We've watched the scale go up together, wanna watch it go down? - Page 7

[lifeguard]

emmaegbert - it is frustrating to see it go slow - I think we all want a quick loss but I keep reminding myself at least it's not up! Which with the holidays is an achievement. I do remember my grandma about 6 years ago finally kicked my grandpa out of her bed (they now sleep in separate rooms) & she said for the first time in over 40 years she was sleeping well & she had a pretty dramatic weight loss as a result. I don't think kicking dd out of bed is an option though...

Rosemary - I did some digging through my pudge last night, lying on back, crunching up, really investigating my abs & what they are doing & I am pretty sure I don't have a separation - I can actually feel them come together when I crunch up & even when lying flat there is barely a finger widths gap. So that is a relief - thank you for bringing it up again.

dollyanna - are you getting enough to drink?

It really is a huge relief to hear others are not the same shape as before even if they are at/approaching their pre-weight. I had always heard that but I thought people meant with bone structure & quite frankly my hips widening is not a concern to me 'cause I am not so very hippy to start with. It gives me hope that some of this tummy mush will go away with time, not necessarily in accordance with the scale. It's still weird to me to see the scale go down but not inches.

I officially signed up for the push/pull at our gym in few weeks. It is a bench press & deadlift competition which is pretty low key as it's just a local event. We've been testing my heavier weights this week & it is disappointing. We're still taking it fairly easy - not really coming close to a one rep max but I must admit the weights we are doing are more challenging than I would like. I may have lost more strength through the pregnancy than I anticipated - it's still wait & see at this point.

[emmaegbert]

Originally Posted by lifeguard 

emmaegbert - it is frustrating to see it go slow - I think we all want a quick loss but I keep reminding myself at least it's not up! Which with the holidays is an achievement.

its true. And I am trying to focus on the positive here... in the past I clearly had significant post-partum weight gain. so for me, I guess this is an achievement, even if it doesn't exactly feel like one. Anyway, if I can keep that weight gain at bay, at least I'll have less to lose when my body is ready for that. The (sad) truth for me is that weight loss is *never* going to be "effortless".

[emmaegbert]

okay so I took the girls out for a "forest kindergarden" playgroup meeting today. I was babywearing (moby) from 8-1:30, and I walked a total of 4.5 miles, sometimes pushing ODD in the stroller, sometimes at her pace, and just on my feet that whole time. So, I think now that walking and babywearing is definitely still a workout for my core muscles ;)

[RosemaryS-F]

I finally checked myself for a diastasis. I laid down in bed and did a crunch to feel and I have a good 2 fingers--just like with DS. Not sure if it actually ever went away or if this is new, but there it is.

I am now 6 lb away from prepregnancy and can again wear my favorite jeans.

[cbeclipse]

I think that I will be joining Weight Watchers tomorrow or Saturday. I've had great success with it in the past. Lately my eating has been terrible. So terrible. All I want is carbs and sweets. I need to do something about it, soon. 

I don't have any of my pre-pregnancy clothes out yet. Need to do that this weekend. I also need to go get some new shirts for myself, all the ones I've been wearing are too big, and I've been wearing the same 4 shirts over and over. The trick will be to find new shirts that I can easily nurse in. It's been hard for me to find plus size nursing shirts, so far I've just been wearing regular shirts that have a big neck area that I can pop a boob out of to nurse 

I also need to get back to the gym. Not sure how that is going to work out though. Have a feeling it won't be for a while. I have no-one to watch Landon. DP will watch him, but not till he is much older. They have childcare there, but not till he is 6 months old, and I'm not thrilled about leaving him there anyways, just for germs and stuff. 

[lifeguard]

chelsea - I soooo crave carbs - especially when tired. It's awfully hard to avoid them when I'm overtired (which of course is much of the time). It is so frustrating that gyms don't do childcare for younger ones. Our gym is just  small town gym so doesn't do childcare at all but I've been really lucky that that will let me bring dd with me to workout. I set her carseat somewhere out of the way & so far I've only had one workout ruined with her crying. I do go during the day when it is quiet - sometimes I'm the only one there but I know if someone complains that will be the end of it.

rosemary - I'm jealous of your jeans!

