So excited to see this group!

Tmvirgo

Hi, all! I am so excited to see this group on here. The description of the pack says it all---sometimes you just need another mother to understand. Thank you for setting up this group!

I had my first son in 2008 and lost the baby weight rather easily, but then got lazy was about 10 pounds heavier to start out with for my second pregnancy. Breastfeeding helped with the first 25 or so, but here I am trying to lose 30 pounds to feel like I'm even back to where I was before! I am to go to Florida and wear a bathing suit in May, so my goal is to get some of those 30 if not all gone by then. It's nice to have a goal, isn't it?

I was reading on the group blog about how to enter breastfeeding on the food chart. I am exclusively breastfeeding and have a pretty good feel for how much my son receives to estimate. I tried several of the breastfeeding selections before finding the one that allowed me to do it by ounce. I found this selection to be the most accurate since I could estimate close to how many ounces I pump and nurse. It also breaks out the selection into calories, protein, carbs, etc. rather than just a blanket 500 calories. I am so glad that it is on there though because I was afraid I wasn't getting enough calories to keep my milk supply up.

My fitness pal motivated me to get back to exercising again. I am a certified yoga instructor and really enjoy working out. I just have trouble finding the time and the energy right now. But I've been a member for 3 days and for the past 2 nights I've gotten on the elliptical again, done yoga, and some crunches and push ups. My body is so sore!! But it is a good pain because I'm finding those muscles again.

Thanks again for creating a support group on here. I can't wait to keep checking back in.

If anyone has any tips for firming up a tummy that was SO STRETCHED OUT I'd be interested! I know I have to lose the weight too, but my son was 10 lbs 7 oz and I carried him straight out in front of me. I had a second c-section and I just want the pouch to go down! I hope, all in good time, as they say!

Thanks for listening---have a great day!

carolina_r

Welcome to the group!!

Yes, some of the breastfeeding options only subtract calories without consideration for macronutrients. My guy is 9 months, so I'm not breastfeeding exclusively...I use the "6-12 month old" option and it does take into account carbs, protein, and fats If you have a good sense of the amount he is getting, the ounce method is great! Thanks for pointing this out (the macronutrient issue) - good for others to think about this.

Great to see that MFP has you motivated! I know it has done wonders for me. I have stuck to it longer than anything I've ever tried (2 1/2 months now) and I've seen better results than ever before!

As for tummy tips - another mom here directed me to a site called "www.momsinfitness.com". It is run by a mom of 3, and she has lots of good info on the abdominal muscle separation (and how to see if you have it!). There are also downloadable workouts that target the core, and she has a blog that shows her progress...amazing! You have to pay for her downloads (can use them on your smartphone or computer) but apparently there are some free workouts too.

This question has been posed a number of times (we all have this issue!!!!). The consensus seems to be: tone your abs, cardio cardio cardio to reduce fat, and eat right (the whole "abs are made in the kitchen" idea).

Good luck!

Tmvirgo

Thanks so much! I appreciate the link and will definitely check it out. That is interesting about abdominal separation because I actually had an umbilical hernia before my first pregnancy that got stretched along with my stomach. Then it was repaired a year later, then another year and a half later I was pregnant again, this time with a much larger stomach, and it's opened back up. I will make sure to read about it. So frustrating though!!

Thanks again--- have a great day.