Lose the Baby Weight

After 18 months of carrying the baby weight, I finally joined Weight Watchers. I have lost 10.2 pounds in 4 weeks so far.

You must must must exercise. No matter what pills you take or diets you try, if you aren't really exercising (60+ min cardio and some strength training), then you're not going to lose weight. And it needs to be aggressive exercise if you have a lot of weight to lose. Also, you really have to completely change your eating habits and stay devoted to those changes. Diets don't work. The hardest thing for most people is portion control. Keep a journal. Refresh your memory about portion sizes. You really shouldn't be eating a portion of anything larger than your fist. Water, water, water. Unfortunately there is no magic to it...just work.

If there were pills, vitamin supplements of magical solutions that actually worked...would we be a nation of obese people? I don't think so. The multi-billion (that's right, with a 'B') diet product industry preys on people's desire for a get-thin-quick pill or activity, knowing darn well that either the solution isn't healthy or that the program isn't something that can be sustained over a lifetime.

Proper nutrition and exercise really are the answer. If you're not exercising, get moving. It doesn't matter if you begin with a 30 minute walk daily - you're still moving. Gradually add in weight/strength training. There are many programs online that will assist in building strength at home without the need for any equipment whatsoever. Also focus on your nutrition. Start journaling your caloric/nutrient intake at a site like www.sparkpeople.com and figure out if what you are eating is enough or too much. The best types of foods are the ones that are either picked from a tree or gained from the earth i.e. food in it's most natural form. Avoid processed junk foods and save the 100-calorie packs for occasional treats. The best way to shop for groceries is around the perimeter of the store - where the fruits, vegetables, and lean meats and low-fat dairy products reside. You need to make sure you are eating actual 'food' and meals. Taking pills or meal replacements are not good long-term solutions.

I have had success with weight loss and keeping it off without buying any goofy, gimmicky pills or supplements. I basically did a bunch of research on nutrition and exercise and formulated a healthy eating and exercise plan. The best part? Not only did I drop the weight in a healthy manner, but it is also a 'management plan' that I will be continuing for the REST of my LIFE (diet pills, so-called weight loss vitamins, cleanses, etc. are usually not habits that are healthily adoptable over a lifetime). I never feel hungry and I still eat pizza every Saturday night (it is now only two slices with a big salad).

It's amazing what your body will do when you start to treat it nicely with good food and exercise. Your energy levels will rise, you will feel better overall, your skin may improve, your hair can look healthier, and since you lose weight your self-esteem most likely gets a boost too. In my opinion, these benefits greatly outweigh any potential damage that could come from gimmicky products.

try jillian michaels 30 day shred exercise dvd. it has three levels and all are 20 minutes. i have done it everyday for the last 3 weeks and i have lost ten pounds. i should also say i have finally stopped eating chocolate too. i already eat healthy (very little to no processed foods), but i had a serious chocolate addiction. honestly, i'm back to a size 4 (my youngest is 19 months)and i'm now starting pilates so i can really flatten my stomach. good luck, you'll get there!

Exercise, water, portion control. Eat less processed foods and more fresh fruit and veggies. Now that it's colder, make plenty of soup and chili. Here's a low-fat corn and bean chowder:

2 cups low sodium chicken or vegetable broth
2 carrots, diced
2 celery stalks, diced
1 small all-purpose pototo, diced
1 onion, chopped
1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen corn kernals
1 cup cannellini beans, rinsed & drained
1 cup skim milk
salt & pepper to taste

1. In a soup pot, combine the broth, carrots, celery, potato and onion; bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, until the veggies are tender, about 15 minutes.

2. Stir in the corn, beans, milk, salt & pepper; increase heat and bring to a poil. Reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered for 5 minutes, until corn is tender or heated through.

Per Serving: 194 Calories, 2 g. total fat; 7 g fiber

That soup fills you up and keeps you going.

I also drink plenty of tea or water with lemon. If you can't get outside to walk, pop in an excercise DVD. Walk Away the Pounds, Tae Bo, or something like that. And don't forget to stretch! Weight training will help too. Building muscle boosts metabolism. Get some 5 - 10 lb dumbbells for toning.