I posted in the main thread but I'll add it here. I got my 2 hour gtt results back today & I am not diabetic, not even borderline - firmly in the middle of the non-diabetic ranges!!!! So fabulous.

Dh is going to pick up a treadmill tonight!!! So excited! I haven't been able to get my prescribed cardio in at all lately & this will make it totally doable. Unfortunately we do not have space cleared for it yet so we have some work to do before we can set it up.

[emmaegbert]

lifeguard that is SUCH GOOD NEWS about the GTT. What a relief.

I too love my carbs and limit them pretty severely. Hard over holidays with so many more events that involve food. sigh.

Would love to get more workout time in but frankly its not realistic right now. Evenings go on forever with the 3 kids and I am so exhausted by the time they settle in. And baby tends to want to be physically attached to me all evening. Sigh. I know she will grow out of it. And mornings are so hectic! So, right now I can't really squeeze out other workout time other than the walking. Eventually I'd like to do about 10 minutes of a yoga "flow" sequence in the AM and then 15 or so of either pilates or light weights in the PM, and then the walking I do. But this sounds like a long way off before its realistic with 3 DCs and a DH who works full time out of the house. Sad, those are very small goals, but hey. Someday I can even start going to dance classes again, right? someday...

[lifeguard]

It truly is hard to find the time & even more so the energy at this point. We will get there.

[akind1]

Originally Posted by cbeclipse 

I don't have any of my pre-pregnancy clothes out yet. Need to do that this weekend. I also need to go get some new shirts for myself, all the ones I've been wearing are too big, and I've been wearing the same 4 shirts over and over. The trick will be to find new shirts that I can easily nurse in. It's been hard for me to find plus size nursing shirts, so far I've just been wearing regular shirts that have a big neck area that I can pop a boob out of to nurse 

I use any shirt that has a loose bottom (as in not tight at the hem) and wear a cami underneath. Lift up shirt, pull down cami, voila! keeps your belly covered and your boobs too. I like both the discretion and the versatility. FWIW I'm like a size 18 at the moment, bordering on 16. I think.

I have been so starving lately. I need to eat some healthy snacks.Which is probably why I have put back on 2 lbs. I am still 12-13 below pre-pregnancy so that is good, I just want to lose so much more! baby steps.

[emmaegbert]

Originally Posted by akind1 

I use any shirt that has a loose bottom (as in not tight at the hem) and wear a cami underneath. Lift up shirt, pull down cami, voila! keeps your belly covered and your boobs too. I like both the discretion and the versatility. FWIW I'm like a size 18 at the moment, bordering on 16. I think.

I have been so starving lately. I need to eat some healthy snacks.Which is probably why I have put back on 2 lbs. I am still 12-13 below pre-pregnancy so that is good, I just want to lose so much more! baby steps.

I just got 2 really cheap tanks to use like this as camis. but my boobs are so big- I am going to need some bigger shirts I think. Blah. Being 20lbs over the weight I was last year, and several bra sizes up too, does make it so the shirts don't quite fit right. Since I had moved across the country in Sept '10, I had jettisoned everything that didn't fit or wasn't good.

Snacks: trying to be better about having these around too. Hummus and veggies work for me, as do nuts, plain yogurt, cottage cheese... basically I try to eat overall high protein/high fat, so that makes snacks a bit weird (a spoon of peanut butter) but filling at least!

I am back to taking both the girls most days on my morning walk to DS's school, that means I am wearing baby (who is, I think, close to 12lbs now) and pushing DD1 (31 lbs) in the stroller. So, that adds a little more effort to my 2 mile morning walk, right? I hope. We got a trail-a-bike and baby bike seat as presents (hand-me-downs) I am already excited at the prospect of doing some very strenuous biking NEXT YEAR, with the baby and the preschooler. Thats a long way off though :)

Oh the upside my tailbone really feels pretty normal, finally, and my hips and pubic bones don't feel all sore and out of whack after walking anymore. I do feel my strength and energy returning. NOW, if we could get sleep and nap schedules aligned better I might even be able to carve out some workout time.

[akind1]

I love these cami'sfrom Lane bryant. super long and comfy. I stock up when they go on sale.

