kristinL16 Member

How do you have a 1000 calorie deficit per day when you are short and have fewer calories to play with? Anyway, I am 5' tall and currently weigh 138. Trying to get to 115-120, which is where I was most comfortable before having four kids. I started MFP last year around this time (youngest was 4 months old). I lost 18 lbs…

I wouldn't worry about counting calories right now. Like another person said, focus on the quality of calories/food that you are eating. Eat when you are hungry and focus on getting the nutrients that your body needs. That being said, I have read that while pregnant you should increase calories by about 300 in the second…

I had gestational diabetes with my last two pregnancies. You should be getting referred to a class or a dietician that can teach you about the diet you are to follow. They also should have given or prescribed a meter so that you can check your blood sugar regularly. I was not able to control my GD with diet alone and…

I would approach it from a health (both physical and financial) point of view. Stick with the no eating out (or at least drastically reduce it) and talk about how you can make healthier choices at home. If you are going to have kids in the future, figuring this out and starting a healthy lifestyle now will be much easier…

Do you have an Aldi or another discount store? I usually shop there first and then get whatever else I need at Walmart or the grocery store. Since there is only one of you (I assume), when you do buy produce buy what you can eat before it goes bad or get creative with ways to use it up or freeze what you won't eat in the…

This is a good way to shorten the amount of time that you are able to breastfeed. Milk production is largely based on supply and demand (assuming you are giving yourself adequate nutrition and water). Your baby tells your body that he/she needs more milk by nursing longer and more often. If you are giving the baby…

Most weight charts have a range of "healthy weights". The higher limit would be a good place to start. That being said, If you are healthy and at a good weight for you (no matter the size) then stick with that!

I noticed it, too.

Glad you are back!

I had gestational diabetes with my third and fourth pregnancies. Last spring, when I went in for my post partum checkup they said that my fasting glucose levels were a bit high, making me prediabetic. I do believe that eating right and exercising (and controlling weight) plays a big part in whether or not you are later…

Wow, both of your results are motivating!

I just started the 30 Day Shred (again) yesterday. I am determined to finish this time. I want results like those who have posted before/after pics in the message boards! I am sore today but it is manageable. If it seems to easy maybe try heavier weights instead of doing it twice?

I had gestational diabetes with my third and fourth pregnancies. When I went in for my follow up last year I was told my fasting glucose was slightly high so I was considered to be pre-diabetic. They told me to continue to lose weight, exercise for 30 minutes a day (at least) and continue to follow the gestational diabetes…

How many calories did MFP give you per day? For sure add 500 to that. Make sure those calories are quality calories. Make good choices at meals so that you will be more satisfied (emotionally and physically) to avoid those crashes and binges. Like everyone else, you should be focusing on whole grains, lean meats, fruits,…

Wow! That is a lot of change in 15 lbs. Keep up the good work!

I like egg cups, too. I usually use turkey ham, onions and green and red peppers. They keep well in the fridge so you can just warm them up throughout the week. They are good snacks, too. My kids love them. I'm looking for some other ideas to mix things up so this is a great thread! I've been eating oatmeal more lately but…

Height: 5' Pre-pregnancy weight (4th baby): 150 Weight at delivery: 175-180 (all four pregnacies, although I started out at different weights) Current weight: 139 Goal weight: 115-120 to start with Age: 37 Last delivery: October 5, 2011 With all of my pregnancies I lost most of the weight pretty quickly without trying. The…

Thanks for the ideas. I made some for dinner tonight and have some leftover so will try some of these ideas.

Can you share what your weight training program is/was? You look great!

I should add that with my first I gained 55 lbs, second 45, third and fourth about 30 lbs. I currently weigh 10 less than when I got pregnant with my fourth, but need to lose the 20 that I gained along the way. :(

I had c-sections with all of my kids. Youngest (4th) is 15 months old. I remember that I weighed more the day I left the hospital the day I came in, even though he weighed 8 lbs. I am sure it was from retaining water during the surgery (not sure if that happens as much with a vag delivery). I don't remember how much I had…

How much did you weigh when giving birth? Have you really not lost anything or just not as much as you would have liked? There is a difference. :) Recognizing where you came from is as important as knowing where you are at now and where you are going. I might be able to give better advice if I knew the answer to that…

I've had 4 c-sections. Still have 20 lbs to lose but my belly looks horrible. Hopefully it will continue to get better.

There are a few ways to account for breastfeeding. You can search "breastfeeding" under food or activity and then choose how many calories you want. This will subtract those calories from your total (similar to what logging exercise does). I chose to just adjust my daily calorie intake so that I get a better/less confusing…

I'm breastfeeding my 4th child who is 15 months old today. I have read as much as I can online and found most resources to say that moms who are exclusively breastfeeding should increase calories by 300-500 calories per day and not go below 1800 or so. I lost most of my pregnancy weight (all four times) within 4-5 months…

I was planning to start today but had two sick kids. My husband works late tonight so I won't be able to start until the morning. Are you going to start a new group? Different thread each day? How do we keep track of each other? :)

I don't know that there is a way to determine the exact number of calories burned by breastfeeding, since everyone is slightly different. However, I would definitely add 500 to start with, especially since you have twins (I have read anywhere from 300-500 extra and always added 500 myself). If you are losing too quickly,…

I do best logging my day the night before. That way I at least have a starting plan. If something changes, I can adjust accordingly. This also helps avoid that dinner time stress of not knowing what to make and ending up getting fast food.

Check out Tosca Reno's Eat Clean Diet and Jillian Michaels Master Your Metabolism. They have great info on why eating clean is the way to go and how to go about it. Also, www.thegraciouspantry.com is a good place to start. My opinion is that creating a dish to eat using clean ingredients is still eating clean. Mixing them…

May protein bars have a ton of sugar. I like the Nature Valley Protein bars. They are tasty and don't have much sugar.