Motivation Post Baby

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rbrack

Member
Hello!
I am a new mom (Maddie is now 6months) who is having a very difficult time motivating herself to workout regularly!!! Even though I know that I will look and feel sooooo much better once I begin to exercise regularly! I used to be in much better shape! I used to do the FIRM faithfully, then I got married, exercised here and there, then I got pregnant, gained 60 pounds and, well here I am. I lost all but about 20 pounds, but my muscle tone is gone, my body is completely reshaped (not in a good way!).

I ordered Cathe's PS series, IMAX and MIS and had every intention of working out religiously 5 r 6 days per week. It has been about a month since I have received the tapes and I have done them sporadically, to say the least!

I will find every excuse not to workout: waste time until I'm out of time, nap while Maddie is napping, go online (like now for instance!!!), talk on the phone....you get the picture.

What makes me insane is that I want to lose the weight, but I am the one standing in the way of that weight loss. When I go out (weddings, etc) all I do is compare myself to other women who are toned, in-shape and at their ideal weight!!!!! I feel so inferior and lazy when I compare myself to them!

I know that if I would have just started exercising when I received my tapes I would already look alot better, but do I do it... NO! Why??? Can anyone else relate to this?

I really don't know what to do to motivate myself. After I go out and feel terrible about myself and the way I look, I vow to begin exercising and dieting, but then I skip the workout and grab junkfood!

I own a total of 33 exercise tapes (FIRM, KATHY SMITH, PILATES, MINNA LEGING, YOGA)! Can you believe that? And yet I look for new ways to motiviate myself. I know it has to come from within, but I'm just not getting into an exercise groove!


HELP!!! At this rate I'm going to pass my 9th month pregnancy weight instead of achieving my weightloss goals!

Does anybody have nutrition advice???? Skip carbs.....Low cals... Slim Fast......ect

Do you do workout/exercise "buddies" in this forum?

Thanks!

Ronni
 
Hi Ronni,
I can relate to your situation. I have not had a baby, but here's my story...I used to workout regularly pre-law school (3 years ago) and was in really good shape! Then, when school started to get really hard, the first thing to go was my daily mountain bike ride ("gotta read for class tomorrow"). Then I let my gym membership lapse ("takes too much time to drive there...gotta study"). Then, I quit Tae Kwon Do when I was a high brown belt ("I'll get my black belt sooner or later...maybe after finals"--that never happened).

Before I knew it, I was eating the same as I was when I was really active before law school, and not exercising hardly at all! I gained lots of weight and always felt out of breath. So, then I decide to do Weight Watchers, right? Well, that was fun--I really hate dieting and I always felt hungry and grumpy and weak. Plus, I don't think my brain can function properly on such little food.

Finally, in my third year, second semester (about 6 months ago), I couldn't stand it anymore! I just told myself that I would get up early each morning and workout for 1 hour (in the beginning I could only make it 1/2 hour). I had to just force myself to do it before I was even really awake. Now, I feel wierd if I don't workout in the morning! For me, it has to be a habit, or it won't work. I am feeling much healthier and more fit, have lost almost 10 pounds, I'm not out of breath anymore, and I'm not dieting either!

I guess my advice would be to try to find a time in your day where you can workout each day habitually. With a baby, you might be low on sleep already, so that may be more of a challenge for you than me to get up early!? Also, this forum is a good source of motivation and there is a lot of support here! Good luck Ronni and let us know how you make out!

Cruncholi
 
Hi!

I think that if you could work out first thing in the morning, before your day gets away from you, you might be able to get into a routine. I used to LOVE to work out in the morning, even though it meant getting up at 4am, because since the day hadn't started, there was nothing going on yet to keep me from exercising. Plus I felt great knowing that my workout was
done! Now, I have to leave very early in the morning for work, so I work out after work, but sometimes it's really hard to get motivated when I am pooped from my day! And I can just imagine how tired you must be at the end of your day!

Would your hubby be able to take care of your baby in the morning before he goes to work so that you could have uninterrupted time?

Cruncholi made a very good point that you might be very low on sleep already, and if this is the case, it could be affecting your desire to workout. But once you get started working out, your energy level will go up, although you will still need to get enough sleep.

