It does take time Loula. The main thing is to be consistent. Give your body time to settle in with the breastfeeding and lack of sleep. Start off gently, walking daily with bubs in the pram is great for both of you. Eating well is also good. Breastfeeding mums only need up to an extra 500 calories a day, a block of chocolate will blow that! Drinking around 2.5 litres of water a day is great for you and will make you feel so much better. The days when my water intake is low, I feel really foggy and lethargic.

After DD was born, I was pigging out on unhealthy snacks like chocolate and cakes and biscuits. Even though I was doing big walks with both kids in the pram every day, my weight was not budging and it was because of what I was putting in my mouth. My portion sizes were way too big and I was eating too much rice and pasta. I'm another where the weight does not just "fall off" with breastfeeding.

The last month or so I've been following a 12 week program and I'm feeling fitter and am now just starting to lose the extra weight. What I've learnt though, is that I don't need huge portion sizes and all that junk food. I feel better for not stuffing my face with it. Yep, I have a little treat once or twice a week, but I stop at one piece of chocolate now instead of polishing off the whole block (that was a mission in itself for a chocoholic ).

Healthy snack ideas:
1 red capsicum cut into strips with 2 tablespoons hommus is only around 150 calories
Punnet of strawberries and a banana is 150 calories
20 sakata wholegrain rice crackers = 133 calories
2 slices of low fat cheese on 3-4 wholegrain crackers (eg vitawheats) is 135 calories
individual tub of low fat yoghurt is around 90 calories
Glass of skim milk with a tablespoon of diet chocolate topping is about 95 calories

Come join us in the fitness thread if you like. There is also a group on Facebook that leesa started called Fat Chic Slim. We're doing an Around the World Challenge at the moment.

Be consistent with your walking and healthy eating and you will get there, it's not a race! xx