can someone just tell me what i can do!

denisec26 · February 2011

ok.i will try to make this short. from about 2 months after giving birth of feb last year, i started to work out and watch what i eat. i started low intensity workouts..when i realized nothing was changing, i joined mfp in august of last year. since then, ive been doing harder dvds such as jillain michaels banish fat and watching what i eat..of course there were times i had bad days or was on vacation but for the most part-ive been really trying- since august. ive lost 8 pounds in 7 months. my pre pregnancy weight was 120. when i started mfp i was 137.. and i wanted to be 115 again so i had a total of 22 pounds to loose..17 pounds to my pre baby weight of 120.. ive lost 9 and its only 9 more to get to my pre baby weight- 13 to my overall goal of 115..

1. ive read the blog on here about thinner people taking longer to loose weight.
2. ive eaten more calories
3. ive eaten less calories
4. ive changed my workouts
5. i tried eating all my exercise calories
6. ive tried eating less of my exercise calories.
7. i dont have a thyroid issue.
8. i tried the 17 day diet and couldnt get through it, it was too expensive and too hard for me to follow at this time in my life- plus i was starving most of the time

so now- im still watching what i eat..staying at 1200 calories- eating back some of my excercise calories and i just started the 30 day shred, in hopes that if i cant loose in pounds maybe ill start to look better and feel better if i can tone and loose a few inches.

but im worried cause i was always told to do cardio to loose the weight THEN TONE, and i dont want to stay at this weight and just take what i have thats big- like my thighs and turn them to muscle..cause guess what. they will still be big! just muscle..i want to be smaller..like i used to be.

i figured it wouldnt take longer then a year to loose my baby weight but my daughters bday is in a week and im soo bummed because i didnt reach my goal. i have 9 pounds like i said to my pre pregnancy weight-13 to goal but id be happy just to be pre baby weight again...and at the rate im going- it will to take me another 9 months to loose those 9 pounds..and that thought is just unbearable.

so i ask u...

WHAT CAN I DO????????????

lexcelsior · February 2011

hehe... Your starting weight is my GOAL weight.

Have you tried yoga or pilates? Those are known to strengthen, while lengthening out muscles. Have you ever noticed how lean and toned yoga enthusiasts are? Not to mention "yoga butt".

Don't give up though! Those last few pounds are always a b*tch. YOU CAN DO IT!!

polo571 · February 2011

Check out HIIT training on google. Its helped me get thru a plateau.

madijo41 · February 2011

I feel your pain. I am bumping this to see what else others have to say. Only advice I can give you is trying is better than not trying. If you were to stop all that you are doing now...what then?

MassiveDelta · February 2011

but im worried cause i was always told to do cardio to loose the weight THEN TONE, and i dont want to stay at this weight and just take what i have thats big- like my thighs and turn them to muscle..cause guess what. they will still be big! just muscle..i want to be smaller..like i used to be.

This wont happen. First Muscle is more dense then fat so even if you turn the fat into muscle and stay the same weight you will look smaller.

1 lb of fat takes up more space than 1 lb of muscle

Carolinea20050 · February 2011

I have had two children and I think it is fair to say that not everyone will snap back into the same shape they were before they had children. I put on nearly 5 stone when I was pregnant - both times. I have lost 19 pounds this year by reducing my carbs and fat intake along with exercise. With the use of this site, I do have the occasional treat and have also stopped drinking alcohol. My best advice would be keep busy - even power walking and swimming are fabulous forms of exercise. When I do exercise though - I don't replace the calories. Don't forget to log all your drinks too throughout the day. I am also taking Slim Now Day tablets which are a natural dietary supplement with green tea and caffine. See the website Slimnow.com
Best of luck to you! You can do it!

NoAdditives · February 2011

Well, it is true that it takes longer when you don't have much to lose. Your body will burn either muscle or fat depending on which is closer to the area that needs the energy. So when you have a lower body fat percentage it is possible to spot reduce, to an extent. But, this also means that you have to eat a little more, and especially eat a lot of protein, to make sure that your body doesn't just burn muscle. And you'll have to really watch your carb, sugar and fat intake. Fat is only used by the body for energy, if you don't need to energy when you eat the fat it will just get stored as fat. The only time you should eat sugar (even from fruit) is in the morning for breakfast or immediately after working out. Those are both times when you have to replace the glycogen stores in your muscles. Any other time, the sugar isn't used properly and is turned into fat. Your carbs should some from fruits and vegetables and should be eaten no less than 3 hours before bed, but mainly after a workout. Carbs will cause an insulin spike, and insulin prevents your body from burning fat and from releasing your natural growth hormone that builds muscle and burns fat.

So. Eat lots of protein to prevent your body from burning muscle. Eat fewer carbs and fats, and carbs and sugar only in the morning and after working out, but 3 hours before bed is the cut off. Remember to eat fresh foods, no processed junk, and get at least 8 glasses of water a day. And you do have to eat a little more, maybe 1400 calories. You'll still have a caloric deficit which will keep your body burning fat, but you'll be eating enough that your body won't burn muscle and will keep burning fat.

ramosriley · February 2011

wow. I have been on it for two weeks and haven't lost anything. I bike on a spin bike for an hour a day and I think (sadly enough) that this is the reason the scale is not showing that I've lost weight. Your right about being told that cardio is the ticket to weight loss but turning fat into muscle is still not losing weight and it's frustrating. I suggest you do something completely different like running or swimming and stress can also block success; therefore, take a minute, breathe and enjoy what you have lost.

lucasdany · February 2011

First of all, I think the first thing I had to come to terms with was that my body was never going to look like it did before I had my kids! Yes some women are lucky and they go home wearing their pre pregnancy jeans and look fabulous but lets face it that not the majority of us. After having kids our bodies change, things shift and well yeah it sucks but all worth it right?? I fully understand how frustrating it is to work so hard at a goal and not getting the results we are hoping for. I would let go of the number on the scale since its really not that high anyway and concentrate on the inches you want to lose and maybe do excercises that focus on those target areas. Make sure to drink lots of water and eat your calories!!! After that all you can do is be patient, patience that with time you will reach your goal and feel comfortable in your skin again, just maybe not the one you had pre baby!! Good luck!

nehtaeh · February 2011

You've gotten some good advice.

lucasdany wrote what I was thinking that after baby - our bodies just aren't the same. So, what was perfect before baby, might not be perfect or even attainable after baby.

Also, cardio then muscle/toning isn't necessarily the best way to go. With the shred I noticed toning and muscles that I never had seen before. I didn't get bigger, I got smaller inch-wise but not pound-wise. However, after the shred I went back to pure cardio and lost extra pounds - likely from having more muscle. So, you might find that this way will work for you. Also, you can add more cardio in while doing the shred if you can. I wanted to but time is an issue for me.

Good luck and don't be so hard on yourself. :flowerforyou:

can someone just tell me what i can do!

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