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How long did it take you to get back into shape with no. 2
I bounced back after no. 1 ... Not happening with this one. I feel so fat and disgusting. Nothing fits and my post baby body is flabby and gross. I am in the fitness industry and have 14 weeks from now to get back into shape... I am currently a size 14 and am normally a size 8 ;-( I feel like I have a huge mountain to climb to reclaim some of my former figure.
I feel your pain Redgum. My DS turned 1 today and I go back to work in three weeks. Realistically, I need to lose a good ten kilos, but fifteen would be fantastic. I did start the 12 wbt, but am currently off the wagon, but am planning to start that again as I loved it for the four weeks I was on it. Not that I will know until I lose the weight but I also think my body shape has changed ( ie tummy heaps bigger), as DS was 10lb10 born and quite frankly my stomach was huge. Time will tell I guess. In the meantime, I need to get a whole new work wardrobe because nothing fits.....
Awww, Redgum. :(
It'll come in time. I'm guessing if you're in the fitness industry that you're eating well and doing a little exercise? I wouldn't be putting too much pressure on yourself yet - it's still early days and you want to make sure you're in top shape to keep Breastfeeding and looking after a newborn. Are you really expected to be back to your pre-pregnancy shape in 14 weeks? If so, that's a bit of pressure you don't need!
With small age gaps, your body just doesn't spring back. It can't. You may be in the fitness industry, but that doesn't mean your body hasn't been pulled out of all proportion twice in the last three years - it takes time to go back to how it was. It is not going to happen in under a month: it is not going to happen in under two months. It may happen by three if you push it, but do you really need to push it?
I'd love a fitness instructor that wasn't a stick insect. Someone who was fit and was in normal sized clothes? Someone fit and had a post-baby body? I'd sign up for that class.
I've had three kids, but two then a gap. However after my third, I was sick of feeling icky and got into shape, and lost 9kgs in as many weeks. Lowest weight I had been since all my kids!
Here's how I did it here: 13 VERY Easy Tips For Losing Weight And Feeling Great This Summer.
I have found it a lot harder after DS2 - not just because it was 2 babies in under 2 years, but also because, well, I now have two kids!
Be consistent. Don't make a whole bunch of vows to yourself and then beat yourself up in a month because you haven't stuck to them all.
Make consistent improvements, pat yourself on the back when you succeed, figure out any trigger points (eg: so often for me, when DS needed a feed I'd suddenly realise I hadn't eaten in ages - so I'd grab whatever was easiest to snack on during the feed ... so pre-preparing some healthy grab-able things would have been a good idea! and when people came to visit and asked if they could bring something, I should have asked them to bring something healthy, instead of "anything!" which generally translates to "delicious sugar and butter filled baked items!").
But yeah, I'm just doing it a bit at a time. Eating better, eating fresher, serving more appropriate portion sizes, eating less processed stuff ... moving more, getting outside more ... getting rid of artificial sweeteners, replacing drinks with water ...
I wish I could say I had a really good, regular gym routine - but I don't anymore. Pre-kids, I used to go 3 times a week and then exercised at home three times a week. Not anymore. I work long hours and so I prefer to maximise my "after hours" time with my kids - and that means (for me - not for everyone) that it will just take a bit longer to get back to my pre-baby size and fitness level.
I'm determined, I will succeed, but it will take more than 14 weeks!
I'm in exactly the same situation as you. My first baby was born at 33 weeks, and I didn't put on too much excess weight, so it all fell off within a few weeks. Now I realise how lucky I was... This pregnancy, I ate crap and went full term (overdue actually). My little boy is 7 weeks old now and I still have 10kgs to lose to get my old body back. I'm used to being quite thin, and now I have a jelly belly, my hips have spread and my butt and thighs are huge (for me).
In the last week I have started calorie counting... I'm basically just cutting out the chocolate bars (daily) and Maccas I was eating (3 times a week), and I've already lost a kilo!