Anyway, I hope you find a routine that works for you. Good luck!

Veronica
 
I am a personal trainer and always recommend to my clients to write their own success story like you see in Shape magazine. World class athletes use visualization to win competitions and this is sort of a version of that. It can be very powerful. You clearly define what your goals are and how you accomplished them. This can be a long-term motivator for you. Read it when you are feeling overwhelmed with more negative thoughts. It will help you stay focused on the positive. Good luck.

Best wishes, Cyndie
 
Hello everybody!

Thank you for responding so quickly to my post!

I have thought of getting up early to workout, the problem is that I'm SO exhausted that I have not made myself do this yet. I have had the intention, just haven't followed through yet. I am going to try the am thing once again. I really think it is my only viable option for a consistent routine. Now if I can jsut get up at 6:00 after a 4am feeding! I have the most wonderful husband, he tells me I look great, that I'm losing the baby weight. I know he would take care of Maddie while I workout, it's just a matter of me getting my butt out of bed! I did actually workout tonight. I did the FIRM vol. 6 from 10-11 pm. I'm a teacher so the late night workout is ok in the summer, but that won't last during the school year.

Veronica---I really will make an effort to try the am routine. I think I'll start on Tuesday, since I worked out so late tonight.

Cruncholi---I too have gone to Weight Watchers. I hated it!!! Twelve dollars per week for absolutely no individualized advice! I didn't lose a pound. I would have been better off using the meeting time to workout!

Cyndie---I like the idea of writing my own success story. I would really like to be 20-30 pounds lighter ASAP. I'll give the suggestion a try!

Do you have any suggestions for sites for good dietary advice?

Thank you again for responding so quickly.

Ronni
 
[font size="1" color="#FF0000"]LAST EDITED ON Jul-09-01 AT 02:40AM (Est)[/font][p]Hi Ronni,

You and I have three things in common (well, actually 4 if you count the motivation thing). I'm also a mommy, gained 60 lbs during my first pregnancy and guess what the "Mad" in my nick is? Her full name is Madeleine.

First of all, I am TOTALLY ANTI-diet, shakes, pills, whatever, so you have been warned: For MOST people, those things are temporary fixes. Please don't go that route, PARTICULARY since you are nursing. You want to make exercise a part of your life so you can be healthy, energetic and set an example for your Maddie.

Okay, here's a few things that helped me:

1. When the excuses start coming into your head, SHUT THEM OUT. Don't think. Imagine you are a robot and programmed to put on your clothes, set up equipment, etc. Put yourself on auto pilot. (This mindset actually got me out running at 5:30 AM in the winter.)

2. I sometimes feel overwhelmed by a whole hour of working out, so I did only 30 minutes EVERY day, unless I felt really tired, to get myself in the groove of consistent exercise.

3. Cyndie gave great advice about writing down your goals. Don't just write "I want to lose XX lbs." You must write down a step-by-step course of action. There have been several psychological studies regarding the success of this.

4. Make yourself accountable to someone. We have lots of checkins at the FIRM forum.

5. Keep a workout log where you can easily see it. A friend of mine sticks gold stars on the days she works out.

Some women drop weight quickly when they nurse. I'm NOT one of them. I would not recommend caloric restriction while nursing and you should be suspicious of anyone who does. All I can say is eat as healthfully as you can. Remember, your baby is eating what you're eating.

And, last but not least, don't be so hard on yourself. Look at the beautiful baby you carried and birthed. How can you criticize yourself when you're done such a miraculous thing?
 
I agree with everyone who suggested morning workouts...you do them and it's over with. Or just desinate nap time to workouts, then DO IT! Make out a schedule, and map out the tapes you want to do each day.

As for your eating plan (we won't use the word "diet), maybe you could just start by making substitutions. Drink water instead of Pepsi. Doing that alone would save hundreds of calories a day. I happen to like Weight Watchers, but not going to the meetings. I have the At Home plan, and I work it my own way. The points are absurdly low, so I use calories instead. Their books are valuable, however, to help make good choices, especially with restaurant food.

