lost 7lbs in a week...how to keep it off and add to it!?

liv006

First off, I'd like to congratulate myself
"Self, congratulations...thank you!"

Second, I'd like to fill you in a little bit.
I know seven pounds is kind of a lot in one week. I'm almost 4 months postpartum and was eating like I was 4 months pregnant. Finally, I changed up my eating habits, not too much yet I did cheat a little bit but it did me some justice. I'm really ecstatic and needed that boost to the head. So now my questions for whomever is reading this are :

What next? I've cut out pop, potatoes, fast food(aside from subway but even there switched my sub)
How can I get started in the gym or exercising period? Its been a year exactly since I've last exercised..I'm lost when I walk in the gym
Will you help? I could really use the motivation. I did fall under postpartum depression for a while. I'm finally becoming me again!
How can I keep it off!!?

MissJay75

Congratulations on all your hard work!

With that said, I need to add something. I don't mean to burst your bubble but I don't want the next few weeks to discourage you. You will not lose another 7 pounds next week doing exactly what you did this week. At least half of those pounds were probably water loss. If you stick to your calorie deficit, you will probably see 1-2 pounds come off per week, depending on how much you need to lose and how great the calorie deficit you've created is. I know that seems slow and discouraging because watching the scale go down 7 pounds is 1 week is amazing.

You might try searching the forums for free workouts you can do from home. I know there have been threads on this topic in the past. Maybe you can get a quick workout in while you baby is napping

Try to make sure the changes you are making aren't so drastic that you won't be able to sustain them.

Again, I don't mean to come across as discouraging, but I want you to have realistic expectations. Keep up the great work!

xsmilexforxmex

Congratulations on all your hard work!

With that said, I need to add something. I don't mean to burst your bubble but I don't want the next few weeks to discourage you. You will not lose another 7 pounds next week doing exactly what you did this week. At least half of those pounds were probably water loss. If you stick to your calorie deficit, you will probably see 1-2 pounds come off per week, depending on how much you need to lose and how great the calorie deficit you've created is. I know that seems slow and discouraging because watching the scale go down 7 pounds is 1 week is amazing.

You might try searching the forums for free workouts you can do from home. I know there have been threads on this topic in the past. Maybe you can get a quick workout in while you baby is napping

Try to make sure the changes you are making aren't so drastic that you won't be able to sustain them.

What she said. Little changes. unless no eating potatoes and fast food is gonna be easy for you, i'd recommend cutting it down. if you want to hit the gym, start slow. Nerdfitness.com has a how to design your workout type plan and basically gives a list of 4-5 different excercises you can do for each part of your body. It says pick one from each, go in, do them, and then leave. This way, you're doing something, you're getting stronger, and you're not going to be overwhelmed. You can add to it later.

JesterMFP

Congratulations! 7lbs in a week - your first week of restricting intake - is fine because a chunk of that will be water weight. That's not to diminish your achievement in any way, but just to warn you that it won't (and shouldn't) continue to come off that quickly.

As for sustaining momentum - honestly my best advice is not to be too restrictive and cut out all the foods you love. Yes, nutrition is very important, but in my experience (and learning from others), it's best to make gradual changes that you know you can live with long-term, even permanently. Is there any particular reason, for example, that you've cut out potatoes? Potatoes are a very nutritious food. Some people have a lot of success without cutting out pop - others feel it's something they want to do, so that's fine. Other people compromise and have one or two a week instead of several a day. Think of the bigger picture though. Keeping the weight off is about adopting a lifestyle that you can live with forever, that supports you being a healthy weight. It's not about being super-restrictive to get the weight off and then going back to "normal". Try to incorporate your favourite foods still, unless you have good medical reasons not to. Chances are you'll find that your tastes change a bit over time anyway. Self control and restraint is obviously important when you're learning not to over-eat, but being too restrained, resisting every craving... that can often backfire in the end.

Similarly, don't cut calories too drastically. Looking at your ticker, you don't have a huge amount to lose, so aim for 1 lb a week loss max, and soon even just 0.5 lbs a week would be better. The closer you get to a healthy weight, the less fat your body will let go of over time, so you want to try to minimise losing muscle, bone density etc by keeping the weight loss slow.

As for exercise - start slowly. Choose something that (ideally) you love - or at least don't hate completely. Again, look for what's sustainable. Even if it's just walking to begin with. Walking is great exercise.There's a lot you can do without entering a gym - walking, running, swimming, exercise dvds at home - if they're your thing then there are tons of free workout videos available on youtube etc. Just pick something you like. At some point, if you can start doing dome resistance training, that would definitely be beneficial. Lifting weight is great, but there's a whole lot you can do with bodyweight exercises too. (Google bodyweight exercises, or "you are your own gym", or check out nerdfitness.com - great resource.)

Other than that - motivation? Just decide if you want it or not, and then put strategies in place that become habits. It's great that you feel excited and energised at the moment - that will not always be the case. It will get boring and tedious, so you need to make sure that what you're doing is liveable and not something that makes you want to "fall off the wagon" as soon as it gets harder.

JesterMFP

Also, check this out for some great, detailed advice: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1080242-a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants

ETA... also I saw you wanted to run a marathon. If you're new to running, definitely check out the Couch to 5k (C25k) programme - there's an app, podcasts etc. Definitely recommend that to get you running.

liv006

Oh yes I know all too well how rare 7 in 7 will be in the future. Thanks all for making sure I kept everything realistically.
I guess I don't mean to cut out all of the foods I love, just re-learn to portion them which I am finding out now is easier said then done!

Meushichan

I am one of those people that loses motivation rather easily, so I have had to really make sure I reward myself when I do well (AND not beat myself up if I have a bad day). Try and pick a small non-food treat for yourself every X days you logged in everything/ X pounds lost / X inches of your tummy/ etc. Every 5 pound that I lose, I buy myself a $2 My Little Pony toy. It's silly, but I love the darn things, they are too cute! And when I hit my "lost 20" mark, I'm getting a gel manicure. Fun stuff that you maybe wouldn't treat yourself too regularly. Also, I keep clothes that aaaalmost fit in the closet. Besides looking at them everyday, I try them on every 2 weeks or so. Eventually they fit and I get so excited, it's like I'm wearing "new" clothes. lol

So, for my exercise advice, find stuff you really and truly like. Or... at least don't hate. I tried 6+ different cardio programs before I found some I okay liked, and one I loved. And besides hardcore cardio, there is also yoga and pilates which are good because they have such wide range for beginners, but still get your heart rate up. Cassey Ho has some great beginner pilates video on YouTube.

2013sk

Congratulations on your loss well done!!!

I would go to your local gym & be asked to be shown around, and make an appoint with the trainers there.

Start of slow, Walking on the threadmill, light weights, stretching, swimming, steam, sauna etc.

Then your slowly get quicker and stronger at things - Your love it.

I book lots of classes with my friends, its so much fun, you meet so many people too

Good luck with your weight loss

My favourite classes are spin & kettle bells at the moment! I just to do boxercise & bodypump there good fun too