Post Partum Mamas: Weight Loss?

[lotus.blossom]

How much have you lost? When will you start back into a regular exercise regiment? And what will you do?

At 1 week post partum I am down about 20 lbs. I ended my pregnancy about 173 and am now around 153. My goal is 135. I can't exercise for another 5 weeks and I haven't yet felt that voracious nursing appetite. I am hoping that by making better food choices this time around I can lose the weight faster.

When I can exercise again I hope to do stroller walks with my toddler and the baby in the sling. Then I also have an elliptical machine that I will bring up from the basement and plant in the living room. Hopefully I can get the baby to sleep and then put my toddler in front of a show and get some time on it.

I am SOOOOO ready to get back to my old fitness level. I am tired of being limited (by pregnancy and surgery).

[lightheartedmom]

Originally Posted by lotus.blossom

How much have you lost? When will you start back into a regular exercise regiment? And what will you do?

At 1 week post partum I am down about 20 lbs. I ended my pregnancy about 173 and am now around 153. My goal is 135. I can't exercise for another 5 weeks and I haven't yet felt that voracious nursing appetite. I am hoping that by making better food choices this time around I can lose the weight faster.

When I can exercise again I hope to do stroller walks with my toddler and the baby in the sling. Then I also have an elliptical machine that I will bring up from the basement and plant in the living room. Hopefully I can get the baby to sleep and then put my toddler in front of a show and get some time on it.

I am SOOOOO ready to get back to my old fitness level. I am tired of being limited (by pregnancy and surgery).

:: am still pregnant but can I just hug you over the internet for reminding me about this part. The notion of losing 20lbs in a week (I'm about where are weight-wise, maybe 5-10lbs more) is more refreshing than a tall glass of iced water at this point. Can't even describe how good it feels to think about that!!! YAY!

[JD5351]

Still prego here too, but I am sooooooooo excited to get rid of this weight! Sweetie is going to get us a gym membership down the street too.

I was wondering this too, exactly when is it safe to start really working out? I will start walking asap, I got a great stroller, and the dr's office and grocery store is within walking distance. (I can see both from my house.)

[lotus.blossom]

I'm glad I made your day Laura!!

When I got home from the hospital on day 3 I had only lost about 8 lbs and my son weighed that much!! But another couple days, a good bm or two and more melted off.

[Smithie]

"I was wondering this too, exactly when is it safe to start really working out?"

It really, really depends on the individual. Some women bleed for six weeks PP, some women for only one, so obviously there is a wide variety of "normal" healing patterns!

Once engorgement and bleeding subside, I find myself pretty much ready for anything. Well, maybe not a marathon - but definitely a brisk walk and a yoga class! Exercise helps me amazingly with the body aches, etc. associated with PP. I am not sure that it makes me skinnier, but nothing is perfect

[Kelly1101]

Ha, ask me in three weeks when I go for my postpartum checkup...

I don't own a scale, so I have no clue.

When I tell people that I gained 60 pounds, though, they look at me like I have two heads and say "You said SIXTEEN, right?"

So I'm feeling not so bad. My stomach is a LOT better already, all of the water I'd retained all over is completely gone (it's nearly weird how thin my ankles are now, I'd gotten used to the extreme radiation-sickness-mushroom-feet). Even my mom said when she came up this weekend "wow, you look really good" (which is a rarity).

I'm giving myself until the end of the summer to be pre-pregnancy weight, but I don't think it will be a problem. I've already started taking short walks with the baby, will be doing more and more as the summer progresses.

[MaeHaftahurcha]

I go to the midwife for my one week checkup in a few hours. I'll find out my weight then, but I know I've lost ten pounds, at least, just from the weight of the baby. It's a nice thought.

As soon as my stitches heal (had a very small perineum tear that needed a couple) I'm planning to start walking again with the hubby, who gained plenty of sympathy weight himself. After that I'll be doing a "Mommy and Me" yoga class for mom and infant once a week as soon as I feel up to that.

[surprisedmama]

I am not very good at "exercising" but I love walking. Having only gotten to 34 weeks I didn't gain nearly the weight I did with my others (55 and 65lbs) So it should be really easy to get back. I think I gained 25lbs this time. I am hoping to get back to my old weight before kids with two years of BF ahead of me. I don't have a scale but after 2 weeks I was down 15lbs. I have my 5 week check up next week I will check then.

[trauerweidchen]

Ah, you mamas give me hope. I've gained about 35 lbs. so far (a bit more by now probably), and while I don't mope around about it, I am hoping to be able to get down again fairly quickly; hopefully below pre-pregnancy weight with some effort, as I was slightly overweight when I got pregnant. We're lucky to live in a park with some great walking trails, so I'm hoping to lug baby around this summer and lose weight that way. Guess we'll find out if it works!

[MaeHaftahurcha]

I'm 18 pounds down in the first 6 days. I was hoping for more, but I haven't been terribly active since she was born either. With any luck I will be back on my feet next week and knock out a much bigger chunk.

[CookAMH]

I'm down 15 and am 5 days pp. Will not do heavy exercise for some time b/c of surgery but would like to get out and walk lightly in a couple of weeks I guess?

I have a ways to go with weight as I gained 50 and started out overweight. I can't stand pictures of myself.

I totally hear you on wanting to be back to a better fitness level. I lost so much strength in pregnancy as I didn't exercise very well (work and being preg took so much out of me).

I plan to take a lot of walks with the carrier or stroller and have a great place nearby to do so and also in my own apt. neighborhood. I have a post partum workout DVD that I will start after 6 weeks.

It'll take effort to make better food choices as I ate freely in preg. I atually do need to eat more than I have been since having Ezra since I'm nursing so much.

[iana703]

My goodness, if I lost 15 pounds after having the baby I will be 2 lbs shy of pre-pregnancy weight, I have only gained 17 pounds! I can't remember what my weight did with dd but I was much heavier then and didnt gain hardly anything.

[scrappingmom]

Still preg here, i almost skipped this thread but i'm glad i read, its great to be reminded the weight comes off, the belly flattens, or at least sags so we can imagine it flattens and we WILL be able to bend over again...ah such refreshing thoughts!

well my plan currently is, as soon as i can handle begin taking walks, up the road maybe at the play ground(older kids can play while i walk with baby in wrap/sling). getting more hands on with the animal care, gardening and other work on finishing the house. I'll be pulling my family into the walking deal and diet changes as well. My DH was just diagnosed with Diabetes and 2 of my children ahve become horribly sedentary over the last year and eating habits have become atrocious for them leading to serious weight gain in them(their dad allows the to eat garbage day in and day out and never move..grrr). Also our youngest DD was diagnosed with celiac disease a few mnths ago. HOPEFULLY all the changes everyone else has to make will help me to be active and eat good to get them to do it!
I ALWAYS gain weight AFTER having a baby so I have high hopes this time. at least i only have about 15lb of preg weight to lose, i have a good 70lb of post pregnancy weight from the last 2 still to lose though

someone keep me accountable?! lol we'll see how it all plays out.

Good luck to all!