I need to lose 100 lbs

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JoyBelle26
JoyBelle26 Posts: 13
in Introduce Yourself
Hey yall! Im new here and this is my first post. I have a 7 month old daughter. I am a stay at home mom and a full time student. I gained 100 lbs over my pregnancy and I am DESPERATE to get it off! I am kind of struggling with being so sedentary all day- the sitting most of the day while playing with my little girl and then I sit for a few hours every night at school. I use to be so active and always doing something but now it seems I lose my motivation because I'm so still all day. We go for walks with weather permitting but I really need a good sweat and caliore burn. My daughter's nap schedule isn't very routine so I'm having trouble finding the time. Any suggestions?

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  • bellyboosmom
    bellyboosmom Posts: 55 Member
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    Have you tried getting one of those Snuggly things or a backpack to put her in? That way you can carry her with you and take off on a walk. If the weather doesn't permit, try the walking videos on youtube. You can walk in place at home and still burn calories. Whatever you do, just be sure to keep moving. I am a single mom, and I know how challenging it can be. Feel free to send me a friend request if you would like some encouraging words along your journey. :smile:
  • helmsara
    helmsara Posts: 64 Member
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    I have a 16 month old who only naps 1-2 times a day :P and I work in the mornings Mon.-Fri. It's hard fitting in a workout when you have a little one. My husband and I invested in a jogging stroller, so I bundle my son up and take him on my walks/runs. He really enjoys getting to go outside, and if it is warm enough, we let him play after our workout. When I'm home by myself with him, I literally just work out around him. He sat on my face last night while I was doing sit ups :) I've also seen workouts on Pinterest where you incorporate your baby as a form of weight. They looked like a lot of fun and a good way to get moving.

    My motivation is my son. I want to be healthy enough and have enough energy to play with him. I also want him to see me exercising and eating right. It's important to me to be a good example to my him and my future children.

    I log on every day and love to give support and encouragement, so you can add me if you like!
  • time4changexx
    time4changexx Posts: 103 Member
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    Hey! My sons about to be 3. I started with 100 to lose, lost 30, fell off track gained 12 back. Im a ft college student & work. The best advice i can give you is to remember that weight loss comes from calories in vs calories out. Even if you cant exercise you CAN lose weight! And remember 100lbs is alot to lose, it will take time. Maybe 2 months from now your baby will have a normal nap schedual & youll be able to add a workout in! Feel free to friend me I am constantly on here!!
  • time4changexx
    time4changexx Posts: 103 Member
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    EDIT to add: if you really need to be active to feel modivated their is plenty you can do! It may seem silly at first but start doing 1 minute of jumping jacks every 5 minutes. I am doing a strength training program called body by you- its all body weight workouts (& man it burns ina good way) that you could do while your daughters awake. Also do some sort of a challenge- like pick i exersize a week (ie squats, lunges, tricept dips, etc) & try to do like 100 broken up throughout the day. Trust me youll feel it. It may seem silly & unconventional at first but it all cones down to how badly you want it.
  • KOULEE2011
    KOULEE2011 Posts: 9
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    Here I am about to give her a list of workouts to do at home and you come up with that idea. I think your idea is awesome! Just thought I'd comment.
  • JoyBelle26
    JoyBelle26 Posts: 13
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    These are all really good ideas! I appreciate them and will try them:smile:
  • Railr0aderTony
    Railr0aderTony Posts: 6,803 Member
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    You can do it, I have lost 114 and have yet to step into a gym.
    Here is good info:
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/912920-in-place-of-a-road-map-3-2013
  • KOULEE2011
    KOULEE2011 Posts: 9
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    Buy a light resistance band with handles and you will have your own home gym. Step on it with both of your heels and do the following exercises:

    Side raises
    Front raises
    Bicep curls

    Exercise order:
    1. Push up - 15, do your max
    *go straight into next work out

