Post baby weight loss
Some people are really lucky and lose their baby weight straight away.
Others take the 9 months they recommend (9 months on, 9 months off).
Others like me, have to work at it a lot harder to achieve post baby weight loss. I go through phases of will power and ‘can’t be arsed-ness’, losing and putting the weight back on, and more.
Pre-baby, I did have two fat stages…just basically eating too much rubbish because I was always quite active outside work, either playing lots of squash or dancing lots. But I also found it pretty easy to lose the weight again once I’d got back on the wagon. I knew how to do it for me. Calorie counting, up the exercise and record everything. I did it the first time through using an online resource and forum, the second time just personal willpower and lots of number counting (I’m a big number and goal freak, so seeing the numbers really works for me).
But during pregnancy I ate lots. Not until about 10 weeks, but then I was just hungry all the time. Not cravings…well, just food. And it wasn’t helped by the fact I sat next to another pregnant woman in the office. The pair of us just ate all the time at work! Not a problem as I thought it would come off afterwards fairly easily. I had no pregnancy problems and the midwives didn’t mention the baby weight I put on.
After having N via unplanned csection, and after finding he wouldn’t breastfeed, it was always going to be hard, but I hadn’t counted on the fact that having good NCT friends meant we were eating out lots as well as sampling test cakes (I can never resist cake) of a friend setting up her cake business.
So after losing 2.5 stone immediately post birth, I still had similar to lose to get to my booking weight. I’ve tried a couple of times, got motivated and then got ill so exercise had to stop and then never got back to it again. I even tried Thinking Slimmer downloads – meant to be infallible, but I found I wanted to eat more so it was a total fail.
Now N’s nearly 3, and after losing and gaining the same 2.5 stone, I’ve now only got 2 stone to go. Prior to Christmas I hadn’t been as hungry as I was and not as keen for bad foods and big portions, so I’m hoping after the bad Christmas period I’ll be back to that healthier eating and smaller portions.
What’s great, is I can now get into trousers I had nearly got into before, so I have more choice for work. Time to throw out the old now baggy ones so there’s no getting slack again.
I’ve still got a lot of clothes still to get into (that huge pile of jeans in my wardrobe I need to make headway into would be a start point!), but there’s no excuse now he’s older. I’ve started on the eating side. I just need to get my leg sorted out and then can get back to getting toned and fit as well, rather than having to rely on walking at lunchtimes.
Onwards and downwards…
How long did it take you to lose your baby weight (or in my case, baby and food weight!)?
After Boo, I’d say it took me around 6 months to lose it. I put on more with Little Man, as complications from as early as 6 weeks in to the pregnancy had me on complete rest, and morning sickness had me snacking all day long to stave off the sickness! It took a bit longer with him, having had a C Section, too, which definitely slows you down, but I’m now actually 2 stone lighter than I was before I had the kids, so am pleased! What did I do? Have 2 preschoolers to run round after, while running a business and blogging – time to eat and rest just diminished..! Good luck to you with yours x
Lucky it worked for you. I’m too lazy and N’s too independent and happy to play and run round on his own, plus being at work means there’s normal opportunities to eat – although it is better that there’s not a canteen at my current work and being in town means I can get out for a work at lunch just for a wander. Hopefully I can get off the last 2 by the end of Easter.