Having Babies is no Excuse

TinkrBelz

OK...so this may be a little harsh, but I feel it needs to be said. Just because we have had kids does not mean that we are doomed to be fat and not fit. Sure, we may not get that perfect pre-baby body back, but this is no excuse to just give up.

I do understand the "giving up" thought....I had it a few times...in fact, I even bought bigger shirts to hide my tummy.

I am now 42. I have six kids ages 2 1/2-17 1/2 years old. Each time I had a baby, I gained 50-60 pounds. My last four babies were 9-9 1/2 pounds.

I had 3 kids with no stretch marks and popped right back into shape. Kid 4 (I had 4 kids in 5 1/2 years) did give me stretch marks and that loose skin. BUT, I lost the weight, just too a little longer. 6 years later, I had boy number 5, then at age 39, we had our first daughter....I got up to 187lbs!

I felt because I was in my late 30s, that is why the weight did not come off as fast. I was defeated...the weight was not dropping like it had before....what was I going to do??

I did some soul searching....am I happy with this look? Will I look better or worse as I age? Am I going to be one of those women that say, "Well, I used to be a size 4, but I had kids and now I am a size 8...or more??" (Please know, size 8 is not big, but on my body it is...some size 8 women look thinner and better than I do at size 4)

I decided, NO, I was not liking my look. I did not like how my arms, back, butt, thighs, or tummy looked. My husband is super hot and in great shape, and I wanted to match him the best that I could. So, I joined a gym last year. And here I am 14 months later with a much better body, much better cardio (yes, even sex is better because of my cardio), and I am not embarrassed for my husband to see me naked. I am not perfect, I do not look like a model or actress, but for ME, I look good and I feel wonderful and I feel healthy!!!

SOOOOO...DO NOT LET HAVING A BABY/BABIES GET YOU DOWN!!! You have got to want to lose the weight and to build a healthy and beautiful body. You can do it!! Get motivated and get angry!!! Beat that stupid baby belly and flabby arms!!!

Going to post some pics, so I hope this works!!

This is me in my bikini at 1 year after our 6th child was born. I mostly wore a tankini, but this is the one day that I wore this two piece so I could tan my tummy and back. I look PREGNANT!!!! I can not believe that I walked around like this!!!!!!


These are pictures that I just took this week. Almost 2 years later. Not a perfect body...but Ok for having 6 kids.

MermaidFaith

You look AMAZING! I am 30 and am wanting to wait until later to have children sometime after 35, so thank you for posting your results

Rae6503

6 babies is awesome! You look great.

I'm in better shape after 3 babies then I ever was before. I was lazy pre-baby.

supertracylynn

Fantastic!!!!

You are an inspiration!
Keep it up, Hot Momma!

MumMumOfMany

ive had 5 kids since 2004, and i'm currently the lightest ive been weighin 140lbs. Havin babies is not an excuse, but you have to have the motivation to lose the weight. I gained 3 stone every pregnancy and my youngest is 18 weeks and im back to pre natal size 12 already. thts not dwn to one of those lucky bodies tht springs back, thts because ive worked my damn *kitten* off lol! x

TinkrBelz

OK...trying to resize the pictures!! haha!

LilRedRooster

I don't know how you have six kids, haha. I have one and am totally done with the baby-making. Awesome job!

Eleanorjanethinner

You look AMAZING! I am 30 and am wanting to wait until later to have children sometime after 35, so thank you for posting your results

Are you sure you know what you're doing? You may well wait 'till after 35 then find that you're not longer able to! I'd suggest you give yourself a head start and start trying earlier.

ogottwald

You look great for having 6 kids! My wife has had 3 and she recently purchased a runner stroller. It has proven to be a great investment. It can be a real challenge for her with exercise and having the stroller gives her much needed flexibility in her schedule. So for you new moms go get a runner stroller and make sure it has a pivot/spin/single front wheel. It will be money well spent and your baby will love the ride!

TinkrBelz

Some women pop right back into shape and others do not. But you all are right, you have got to want it!!

So, please know, I am not bragging, but I wanted others moms to see that we can work hard and see results...we can get discouraged...but I wanted to show what hard work can do.

Moms are awesome!!!

DixiedoesMFP

You look awesome and amazing! I am the only one of my friends that has had a child....so it is definitely a struggle when they are, like, looking all cute and stuff . I'm well on my way to looking even better than I did pre-baby though.

