~Just had my daughter, and it's time to start dropping that baby weight. Tips please?

[Toasted]

Okay, here's some serious honesty.

Before pregnancy; 5'9'', 160lb--I looked great. Finally. Oh wait, oops, I'm pregnant now after losing 70lbs. -_-
Right before delivery; 5'10'', 206lbs--WHAT DAFUQ 40lb pregnancy?
After Pregnancy; 5'9'', 190lb. -_-

The weight stayed, mostly.

My daily routine already involves a mile to two mile walk/jog (depends on my arthritis, bleh).
I also have a pretty healthy intake, I drink 80% water, the rest is 100% juice and maybe a soda once a week, not a big fan anyway.
My only weakness is cereals that have marshmallows in them...I eat cereal once a day, usually.
My current cereal in-house is Fruit'n'Yogurt Kellogs. Not too unhealthy. :)

My car is outta commission (alternator shat out, fixing in a week or so) so until then I need in-home stuff I can do.
It's a tiny little house, so I don't really have room for a huge work-out space.

Oh, and tag me in your replies because I might forget I posted this. /pokes username/ xP

[j03]

Get active and start running. Try to run more and more distance every time if you can, with faster speeds. :) Toasted

[Toasted]

Thanks Joe. :)
Running always seems more intimidating than it really is, I guess.
I'm always scared I'll blow my knee out again. ;~;
(Played fb in HS)

[Death]

@Toasted ([Only registered and activated users can see links]) Even in a small apartment, you can probably clear enough floor space for some HIIT. (High intensity interval training) The Marines call it quarter-decking. There's several different exercises you can do... I lost, and kept off for the most part, 30-35lbs in 3 months doing this maybe once or twice a day.

Here's a video example:


[Only registered and activated users can see links]

The actual exercises start at 3:26.

and to break up the boring monotony of just running, try Fartleks. (see below video)


[Only registered and activated users can see links]

[Toasted]

[Only registered and activated users can see links]

But thanks Mondale! That actually really helps a LOT-- seems taking breaks and stopping between sprinting is what really kills me.
But this seems easier, and more fun!

[Meagan]

Are you breast feeding? That alone burns many calories. I dropped a lot of weight from breast feeding and pumping.

[Miri]

If you have the $350+ for a static/spinning pole from x-pole, why not pole fitness? I find exercise boring but I cant wait to get my pole, it looks really fun imo and women who try it love it. I looked at youtube vids from the women competing in Miss Pole and just.. wow.

[HungryForNoms]

First of all congratulations on losing so much weight before pregnancy. It's awesome that you've already proven you can do it, and your baby is definitely healthier because of your efforts.


Get active and start running. Try to run more and more distance every time if you can, with faster speeds. :) Toasted

Oh boy, so the best way to make friends on this forum is probably not to start out by correcting the person who created the website. Here we go, though.

If you can do what Joe suggested you'll keep burning more and more calories, it's true. There's something about mentally building up slowly (adding .5 miles every 5 days to your daily run so your knees and IT band stay intact) that is really awesome mentally, it makes it possible to stick with a program and you really feel the progression.

However, because of how the body burns calories when you run you probably don't need to push yourself to be running fast the whole time.

Basically, at lower heart rates for exercise (speed walking/slow running) your body relies on fat stores for energy, this is highly a efficient source of calories and it's why heart rate monitors and treadmills will call running in certain lower HR zones (125-130s-145ish) being in the "aerobic" or "fat-burning" zone. So walking and running at a slower pace are actually a great way to burn fat. Here's a note from an awesome page with tons of info on running�though it's geared more towards people who are training for serious races:


The aerobic system is where the powerful hybrid engines lie at the muscular level.

If you lower the pace a bit to an oxygen utilizing zone you get 36-38 ATP per molecule of glucose- this is the gas engine- somewhat efficient as we can store enough glycogen and blood glucose to give 90 minutes or so of activity.
Now if you slow down a bit more to below the aerobic threshold you can develop the mitochondrial machinery to break down fat into energy. Your efficiency jumps exponentially-460 ATP per fat molecule! This is the electric engine. (Endurance Sports Nutrition p 32). If you have ever driven a Prius, you see the subtle mixing of gas and electric which you cannot detect as the driver. Your body is doing this all the time in exercise. You want more electric! Any activity lasting more than a couple hours is largely electric.

Quote is from the second page of this essay (an excellent read for any running enthusiast): [Only registered and activated users can see links]

As long as I'm quoting this guy, check out his video on healthy running form (250k+ views, this guy ran a sub 2:40:00 marathon in his mid 40's�keep in mind that a 20 year-old would only need to run a 3:05:00 marathon to qualify for Boston. Basically he has put his body on the line with rigorous exercise and good technique, and his body and knees are not 'falling apart,' they're actually healthier).





Let's talk food!!
But you're already active, which is really important. So the biggest thing you should target to help you lose pounds is your diet. The thing that will wreck your health more than anything else (unless you smoke, then that's your biggest problem) is probably your sugar intake.

I'm going to be the bad guy/bearer of bad news here so I apologize up front. Not trying to be a judgmental jerk.

First (and I was crushed when I discovered this too), although 100% juice has a lot of vitamins, it's still pretty bad for you. Why? Because it is really, really high in sugar. It's honestly almost as bad as drinking lots of sodas, it just gives you some vitamin C or B vitamins along with the sugar.

Regular fruit is an awesome snack because even though it has lots of sugar, there's also lots of natural fiber. The fiber will slow how quickly that sugar gets dumped into your system and will keep the insulin spike that usually occurs after a massive raw sugar intake low. Regular fruit is filling, promotes wakefulness, and won't give you too many calories.