How about an exercise buddy? Got anyone in the neighborhood you could team up with? Or, do you have access to a YMCA? Maybe you could join and sign up for some classes. Those places usually have child care,too. If you sign up for classes, then you have to actually GO.

There is a way, and you really have no excuses. Just find a plan that works for you. Check in with us in the weekly checkins.

I've been exercising for years, and have battled my weight for years. You just have to make up your mind that it's a trade off....you have to do the work to look the way you want to look. Simple.

Now, get out there and do it. It's Monday, a good day to start.
 
I too can totally relate to your problem. I put on all my weight AFTER my first pregnancy! My little girl slept so badly and I was so tired that all I did was sleep, feed and eat. It became a catch 22, the less I did, the less energy I had and because I had less energy, I did less. It was really hard to break this cycle. I also ate really badly because I didn't want to spend alot of time cooking I ate for convienience, but because I was nursing I felt starving all of the time so I was filling myself costantly with high fat and high calorie (but probably low nutrition) food. The crunch for me came when I had a big occasion to go to - my in-laws 25th wedding anniversary - and I went to buy a new outfit (I had still been wearing maternity clothes)and found out I had grown 5 dress sizes and determined to do something about it. I had the same problem as you initially, finding the time and energy to do 'formal' workouts. But I had started reading slimming and fitness mags. I didn't diet but became more 'diet aware' and balanced what i was eating, incuding some of the low fat recepies I read about but also making sure I was getting enough calories. Also instead of staring out with a full week of workout plans (and feeling discouraged when I couldn't stick to them) I would incorporate walking as a fitness option and took baby too. Gradually my weight started to come down and my energy levels went up, and I was able to routinely do exercise videos, but not whilst still doing the 4am feeds. I hope this has helped in some way as I do know how desperate you can feel. All I can say is start of with a little and build on that, and congratulate yourself on everything you achieve!
 
I was going to suggest putting that sweet little baby in the stroller and going for a walk - with your husband. When my youngest was little we found it a great way to get some light exercise and fresh air and also to have a chance to talk. We'd move at a moderate pace for about an hour in the evening when the summer weather was cooler. It also helped my husband de-stress from work. If you could add on just 15 minutes or so of weight work doing one body part per day it might not seem so overwhelming or tiring. Once you get going and start seeing results, that's the motivation that will keep ya going!

Best of luck!
Lindy
 
What sweet and excellent advice all of you moms have provided. I'm not a Mom; so I don't know. But, we all struggle to, ( as HB says) work for the way we want to look. I just think you all have taken excellent time to respond to this query carefully.
 
Hello!

Wow! Thanks to all who have offered support! I am attempting my am workout tomorrow! I will use this support, along with my husband physically dragging me from the bed, to get me up and moving tomorrow at 5:30 am!!! My husband is wonderful! He is willing to get up early to help motivate me. It will benefit him too, he hasn't been getting his workouts in either!

MadnNatsmom----My Maddie is Madison Leigh, she was born on New Year's Eve! Did you gain 60 with Nat? We are going to try to get pregnant again in a year. If I lose all if this weight and put myself back at square one, I'll scream! Although I know the baby is the most important considerationn and Maddie was, and still is, the picture of health (thank God)! ---I just could have made better choices during my first pregnancy---like not geting a preferred customer card from DQ and I could have exercised moderately! Do you also have FIRM tapes??? How do you rotate with Cathe's tapes? How about your cardio?

MadnNatsmom & honeybunch---I also agree with the advice not to use gimmics and pills to lose the weight. I think I have tried almost all of them in the past, and it is only a temporary fix! Its just tempting when the desperation sets in! I'm no longer nursing, birth control pills caused my milk supply to decrease then dry up! But, I am leery of putting unnecessary chemicals into my body. Of course I don't extend this caution to junkfood or moderate amounts of alcohol!!!! I actually do drink water about 95% of the time, so I do save cals. that way. I think my problem is portion size and lack of activity!

