Gaining weight even though eating right/working out

Momjogger

You need to relax. Impatience with the process WILL sink your motivation. If you did not know this, you need to weigh yourself first thing in the morning after you use the bathroom and before you eat and drink anything without clothes. This gives you the most consistent weight. If you drink two 16 ounce glasses of water and step on the scale, you will weigh two pounds more. Also, your monthly cycle affects your weight. Keep doing what you are doing and you will see results.

Momjogger

YES! I think the sit ups are bad! My stomach muscles tore apart with my 3rd child, my son. He was 11 lbs when he was born and chomping on a turkey leg as he was crowning. He tore my stomach apart. I have heard so many opinions on stomach...I've heard that you can "do sit ups but MUST do cardio" and I've heard "don't do it b/c your stomach muscles are seperated which will create two buldges coming out of her stomach like Alien".

I don't know what to do but i do know that I have the "mom pouch" and no matter what I look like, i look preggo and I blame that on my small chest too. I think bigger chested women can get away with a tummy b/c they look curvy...where, if my belly sticks out more than my boobs, I look like I have a beer belly and I promise, I haven't done keg stands since I was 25.

Blah.

I also just got done with my period but I guess I could still be hormonal....also, I *think* my sodium is okay...I stopped eating frozen weight watchers b/c of all the sodium, junk, etc....I eat lettuce and grilled chicken, or a whole wheat PBJ with 1 tablespoon of organic peanut butter and jelly and an apple for lunch. We eat pretty clean in our house---lots of fresh produce and not a lot of packaged items. Except I do eat grains like bread or sometimes old-fashioned oatmeal with flaxseed and brown sugar (1 tablespoon) and craisens.

I have been using cauliflower instead of potatoes for mashed potatoes---cauliflower potatoes.

I just don't want to hide anymore behind clothes. I want to be the mom at the playground wearing shorts and a tank top and not jeans anymore. When it's 90 deg out, I don't want to wear jeans and think to myself "man I wish these kids would tire themselves out b/c I want to go back inside b/c I am having hot flashes".

Why wouldn't you buy attractive clothes, including short, that look good in your size? Confidence, happiness, and good posture are very attractive and make you look fabulous. Stop comparing yourself against others and look in the mirror. Make a list of the parts of you that you like/adore, do your make up, hair, and wear nice clothes. The better you feel, the more motivated you become.

RGv2

YES! I think the sit ups are bad! My stomach muscles tore apart with my 3rd child, my son. He was 11 lbs when he was born and chomping on a turkey leg as he was crowning. He tore my stomach apart. I have heard so many opinions on stomach...I've heard that you can "do sit ups but MUST do cardio" and I've heard "don't do it b/c your stomach muscles are seperated which will create two buldges coming out of her stomach like Alien".

I don't know what to do but i do know that I have the "mom pouch" and no matter what I look like, i look preggo and I blame that on my small chest too. I think bigger chested women can get away with a tummy b/c they look curvy...where, if my belly sticks out more than my boobs, I look like I have a beer belly and I promise, I haven't done keg stands since I was 25.

Blah.

I also just got done with my period but I guess I could still be hormonal....also, I *think* my sodium is okay...I stopped eating frozen weight watchers b/c of all the sodium, junk, etc....I eat lettuce and grilled chicken, or a whole wheat PBJ with 1 tablespoon of organic peanut butter and jelly and an apple for lunch. We eat pretty clean in our house---lots of fresh produce and not a lot of packaged items. Except I do eat grains like bread or sometimes old-fashioned oatmeal with flaxseed and brown sugar (1 tablespoon) and craisens.

I have been using cauliflower instead of potatoes for mashed potatoes---cauliflower potatoes.

I just don't want to hide anymore behind clothes. I want to be the mom at the playground wearing shorts and a tank top and not jeans anymore. When it's 90 deg out, I don't want to wear jeans and think to myself "man I wish these kids would tire themselves out b/c I want to go back inside b/c I am having hot flashes".

I threw out "throw away the sit ups", because they're probably not doing what you want them to. If you want to do core exercises, that's great (sit ups aren't really a core exercise, more hip flexor), but they don't do what it sounds like you're hoping they do.

You're looking for:

Mild Caloric Deficit + Work (Cardio + Strength/Weight Compound movements) + Patience.

You'll get there with 1 and 3, but will most likely be happier with your results if you incorporate all 3. The paitience part is you have to realize that you need to lower your overall BF% before the "mom pouch" will go away, as that is usally the last place the body burns fat from, no matter the exercise. Core exercises are good for core strength, but are low calorie burners, so they don't do as much for lowering that BF% as some hope.

As the overall BF% lowers, your midsection should fat should lessen as well.

You'll notice that many on here with nice midsections actually do little to no isolated ab work.

mmcdonald700

YES! I think the sit ups are bad! My stomach muscles tore apart with my 3rd child, my son. He was 11 lbs when he was born and chomping on a turkey leg as he was crowning. He tore my stomach apart. I have heard so many opinions on stomach...I've heard that you can "do sit ups but MUST do cardio" and I've heard "don't do it b/c your stomach muscles are seperated which will create two buldges coming out of her stomach like Alien".

I don't know what to do but i do know that I have the "mom pouch" and no matter what I look like, i look preggo and I blame that on my small chest too. I think bigger chested women can get away with a tummy b/c they look curvy...where, if my belly sticks out more than my boobs, I look like I have a beer belly and I promise, I haven't done keg stands since I was 25.

Blah.

I also just got done with my period but I guess I could still be hormonal....also, I *think* my sodium is okay...I stopped eating frozen weight watchers b/c of all the sodium, junk, etc....I eat lettuce and grilled chicken, or a whole wheat PBJ with 1 tablespoon of organic peanut butter and jelly and an apple for lunch. We eat pretty clean in our house---lots of fresh produce and not a lot of packaged items. Except I do eat grains like bread or sometimes old-fashioned oatmeal with flaxseed and brown sugar (1 tablespoon) and craisens.

I have been using cauliflower instead of potatoes for mashed potatoes---cauliflower potatoes.

I just don't want to hide anymore behind clothes. I want to be the mom at the playground wearing shorts and a tank top and not jeans anymore. When it's 90 deg out, I don't want to wear jeans and think to myself "man I wish these kids would tire themselves out b/c I want to go back inside b/c I am having hot flashes".

There's a lot of body negativity in the beginning part of this, and in all of your posts. Someone said don't play the victim... and I agree. Mothers aren't victims they're strong, self-sacrificing, amazing women with amazingly strong bodies with some battle scars to show. Some women will get their "pre-pregnancy" body back without surgery, others will pay for a surgery, and most will never look quite the same - whether it's the "mom pooch" (that bit of loose skin), stretchmarks, a c-section scar, you name it. I'm not a mother, although I may be one day, so I'm not going to pretend I can understand exactly how you feel right now because I haven't been there. But I can sympathize that it is probably tough to love your different body that western society doesn't value nearly enough.

There are a lot of websites like this one http://theshapeofamother.com/ that I encourage you to check out. It shows all shapes and sizes of women who are mothers and celebrates their bodies . I'm not saying that because you may never look exactly how you want to (no one really ever does) that should enable you to be unhealthy or anything, but I encourage you to love your body now and at your goal weight and embrace all the changes it has gone through - it doesn't have to be a punishment, it can be a trophy depending on how you choose to look at it. I wish you all the best of luck! And remember your body is beautiful and it gave you your beautiful children!