of 2008. The last few months I've maintained this loss, but I haven't been trying real hard to lose any additional, but after the holidays I will get back on track. My goal for the holidays is to just maintain for now.
I have been doing Weight Watchers completely online, no meetings. This works for me, but I know lots of people who enjoy the meetings and there are plenty around to choose from. What is great about WW is that I can eat whatever I want as long as I stay within the plan so I never feel deprived. The plan forces you to make healthy food choices and change your eating habits altogether so it's not a diet it's a lifestyle change.
I also have been taking middle eastern dance (belly dance) classes for a little over a year. The classes really helped to tighten my mid section. Even though I have a back ground in dance I find it very difficult, but so much fun and I love the challenge.
I am sure you will find the right plan and fitness strategy for yourself!
I had 60 lbs to loose after my son almost 28 years ago. My best advice is to loose it now. It DOES get harder as the years go by.
I made up my mind & just did it. I started with 10 each of certain exercises in my living room. The next day I did 15, the next 20. As I went along I added one more exercise a day. Within no time I was working out an hour every day.
I wish I could do that now. I've been planning it for 3 years. DUH. Take your own advice grandma! LOL
Good luck!
Calista
Try the Slim Shots, i lost 15 lbs in 5 weeks.
Oly
all good advice so far (but i don't know what slim shots are) anyway, yoga is fabulous for your body, as well as the mental and emotional strengthening is does (we need that as moms!) it is wonderful for core strengthening. also check out nia. it is very aerobic, and very very dancy. you do not have to be a dancer to take a class, you move at your own pace, and it is non-performance oriented. there is a studio in the heights that even has child care! pm me if you would like more info about either of these ideas; i teach yoga and have some friends who teach nia. have a great day!
I used sparkpeople.com to lose 73 pounds from October 2007 to August 2008. It's great and it's free!!! Now I'm pregnant with twins so some of that weight loss is out the window, but I'm back at it once they're here!! Good luck!!!!!!!!!!
Hi Calista
Something that helped me was weight watchers. i am not one who needs to go to meetings so i did it all online. if you are motivated by accountability, i definately recommend the meetings. i lost majority of my baby weight with both boys doing that. also, you need to do at least 30 mins of cardio 5 times a week, getting your heart rate up to where you are breathing heavy but not uncomfortable. it could be as easy as pushing the baby stroller in a hilly neighborhood. also, you MUST weight train 2x a week. that is the key! you build muscle, that is going to make your metabolism go up. so even when you are doing nothing you are still burning calories. another idea is if you have time warner, use the exercise on demand and find jillian michaels workouts. they are 20 min and kick your butt!!! best of luck! :) ps. a workout/health partner is also nice to have too!
Something to consider while doing any fitness program is that your body may not ever look the same as it did. My sister lost a huge amount of weight doing the Special K diet and going to Jazzercize. She's itty bitty now (yes, I'm jealous as I still weigh the same as I did post partum with my first child and I'm expecting #5!)
Anyway, although she is thin and fit her belly is still poochy. Not actually fat, but not flat either. and her hips are still much wider then they were because of the way the hips become disjointed to birth a baby (I had c-sections and yet my hips also spread in the last week.)
so, ultimately strive to get healthy but also learn to love your body however it turns out to be because it's a sign of your love for your children! :)
BTW, I take my children around a track several times a week. The 1 YO and 3 YO goes in a double stroller because they are too slow but also pushing the weight helps exercise my upper body while walking as well. I just started this while pregnant and although I am 28 weeks along I haven't gained ANY weight!
Just an FYI. I joined the YMCA on Queenston and Longenbaugh a couple of months ago. They have a ton of classes you can try out and the month of Dec. you can try it out for FREE!!! They are offering a free membership until Dec. 30.
They have child care also and my kiddos love it.
Jessica
The South Beach Diet worked for my family and still does. We've been using it for about 2 years now and love it! We've been able to take off weight and keep it off!!! Whatever you decide it needs to be something that you can stick to for the rest of your life. South Beach is not only easy and delicious it is healthy. All you have to do is get the main book and maybe purchase some extra recipe books (I got almost all of mine at Half Price Books!). I hope this helps, God bless!