Fuit juice runs straight through your system (if you had enough of it it would cause diarrhea), will give you a sugar rush and then you'll crash later if you don't eat more, and it's packed with calories from fructose.

STOP: After writing for an hour and trying to post the forum auto-logged me out. I lost a bunch of stuff so I'm going to summarize it below.

Unfortunately, even though Special K is supposed to be healthy it's pretty much all sugar. Don't take my word for it: [Only registered and activated users can see links]
Sure the calorie count looks low, but who actually has just 3/4 cup of cereal? There's the amount it actually takes to get you energy for the morning, plus the calories from the milk.

Instead of writing everything I did about sugar I want to post this link to a medical lecture presented for the general public on how sugar works. It will fundamentally change the way you think about diet and what you eat. It's a very long video, with no special effects or whizz-bang moments. Yet it still has over 3 MIL views on youtube. I have yet to see any other video with that kind of track record, and the information in here is spot on:
[Only registered and activated users can see links]
I think everyone in the world should watch this, even if you only have time to catch a few minutes at a time while you eat meals (that's when I make time to watch videos).

Personally, I think our government's recommendation info for 'healthy diet' is in the pocket of the corn lobby. The recent one was so bad Harvard medical school released their own food guide for healthy nutrition. It emphasizes more vegetables and less fruits (cuts down on sugar), more protein, and including unprocessed carbs that have a lot more natural fiber. Many nutritionists would want to cut out more carbs but Harvard is right in that if you're going to have grains they should be whole grains:
[Only registered and activated users can see links]

Of course you could do something really extreme like an old friend of mine did. He and his wife made a deal to only eat whole foods from plant sources for 10 weeks. They lost 15+ and 20+ pounds and their cholesterol dropped down by 45+ and 50+. They also lost their cravings for unhealthy foods a few weeks into the diet, and both report that they feel absolutely incredible now. They were super strict, of course, and you might not want to do something that extreme.

The best thing you could do for your health is to pick a couple easy, achievable goals you can start doing today:
-Cut juice out entirely, or decide you will only have one juice/soda per week.
-Park as far away from the front entrance as possible when you get your car back (adds ~2000 steps to most people's day without messing up their schedules at all)
-snack on vegetables (no sugary/carb-loaded salad dressings or dip) during the day and have fruit for dessert. (after 2 weeks of this the unhealthy stuff starts to taste terrible anyway, your body feels good when you're eating what's good)
-pick one meal you can modify to include more healthy protein, vegetables, and fats, and cut down on processed carbs and sugars.

Good luck. Please don't consider my post actual medical advice. It is not! I wish you the best success, and would be happy to discuss this further on this thread or via PM.

[Toasted]

Are you breast feeding? That alone burns many calories. I dropped a lot of weight from breast feeding and pumping.

Sadly no, I wasn't able to produce. Not only am I in the titty-bitty-titty-committee, but I also just couldn't make any. xD


If you have the $350+ for a static/spinning pole from x-pole, why not pole fitness? I find exercise boring but I cant wait to get my pole, it looks really fun imo and women who try it love it. I looked at youtube vids from the women competing in Miss Pole and just.. wow.

You know I really, really do want to get one; I even talked it over with my hubbs.
Once we make space in the spare room I just might.

[esperanto]

Toasted, I know it's a bit late but in CASE you have another baby, I'd suggest researching ahead of time what foods you can eat to help your milk production (like bran muffins :O). I also know that I've had many friends that are moms whose doctors (for WHATEVER the hell reason) kept telling them they weren't producing enough on the first day and encouraged them to switch to bottle feeding. If a doctor EVER told me that I'd immediately switch doctors, no looking back. A baby's stomach is the size of a marble when it's born. It doesn't take much at all to fill itty bitty's belly up. And if you supplement, no way are you ever going to be able to produce enough. Your body is just like Oops, empty! Better make some more. And it'll make a little bit more than the last time. If you use bottles to go with it, you're stretching your baby's stomach to where your boobs can't keep up. ANYWAY, rant over. Ily. I don't exercise for shit but I lost 40 lbs within 3 weeks from having Char/breastfeeding. I'm within 5 pounds of where I was when I got pregnant :D

[Mod]

Sadly no, I wasn't able to produce. Not only am I in the titty-bitty-titty-committee, but I also just couldn't make any. xD


Yo titty-bitty-titties still bigger than mine.

And if no juice be squirtin' from yo flesh bags, just need a hard shot of oxytocin. Then you be shooting jets like a Super Soaker.

(J/k, don't. You might die.)

[Meagan]

I know taking fenugreek will increase your supply tremendously, blessed thistle (not milk thistle as that's for your liver) oatmeal, even cookies out there specifically for women breast feeding. If you planned on breast feeding later I'd contact a La Leche League leader before giving birth, they would help you right away, I really liked them. There's ways to relactate even after drying up.


Like esperanto said, a lot of doctors will give out poor advice, you've got some that feel breast is best but they get a kick back for promoting formula. I left the hospital breast feeding but was sent home with a ton of formula and coupons, I was pushed to supplement because of her bilirubin levels, they gave her a pacifier right after my c section, just a bunch of bs things setting me up to "fail" and messing with my supply. Though in the end I had to quit when my medications needed to be switched. I wouldn't be discouraged unless you were given a medical diagnoses to why you can't, and even then there's a few prescriptions that would help.

[HungryForNoms]

Lots of hospitals also have lactation specialists and can help you out with getting started on breastfeeding. If you want to do it, it's definitely worth seeing what kind of resources are available (especially if they're covered by your insurance) to help you get started.