Getting back in shape thread

[motherearthdancer]

Anyone else starting to want to work on getting back into shape? Its been two months since Turner was born (he was a preemie remember) and I"m starting to feel like a lazy slob. I know I need to take it easy and ease into being a mom of two, but I have cabin fever in our lil' one bedroom apt. At the same time, getting a 2month old and a 3 year old out of the house is another chore. I find if I'm excited about going somewhere like trick or treating or to a holiday event, i'm more likely to be motivated, but now we are trying to get our finances back in order and things are really tight, so getting out of the house just to walk is a chore. and the nearby parks are just not safe to let my 3 year old play in. I try to work out at home and i've managed to do a small about of sit-ups and similar ab work 5 days a week, butnothing longer than 10-15 min. our apt is just too small. also if im at home most of the day, i find I snack more, even though I know I shouldn't. I try to eat healthy, and although I like to cook, I don't want to when I have both the kids during the day. Once my husband comes home, I want to cook just to hand off the kids and have a bit of time for myself. Is that crazy or what?

i asked my moms group if we could start walking again...wait to hear back on that. Anyone else know what I mean?

[Stayseeliz]

I'm trying to work on this area too. I'm only a little under 4 weeks from having the baby though. But I miss exercising but can't figure out where to find the energy. I'm mostly trying to watch what I eat right now. I got on our elliptical trainer last night and hope to make that a regular practice. I'm going to do that and workout videos for now. I have a gym membership but I'm not leaving the baby in that childcare during cold/flu season. Just trying to ease back into exercising!

[IfMamaAintHappy]

I've been doing T-Tapp Videos (Teresa Tapp) for exercise for 6 1/2 yrs. The workout is part yoga, party pilates, part tai chi, part ballet/dance theory, and part physical therapy. I've had awesome results after 3 pregnancies, and anticipate great things again this time. I am doing about 10-15 minutes every other day for a while until I feel up to a full 45 minute workout.

[marlygf]

I am 3 weeks pp and I am going to start walking regularly with a friend next week. just a little bit to ease back in. I think I will probably do some pilates then too. I've started the stomach stuff to bring my muscles back together. I started that about a week after. I'm discovering I can't get very high though. my poor stomach!

[candyapplez]

c/s here doc said no execising till dec 1st. I can "take a walk to take a walk to take a walk but not to exercise."

[HeatherB]

It's definitely time for me to get back to exercising! I lost a bunch of weight through the pregnancy and now I need to KEEP it off! I agree, though, that it's hard to get all of the kids (3 for me now) out of the house, and when I do, it's not typically just to go take a walk. Besides, then I'd have 2 kids to either walk with or push in a stroller (70+lbs!) and one to carry. So it's pretty impractical to just "go take a walk" and actually have it DO anything.

My DH is supposed to be taking turns at the gym in the mornings (and taking the boys - he works from home), and then he's supposed to give me a turn in the evenings, and keep the baby. There's no way I'm taking the baby, even if he was old enough. But it's easy for me to work out and KEEP working out there - and besides, we're paying for it!

I wonder if videos would work for me or not... I've never done much with them. On the one hand, the boys might encourage me to put them on, but on the other, I have SO much I'm always trying to get accomplished at home that it's kind of unlikely I'd decide to do that over all the other stuff, kwim? But I'm also just crazy busy still these days... trying to get my head above water again!!

I had a friend I went walking with regularly a few years ago, and that was great! Even if I found friends to go with, though, I'm not sure I'm up to it with 3 kids in tow! So I think I better get on DH about letting me go to the gym. Seems the best solution for us!

I love the idea of a group of us encouraging each other, though, to keep it up!

[Stayseeliz]

Heather, will your baby take a bottle? I've thought about leaving the baby with DH and going to the gym but we haven't tried a bottle yet. And the gym is about 20 minutes away. And my pump broke!! So I'd have to get a new one to express milk for the baby!! And she's really unpredictable about when she wants to eat so I know I couldn't leave her with nothing. I've thought about putting her in a sling and walking on the treadmill at the gym in they let me!

