Need some major motivation.....

[Tonilah]

Hey guys, i need some major motivation.

I had my baby boy last november, and i'm trying to shake the baby weight off.

i gained 80 pounds .... 8 0!

(worth every pound, btw)

i've already lost 40 pounds....and now i'm starting to really burn out and get unmotivated.

i just can't seem to get back to the workout level i was before i got pregnant, and by the end of the day i'm exahusted....


i want to lose the weight and get healthy, but to be honest, now that the little one is here, i've shifted priorities from my body/me to my baby....

i know i can do it, i'm just slipping....

any words of motivation/encouragement is greatly appreciated

 

[Stephanie0523]

I know this sounds hokey, but after my last pregnancy (gained 55 pounds), I needed something extra fun to get me back into the swing of exercising on such little sleep. Plus, my body wasn't yet at the fitness level for Cathe, so I bought Yoga Booty Ballet. It is really fun and it gave me the flexibility to start my Cathe routines again too. I also started keeping a food journal every day, keeping track of everything I ate and every bit of water I drank, which helped SO much. Just a suggestion.

 

[chefkate]

Tonilah, Good advice from Stephanie. I gained quite a bit with #1 and didn't lose it til I got preg w/ #2. You're doing great if you've lost 40 POUNDS since November. Stay the course and you'll reach your goals. Don't be too hard on yourself or restrict too much or it'll backfire big time. Small changes every now and then. Don't get discouraged - you ARE doing it and you CAN do it some more!! Congrats on the 40 lbs lost!!!

 

[MSJ]

Well--I'm another big gainer during pregnancy--just seems to be how I'm programmed, since this is #7 and I'm doing the same thing. The good news is that I've lost it every time (with the exception of #4, but that is a long story). I did make up for it after baby number 5 and was back down to my normal size, so it can be done.

One thing I do is give myself permission to lose the weight slowly and steadily. I usually lose 25 lbs in the first two weeks, because I carry a lot of water, and that leaves me with 40-45lbs of fat to shed. It usually takes me about a year to do this, because extreme diets tend not to work for me. I did do Eat to Live after the last baby before my 20 year class reunion (I was desperate)and lost a lot of weigh rapidly and kept it off, but usually I don't do that.

Some things I've done:

I put the babies in a swing or play pen while I work out. I try to coordinate this with a sleepy time and if they scream during some of the workout, I just try to tune it out and finish. I'm mostly a demand-type mommy with babies, but this is one exception to that.

I used a jogging stroller heavily with the first 2 kids and used it not only for workouts, but to run errands--post office, grocery store for small trips, etc.

Sometimes, if the baby is just inconsolable and I can't listen to the screaming, I'll break my workout into two smaller ones. It's not ideal, but it works.

Now that I have lots of older kids ( I home school, so I have lots of very willing help during the day) it is easier, but I know it was hard when they were smaller.

I know that once we have babies our priorities change, but I've always enjoyed getting back to my normal size. It's good for my state of mind and although my dh never nags me about weight, I know it's nice for him. I always feel better about myself when I'm taking care of myself and I think it makes me a better mom.


Slow and steady--hang in there!
Maggie

 

[morris]

maggie, i really appreciated your advice - thanks!! i keep wondering how i will do it with 2 under 2, but your words give me hope and ideas. thanks again