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People keep asking me how I lost the weight after my last baby. I thoroughly expected to struggle with getting the 40+ pounds off my thighs, but ended up being several pounds lighter than before I was pregnant! All this, and I haven't gone to the gym yet. I don't know if it's what I've done or just luck, but I figured I let you know and you can make your own decision on what works.
There are two things I did differently after my second baby compared to my first. The main one? Breastfeeding. I stopped nursing my first son at four months. This time, I took a breast pump to work and continued nursing when I was at home. You can burn so many calories this way! Not to mention, it's great for the baby!
Why aren't all nursing moms back to their pre-baby weight? I have to pump at least twice while I'm at work, sometimes three times. My son is now eating baby food, so I am actually pumping more than what he would eat. Therefore, I'm burning more calories. While I pump, I sometimes do leg lifts or squats. Why not? I don't have anything else to do while I'm pumping!
The second thing I did differently has to do with my diet. A publicist sent me two boxes of these little nutrition bars called Clue bars. They are supposed to lower your cholesterol.
I am the health reporter at the station and she wanted me to find a patient and see if eating the bars for two months really lowers cholesterol. Great idea, but I didn't get anyone to play ball with me. So, the little Clue bars sat by my desk.
You know how it is when you have food right at your fingertips? Of course, I tried one, then two, thought they tasted pretty good and ended up addicted. I don't know if they're really good for you, but the nutrition label isn't bad:175 calories, 2g of fat, 7 g of protein. All I know is they really fill me up and I ate them every afternoon for two months instead of the usual half a box of Cheez-its!
Now I am out of Clue bars and suffering from withdrawal. I went to order some and realized they're $2.00 a bar! How can I spend that much on a snack each day when I don't even have high cholesterol? It's a dilemma. All I know is I ate a lot less during the day when I had those as a snack. We'll see if I start gaining more weight.
You can find some great tips for losing weight after pregnancy on the Mayo Clinic's website.
Postpartum weight loss after a new baby is also a good read.
6 comments:
People ask me the same thing-- how did I do it? I credit nursing (and pumping)! My son is now 1 year old; I have lost my 40+ pounds of pregnancy weight, and I weigh less than I did when I got pregnant! We are still nursing, so I have to be careful not to lose too much weight. Yes, hate me now, but I eat almost anything I want, which is 99% healthy, but when I want almond M&M's, I eat them. When I want to have fries instead of a baked potato, I go for it. Heck, I even lost weight through the holidays!!!
How long did it take you all to lose the weight entirely? I have a three month old and 20+ pounds to go. I'm sure I'll get there...eventually. It would be nice to know how much longer I have to wait though!
I think I was about size bigger than I was before getting pregnant at 3 months. I think I was back to my regular clothes around 41/2 months. I hope this helps!
At three months I was back in most of my regular pants. Some were still too tight, but some weren't. My motto always was: Nine months to gain. Nine months to lose! LOL!
I should point out that I am not a fair comparison though, because I was able to stay home for the first nine months, and my husband would fly solo so I could go to the gym a few days a week. Plus, I was living in Germany, so I walked a lot more than most do here.
As a health-conscious eater and regular exerciser, I expected to be back in my pre-pregnancy clothes in no time, but it didn't happen for me. I exclusively breastfed for six months before introducing solids, and I'm still breastfeeding my daughter who's now 15 months. I'm 5'3", weighed 115 before getting pregnant (at age 31, which I think may have something to do with it!), and in spite of beginning Weight Watchers for Nursing Moms when my daughter was only 2 weeks old, and running 2-3 miles 4 times a week, it took me 10 months to get back into some of my pre-pregnancy clothes- specifically the ones that were loose before! I'm in them, but they're a snugger fit as I'm stuck at 122-124 lbs. I gained a total of 39 lbs, and came home from the hospital with a loss of 12 pounds after giving birth. So frustrating! But also so worth the extra 8-ish pounds to finally be a mom. It's a fair trade.
I just think it's wonderful that you have continued your nursing relationship this long. I know it's not easy and I think it's wonderful that you show others it can be done.
As they say, smart mommy.... lucky baby.
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