Kerri_is_so_very

While I agree with this to some extent....I feel the need to argue a couple of points. I had my babies @ 35+ (so an older mom by some accounts and as you mentioned, even though your eating habits may not be horrific, the weight just doesn't disappear like it did in the 20's or early 30's). I was a single / working full time out of the home mother by the time my youngest was 1 (and even with the ex there he worked opposit shifts, so not available if I wanted to hit the gym or whatever). To this day I cannot count on the ex for child care etc, physically he is just not there for them on a regularly scheduled basis.

And I never used "well I had kids" as my excuse for being over weight, but the fact was I could not fathom being away from children more than the already 9 hours / day required for my job. So dropping them at a gym daycare after being all day at a day care was not an option. It came down to available time and with 2 little ones under 4, managing a home inside and out....you do tend to put yourself last. However, now that my little ones are almost 4 & 7 I feel less guilty about picking up from school/daycare to drop them off at another daycare like situation for another hour of their day. I'm not one to do at home things (although I do some now with the girls, Just Dance for Wii etc or biking etc). I was never skinny (before or after kids)...so I certainly can't use the physical "I had kids excuse", but they certainly aren't always easy to integrate in to a fitness plan/routine.

And your job is a fitness instructor....so I'm assuming you actually get paid to work out (which is a huge bonus). We all aren't so fortunate...wish I was though!

You should be very proud of where you are, as you work hard to have the results you have....but please remember every situation/life circumstance etc is unique. Everyone has to make the best decisions based on what they have available.

annameier8706

I TOTALLY AGREE!!!!!! I have 2 kids under 3, and after my youngest turned 1 I decided I was done being fat. I've worked my *kitten* off, and stopped using lack of child care as an excuse. I started watching what and how much I eat, I work out for at least 30 mins 6 days a week. True I'm still young, but I never had that pop back into shape kind of body and always had a bit of a belly (even before kids). I'm not bragging either, just agreeing with the OP that wait dedication YOU CAN DO THIS!!! We, as moms, work beyond hard and i am proud of the work each and every one of you is doing to better yourself!
So in Oct I was approx 150 and I looked like this:


This is me a week ago at 123:

aj_31

You look amazing. I look like **** after having 1 kid. I couldn't imagine having 6 of them. You're right though. Having kids is no excuse and I used that excuse for years. Now I've finally realized that I deserve the time it takes to make myself look and feel better. My daughter is old enough to take care of herself while I go to the gym and get healthy and fit. I'm still young and I don't want to look back and regret not taking care of myself so I'm killing myself at the gym 6 days a week lifting heavy with some cardio to get a better body.

JenAiMarres

YOU are AMAZING mama!!! and truly my daily inspiration! I cant beleive you have double the kids as me look as amazing as you do, are fit, active and just all around totally gorgeous and sweet!

I also beleive having kids is NO DAMN EXCUSE..........nor is most anything IMO..

Only YOU can get in the way of being the BEST YOU!

Thanks for the encouragement!

XOXO

aj_31

While I agree with this to some extent....I feel the need to argue a couple of points. I had my babies @ 35+ (so an older mom by some accounts and as you mentioned, even though your eating habits may not be horrific, the weight just doesn't disappear like it did in the 20's or early 30's). I was a single / working full time out of the home mother by the time my youngest was 1 (and even with the ex there he worked opposit shifts, so not available if I wanted to hit the gym or whatever). To this day I cannot count on the ex for child care etc, physically he is just not there for them on a regularly scheduled basis.

And I never used "well I had kids" as my excuse for being over weight, but the fact was I could not fathom being away from children more than the already 9 hours / day required for my job. So dropping them at a gym daycare after being all day at a day care was not an option. It came down to available time and with 2 little ones under 4, managing a home inside and out....you do tend to put yourself last. However, now that my little ones are almost 4 & 7 I feel less guilty about picking up from school/daycare to drop them off at another daycare like situation for another hour of their day. I'm not one to do at home things (although I do some now with the girls, Just Dance for Wii etc or biking etc). I was never skinny (before or after kids)...so I certainly can't use the physical "I had kids excuse", but they certainly aren't always easy to integrate in to a fitness plan/routine.

And your job is a fitness instructor....so I'm assuming you actually get paid to work out (which is a huge bonus). We all aren't so fortunate...wish I was though!

You should be very proud of where you are, as you work hard to have the results you have....but please remember every situation/life circumstance etc is unique. Everyone has to make the best decisions based on what they have available.