I haven't done anything this week since Monday. I'm so discouraged about my tummy area. I usually have a small stomach but I got SO big in the belly this time and with the babe being transverse my tummy is SO stretched out!

I think I'm going to look for some more exercise tapes at the library and see what they have. I have GOT to get motivated here!!

[firstkid4me]

I'm going to join Weight Watchers again after the holidays. I think my big exercise is going to be strapping on Emily and Lana (mei tai and pouch respectively) and going for walks around the block. It'll suck and I won't be able to do much at first, but I'll get stronger and it'll get better

[HeatherB]

Originally Posted by Stayseeliz

Heather, will your baby take a bottle? I've thought about leaving the baby with DH and going to the gym but we haven't tried a bottle yet. And the gym is about 20 minutes away. And my pump broke!! So I'd have to get a new one to express milk for the baby!! And she's really unpredictable about when she wants to eat so I know I couldn't leave her with nothing. I've thought about putting her in a sling and walking on the treadmill at the gym in they let me!

I haven't done anything this week since Monday. I'm so discouraged about my tummy area. I usually have a small stomach but I got SO big in the belly this time and with the babe being transverse my tummy is SO stretched out!

I think I'm going to look for some more exercise tapes at the library and see what they have. I have GOT to get motivated here!!

We were supposed to try a bottle last night but didn't get to, so it'll be all or nothing today. I'm taking my oldest to a concert this evening and have lots of pumped, frozen milk for the baby. He'll pretty much suck on anything still, so I have high hopes! Though as you say with being unpredictable, the evening is when he tends to cluster feed, so who knows how it will go!

If you need a pump, I *LOVE* my new Medela Swing pump. It's a mid-priced pump as far as theirs go, anyway. Single electric, tiny and portable, easy to use and easy to clean. If you want a cheaper version, I'd go with the Medela Harmony, which beats the Isis on price and ease of cleaning, to be sure. I haven't used it so can't comment on ease of use, but it has some great features (including ones similar to the Swing) that seem really good. (And Medela is the only pump maker to use exclusively "safe" plastics.) I've been using the Medela breastmilk storage containers that come individually package, so I don't even have to sterilize before using. Yay! So much easier! Reusable, too, once I go through the whole box.

So hopefully little guy will take bottles well and I'll be able to not only go on a date with my big boy, but also get to the gym regularly! My MW came yesterday and said my stomach muscles weren't in too bad of shape - yay! But they were never very good to begin with. So I need to do alot of work still. Ahh, now I really want to get to the gym! They've got a great ab machine that I can actually use without hurting my back.

Oh, I've thought about walking treadmills with the baby, too, but I have a feeling it would NOT be allowed... I've seen someone fall off a treadmill before, and if there were a baby, too, it would be bad news! So I bet they don't allow it.

[dynamicdoula]

I'm six weeks postpartum from a cesarean and I think at 8 weeks I'll start walking to exercise. It's rainy and cold but I don't really care, there are sweaters and umbrellas, right? We also have Dance Dance Revolution, and I have a bellydance DVD. The DDR is fun and I feel like a total dork bellydancing alone in my living room. So I have some options; on week 8 I'll start using some of these tools I have at my disposal.

[firstkid4me]

Originally Posted by dynamicdoula

I'm six weeks postpartum from a cesarean and I think at 8 weeks I'll start walking to exercise. It's rainy and cold but I don't really care, there are sweaters and umbrellas, right? We also have Dance Dance Revolution, and I have a bellydance DVD. The DDR is fun and I feel like a total dork bellydancing alone in my living room. So I have some options; on week 8 I'll start using some of these tools I have at my disposal.

OMG, now I totally hope that dh gets WA state because I want to play DDR (and would totally come over for bellydancing "class".) LOL

[Stayseeliz]

Originally Posted by HeatherB

We were supposed to try a bottle last night but didn't get to, so it'll be all or nothing today. I'm taking my oldest to a concert this evening and have lots of pumped, frozen milk for the baby. He'll pretty much suck on anything still, so I have high hopes! Though as you say with being unpredictable, the evening is when he tends to cluster feed, so who knows how it will go!