    2. Side raises - " "
    *go straight into next work out

    3. Front raises - " "
    *go straight into next work out

    4. Bicep curls
    *go straight into next work out

    5. Crunches
    " "
    6. Lay flat on your back and do leg raises, max repetition
    " "
    7. Raise your right leg and touch your right ankle with your left hand
    " "

    8. Reverse leg and hand
    " '"

    9. Planks, max out on your time

    10. Fast jumping squats, max repetitions

    11. High knee, 15 seconds or max

    12. Duck walk, to fatigue

    Rest 3 minutes and repeat x 4

    This should give you a very good workout. Don't rest in between any work out until you reach the end. If you do rest, keep it at a minimum. The goal is to constantly be moving. You can even add your own workouts into this. You don't need a full gym to have a good work out. I'm normally in the gym doing power training, circuit training, and all sorts of workouts but even at home with this a resistance band, I get burnt out!!! Always try to keep yourself motivated. Record where you're at, what you're able to do at the moment and set a goal. Set realistic goals and make consistency a habit. And when you feel like you can't go anymore, tell yourself you can. Everyone is very capable if doing just about anything. These things will keep you motivated. And if they don't, find some way to keep you motivated. One of my motto, "look good, feel good, do good." It's about confidence. Good luck.

    p.s. when you step on the resistance band, make sure both sides are the same length from heel to the top of the band. This way both left and right side of the body get the same amount of work. This creates balance and symmetry.
  • Fishshtick
    Fishshtick Posts: 120 Member
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    You should talk to your doctor to determine if now is the right time to target weight loss given your child rearing situation (particularly whether you are breastfeeding or not). If he/she gives the OK, then keep a couple of things in mind. First, exercise is generally good and I would never discourage it, but you should consider which exercises are right for you given your relatively recent and fast weight gain. Activities like running, or jumping jacks, can cause hip, knee, ankle and foot injuries for those that have gained a lot of weight very quickly. Low impact exercise should be your goal or you could face some setbacks. Also, don't let your inability to exercise become a crutch for not losing weight. Exercise is great for your health, but losing those extra pounds is priority #1 for averting the more pressing risks associated with your weight gain. Once you lose some weight, exercise will also become much easier and less likely to cause joint injuries. As it turns out, a number of studies have shown that calorie control is actually more effective than exercise in producing weight loss, simply because it does not require the time commitments of exercise nor does it increase hunger the same way as exercise. Again, I am not discouraging exercise, I am just emphasizing that you need to get that weight off for more immediate health reasons and diet can be very effective even without exercise. MFP is a food diary, and scientific studies show that a person's use of a food diary to target caloric intake is the number one predictor of successful weight loss, even more than what foods you eat or how much exercise you get.

    Now here is the big caveat and why I recommend you talk to your Doctor. If you are breastfeeding, dieting can be bad for you and your baby, particularly if you do so without accounting for your additional nutrient requirements. First off, if you cut calories drastically your own health can suffer more than for a person not breast feeding because milk production will take what it needs or shut down. You could suffer excessive bone and muscle loss if you do not do this right. Also, and this is somewhat disturbing, human bodies are highly contaminated with everything from PCBs to heavy metals. Its just a fact of our being at the top of the food chain. Human breast milk would often have a hard time passing FDA requirements for contaminant levels (cows fortunately eat further down the food chain and thus their milk is less contaminated). If you diet heavily, you will mobilize the toxins in your fat stores and potentially deliver them to your child. Not good. If you are not breastfeeding then no worries, go for it like everyone else on here. If you are, then you might wait until you wean your child (most pediatricians recommend at least1 year if you can stick it out).
  • LAultner
    LAultner Posts: 2 Member
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    The resistance bands and the 1-minute bursts are great ideas. I have a sedentary job and have been trying to figure out how to get myself out of the chair and moving around more, so thanks, time4changexx!