I totally get what you are saying. I had the same issue for years. I'm married but when construction season is busy I was like a single mom during that time. I finally realized that I had to join the gym 10 min from my work and do it on my lunch hour in order to lose the weight. I did that for 2 yrs and then just recently I switched to a gym by my house and now I go at night with my husband to lift and that's our 'date' time. Again our daughter is older (12) now so she can take care of herself for 1-2 hrs while we go. Our office building also put in a gym recently so that helps me get in my cardio 3-4x a week. It is hard no doubt about it.

Babsvii

Thanks so much for this... i am 27 and still no kids, i have been terrified that having kids is going to ruin my body... i can't help the feeling though i know for sure that i want kids one day and will cross that bridge when it gets there... Just hearing your journey and seeing how hard you work for your body gives me great hope that i too could look as awesome as you after kids

You are a great inspiration!
xoxo

SinIsIn

:flowerforyou: Great post!! and Congrats on all your success!

lizaiza79

I totally agree! My mom has had 12 babies!!! 12! And she is still working on her body, never just giving up. I have had 5, and my goal is to not have people say ...you look so good considering you've had 5 babies. I want them to not believe I did!!

TinkrBelz

While I agree with this to some extent....I feel the need to argue a couple of points. I had my babies @ 35+ (so an older mom by some accounts and as you mentioned, even though your eating habits may not be horrific, the weight just doesn't disappear like it did in the 20's or early 30's). I was a single / working full time out of the home mother by the time my youngest was 1 (and even with the ex there he worked opposit shifts, so not available if I wanted to hit the gym or whatever). To this day I cannot count on the ex for child care etc, physically he is just not there for them on a regularly scheduled basis.

And I never used "well I had kids" as my excuse for being over weight, but the fact was I could not fathom being away from children more than the already 9 hours / day required for my job. So dropping them at a gym daycare after being all day at a day care was not an option. It came down to available time and with 2 little ones under 4, managing a home inside and out....you do tend to put yourself last. However, now that my little ones are almost 4 & 7 I feel less guilty about picking up from school/daycare to drop them off at another daycare like situation for another hour of their day. I'm not one to do at home things (although I do some now with the girls, Just Dance for Wii etc or biking etc). I was never skinny (before or after kids)...so I certainly can't use the physical "I had kids excuse", but they certainly aren't always easy to integrate in to a fitness plan/routine.

And your job is a fitness instructor....so I'm assuming you actually get paid to work out (which is a huge bonus). We all aren't so fortunate...wish I was though!

You should be very proud of where you are, as you work hard to have the results you have....but please remember every situation/life circumstance etc is unique. Everyone has to make the best decisions based on what they have available.

My job as a Zumba teacher is ONLY after I joined the gym, did Zumba 2x/week (another teacher) and lifted weights that other 3 days. I took the Zumba job after the current teacher was deployed in the military and they offered it to me. I also had to change the class times because of my busy schedule 5:30am and 9:00 pm. I will be at ball games starting at 5 and then go straight to the gym to teach. Wednesday nights, I go from church to gym. I would love to workout more and get really sculpted, but I do not have time....I only do 1 hour/day (Wednesdays I have morning and night class)

Wmass, you are a single mom....so your lifestyle is a lot different than mine....I do have a husband to watch the kids. Your job is a lot harder than mine...but you are here and you are doing great!!!

I mostly want moms to be fit for themselves, their kids, and their spouses (if they are married). And I think playing the WII, walking kids in a stroller (I also had a back pack that I carried them in)...just stay active somehow. And I live in the south...so I hear this excuse a lot...they have kids and blame it on the kids. But, if you look at what they eat and how they do not exercise...you can not blame that on having kids.

@Anna...Dang girl, you look awesome!!!!

palmerig88

[/quote]

Are you sure you know what you're doing? You may well wait 'till after 35 then find that you're not longer able to! I'd suggest you give yourself a head start and start trying earlier.
[/quote

Really? I'm turning 32 and just now thinking about trying in a year....I hate when people say crap like this. RUDE AND UNNECESSARY

sl1ngsh0t

I love hearing stories from other moms who have been able to get fit and shapely. I have 1 kid, born 13 years ago. I never lost the hanging skin and the extra weight around my midsection. I'm seeing improvement, and don't know if my stomach area will ever really look better, but the more I see stories about moms who were able to tone that area and look great, the more I feel it is possible for me, too. I just have to stick with my diet & exercise plan.

