Weight loss after baby... Need advice!

mizlaur123

Hi everyone! Just looking for a little advice...
I had a big baby boy (9 lbs 3 oz) in September. Prior to getting pregnant I was, unfortunately, at an all time high with my weight (193 lbs). I like to keep my weight between 155- 165 lbs. I was still working out and lifting heavy but wasn't watching diet close enough. Anyway, I got pregnant and due to being sick most of the time I proceeded to gain 75 lbs and was about 270 lbs before giving birth. I lived on simply carbs as that's all I could stomach. I lost 30 lbs within the first 6 weeks after birth then plateaued. I have since stopped nursing and starting working out harder and watching calories. I'm currently about 240 lbs with a final goal weigh of 160 (at some point) and a mini goal of getting to my pre-preggo weight of about 190 lbs.

My dilemma is this, we are going to start trying for #2 in the summer and I'm trying to figure out what my focus should be. Originally I thought "gotta just get this weight off!" But now I'm wondering if it makes more sense to try to build some of the muscle I lost during pregnancy, that way if I feel crappy again next time around I'll at least have a slightly faster metabolism with maybe a little extra muscle.

And thoughts or tips would be great.

heybales

Only at the start of losing weight and lifting can you actually do both at the same time.
You'd also have to tap out strength on existing muscle before body feels need to add more, so sooner the better, and that can happen in a diet with reasonable deficit.
But later it won't work, you'd have to eat at maintenance for a very slow exchange (1 lb every 8-10 weeks), or in surplus (1 lb every 6 weeks) - if doing a good strong progressive overload lifting routine.

Considering unused muscle only adds 6 cal per pound per day to metabolism, just having some extra isn't going to be much help. Using it of course burns more.
More the reason is retaining the muscle you got despite the diet.

Do both.

mizlaur123

Thanks for the advice heybales!! Didn't consider the fact that I'm technically "at the beginning" of working out again. I've worked out hard for years lifting mostly (even worked at a gym). But it has been about a year since I've workout like that AND I have all this weight to lose. So you're right, I'm technically just starting out, so I can do both. Thanks again!!

mizlaur123

heybales wrote: »

Only at the start of losing weight and lifting can you actually do both at the same time.
You'd also have to tap out strength on existing muscle before body feels need to add more, so sooner the better, and that can happen in a diet with reasonable deficit.
But later it won't work, you'd have to eat at maintenance for a very slow exchange (1 lb every 8-10 weeks), or in surplus (1 lb every 6 weeks) - if doing a good strong progressive overload lifting routine.

Considering unused muscle only adds 6 cal per pound per day to metabolism, just having some extra isn't going to be much help. Using it of course burns more.
More the reason is retaining the muscle you got despite the diet.

Do both.

So you would suggest to do a hypertrophy workout plan but to still eat at a deficit, right?

heybales

Yep. And newbie or coming back to lifting is when you can have those gains despite losing fat in a deficit.
Your CNS may still have the form right on, so you won't be spending weeks actually getting to the point of overloading the muscles that require body making more.