    Also, if you can find 10-12 solid minutes somewhere in the day where you won't be interrupted, you could invent your own low-impact aerobic dance steps. That's what I did because there wasn't room in my home office for exercise equipment! Just turn on the dance music you love and that gets you moving. Then move your feet and arms in time to the music--you can move forward, backwards, and sideways. The only rule is, one foot is always on the floor--no leaping or jumping. Low-impact aerobic dance is one of the safest and easiest ways to get aerobic exercise,especially for us overweight types. It's really great--even just 10 of it (plus a 2 minute warmup of moving the same way but slower) will make a big difference in my energy level the whole day and helps keep me from getting hungry. Good luck!!! :smile:

    Part 2: Just checked on YouTube. There are a lot of "low impact dance workouts" to search for. Here's one that looks pretty easy and pretty safe: <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P1AU_yr2-mc&gt; It's 25 minutes, but you could stop after a warmup and 10 minutes. She does a warmup at the beginning, so you can see how that's done. (Don't be intimidated by her good bod--who knows, maybe she lost a lot of weight, too! Besides, the great thing about l.i. dancing is that no one else is going to see you! :wink: )

    If you think it might be hard at first, you can always modify it so you aren't taking such big steps, reaching as far as she does, lunging, etc.. Right now, if you're breathing deeply but could still sing a song or carry on a conversation, that's just about right--if you're working so hard that you couldn't get more than a few words out if you tried, that's too much! Build up gradually, and when your baby's schedule allows, maybe you could go for longer.

    Part 3: Definitely agree with the person who said check with your doctor before beginning any exercise/weight loss program! Be patient with yourself and find out what you need to know to keep yourself safe and healthy. There are good websites out there that can help with nutrition, like The American Heart Association <http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/GettingHealthy/WeightManagement/Weight-Management_UCM_001081_SubHomePage.jsp>.
  • mechelemc
    mechelemc Posts: 59 Member
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    I know I've seen some work out shows that actually have workouts for u with the baby. I am sure you can find great ideas on youtube.
  • dgljones
    dgljones Posts: 89
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    I hit 140 lbs lost on my weigh in on Friday.
    I am a 39 year old guy so obviously my situation is very different to you, but one thing that is universal, you are going to face obstacles in your path, unique things that seem to make it impossible to eat right, or find time to exercise.
    Every single one of these can be overcome, there is always an answer, but part of you is always going to want to grab the excuse so you can say "hey it wasn't my fault, it is just my job, my spouse, my kid, where I live, my boss, my mother, the car" or a million variations.
    There is always a way you just have to not accept those excuses you are ready to make.
  • JoyBelle26
    JoyBelle26 Posts: 13
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    Yall have some really great ideas!
  • cbflinders
    cbflinders Posts: 1
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    Many gyms also have daycare/babysitting onsite...not sure of age requirements though but it might be an option in a few months. It could also be a good mental break for you for an hour...some you time.
  • JoyBelle26
    JoyBelle26 Posts: 13
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    dgljones and railr0adertony Congrats on the weightloss! Over 100 lbs that is awesome!
  • Nadine624
    Nadine624 Posts: 22 Member
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    I'm a big fan of Jillian Michaels 30 day shred and the best part is it's only 20 mins long! I personally am not disciplined enough to create my own routine, but I will try my hardest to do what I'm told especially if I feel a difference. The DVD even has 3 different levels on it so you won't get bored too quickly.

    I am also on the 100 pound loss journey and so far I'm at 34. Just remember to watch what you eat, "real" food is so much better for you than the easy stuff I was used to and I can eat a lot more with fewer calories. If you make this a lifestyle change you'll be setting your kid up for a life free of weight issues as well, so that's a lot of my motivation to keep going :smile:

    Good luck and I hope you find something you love and can stick with!
  • demilade
    demilade Posts: 402 Member
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    I have an 11 month old and i have lost 90 pounds since she was born. In the colder weather i was doing a workout dvd every day while she slept, it only took 30 mins, plus going for walks when the weather was ok. Over summer we walked daily plus dvd, and if hubby could watch her i went for a run. Its getting cold again so soon it will be back to inside exercise. Find what you enjoy and give it a go

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