Will I ever get my old body back? - Page 2

[Halfasianmomma]

Originally Posted by Owachi

I actually don't care that much about weight....it's just a number....I would be happy being 140 if my body looked the way I wanted it to, or looked good in clothes......I've been doing Beach body and Walk Away the Pounds videos. Anyone have any experience in those? Thanks for the support.....I'm glad I'm not alone.

Hi Owachi...I have to say, I don't quite know what you're going through (yet), but I was a big workout freak for years, and I've done a lot of dieting (I had an eating disorder). I'm with you on not caring about the scale; I threw mine out years ago because I obsessed too much.

Regarding "feeling good", have you tried doing something you like that's also equally challenging? Sometimes feeling good just comes from attending activities that do it for you (for me it's dancing) on a regular basis. I'm just throwing out ideas here: swimming, jogging, indoor rock climbing, cycling, martial arts, hot/power yoga, cross-country skiing, pilates, hip hop dancing, etc etc...

Also, have you tried varying your workouts every 3 months or so? If you don't vary up the exercises every 2 or 3 months, you'll plateau and get down about it.

The gym doesn't do squat for me except make my muscles bulges, and those cardio machines...they don't work for me. I get bored and unmotivated. Same with those fitness programs (Beach Body, Body for Life, etc): they're good to get generally educated about how to focus on specific musculature and how to keep to schedule, but beyond that, I didn't find them motivating AND your muscles start to get used to the exercises very quick, so you don't see changes anymore.

What did work for me in the past were extreme cardio classes, such as kickboxing (not tae bo mind you, REAL kickboxing where you could very well get punched in the face), or karate. I had 1.5/2 hour classes 3 times a week, and within 6 weeks or so, I melted. These classes started with some jogging, included some stretching, endurance work (stances), katas done repeatedly, sparring, and surprise sessions of push-ups and situps in between. I nearly passed out several times in the beginning of my training because my body was working so hard and I hadn't upped my protein intake. I tried cutting out the complex carbs, but when you're working out that hard, you need them, so I opted for the whole grain options. And honestly, what helped me was the fact that I wasn't spending the whole time obsessing about getting thinner thighs or a flatter tummy; I was enjoying the challenge of learning new moves and being with peers. Before I knew it, I was feeling good about myself AND I was fitter.

Anyhow, if you want to see results, a) be patient: your metabolism may need some time to rev itself up AND you just had TWINS!, b) shock your body with some heavy duty my-heart-is-beating-so-fast-i'm-going-to-puke cardio, along with some weighs on the side. Honestly, everything else is just...fluff. When your body is challenged that way, it reacts.

[kltroy]

Just wanted to add another comment... no your body will not be exactly the same as it was before you had kids. BUT you can be in great shape, DO anything, and feel great. It takes some time and effort and commitment to getting back in shape. And that, as you know, is darn near impossible when you've got two toddlers running around, because of finding the time and energy to do so.

For me, after I had my son I started riding my bike to work every day again (I had been a bike commuter for the prior 7 years) and between that and breastfeeding I quickly got back to my pre-preg weight. But I was shaped differently, and that's ok, I've discovered. I think if I put my mind to it my abs will get back to where they were (I had the 6-pack too, but had to work pretty hard at it) but my hips are a bit wider, my breasts are a bit saggier, and there's a "jiggle" factor because my skin just got a little stretched out during the pregnancy.

I agree with the other posters - you need to find something that makes YOU happy - whether that's pilates or swimming or running or whatever - it is impossible to stick with it unless you actually enjoy doing it. And you need to accept that your body probably won't ever look exactly the same. But with some time it will look just as good - just different - than it did before.

I should note that I am now preg with #2 and I was pretty un-motivated to really work hard at getting back into shape because I knew I'd be doing it all over again soon (so it just seemed futile). For me, I'll probably start getting serious about getting my "old" body back once I'm done having kids. Until then, I have more important things to worry about.

[nina_yyc]

I often see posts on threads like this saying 'love the body you have now' and while that's always good advice, I don't really find it a satisfactory answer to post-baby body image. Being comfortable with how you look isn't incompatible with having goals.

[Krystal323]

I can comisserate right?? Yeah, you won't be *exactly* the same as before, but you can get dang close!

I think I looked hotter after two kids than I did pre-mamahood. Of course now I have a 6m old nursling, and nursing makes me fat like nothing else can!! : I am not even as good as you are, workign out like that, you must feel awesome! I am lucky to work out once a week, and I miss having that serotonin/energy burst from regular workouts. I am also trying to eat healthier via the Eat to Live diet, which is (imo! ) pretty hard to follow strictly, but it gives me a direction to head in, if you kwim.

Some days I think about how quickly I *know* the weight will drop off once my dd quits nursing--but it's not like I'm gonna wean her to get my body back! And anyhow, once she weans I'll lose these smokin' C-cups too-- it's all about trade-offs!

s to you mama

[Mama Poot]

Don't hate me! but I am 5'0, weighed 105 lbs before I had 1st kid, went up to 135, made it back down to 120 then got pregnant very soon ( 8 weeks ) after having him. I went up to 143 at the end of my 2nd pregnancy, a year later I had finally returned to my pre-pregnancy 105. No dieting, no exercising ( however all that running around with the kids and housework is exercise enough for me! ), no conscious effort to lose the weight. I breastfed exclusively for 7.5 months and Henri is 16 months now and stil nursing. As you can see from my sig I'm expecting again. So I reached my pre-pregnancy weight before getting pregnant again- but does that mean I looked the same? Of course not. My belly is soft and a little saggy, I have some stretch marks that healed to little silver lines. My boobs aren't as perky as they used to be either. But do you know what? I think I look BETTER now after having my kids! I have hips and bigger ta-ta's and a butt! I think its great that you are taking good care of yourself, but don't get so down. A good push up bra and maybe a body shaper like Spanx can do wonders for those not-so-perfect parts. I might wear a size 3 ( when I'm not preggo lol ) but its a squishy 3- no belly shirts here! And I'm okay with that.

[kltroy]

Originally Posted by Mama Poot

...then got pregnant very soon ( 8 weeks ) after having him.

Dang, girl! You clearly got your mojo back sooner than I did!! I was not in the mood that soon after having my son : Are you due in June too?