I have got my body back after baby by losing 30 pounds drinking mummy magic weight loss tea. This tea is also a great help to keep your breast milk supply;) I LOVE IT.;))))

Shaklee has a great weight loss program that my husband and I have both had success with. It still requires a healthy diet and exercise to really work. As many of the previous posters have said, that's really the best way.
However, to lose weight you also have to cut back on calories. On most diets, when you do that, you lose muscle instead of fat. Your body eventually goes into famine mode and will start storing fat and using energy from muscle. That's why you lose weight for a while and then hit a plateu where you can't seem to lose anymore.
On the Shaklee Cinch plan, you use two shakes or meal replace ment bars a day, mix in some healthy snacks, especially fruits and veggies, and then have a healthy dinner. It comes with a computer program where you can keep track of what you eat and whether you're getting the right nutrients and calorie counts.
The shakes have an amino acid called Leuicine, combined with the right amount of protein, to help you build muscle while losing weight, so that you don't have the same problem you don on other diets.
It also comes with some great tasting snack bars, a supplement that is a multi-vitamin and glucose regulator to help eliminate cravings, and a really healthy green tea.

For more info, visit www.cinchplan.com/rkklemm

Hi J.,

Ditto on the water and excercise. I personally gained over 60 with my first and over 40 with my second. I lost it all with both and then some by excercising. I'm not good at portion control and I love junk so I just work out more to compensate when I eat more than I should.

I started walking and then moved to running to lose my first round of wieght. It took about 6 months but it came off and stayed off. I hated running initially but learned to love it! I look at it as my alone time - I work out before my husband and kids are up so it's done and I don't need a sitter. I invested in an Ipod. If you join a gym that opens early you can work out, shower and be dressed for the day and home before your husband leaves for work. I don't work out at home because it's not condusive to being productive for me - too many distractions and not the right environment.

When running became too much of the same old same old, I added classes at the park district. Kickboxing, step classes, interval training.

You need to find something you enjoy and you need to make it as much a part of your day as brushing your teeth (for some new moms even that is a luxury..ha!). Some of my friends think I'm nuts getting up early and working out. After you get used to it, you have MORE energy throughout your day and feel stronger/healthier. I try to get to bed by 10 and I'm up around 4:30/5:00. My gym opens at 5:30.

Good luck in making a life change. It's so worth it.

N.

The best thing I have found is the Tracy Anderson Method!!! She has a post pregnancy dvd and many others! I started by just searching for her workouts and webisodes on youtube and they are around 10 minutes each. I do them when my baby naps or once she is down for the night. I can tell you they are miracle workers!!! Tracy is person trainer to Gwyneth Paltrow and Madonna and she herself gained 60lbs during her pregnancy. I have been doing her workouts for about 3 months and my butt and thighs are smaller and tighter, my arms are smaller and toned and my stomach is flat and the skin has tightened to the muscle! She swears by these standing ab routines and they are awkward at first but work like nothing ive ever done!! Tracy's method uses the easiest yet most effective ab moves I have ever done. The catch is you do a lot of reps.
I also watch what I eat but without crazy dieting.
For me & most women the biggest thing is cutting out sugar and only eating low glycemic carbs like brown rice and sweet potatoes. It's best to eat ur carbs earlier in the day and not eat any after lunch. None with dinner. I give myself one day a week to eat whatever I want and that keeps me from eating junk all the time.
If you don't have time to workout for an hour just find a few of Tracy's videos or any other videos online (there are literally thousands on you tube!!) and do as many of them as you can, whenever you can....but do them 6 days a week. The most important thing whatever you decide to do is to be consistent, with your food and your workout. Results that are permanent take time. I didn't see changes for a while and then it's like I woke up one morning and pounds had dropped off in my sleep!! It's taken about 5 months since I started seriously working on losing my baby weight but my daughter is 9 months old and I am no 10lbs lighter than when I got pregnant! You can do it! Good luck

This may sound funny, but I breastfeed and that made me loose almost all my baby weight. I lost it all with my first by the time she was a year and now my second I need to lose about 10 more pounds. Breastfeeding burns an extra 1000 calories a day so if you also eat right you will lose most of it. Then add a little excercise, stroll in the mall/ park then it will all go away. With regards to the midsection take up tae kwon do or belly dancing they are great for the midsection and dont bore you to death with situps. If you cant get someone to watch the kids then join the YMCA they all have free childcare with membership or buy some home excercise videos and do them before or after the kids go to bed. best of luck!