New mum and struggling to lose weight. Advise please?

Hey guys! I'm a new mum and really struggling with eating healthy and losing this baby Weight!
I went from just under 13 stone pre pregnancy to my now weight of over 16 stone..

Replies

  • annacole94
    annacole94 Posts: 997 Member
    How old is your baby? Are you cleared to exercise? Are you breastfeeding? What's your height?
  • abisnaily
    abisnaily Posts: 11 Member
    Thanks for replying!
    My baby's a month old tomorrow. I'm not breastfeeding. And I'm around 5ft 6.
    I'm not cleared for exercise other than walking atm due to having a emergency c-section, and an infection last week too.
    Would love any tips on how and what to cook/ in advance or for someone who has little time to prepare meals
  • SusanMFindlay
    SusanMFindlay Posts: 1,804 Member
    Log your food as accurately as you can. If you've never done this before, that alone may be enough to help you start losing weight (since it's harder for us to justify large portions of low-nutrition food when you have to actually measure it out and write it down or enter it in an app). Do that for a week or two.

    If you don't start seeing a loss just from the "I'm behaving better because I have to measure it and write it all down" effect, set yourself a daily calorie goal that is about 500 calories/day less than what you've just measured that you're eating. (That shouldn't take you lower than 1200. If it does, you weren't measuring very accurately.)

    My maximum pregnancy weight was about 16 stone both times. After the second birth, I dropped about 20 pounds right away (from the birth and getting rid of water retention). It took me about 6 months to lose the next 10 pounds and I got "stuck" there. I started counting calories and lost 30 pounds in 3 months (which was actually too fast, but I reacted to that by increasing my calories to slow the weight down). I now weigh about 10.75 stone and have another 10 pounds I'd like to lose.

    Counting works.
  • abisnaily
    abisnaily Posts: 11 Member
    Thank you for the advice.. I'm not sure exactly how much I weighed at the end of my pregnancy but I weight just over 16 stone now which is the biggest I've ever been. Just started yesterday logging my food, it says I need to eat 1250 Cal to lose 2pounds a week. I did go over by 100cals yesterday though. Find it hard to make things as my baby is very fussy atm(they think she had colic)
    Wow! You've done really well to get down to that weight.. can't remember the last time I was below 12stone! Must be years now.
    What kind of meals or food do you eat? Any tips or recipes you can pass on about healthily eating??
  • alondrakayy
    alondrakayy Posts: 304 Member
    So you don't get burned out, I would start small. Eat at a maintenance for about a week or until you are conformable logging successfully, then go to losing .5lbs a week and once the weight loss starts slowing down and you think it's time to be more aggressive go to 1lb and so on. I say this out of experience.

    When I had my little girl I went aggressive. I lost the weight, for sure.. but I also lost all of my energy, a lot of my hair, nails were awful, and there was not a moment in the day where I wasn't thinking about food. I ended up gaining it all back. Now, years later, I'm at a healthy weight. Currently cutting but I'm REALLY slow about it so the process is as painless as possible.

    I say all this for you.. but also for you little baby. They need you mamma, you and all the energy you can possibly have. Good luck! <3
  • SusanMFindlay
    SusanMFindlay Posts: 1,804 Member
    edited June 2017
    My biggest tip: Move more. Take baby for walks. While she's this little, you can either pop her in a stroller or wear her. Most babies *love* being worn by mum. I took up playing Pokemon Go and it helped motivate me to get out of the house and go walking. My husband and I have also implemented a tradition of taking the kids out for a walk (usually involving a stop at a playground for them to play) every night after dinner.