I just think with a bit of work and time, it'll come off. I think the hips might be here to stay though :(
Yes, I guess I need to be more realistic about what I can & can't achieve in that time. I eat pretty healthy, I think I need to watch portions, although am scared of calorie counting as I've been working so hard to breastfeed.
Kelly, I will look at that link now.
I don't expect to loose 15kg in 14 weeks but I need to be looking like a role model at least ie no jelly belly & toned. It makes me feel sick when I look in the mirror. I exercised all through pregnancy no 1, but had SPD this time round so was on bed rest for the last month of my pregnancy.
I will get there, it's nice to know I'm not alone. Thanks girls!!
Sorry, yes, you should probably avoid calorie counting if you're breastfeeding, I'm not anymore which is why I've now started.
I really need to work on toning my tummy too - I hate it. I guess ab crunches are best for that.
I'm a curvy woman and I'd love to see someone travel the same journey as me in self care post pg. it would give me confidence that they aren't perfect, just as I'm not perfect. That's the kind of role model I'd want to get fit with.
That's a great point Frangapani!
Connie - planks are great for abs
I think the reality is, fitness focused or not, that women's bodies do take a while to return to whatever state of normalcy they embodied pre-pregnancy. And some things don't 'return' because hey, you have grown, sustained and birthed another human from scratch! That is what your clients should be aware of and appreciate. That's more real, honest and healthy in my eyes. That's not to say mothers shouldn't work on a post natal fitness plan if they want to, but it takes time. Do you have regular clients? Maybe you could give insight into where you are at with your own fitness journey right now. It's just starting, in good time you can show how things can progress.
I have to admit I'll be stalking this thread. I'm a bodybuilder who is preg with #2 and will be looking to get back on stage within 13 weeks of birth, with an aim to also bf this time after failing with my 7 year old.
If you hit google there are a few people who have competed while successfully bfing. Also, rather than calorie counting, I'll be macro tracking and going more for that. If you look at Layne Norton's methods, in regards to diet, they look like they will work with bfing.
Also Google ildiko Browning, she was back on stage 9m post TWINS!
Although at the same time, I agree with everyone else. Try, but don't jeopardise your health, or your bfing goals to make it. Even my sponsors know that if I can't make it work successfully with bfing, I delay my comeback.
When you breastfeed you only need an extra 500 calories in your diet, and if my memory serves me correctly thats about the calories you'll get in a banana and a slice of wholegrain toast or something, its not huge.
Obviously if you're eating takeaway (of which, the calories often equates to 50% of your daily recommended intake) not only is it not healthy but you wont be getting the nutrients you need. You can lose weight safely if you switch to healthy foods.
The main thing is making sure you have a balanced diet and a couple of extra healthy snacks so your body has enough calories to breastfeed. Weight loss is 70% diet, I never hit the gym or went for a jog to lose kilos but obviously it would speed it up/tone you up more. A daily walk is all you need.
That's good to know re: calories. I eat very well, usually porridge for breakfast (yes, even in summer), salad, sandwich or sushi for lunch & dinner is varried. It's my snacks I need to work on and portion size.
Candy - wow that's a big goal, are you watching your weight gain in pg? Are u still training now? I am on tapatalk so can't see signatures but how far along are you?
I actually fell pregnant on the back of a comp cycle, so approx 10% body fat when I conceived. This meant my body went into a rapid fat accumulation phase.
Sadly I can't train while preg, as soon as my temp or heart rate climb, I start vomiting. I've eaten as well as I could keep down (sadly carbs and oil were most reliable). I'm up approx 15kg on my normal weight at 35w. but am not trying to curb it. I'm happy to let my body do what it needs and then sort it out when this one arrives.
I agree that weightloss is 70% diet. But a good weights program does wonders for the body shape, as well as prevention of a bunch of lovely issues like bone density loss, poor posture etc.