Hi Calista,
I hope you are doing well. I read you post on needing some help loosing your post-baby weight and gaining more energy!! My name is Jessica and I am a CrossFit certified coach/personal trainer based in Austin, TX and would love to help you. I work with people one on on, in boot camps as well as online so even though you are based in Houston I could still work wonders for you. I even have a client based in Austrailia.
I can provide you with detailed nutritional and workout information tailored to your specific needs plus accountability. I offer an 8 or 16 week package that has 3 detailed workouts a week plus nutrtional information and reviewing weekly food logs. Since I am not actually in-person working with you the rates are of course considerably lower. The 8 week/2 month package for workouts and diet accountability is $300 total and the 16 week package is $500 total. I have worked with many pre-natal and post-natal clients and know the added stress of weight gain and no energy and I'm sure you have enough on your plate without the worry of diet/exercise.
If you are interested you can visit my blog http://jessicasharratt.blogspot.com/ and website www.crossfitcentral.com to check me out further. Let me know if I can be of assistance!
All the best,
Jessica
Look into Weight Watchers. I joined 2 months ago and have lost 14 lbs!! I feel much better and I enjoy going to the meetings because it keeps you interested and teaches you new things. The ladies share ideas, recipes and offer support. I thought I could not afford it, but it is reasonable. I am doing an at work program which allowed me to pay it out in 3 payments. I also got the etools online for free which is also a great help. You log in and track what you're eating. It has a daily check off of how much water, fruits, veggies, etc that you need. It is a great program that works!! Best of luck to you!! =)
Calista,
After my second I got back in shape with Tai-Bo DVD's at home. I liked working out at home because it's easier with the kiddos schedules. I found a couple routines that I liked that were only about 20-25 minutes long and did them a minimum 3 times a week. After my third, I bought a used treadmill on Craig's list and that has been great! Even if you just do a minimum 20 minutes of fast walking on it every day it will help. I also take 1 pilates class a week and that will get your tummy muscles strong again. Find a good instructor who has the pilates machine to work with. That has made such a difference for me and I just had my third 3 months ago. I have more energy. The hardest part is motivating yourself to get up and JUST DO IT. Think about using that great will power of yours that pushed out two babies to help you. You can do it!!!!!
-Delia
I've recently discovered Nexagen and even became a distributor to get the wholesale price. It is a weightloss patch. You stick it on wear it for 24 hours then put on a new one. You lose weight, gain energy, maintain muscle mass, increase muscle mass, sleep better, curve cravings and even helps with stress levels. And the best part is it's all natural. I put my website below if you'd like to check more into it or give me a call. I have tried it all and this is the first product that I can't stop talking about. Let me know if you have any questions.
www.nexagenusa.com/startthepatch
694-8031
Michelle
Hi Calista, well I can tell you that I start my weight loss by joining the YMCA. The membership is not that expensive and you can get a discount depending on the company you or your husband work for. Now to the weight loss. I joined the Spinn Class and let me tell you that I have loss 18.5 pounds and PLENTY of inches within 6 months. It may not sound like a lot but it looks like a lot. I have dropped a pant size and almost 2 dress sizes. Basically I burn anywhere from 450-630 calories each class. I see so much form in body that I am pleased and too hear others say don't loose too much weight well that is just icing on the cake. (that I had to cut back on).I suggest that you do some research on this and see if this is something that could work for you. Good luck.
DeShara
Hi Calista,
The best thing that my husband did for me was buying me a treadmill. I have lost over 25lbs! He bought the treadmill 4yrs ago and he will tell people that the treadmill was the best investment ever. I watch television while I workout. I have lots of energy always. The day I don't excercise I feel guilty. Through the years I have done different types of diets and they work or most of them do. There is nothing like excercising. Workout the don't get seconds and cut back on desserts.
Good luck,
Elisa M