Can't lose the baby weight!

bestican

Cathlete
Hi, all.....so WHY can't I lose this baby weight?! My son will be 2 years old in 2 months, and I'm still carrying around 20# from the pregnancy. My workouts are basicly M,T cardio -anywhere from 45-90 minutes, then Cathe's weights...right now I'm doing STS...W,F I do a spin class at my gym, Thursdays I try to get in whatever weight workout I need to accomplish for the week...I KNOW my weekends are part of the problem--hard to get in any type of exercise...usually I get on my treadmill and do a light weight workout-maybe floorwork....but anyway, the amount I eat and the amount I exercise, I should have lost this weight 3 times over......could it be my body hanging on to it since I was 37 when I had my baby? I am at my wits end! My husband is sick of me crabbing about it, I know, but he tries to be supportive....has anyone had any success following any particular rotation? ANY diet advice? I am thinking that could be part of the problem,too....how do you know how many calories you need? I'm confused.....does anyone know any solid nutrition advice? Or any names of books/resources? ALSO, does anyone really get their abs back? I was in the best shape of my life when we found out we were expecting....maybe I'm being unrealistic, and I ADORE my son, but I feel I should be at the LEAST, 10# lighter.
Thanks to anyone who can give any info!!!!
BEstICan
 
Hi, sorry to hear of your frustration. Have you had your thyroid checked? Sometimes thyroid changes happen after birth and can affect weight loss. Talk with your doctor. If not, are you eating enough? Your metabolism may have slowed if you are eating too little. Next suggestion, keep a food journal, are you eating more than you think? If not try something new, perhaps a new instructor, your body may just be too used to the workouts you are doing. Yes, the metabolism slows a little but I had my 2nd at 36 and was able to lose the weight. Final suggestion, perhaps increase the days of weights to increase metabloism.
 
Yes, those are solid suggestions, and I think there is something that I don't want to admit to myself......I eat very well through the day, but a few times a week, when the kids go to bed, I sit in front of the tv and eat out of boredom...........but it's not every night. BUT I am CLUELESS when it comes to nutrition. I thought that the whole calories in/calories out meant you would lose weight....but now I HAVE to eat to lose weight? I think I need to find a nutritionist in my area, but am afraid they will not help me either....would a personal trainer know this info? And yes, the spin classes are only on Wed/Fridays,, so I just wonder if my body is used to the routine...AM going to try to get in extra workouts on weekends....lets hope that helps!

BestICan
 
I don't think adding extra workouts on the weekends is going to do the trick. You need to change what you're already doing. Your body may be stuck in a plateau, and your diet may be offsetting whatever you do accomplish during those workouts.

My son is 8mos old, and I SWEAR by Cathe's 4DS. I got all of the weight off in 1 month with that. For me, the combination of heavy weights and 4 days of some cardio is the right mix. You have to find what your body will respond to right now, vs. what it used to respond to. Your hormones change significantly after childbirth, and you may have a "whole new body" that you're working with now. Try more weight, and different cardio. Change up your schedule. And don't beat yourself up by doing more on the weekends. Rest is just as important as the quality of your workouts.

As for your abs....planks planks planks!!! Amonst other things. But to get the muscle flattened out, you need to really work your transverse. Planks of different varieties are the best!!!
 
Starting in my late thirties (I'm 40 now), it's been much harder to lose the baby weight. I've found that eating really clean is the key, even more than working out. And for me, heavy weights are more important than cardio. I do enjoy cardio, but "fat loss" or rotations that are heavy on cardio and light on weights just don't budge the scale for me.

Everyone is different though.

Tracking your calories on fitday.com (free) might help you see how many calories you are eating and what your nutritional profile looks like.

Maggie:)
 
Eat clean

Hi!

I sure sympathize with you on the pregnancy weight. I am 31 and working hard to lose it from baby #2. For some people it just falls off, but I have to do about 5-6 months of concentrated diet and exercise. I could exercise as much as I want, but the weight doesn't come off until I eat clean.

I exercise 6-7 times a week with Cathe. Right now I am giving myself 1700 calories per day (no longer breastfeeding). With this regimen (allowing a few cheat days) I can lose about 3-4 pounds a month (I'm 5'2).

A book I've found very helpful is the Abs Diet for Women. It gives a lot of helpful information without being rigid. I don't exactly following the Abs Diet, but I use some of the guidelines.

Eating 1700 calories while eating whole grains, foods in their natural state (cooking from scratch and not from boxes - most of the time), as well as avoiding junk food (95% of the time) works for me.

He has a formula in the book to help you figure out how many calories you should eat to lose weight. I will post that if you want.


Anna
 
figuring your calories...

Hi, as a trainer and from I can tell, your workouts are not your problem, it may just be your diet. The best way to figure your calories is through the Harris Benedict Equation which is an equation that factors in your age, height, weight and activity level, which are all components of determining how many calories you need. Since no two bodies are alike, we all have different calorie needs and different nutrient needs... You should always eat more when you are more active and less when you are less active. That way you keep the fire burning - or your metabolism that is. And its good to zigzag your calories and eat more on one day and less on the other, so that your body does not get used to the same ol' same ol'. Never go below 1200 calories no matter who you are, or you are at risk of putting your body into starvation mode.
Here's a formula to help you calculate your caloric needs:
ages 18-30: (14.7 x weight in kg) + 496 then you take that and multiply it by your activity level: 1.3 for sedentery, 1.5 for Light, 1.6 for moderately active, 1.9 for Heavy (such as several hours of continuous exercise) or 2.2 for exceptionally active (such as athletes and anyone exercising or training for extended hours or for competition)
ages 30-60: (8.7 x weight in kg) +829 then again multiply that times your activity level. That number tells you how many calories you need to me eating to meet your needs. A little below that number will help you lose weight.
*To calculate your weight in kg just take your body weight in lbs, and divide by 2.2
Hope that helps! That's what works for me and my clients. It's a little time consuming to figure it all out, but it works!

Weight loss is 70% behavior modification, 20% nutrition, and 10% exercise. First you have to make healthy habits such as sleeping well, treating your body with respect by taking time for yourself, preparing healthy meals and snacks for when your on the go, making a conscious effort to plan out your day and never go more than 4 hours without food, etc. Second then you decide what healthy foods you like and that make your body feel good and have the energy it needs, and feed it that. Stay away from cleaning your sons plate (if you do that) and late night eating, and focus on more vegetables and whole foods rather than processed foods. Finally, keep your workouts up, but vary the intensity, so that you are definately leaving the comfort zone far behind you for minutes at a time. All these things go hand in hand because if you don't eat enough calories, you won't have the energy to push harder in your workouts, and if you don't make the behavior modification of preparing healthy snacks ahead of time, then you'll be left with poor choices. A couple of tips to remember:
Water, water water and green tea!
Never more than 4 hours without food.
Never eat 2 and half hours before going to bed.
Eat right after your hard workouts to recover faster from your workouts and keep your insulin from spiking so that you don't store fat.
Focus on protein fiber and healthy fats.
Figure up your calorie ratios and stick as closely to them as you can.
Have at least one day of rest each week to avoid overtraining and slowing your metabolism.

Hope this helps! Keep us posted!
Jodelle
P.S. Formula based on the American College of Sports Medicine standards.
 

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