The weight/fat gain with Parenthood dilema

Options
ninerbuff
ninerbuff Posts: 48,509 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Just about every serious couple (married or not), look to having children in their future. Unfortunately, there are statistics that show that having children is directly correlated with weight/fat gain. On average, for every child a couple has (adopted or not) males gain about 2-5lbs and females 5-7lbs. So you can see that having 3 or more children easily can have parents 15lbs to 21lbs more than when they were childless.
Some of the identifiable issues were, more "snackables" around the house, less physical activity with the parents, higher stress levels and longer working schedules that reduced rest time.
I know from experience that this isn't an uncommon thing with my clients. Practically every client has or had children. It's maybe 1 out of 20 who needed help with weight loss that didn't from my own estimation over the years.
So how do we deal with it? Well hopefully those that read this just understand that while their kids are their world, you still have to deal with you too. We many times just put everything important to us on the back burner, but the reality is that kids emulate their parents. It's okay to take care of you too. And your kids will respect that if they see that you still have time for you and them. Chances are if you're an overweight/obese parent, your kid will end up the same way. And vice versa.
So take the time to work on you. It's okay to do.

A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
9285851.png

«134

Replies

  • CSARdiver
    CSARdiver Posts: 6,252 Member
    Options
    Yes! I can't wait to show this to my kids - "IT'S ALL YOUR FAULT!" ...and I'm joking here.

    I fell into this behavior when I first had kids (now 7, 5, and 1), but it's just an excuse of convenience. I want to play video games, therefore I neglect my PT time rather than properly prioritizing. Now we involve our kids into our PT regimen first and still budget time for other play.

    You bring up a key point - that of leadership by example. If you want healthy active kids, you must lead a healthy active lifestyle. Despite what we say, our children will ultimately emulate our behavior.
  • Char231023
    Char231023 Posts: 702 Member
    Options
    Me and my husband are very in to physical fitness and we have already started passing that on to our 5 year old. We encourage physical activities in and outside although its hot here in south Louisiana. My husband already has plans on getting our son into the weight room as soon as our gym will allow. So he can learn the proper way increase strength and muscle mass.
  • Lounmoun
    Lounmoun Posts: 8,426 Member
    Options
    ninerbuff wrote: »
    So take the time to work on you. It's okay to do.
    Yes.
    I personally gained around 50 lbs after my 1 child came along. She must be like super concentrated compared to the average kid. :D I would not have gained as much if earlier on I just had taken the time to focus on me and do things right.
    My parents were overweight but I was not until I was in my late 20's. I really didn't know how to lose/maintain weight right because they always did crazy diets and then gave up and regained. I wasted time with that kind of pattern too.

  • WeddedBliss1992
    WeddedBliss1992 Posts: 414 Member
    Options
    i gained weight when pregnant, but lost it all after all my births. the only reason i am overweight right now is because of meds i started taking for BPD. honestly i don't think it has anything to do with my children at all, seeing as how i was at my perfect (low) weight before starting said drugs.
  • SuggaD
    SuggaD Posts: 1,369 Member
    Options
    I gained a ton of weight with my pregnancy (~ 100 lbs). I only managed to lose half of that naturally and then was just too busy to focus on losing the rest after that. Was definitely more focused on my DD. Most of my friends are just getting started having kids and all of them are heavier. I encourage them to make time for themselves too. Very important.
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,372 Member
    Options
    The truth is that when the kids are little it can be pretty challenging to find the motivation to cook and exercise. I mean yeah, it's an excuse, but I had twins and it wasn't easy!
  • sheldonz42
    sheldonz42 Posts: 233 Member
    Options
    The lack of sleep makes it harder to find motivation and simply harder to lose weight. That is at least one element in the scenario.
  • WeddedBliss1992
    WeddedBliss1992 Posts: 414 Member
    Options
    sheldonz42 wrote: »
    The lack of sleep makes it harder to find motivation and simply harder to lose weight. That is at least one element in the scenario.

    yes that can be true for alot of people. i try not to mention it to new parents, but all of my children slept through the night starting at 6 weeks and never looked back. i am so lucky i didn't have a lack of sleep issue :smile:
  • CSARdiver
    CSARdiver Posts: 6,252 Member
    Options
    sheldonz42 wrote: »
    The lack of sleep makes it harder to find motivation and simply harder to lose weight. That is at least one element in the scenario.

    This is very true - my firm just did a "Sleep for 7" challenge and in a 6 week period I've never reached 7 hrs of sleep, typically get 5-6 at the most.
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,509 Member
    Options
    WeddedBliss1992 wrote: »
    i gained weight when pregnant, but lost it all after all my births. the only reason i am overweight right now is because of meds i started taking for BPD. honestly i don't think it has anything to do with my children at all, seeing as how i was at my perfect (low) weight before starting said drugs.
    It shouldn't have to do anything with children, but we're speaking of changing one's behavioral lifestyle. Having a child does limit how you spend your time, of course unless that child is attended to by someone else for everything. It can also impact how you exercise. I couldn't go the gym for 3 months because 3 months was the minimum age for a child to go to daycare. Luckily I'm well versed at exercise, but many new parents aren't. And while I didn't really have an issue of eating my DD's leftovers, many parents gain a lot of weight from not wanting food to go wasted.
    Again, there are correlations. Kids may not be the cause, but studies do suggest that childless people don't have the same issues.

    http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3391503/

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
    9285851.png

  • nvmomketo
    nvmomketo Posts: 12,019 Member
    Options
    Yeah.... There are many reasons that I gained a few with my kids; I had three and gained about 7lbs. Your time is not just your own anymore. Fatigue is pretty constant. And then when they get older, they keep you busier and finding time to work out is harder.