I actually do have my workout schedule posted. I use smiles and frowns to chart progress. Sometimes this motivates me and sometimes I let the excuses take over----I WILL BLOCK THEM OUT IN THE FUTURE! I've also begun keeping a food journal---it makes me think about what I am eating!

mrskitmac---I just bought a dress to go to a wedding---It is a size 14!!!!! I was a size 8 pre-baby. And of course my 5'11" blonde 24 year old, size 6 cousin was with me when I bought it! I figure this is the crossroads, I can choose to change my body or let it begin that downward slide into the point of no return!


Lindylft---Bob and I took Maddie and our three dogs for a 40 minute walk tonight. It was relaxing. I was going to come home and attempt MIS at 9:30 pm, but I decided that would be pushing it too much. That's my other downfall---I want the weight off now, so I go full force for 1 week and then quit!

Thank you again for the suggestions and support!!!

Talk to you soon!

Ronni
 
Hi, Ronni -

Oh, how I sympathize with that desperate feeling. I wore a 2/4 before my first preg, so buying a size 12 was a HUGE blow to my ego. I wanted the weight off YESTERDAY!

I gained 60 lbs with Nat and "only" 35 with Maddie. I was so bad with my first pregnancy. All I did was eat and sleep. I miscarried the first time, so everyone treated me like a patient during my first pregnancy.

I actually got within 5-10 lbs of pre-preg weight and then got pregnant with Maddie. I did exercise with Maddie - took lots of walks with Nat (much easier when you have just one).

I don't really follow a rotation, just do whatever strikes my fancy, but I run 3X per week for an hour and do strength the other 3 days, either FIRMs or Cathe. (I'm loving the PS: SL&A right now.)

The portions I was eating would actually scare some of the people around me. HAHAHAHA!! And, one of my problems was that I was still eating like that even after I'd stopped nursing. It's really difficult to cut back on portions when you've been going hog wild for 2 years.

Now that you've stopped nursing, concentrate on portion control, read and keep track of the calories (you'd be shocked) exercise consistently and you'll see changes.

Good luck! Remember - baby steps in the beginning.
 
Hi Ronni,
Thanks for posting this question! It's like you've read my mind. I also have a 6 month old and want to lose about 30 pounds or so. Actually don't care about the weight but would love to be firmer and wear a smaller size. Definitely flatten the stomach. Anyway, you've gotten some great ideas here but what I'm trying to do is to workout while my baby, Meghan, is taking her nap and my other two are either playing in their rooms or outside in the front yard. Or she'll endure her swing long enough to workout some- if not get through an entire workout. The early morning thing doesn't work for me since it's like she senses when I'm awake! Either working around naptime, letting her swing and watch me or worse case scenario, workout when my husband gets home seems to be working some. Good luck!

Susan
 
Susan,

Congratulations on your baby and other children!

I have actually been fitting my workout in here in there this week. I managed to get out of bed and workout with my husband on Tuesday, but now Maddie seems to know when we are up and doing something without her, so she is waking up earlier too! So we are working out together when she falls asleep in the evening.

I feel the same way about size---I just want to feel firmer and look better---I'm sick of the Pillsbury stomach!!!


Thanks for responding!
Good luck with your exercising!

Ronni
 
Thanks for responding!

I'm getting back into my groove slowly, but I'm getting there! I know I just need to be consistent for a few weeks, then I'll want to keep exercising.

Good luck with your routine too!

Ronni
 
What about stroller fitness? It is really helping me regain my pre-pregnancy fitness and does not require a babysitter. I was a little doubtful at first, but my legs are now looking almost as good as they were when I was bike racing!
About 5 days a week, my seven month old daughter and I leave the house at 7am and do an hour of power walking and toning exercises (Dynaband, bench push ups, V sits, tricep dips, lunges and squats) - and we still have the whole day ahead of us.

Check out these stroller fitness websites for ideas -
www.strollerfit.com
www.strollercize.com
www.walkabyebaby.com
www.letsstrollercise.com

My husband came with us one Sunday morning but couldn't keep up!
 
Here is what I do when I cannot find the motivation to exercise.

I put on my exercise clothes and shoes and while I am doing this I make a deal with myself:

If I want to stop after 15 minutes I will allow myself to do so.

I never have stopped yet after those 15 minutes but my "deal" always helps me to get started. Once I start I get into it and go through the whole thing.

Kinda neat trick, huh?
 
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