If you need a pump, I *LOVE* my new Medela Swing pump. It's a mid-priced pump as far as theirs go, anyway. Single electric, tiny and portable, easy to use and easy to clean. If you want a cheaper version, I'd go with the Medela Harmony, which beats the Isis on price and ease of cleaning, to be sure. I haven't used it so can't comment on ease of use, but it has some great features (including ones similar to the Swing) that seem really good. (And Medela is the only pump maker to use exclusively "safe" plastics.) I've been using the Medela breastmilk storage containers that come individually package, so I don't even have to sterilize before using. Yay! So much easier! Reusable, too, once I go through the whole box.

So hopefully little guy will take bottles well and I'll be able to not only go on a date with my big boy, but also get to the gym regularly! My MW came yesterday and said my stomach muscles weren't in too bad of shape - yay! But they were never very good to begin with. So I need to do alot of work still. Ahh, now I really want to get to the gym! They've got a great ab machine that I can actually use without hurting my back.

Oh, I've thought about walking treadmills with the baby, too, but I have a feeling it would NOT be allowed... I've seen someone fall off a treadmill before, and if there were a baby, too, it would be bad news! So I bet they don't allow it.

DD cluster feeds at night too and I know this would drive DH bonkers! On the plus side, I bought new batteries and my Medela mini eletric still works!!! YAY!!

I think I'll just use the elliptical trainer here and get some good videos. I have the Billy Blanks Tae Bo DVD's but he gets on my nerves!! We're hoping to be able to get a weight set and a treadmill after the new year too! With homeschooling it's just SO much easier to work out at home!

I'm having a hard time keeping my appetite in check. I'm eating good food but I just feel like I'm starvng all the time!!!

[jazzpurr88]

I weigh less now than when I got PG. I'm 5 weeks pp and have been walking with the boys 4 miles a day. I want a gym membership to the golds gym that just opened up within walking distance of my house. I just started tying to pump and offer bottles today. He took 4oz of BM for mom this afternoon while I went to the Bank and cleaned house for 2 hours.

[gottaknit]

I'm itching to start exercising, too. I've got 40 pounds to lose and can't wait to join WW again. Exercise videos would be nice, but we have a tiny little house, too. I'm trying to imagine how I would clear the toys out of the way to have room to move around the living room. Plus, everyone always seems to want something. If I'm not nursing or changing the baby, then DS is begging for a snack or needs help getting his pants back on or whatever... *sigh*

[glendora]

Originally Posted by candyapplez

c/s here doc said no execising till dec 1st. I can "take a walk to take a walk to take a walk but not to exercise."

Same here.

I want to wear my pants again!! No fair!! *whines*

I am already to my pre-preg weight, though... Now it's just a matter of belly shrinkage...

[dynamicdoula]

Originally Posted by firstkid4me

OMG, now I totally hope that dh gets WA state because I want to play DDR (and would totally come over for bellydancing "class".) LOL

YEAH!! :

[Brisen]

The most I've done is some stretching and ab stuff in the mornings, with the kids. R cries if he's not being held, and even if he's on the floor in front of me while I stretch, he doesn't last long. I'm hoping to get out for a walk more often, but with 4 kids we usually end up going very slowly. If M would stay in the stroller, I would be happy to go out with her in the stroller and the baby in the wrap -- that would probably be a good workout for me.

Does anyone know of any exercise video-type stuff that's available online?

[Jenlaana]

I walk almost every day w/ DD2 in the mei tei and DD1 in the stroller. DH has been pushing the stroller but I will once he goes back to work tomorrow. We go a mile, but not very fast. I'm just proud of myself for actually moving. I'm at 4 wks PP to the day.

We have been dieting too of sorts. DH has lost 20 lbs since DD2 was born!! I've lost about 30 but I know over half of it was baby and the rest was water from the first week of "dieting" (although its south beach which isnt dieting, just swapping whole grains for white 'carbs' and adjusting what % of my food is meat/veggies/carbs a bit to make it more veggie heavy.

I feel great though. I'm personally just thrilled to sleep on my stomach again.