    Because I was on my feet, I never ate anywhere close to as low as 1250. When I started counting, I was told to eat 1600 cals/day (set to "lightly active" and "lose 1 pound/week"). I couldn't get that low and actually ate 1750. I was losing 2 pounds/week. Which means I was burning about 2750 cals/day by being on my feet a lot and being fairly heavy. So, grab a cheap pedometer or step counting app on your phone and try for at least 10,000 steps/day. This may, of course, need to wait until you're healed from the infection. I had a C section with my first and didn't start caring about my weight at all until I was fully healed from that. Calories from "just moving around" can really add up, and I find it a *lot* easier to stick a slightly higher calorie goal.

    In terms of food, it doesn't have to be complicated. Use vegetables to bulk up your meals (especially if you're on a lower calorie goal). When I lived on my own, I'd measure out 2 oz pasta, toss that in boiling water, toss in a big pile of chopped broccoli 5 minutes later, drain 5 minutes later and grate some cheese on top. Now that I have to eat husband-friendly and kid-friendly food (and have a husband who loves to cook), we eat more "typical" meals: grilled meat or fish or sausage, starchy side and vegetable side. I watch my portions of starchy side (and of the meat if it's a fatty one) and make sure I have lots of vegetables. I'm slowly convincing my husband that baked beans counts as the starch not the vegetable. We'll cook up a giant batch of pasta sauce on the weekend then have that with pasta and salad during the week. Bacon and eggs with toast are one of my kids' favourite dinners. The Dr Oetker thin crust pizzas make a great dinner for 2 adults+2 toddlers with some sort of vegetable side (salad or kale chips or edamame).

    Basically, figure out what you like to eat that fits your calorie budget. You want to be generating good habits. I have the same breakfast every weekday. It's easy. I don't have to think about it. And I know it fits the calorie budget. When I remember to pack my lunch, same thing. Very little variety makes it easier to plan and stick to the plan. I get my variety at dinner and on weekends. I also eat out a lot less than I used to and I've made the effort to find a few "safe choices" at a few local places.

    Pay attention to which foods help you feel full and which foods tend to leave you hungry. Satiation varies from person to person. But, in general, most people find some combination of fat, fibre and protein to be the most satiating. So, make an effort to get enough protein and fat in your diet if that's difficult for you. I naturally gravitate to a very carb-heavy diet, so incorporating things like almond butter on my toast, guacamole to dip my veggies in and protein bars have helped me immensely.
  • juliehmaui2016
    juliehmaui2016 Posts: 32 Member
    I just wanted to say congratulations on becoming a mom! It is a very big change your body has been through and it will take time to lose your baby weight, so don't be too hard on yourself. I think the previous posts have given some very good advice. I second taking your baby for lots of walks (especially now that the weather is turning nice), have healthy snacks available for yourself i.e. nuts, veggies (pre-cut them when you get home from the store), fruit and lean meat to add to your supper.
    A go to meal for me is salad topped with some avocado, sweet pepper, sprinkle of nuts add chicken and I use 1 tbsp of olive oil with 1/2 tbsp of balsamic vinegar for my dressing. Supper filling and full of vitamins and healthy fats.
    If you are sleep deprived you will crave carbs. So try and sleep when you are able to, it may be just as important as your food intake and exercising when it comes to loosing weight. Good luck :smiley:
  • Asher_Ethan
    Asher_Ethan Posts: 2,430 Member
    Slow down. Its only been a month. It took you 9 months to put on the weight, it should take 9 months to take it off.
    Congratulations by the way.
  • abisnaily
    abisnaily Posts: 11 Member
    Thank you for all the advice everyone
  • gemabbi
    gemabbi Posts: 31 Member
    Hi I totally understand where you are coming from it's depressing putting on so much weight I have been there twice!
    Some women just put on weight when there pregnant I didn't eat loads perhaps 2000 cals a day 500 more than what I do now but I balloon from - wait for it- 10 stone 12lbs fairly trimmed did weights - to after baby 13 stone 7lbs
  • abisnaily
    abisnaily Posts: 11 Member
    edited June 2017
    Will try and do it slowly so I don't overdo it. Does anyone have any healthy meal ideas I can try?
  • gemabbi
    gemabbi Posts: 31 Member
    Just read your other post
    Shakes smoothies are great they are packed with nutrients and keep you full for longer. You can add spinach coconut milk frozen strawberries Banana yogurt as you won't be able to use protein powder ATM due to BF.
    Snack on berries as they are low in sugars and hummus with carrots or cucumber rice cakes.