Thanks for posting!

aj_31

I love hearing stories from other moms who have been able to get fit and shapely. I have 1 kid, born 13 years ago. I never lost the hanging skin and the extra weight around my midsection. I'm seeing improvement, and don't know if my stomach area will ever really look better, but the more I see stories about moms who were able to tone that area and look great, the more I feel it is possible for me, too. I just have to stick with my diet & exercise plan.

Thanks for posting!

I'm in the same boat.

TinkrBelz

I love hearing stories from other moms who have been able to get fit and shapely. I have 1 kid, born 13 years ago. I never lost the hanging skin and the extra weight around my midsection. I'm seeing improvement, and don't know if my stomach area will ever really look better, but the more I see stories about moms who were able to tone that area and look great, the more I feel it is possible for me, too. I just have to stick with my diet & exercise plan.

Thanks for posting!

It may not look perfect, but I do believe that it can look better. So you are doing great...just stick to you diet and exercise plan!!!!

mama4fitness

I'm a mommy of 4 and my body has been through alot. I got up to 208 lbs. with my last pregnancy!!! It's so crazy to think I was that big. My first 2 kids are 11 1/2 months apart. So, that means when my first baby was 2 1/2 mos. old I became pregnant with my 2nd. My body had no time to recover. I was so fat during those 2 pregnancies. I tandem nursed both of them for over a year and I know that is what helped alot with me losing most of the weight. We then had my 3rd baby and I got to about 183 lbs. And like I said I reached 208 lbs. with my last one. I'm busy with 4 kids, but it's after I get them in bed each night that I make myself go to our gym 20 min. away. I get home late every night, but to me, my health is worth it. It's also my natural antidepressant. I can't imagine trying to keep up with my 4 kids if I didn't workout. I have lots of energy to share with them and I'm silly and dance with them every day. Being a fit mom is being a fun mom!! Thank you for writing this thread!!

tarak83

I was a single / working full time out of the home mother by the time my youngest was 1 (and even with the ex there he worked opposit shifts, so not available if I wanted to hit the gym or whatever). To this day I cannot count on the ex for child care etc, physically he is just not there for them on a regularly scheduled basis.

I just wanted to point out that you don't need a gym membership to lose weight or get in shape. :-)

I'm a single mom of 4 & 5 year old little girls living thousands of miles away from family support and have a lazy ex-husband who only does the minimal. I'm also working and studying. To say my time is stretched is an understatement, but I'm making it happen because there is no excuse.

There are SO many ways to get exercise without going to a gym.
I walk my little girl to school while pushing my 4 year old in the stroller... a mile there.. a mile home.. twice a day.. five days a week rain/shine/snow. That's 20 miles under my belt.

I got some inexpensive adjustable dumbbells off of Amazon and lift weights 3 days a week... I've only been doing the weights for 3 weeks, but holy cow what a difference that has made already. After I lift, I spend 20 minutes alternating running in place, doing jumping jacks, and 'jumping rope' without the rope. I just pulled on a pair of jeans this morning that I ordered a month and a half ago and couldn't even get over my thighs.

Youtube is my best friend when it comes to workout videos.... there are so many on there. I put the kids to bed... do some cardio.. study for a bit.. then pass out feeling amazing. It truly does wonders for stress.

If I can do it... anyone can.

theartichoke

You look wonderful and you're right. My youngest is Autistic and there were legitimate physical reasons I didn't think I could start this journey. Those reasons became excuses. I had to decide that was unacceptable for myself. Thank you for sharing your success and for the motivation!

FitSuga

Great inspiration! I don't want people to say I look great for having had 4 kids, I want to look great, period!

My first two children are exactly one year apart. I bounced back like I was made for it. But, 3 years later I got pregnant with twins and the weight just packed on. Stretch marks. Then I was on bed rest for the majority of it. Ended up having an emergency c-section and we lost one of our babies. So needless to say I was depressed for a while and had no interest in really even trying to get myself back in shape. 3 months later my husband had to leave for the military just to add to it. Ever since my stomach has never been the same. A little more than a year later we had our last child. After a while I realized I had run out of excuses and that I needed to stop and do it for me. Hopefully will achieve a nice slim belly!

va_va_voom

Great thread.

Any ladies who have had success with taking off weight and getting back into shape after multiple pregnancies, please share what exercises you did to help tone your abs.

I am trying to be patient with my body as I am only 11 weeks PP after having my fourth, but I want my flat[ter] tummy back again.

va_va_voom

I don't want people to say I look great for having had 4 kids, I want to look great, period!

Great point!

SexyCook

Inspiring for those with and without kids...Excellent job!