I need to go on more walks. have to fit it around work though. I have a 2 year old and the baby is 2 months and 11 ish lbs now. I tend to wear her and push him, when he permits. I really want to work on my abs. my upper belly hangs over my waistband regardless. for some reason it is just bigger than my lower belly.

I love hummus! need to get or make some.

[RosemaryS-F]

When I lost weight after ds, I bought a pedometer and a heart rate monitor. This helped me to see my output in calories. Recommend.

[lifeguard]

We got a treadmill! I love the idea of exercising outside but in practicality I find it very hard to be consistent. It gets SO hot in the summer (it's humid here to boot) & SO cold in the winter & don't get me started on the bugs in the spring/summer... then there is the fact that the road where we live is too dangerous to walk on imo so strollers are out but ds doesn't walk fast enough for me to count it as exercise (I don't think I could wear both of them as ds is 40lbs alone, add her & we're already at 53lbs & she's only 2 months). So the treadmill is really darn exciting for us.

I am seriously oscillating between feeling pretty darn good about my body & really, really, really hating it. I haven't lost anymore yet but that still leaves me at 40lbs down from a year ago but the same size. It's depressing - makes the effort seem pointless a lot of the time. I just look so awful naked - I can't fathom for a moment that anyone could find me attractive. It's not just that I'm so fat but that I'm getting this weird deflated look so all the fat now looks like it's hanging. Sigh. I don't know that it will ever be possible to feel ok about my body & the idea of plastic surgery to fix it (one day waaaaay down the road) kind of depresses me.

As long as I don't look at myself I seem to feel ok about my body - but that's real hard to do.

[akind1]

Lifeguard: hooray on the treadmill! I know you aren't feeling good naked, but have you tried any body shapper type things that might suck in the extra skin so you look and feel good in clothes?

I'm looking a little deflated myself. The only place it depresses me is in the boob area! LOL

[RosemaryS-F]

Lifeguard, that's great about the treadmill!

[emmaegbert]

lifeguard, good news on the treadmill.

I say, don't look at your body right now if it gets the negative voices in your head going. Your body is amazing, you've borne two wonderful children, you are a very strong woman, you've lost a lot of weight... all things that should make you feel really proud. And personally I think that plastic surgery when it is essentially reconstructive (like eliminating loose skin) is nothing to be ashamed or depressed about. And yeah, down the road- not a good idea now while you are in the midst of your childbearing/childrearing. I think about a breast reduction down the line... when I am SURE I won't need to nurse anyone else. I have never liked being so busty (I am a DD when not nursing, I think I am a G or H right now, can't remember, my darn bra size has been changing so much the past few years!). I'd love to just be a C cup! And I think I would look a lot thinner and fit many more clothes.

I hear you on the walking at little kid speed! We do a lot of walking for transpo (have to here) and its hard to decide... stroller for a kid who is verging on too old/big for a stroller, and which I then have to lug around, or no stroller and everything takes FOREVER and can't really count as much in the way of exercise. I too am not prepared to babywear both though people do it... for me it would "only" be about 42 lbs but it seems like it would just be exhausting and would set a bad precedent too!

[lifeguard]

Thanks for the supportive words.

katrina - I've thought about a body shaper but I really despise & get irritable from being uncomfortable. I even stopped wearing pants a couple years ago for this reason. Better bras would help but it just irks me how much they cost at this size!!! Plus it's real hard for me to get to the specialty place, I've never had online bra luck.

emma - the breast reduction has been in the plans for years! But somehow the tummy distresses me more. I wish it was as easy as not looking in the mirror but I get just as poor an attitude from looking down at myself & even worse when I see a pic of a special moment & I just don't look how I felt. Major disconnect between how I feel & how I actually look - this body doesn't represent who I am very well imo.

I kind of miss being pregnant.

[cbeclipse]

I joined Weight Watchers on Monday!!!! Yay for me! it's been tough today. Between Landon and work I have no time to make anything. I don't know when I'm ever going to have time to exercise, and what I'm going to do with Landon while I do. I will try to write more later when Landon is in bed.

[lifeguard]

Yeah Chelsea for taking that step.

[RosemaryS-F]

Chelsea, that program worked well for me after my last pregnancy. Good luck!