    Protein chicken fish steak lamb will satisfy you cravings
    (As tiredness will case hunger) with vegs and veggies can be boring so add some coconut oil to give them some taste and sweet potato is great also.

    And don't feel bad if you have a cheat meal we are human and it's allowed.

    Take vitamins make sure it's one you can take when BF also cod liver oil.

    Sugar sugar sugar if you don't burn it you wear it however because your breastfeeding you will need to research on what's your allowance.

    Please don't worry enjoy your baby as they grow up so fast before you know it baby will be 1. Congratulations by the way
    G x

  • abisnaily
    abisnaily Posts: 11 Member
    edited June 2017
    gemabbi wrote: »
    Hi I totally understand where you are coming from it's depressing putting on so much weight I have been there twice!
    Some women just put on weight when there pregnant I didn't eat loads perhaps 2000 cals a day 500 more than what I do now but I balloon from - wait for it- 10 stone 12lbs fairly trimmed did weights - to after baby 13 stone 7lbs

    It is super depressing tbf.. especially when I can still only fit in my maternity clothes.. and shopping really isn't good for me as I look in the mirror and hate my self so for now I only have leggings and 2 tops that fit me.
    Would love to be 10 stone! Haven't been that since I was about 13.. lol.
    Have you lost all the baby Weight now then? X
  • SusanMFindlay
    SusanMFindlay Posts: 1,804 Member
    As much as it sucks, it's totally normal to still be wearing maternity clothes 1 month after giving birth. It takes 9 months to gain the baby weight. Expecting it to come off instantly when we give birth is unrealistic, and I hate that the media pretends that's how it works.
  • saipriyaa97
    saipriyaa97 Posts: 10 Member
    I gave birth to my beautiful daughter on the 6th April 2017, currently trying to get back to my lowest pre-pregnancy weight of 52kg that I was during 2014. Looking for mummy friends to motivate each other, feel free to add :smile:
  • suhashmi
    suhashmi Posts: 22 Member
    Congratulations on new baby
  • kavahni
    kavahni Posts: 313 Member
    edited June 2017
    Congratulations on your new baby!

    OK, first of all, stop. Your baby is a month old! You're just getting started on this astonishing new journey that will be both the best thing you ever did in your life, and, which will occasionally feel like the worst thing you ever did.
    Your body just did the most amazing thing that a human being can do: created life. When you see that weight that bugs you, reflect on that. Astonishing! You created life! Your body got big to help sustain that life. It took nine months to get in that condition. Allow yourself at least nine months to get back to where you were.
    Focus on snuggling, naps, loving your baby, and loving yourself.
    I had a C-section as well, and it was about six weeks before I really could get around very well. I lived in a big city though, and did have to walk places because we didn't have a car. But I walked very slowly, strolling, with my baby in the Baby Bjorn.
    Everyone will ask you if you are breast-feeding. It's a little bit neither here nor there if you are or are not. The one good thing that breast-feeding does for all women is release hormones that not only make you feel really good, but also allow your uterus to return to its normal size. A lot of people find that breast-feeding helps them lose weight, and that is what I was counting on. LOL! Before my baby was delivered I had intended to give like a Guernsey and have a baby who was as wrinkly as a Shar-Pei! He ate like there was no tomorrow, stayed skinny--even today at 14--and I gained weight. The joke was on me.
    So, slow down. Around 40 days it's not uncommon to really crash, especially if you don't just laze about like the brand-new mom you are. Take a little stroll with your baby just to stay in touch with the world but live in that amazement of what you just did.
    Mazal tov!