Health advice. Mostly about unwanted weight gain :(

Kayleigh - posted on 03/25/2011

Thank you everyone ♥ I just got to weigh my self and I'm down to 220... which 12 lbs less than when she was born and 17 lbs less than my recent high weight... so it seems I'm on the right track... lol

Mary Renee - posted on 03/18/2011

Oh yeah, all that said, I worked my ass off and wasn't back into my prepregnancy clothes until she was 6-7 months old. She's 10 months and I'm still 5 pounds away from my pre-pregnancy weight but I don't even care about that last 5 pounds.

Mary Renee - posted on 03/18/2011

You don't need a babysitter to exercise! Exercise with your baby, she'll love it!

I heard the same thing about the weight "just coming off" with breastfeeding but I had no such luck! And I was especially bummed because I've always been slim/slender (in fact I had an eating disorder for two years in highschool so I was kind of obsessed with being skinny and convinced that I could just "diet" after pregnancy and it would all be good) so anyway, you can imagine my frusteration when dieting wasn't working and yes, exercise is incrediably difficult with a baby!

I joined Stroller Strides, which is different prices in different regions but it made me lose weight so fast! You can google Stroller Strides and look for one, but it's a mommy group where you exercise WITH your baby, so no need for a baby sitter. Plus you get to talk to other moms which is so so so wonderful.

If you can't do stroller strides, that doesn't mean you can't still get exercise. Take the baby to the mall in the stroller. At three months, she can probably face out. I remember my daughter wasn't sitting great, but I could slant the back of our graco and she could see things.

Take a nice shower first. I know this is the Attachment Parenting site and I tend to follow AP, but for christ sakes, if you need to take a shower the baby can cry for five minutes, I don't care what anyone says, you're not letting her cry it out, you can bring her in the bathroom with you. Just do it, I always feel ten thousand times prettier after a shower!

Go to the mall, walk around, walk all the way around. At home, you can do tricep dips on a table, push-ups, pull-ups, sit ups, bicycles - you don't need a babysitter - or to spend money for any of this.

The trick is to write stuff down. Write down the exercises you do in a day, even if it's just ten sit-ups, and ten push-ups, and a half hour walk. Tell yourself "I am going to do at least this much three times a week this week." Write down if you do it, write down if you don't. Hold yourself accountable. It's the only way I can ever get things done!

As for food. Do you have access to a refridgerator? Maybe you can get a little mini one upstairs. Hardboiled eggs. Nuts. Fruits. You can get a rice maker and just plug it into a wall. Try to make whole grain rice if you can stand it (although I don't care what people say about rice, I love it, and Asians eat a ton of it and they're skinny and have great skin!) Avoid fried foods and if you really don't have the money to eat healthier and have to eat unhealthy sometimes - then it's all about portion control.

That said, move around with your daughter. When she's on the floor for tummy time, get down on the floor with her. Roll around, Do sit-ups. Hold her on you knees while you do sit-ups, my daughter thinks it's hilarious when I do that. Do squats while you're holding your baby (the extra weight is perfect)

Good luck - you are not alone! I hate people who say the weight came off so easily with breastfeeding - it doesn't not!

Kayleigh - posted on 03/15/2011

Thank you guys for your suggestions! things have gotten better in some ways and worse in others... lol. I made us a better carrier, its really cute too ^_^ and we did get a microwave and it has helped a lot... I've already started losing weight... that might also be because of the stress... his parents are kicking us out at the end of the month so we will be homeless unless we figure something out. :P also, the japan thing has us worried seeing as we are in seattle... so we are probably leaving the state for a while. Thyroid cancer and leukemia no thank you :P

Tameka - posted on 03/15/2011

Ebay!! I got my brand new Mei Tai for less than $30 including postage. It sounds like your daughter is a bit like mine. If I ever put her down for what ever reason I'll know all about it. Using the toilet was interesting...

Hmm, food... Fruit lasts a long time (a week or more) outside the fridge. When I lived on board Naval establishements while I was in the Navy I never ate their disgusting food. I drank a lot of vegetable juices to get my daily veggie requirements. I ate heaps of those little cans of flavoured tuna, crackers, flavoured rice cakes and canned meals (only drawback is they're high in sodium). Can you get a microwave and a hot plate? I had a hot plate and I would cook some rice, throw in some dehydrated veggies (came back to life in the cooking water) and stir in a can of tuna before eating.

The cold weather shouldn't bother your baby if she is dressed appropriately. I would take my girls to the park in the middle of winter about once a week. My 4 year old would have a great time because there was no one else to compete with. My then 6 month old would stay in my arms while we slowly walked around. I dressed her in a body suit (a singlet with those buttons around her nappy), long sleeve shirt, fleecy pants, socks, soft woolly boots, fleecy jacket and a woolly hat. If it was particularly cold I wrapped a blanket around her while we watched the ducks.

If your husband's parents leave the house to go into town for an hour or so, could you ask if you could tag along? The change of scenery would do both you and your baby good and it will give you a chance to walk around for some exercise. You could put her in a trolley with a baby capsule attached to it and window shop together. Just plan to meet back at the car at a certain time.

Perhaps a walk around the block during the warmest part of the day? Because you don't have a suitable carrier it will only be a quick trip and your arms won't get tired.

I really hope that you are able to change things to make you happier. Good luck ♥ ♥ :D

Marcy - posted on 03/01/2011

Check on craigs list or a local childrens reseller...they are always selling front packs. Put the front pack on and then your jacket over it and then a blanket on top of the front pack (obviously making sure she can get air). Check online you can make a sling out a sheet and carry her in it. Drink tons and tons of water and buy fruit. You can keep fruit for a few days w/o putting it in the fridge. You need to eat and you need to eat healthy. Tomatoes, tuna fish on rice cakes...., check online and get small fridge or table top oven. When you cook at night cook for the next day. Make a big batch of chicken and put the leftover chicken in the fridge. Eat it cold....This is all assuming you aren't a vegetarian. Check online and see if there is a local Le Leche club...maybe there is a local mom who coul pick you and your daughter up to go to the meetings...just thinking outside the box.

Katherine - posted on 02/28/2011

Is it warm enough to go for walks? She is only 3 months you need to give yourself some time. I just saw it's cold, but you could bundle her up and still go for walks it's good for them to get the fresh air.
So let me get this straight...you can't even cook a meal? That's insane! You are supposed to lose a lot of the weight BF'ing it burns about 500 calories. I can't really think of anything non-perishable....

Hang in there!

Kayleigh - posted on 02/23/2011

sorry its so long :(