alarming weight gain - post pregnancy weight loss plan

I am now past 38 wks, and haven't been on the scale for awhile. Hopped on
last night and was amazed to see 170! I started out at 125... This is of
course in the evening, when I'm generally full of dinner, and I am starting
to swell a bit, but still, I can't believe how big I am. My Large sized
maternity clothes are almost too small! My eating since right before
thanksgiving has been pretty bad. I love to cook and bake, and I've been
home all day every day for the past month doing just that, and of course
eating it as well... I have no one to blame but myself. I'm just wondering
about weight loss after baby is born. I plan to breast feed so I know that
weight loss must be slow and no drastic changes or calorie restrictions in
diet. So here is my weight loss plan...

Eat less crap. WELL DUH! But seriously, if I just cut out the goodies that
I've been "supplementing" with, that I believe will make a pretty big
difference right there. I am going to look further into proper nutrition
for breastfeeding - but does anyone know if there are specific nutrients you
need more of while breastfeeding?

After physical restrictions are lifted after delivery, I plan on using my
elliptical at least 20 minutes every day, and since we have dogs, I'd like
to commit to walking them at least 20 minutes every day. At some point, I'd
like to get back to the gym, but I just don't know how soon I'll be able to
do that. I don't want to join until I'm sure I can make that commitment.

I'm assuming that with delivery I'll lose around what? 12-15 lbs right at
the hospital? And then within a couple weeks, maybe 5 or so lbs of water
weight and reduced blood supply? Not really sure. But that will still
leave me with 25+ lbs to lose. I am going to give myself the 9 months it
took me to gain it to lose it all, but I do hope it comes off before that.

Could anyone share their previous post natal weight loss experiences?

Betsy

Betsy,

First of all, I don't think you should feel ashamed or shocked about
170 pounds! I, for one, started out a bit heavier than you with DD
(about 140 pounds), and I topped out at 182. Amazingly, I was one of
few in my circle of friends who didn't bust 200 in a first pregnancy.

After I had DD, I lost 18 pounds the first day, but then a lot of that
came right back on with really bad water retention. I was
breastfeeding exclusively and resumed regular walking after 2 weeks
(regular exercise, like an elliptical machine, after 6 weeks) but
couldn't get below 160 until DD was about 4 months old. At that time,
in desperation, I started truly dieting, trying to use the Weight
Watchers point system, basically. Anyway, I lost 20 pounds in just a
few weeks, increased my caloric intake back to where it was, then lost
10 more over the next couple months. I credit my loss more to DD's
increased appetite than to my dieting efforts.

Anyway, on DD's first birthday, a couple months after I stopped
breastfeeding, I was still at 130, which is lighter than I was when I
got pregnant with her, so it wasn't so bad.

If you're planning to breastfeed, make sure you get lots of calcium,
protein, etc. Drink PLENTY of water or other fluids. Keep taking your
prenatals. And be patient. I've heard other moms claim they lost all
their weight within a month or two, but like I said, it wasn't until DD
was getting quite large and eating quite a lot that my weight loss
started to occur. But once it started, it happened fast.

Hope that helps. Good luck!!

-Carlye
DD 9-29-04
EDD #2 late May/early June

Could anyone share their previous post natal weight loss experiences?

Approximately from memory:

Baby #1 (girl) 5wg -- 165#; went into labor -- 210#; 3 weeks postpartum --
165#; 6 mos postpartum -- 145#

Baby #2 (boy) 4wg -- 145#; went into labor -- 195#; 3 weeks postpartum --
175#; 6 mos postpartum -- 160#

None of this has involved exercise or good diet (unfortunately). I am 5'9"

hth

Dagny

In article ,
"oregonchick" wrote:

Could anyone share their previous post natal weight loss experiences?

With my first, I gained 30 - 35 pounds (I'm tall and was on the thin
side when I got pregnant), and it was all gone by my six-week checkup
with no effort on my part. Meanwhile, my breastfed baby was putting on a
pound a week...
--
Sara
accompanied by TK, number two, due in April of 2006

"oregonchick" wrote in message
. ..
I am now past 38 wks, and haven't been on the scale for awhile. Hopped on
last night and was amazed to see 170! I started out at 125... This is of
course in the evening, when I'm generally full of dinner, and I am
starting
to swell a bit, but still, I can't believe how big I am. My Large sized
maternity clothes are almost too small! My eating since right before
thanksgiving has been pretty bad. I love to cook and bake, and I've been
home all day every day for the past month doing just that, and of course
eating it as well... I have no one to blame but myself. I'm just
wondering
about weight loss after baby is born. I plan to breast feed so I know
that
weight loss must be slow and no drastic changes or calorie restrictions in
diet. So here is my weight loss plan...


Well, I'm usually in the 125 lb range as well, and I gained at *least* 40
lbs with each of my previous pregnancies. And lost it all both times. So I
don't think your gain is all that alarming.

With my first pregnancy, I was back in my pre-pregnancy jeans (I measure by
that more than by poundage) by 4 months post-pardum. The second time took
longer--but I think it was still within 6 or 7 months. I really didn't do
much--I'm terrible when it comes to sticking with exercise plans. I
breastfed both, tried to control the junk-food eating, drank lots of water,
and tried to go out for walks frequently. That's it. I didn't really think
about it that much, and it wasn't that hard. I think breastfeeding had more
to do with it than anything.

I think you have a good plan and a good attitude about losing weight after
pregnancy. You'll probably be fine.

