I really need help

stinkabell519

Hi everyone, I'm a mom of 3 and after baby #2 i kept on 25lbs. I just accepted my new size but then along came baby #3. Guess what I have now another 20lbs added putting me at 184lbs. I'm only 5'2". I don't like how I look not to mention I just don't feel good. I have 3 very active kids and I feel for them. I do Zumba at least 4x a week for at least 45mins. My body looks different but my weight stays the same. Please help!!!!

miaka51

Its normal to stay at the same weight at first or even to gain weight. Muscle weighs more than fat because it is denser, but your body will look and feel better. Weight is just a number - the important thing is that you are getting healthier and being more active for your kids. Great job. Just stick with it and eventually the weight loss will come. Also, make sure to drink your water and eat healthy calories to maximize your body's metabolism. Good luck hon! you have very lucky kids that you are working so hard for them!

SpaceMarkus

What is your nutrition like? Sounds like you're just doing cardio, correct? Try incorporating some strength into your routine, too. Build some muscle to burn away the fat.

IronSmasher

It's 80% diet and 20% training. Jiggling about for 45 mins a day will do squat if you're eating too much

bcattoes

How long do you do Zumba? If it's more than 30 min at a time 4 days a week and you haven't lost any weight, then you probably need to take a look at your diet. www.webmd.com has a pretty good diet assessment and recommendation tool based on a short questionaire.

jmehere

Eat more veggies and yogurt and nuts! Stay away from fried, sugary, and processed foots. Eat at least one all veggie meal a day. You might find reducing the amount of red meat you eat to be helpful. Vegetable sources of protein (beans) are easier for the body to digest and may reduce inflammation and water retention in your body. Adapt the foods you love into healthier versions. It takes persistence. And this is a gift you are giving yourself, a gift of treating yourself well, doing the maintenance necessary to be healthy and feel good.
Also, remember the number on the scale isn't always a true measure of your progress. We fluctuate day to day. And as we build muscle, it takes the place of fat. Just keep persisting knowing that today you have more energy for yourself and your kids because you did what your body needed.
You can do it!

meggamix

I'm in the same boat as far as exercising and the scale not changing. It's really discouraging. While I agree completely that muscle is more dense, I've also heard that it takes a decent amount of time and work to actually get that much muscle to see a difference. So I'm not sure that can be much of a factor. I've been watching my calories, eating healthier foods, drinking more water, the whole thing. While I do notice some change in my body shape I don't feel like it's even close to the amount of work I put in. I'm doing a pretty intense circuit training twice a week plus zumba 2-3 times a week. What gives?

panndorsey

I think you are doing great! You should pace yourself and give yourself time to recover. I don't have kids, but I have friends who have gone through child birth and it takes your body time to heal. What I found took off 20 hard pounds for me was to try exercises that allowed me to be active for longer sessions without stressing my body to badly. That sounds strange, but I saw better results than when I walked at a varied pace for an hour each day. I would fluctuate my pace...speed up for say a mile, slow down for a quarter mile, etc. and my metabolism started improving right away. It's worth a try, not saying it is science or works for everyone but it worked for me. Also, I found riding a real bike kicked up my metabolism better than riding the stationary, I think you use your muscles differently on a real bike, and more of your core as well due to the requirement to balance. These are my experiences. But overall... I think you should be proud of yourself and let your body heal and strengthen after having those lovely babies. It will work out over time if you stay at it.

meggamix

Eat more veggies and yogurt and nuts! Stay away from fried, sugary, and processed foots. Eat at least one all veggie meal a day. You might find reducing the amount of red meat you eat to be helpful. Vegetable sources of protein (beans) are easier for the body to digest and may reduce inflammation and water retention in your body. Adapt the foods you love into healthier versions. It takes persistence. And this is a gift you are giving yourself, a gift of treating yourself well, doing the maintenance necessary to be healthy and feel good.

This is good advice. Thinking back I definitely think personally I could up the veggie intake for sure.

IronSmasher

What's an intense circuit for you megamix?