    And then it comes to food... We have celiac in the house so we can't eat out safely so I need to always cook. I have three picky eaters in my house, one is my husband, so that makes it harder to cook ideal meals for myself.

    My main obstacle to healthy eating was my sugar issues though.
  • jessica22222
    jessica22222 Posts: 375 Member
    Options
    I was thinner postpartum with my first than I was pre pregnancy. After my second I was 10-15 lbs heavier. The difference between my first and second was huge.
    First child- slept through the night, never made a fuss, super easy going, always a pleasure to be around, always listens, obeys etc
    Second child- didn't sleep through the night, fussy colicky irritating, demanding, never listens, thinks disobeying is fun etc
    I think the gain for me was the stress my second caused me. Slowly loosing it now. She's better as she ages, but the personality is still there!
  • modestguineapig
    modestguineapig Posts: 23 Member
    Options
    sheldonz42 wrote: »
    The lack of sleep makes it harder to find motivation and simply harder to lose weight. That is at least one element in the scenario.

    Yeah, I only gained around 20lb with both my pregnancies. I lost most of the weight right after birth. But the lack of sleep and stress kept me overeating that first year of their lives. I didn't want to drink a lot of caffeine because I was breastfeeding, so I would snack to feel more awake. Then even after they slept through the night (around 8 months for both), I kept overeating. I knew I had to change when I was still wearing pregnancy clothes when my son was 15 months old. :/
  • atypicalsmith
    atypicalsmith Posts: 2,742 Member
    Options
    I gained 25 pounds with each of my two pregnancies, and lost it all within six weeks. I didn't worry about my weight while pregnant, as per my doctor's strict orders not to starve the baby when I freaked out over the weight I had gained. But after the babies were born, I just limited my caloric intake and exercise was automatically increased and it didn't take very long at all to get back to where I was.
  • SherryTeach
    SherryTeach Posts: 2,836 Member
    Options
    Hmmm. I had two children and mostly raised them by myself. I never gained weight during their childhoods or adolescence. In fact, I never gained weight at all until they went to college, I contracted a little empty next syndrome and lived on Chinese carry out for a while.
  • victoria_1024
    victoria_1024 Posts: 915 Member
    Options
    It's definitely easier said than done. I have 4 kids 6 and under, the youngest being 8 months old. I barely sleep anymore. Someone is always up too late, someone else up too early, and I'm up to feed the baby during the night. So there's a lot of just plain exhaustion where i would love to skip my work out and nap or just sit and relax. Also with 4 kids my house is a disaster. I feel a lot of guilt when I work out when the house is messy because I feel like I'm neglecting my mom duties.

    All that being said, I've managed to make my health a priority and I've lost 64 lbs since my baby was born and only ten lbs away from my goal. My kids get to experience a happier healthier mama, and a slightly messier house. It's not always easy but worth it.
  • zdyb23456
    zdyb23456 Posts: 1,706 Member
    Options
    I lost the baby weight after each of my 3 pregnancies. My oldest, who is 6, sees me diet and exercise to stay fit. I worry about being a positive influence on her. I don't want her obsessing about her weight when she gets older.
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,509 Member
    Options
    bump
  • karyabc
    karyabc Posts: 830 Member
    Options
    victoria_1024 wrote: »
    It's definitely easier said than done. I have 4 kids 6 and under, the youngest being 8 months old. I barely sleep anymore. Someone is always up too late, someone else up too early, and I'm up to feed the baby during the night. So there's a lot of just plain exhaustion where i would love to skip my work out and nap or just sit and relax. Also with 4 kids my house is a disaster. I feel a lot of guilt when I work out when the house is messy because I feel like I'm neglecting my mom duties.

    All that being said, I've managed to make my health a priority and I've lost 64 lbs since my baby was born and only ten lbs away from my goal. My kids get to experience a happier healthier mama, and a slightly messier house. It's not always easy but worth it.

    Oh I like this ^^^

    In case nobody tells you enough, in name of all the women and mothers around the world, you rock, and sound like an amazing mother ! #StayStrong :)
  • Binky_Muffin
    Binky_Muffin Posts: 191 Member
    Options
    This does make sense. I had my baby in January and the weather was soooo cold. However, I still brought her out for walks. It was good for me and for her. She was so content during our walks. Even if I was going on only a few hours of sleep, we still went for a daily walk. It was such a great way to unwind and have some quiet time. Also, I had to walk the dog. When she was super fussy, walking was the only thing that would settle her down.

    I gained 25lbs with her and lost about 15 lbs very quickly. I exclusively pumped for 4.5 months and my appetite was very difficult to control. I didn't really worry about it too much. I figured I could cut calories when I stopped pumping. The weight is slowly coming off now. I'm about 7lbs from my pre-pregnancy weight. Again, the baby LOVES going out for walks, so we get out as much as possible.

    If anything, I find having a baby has motivated me to get out and walk more. I can't stand staying cooped up inside of the house. I'm not too fond of shopping or browsing stores. In addition, the baby doesn't make a peep when we are out and about. I'm looking forward to next summer when I can pull her on the bike trailer. I think she will really enjoy that. I feel that she gets some great stimulation watching the world go by.

Categories