--
Jodi
SAHM to Oliver (4 years),
Arwen (2 years),
and "bubbles" (edd May 5, 2006)

I think you have to go with the flow, do what you need to do to survive, one
the day I had my first I weighed 150lb and within a week was 136lb, normal
weight being 132lb, I was still 136lb when he was a year old, with very
little up and down in between. I then managed to lose the rest and more by
being ill (not recommened!). The cycle then started over, started pregnancy
at 132lb got up to 155lb (extra weight was mostly baby, she was 3lb bigger)
down to 136lb withing a week, then the drama begins, now I don't know what I
weight, but it's more than that, probably aroun 150lb, but I don't really
care, I don't comfort eat, but I do eat for energy which with 2 small
children tends to mean grabbing a snack more frequently than ideal and it
tends to be sugary for a quick boost. I'd like to weigh less, but there are
things I rate much more highly, physical and mental health for starters, as
it happens I'm going to a fitness assessment at the gym this week to get a
new program (I've not been going since ~32 weeks pregnant, Ada is almost 6
months), but that's nothing to do with weight, that's for physical health,
I've only just realised as I type this that weight loss would be a nice
consequence.

The only thing I will say is plan in advance what snacks you can eat when
you are breastfeeding, fill the cupboards up with them, my mistake was to
eat chocolate, I shunned biscuits as I tended to find that I would eat one
with a night feed and wake up very very thirsty with a nasty taste in my
mouth, I haven't figured my way round that one.

Don't make weight loss your target, make being healthy and looking after
your family your aim, the weightloss will come, not when you want it
necessarily, but it will happen.

Anne

oregonchick wrote:

Could anyone share their previous post natal weight loss experiences?

Betsy

Su I am about 60 lbs over my desired weight and about 40 lbs of that
is still from pregnancy. My son is 4 months old. I walk daily, and do
not eat any differently now to my prepregnancy diet.

I am extremely discouraged and I feel I am going to be this size for the
rest of my life. :-( Even DH is worried...

Jacqueline

In message , oregonchick
writes

Could anyone share their previous post natal weight loss experiences?

I didn't gain much during the pregnancy, but I absolutely ballooned
after the baby was born. I have never been so famished as I was in
those early weeks after delivery. Even now I couldn't say that was a
bad thing - I was breastfeeding, I was exhausted, and I had a lot of
healing to do after surgery. If it happens again, I don't think I'll
fight it.

Froggie self-weaned at 21 months. It was about three months after that
that I started losing the baby fat.

My experience is that the hormonal imperative will win.
--
Mogget

"Cuddlefish" wrote in message
news:TZMif.639475$oW2.238450@pd7tw1no...
oregonchick wrote:

Could anyone share their previous post natal weight loss experiences?

Betsy

Su I am about 60 lbs over my desired weight and about 40 lbs of that is
still from pregnancy. My son is 4 months old. I walk daily, and do not eat
any differently now to my prepregnancy diet.

I am extremely discouraged and I feel I am going to be this size for the
rest of my life. :-( Even DH is worried...

Jacqueline

Well, I've been there before, and weight loss is something I'm pretty good
at. I've never been 60 lbs overweight, but the principal is still the same.
How many calories are you eating? If you are still breastfeeding, I don't
know how much you should eat, but if you have weaned, shoot for 10 cal x
current bodyweight in lbs. You should try tracking your food intake
religiously for awhile to get a feel for what you are eating and how much.
Look into www.fitday.com which is a free online service where you can track
food exercise and weight.

Perhaps your exercise is not adequate. You should be getting your heart
rate up there and get good and sweaty at least 20 minutes every day, but
preferably closer to 45 min. Walking might not do the trick. Walking is
great, but sometimes you just have to sweat to see progress.

If you keep your calories within reason - around that 10 x bodyweight, and
you are getting the exercise, and still not losing, it's time to see the
doc. Also, if you cut your calories TOO low, your body goes into starvation
mode and burns muscle and conserves fat.

Betsy

Thanks to everyone who responded. I feel so old at 30! The thought of
being back in prepregnancy pants sounds exhilirating but somehow so very far
off...

"oregonchick" wrote in message
. ..
I am now past 38 wks, and haven't been on the scale for awhile. Hopped on
last night and was amazed to see 170! I started out at 125... This is of
course in the evening, when I'm generally full of dinner, and I am starting
to swell a bit, but still, I can't believe how big I am. My Large sized
maternity clothes are almost too small! My eating since right before
thanksgiving has been pretty bad. I love to cook and bake, and I've been
home all day every day for the past month doing just that, and of course
eating it as well... I have no one to blame but myself. I'm just
wondering about weight loss after baby is born. I plan to breast feed so I
know that weight loss must be slow and no drastic changes or calorie
restrictions in diet. So here is my weight loss plan...

Eat less crap. WELL DUH! But seriously, if I just cut out the goodies
that I've been "supplementing" with, that I believe will make a pretty big
difference right there. I am going to look further into proper nutrition
for breastfeeding - but does anyone know if there are specific nutrients
you need more of while breastfeeding?

After physical restrictions are lifted after delivery, I plan on using my
elliptical at least 20 minutes every day, and since we have dogs, I'd like
to commit to walking them at least 20 minutes every day. At some point,
I'd like to get back to the gym, but I just don't know how soon I'll be
able to do that. I don't want to join until I'm sure I can make that
commitment.

I'm assuming that with delivery I'll lose around what? 12-15 lbs right at
the hospital? And then within a couple weeks, maybe 5 or so lbs of water
weight and reduced blood supply? Not really sure. But that will still
leave me with 25+ lbs to lose. I am going to give myself the 9 months it
took me to gain it to lose it all, but I do hope it comes off before that.

Could anyone share their previous post natal weight loss experiences?

Betsy