Losing the Baby Weight

Some might think that pregnancy is an excuse to eat whatever they want! I will say that I was pretty good for the most part, but did allow myself a few tasty treats along the way such as fries or even Taco Bell--but in moderation! Sometimes the cravings seem to overtake me and it was like an out of body experience..I had to have that taco supreme and fast! My husband laughed at me because it was a different craving every week, but mostly of the healthy variety. I went through a big phase where all I wanted was carrots and tomatoes, I craved big salads, protein, and even went through a month where I felt like I had to have gazpacho every day. I made my own to cut down on the sodium and you better believe that I ate through that trough of gazpacho until it was gone. So it was no surprise that I gained the traditional 30 pounds during my pregnancy, and I knew that some of that would be mine to take off.

I remember that I actually lost a few pounds at the end of my pregnancy, and though it seemed scary it was just fine and the baby was healthy. After I knew that I thought to myself "great, even less for me to lose". I ended up with an emergency C-section, baby and mom did just fine thankfully and then it was time to go home. A day after I had the baby I felt like my stomach had shrunk quite significantly, friends and family told me that I looked only a few months pregnant and that was a great way to start off. I gave birth in the middle of the winter when exercise or even leaving for the outside world with the baby in tow was out of the question for awhile. That and the fact that I had to recover from this C-section! I still felt that baby bump hanging out, but it was smaller--and then came that moment of truth where it was time to step on the scale. I was scared and covered my eyes at first--and then I saw it, I was already down 16 pounds! I was thrilled! Not to say that I was happy with where I was at before I got pregnant, but to me I was on the right track.

I was trying to breastfeed though was ultimately unsuccessful, though I kept my daily calories going as I was instructed and drank plenty of water. Within two weeks of being home, I was down 20 pounds. This was fabulous! I have struggled with what I'll call the "terrible 20" my whole life where I've been in a constant up and down game to lose those nasty 20 pounds that haunt me. I was feeling good and I hadn't even started exercising yet, this was marvelous! As the months went along and the warmer weather came, I started slowly exercising and getting out and eventually lost another five pounds. Now here I am with a seven month old little darling and am still stuck with those last five pounds--agh! Healthy eating has always been common practice for me as has exercise, so now what?!

I think that losing the baby weight is all about giving yourself time and being forgiving. I've heard over and over that it took you nine months to put the weight on and it will take you nine months to take it off. This is not entirely true for many of my friends that look like supermodels just days after the birth of their children, but I have to believe that is not the norm. I think that most women struggle with weight loss after a baby, even if it is those last five stubborn pounds. I'm thankful that five pounds is all I have to lose, but remember that I wasn't thrilled with my pre-pregnancy weight so we've got some ground to make up here!

I've found that exercise is key for me and many other mommies that I know. Any way that you can incorporate the baby into some work out time is a win-win! We are signed up for Stroller Strides, which is talked about as a great workout class for mommy and tons of fun for baby. Perfect! If you don't have that specific class in your area, there are usually other options that allow you to get in some work out time and incorporate baby. You could always just take a long walk with baby in tow, and if the weather doesn't cooperate then try mall walking. (just watch out for all those tempting sales!)

Buddy up--find another mommy either in your group of friends or in the area who also wants to lose the last of the baby weight. Become work out buddies and encourage each other along the way. Keep diet journals and exchange recipes, you can really make a motivational club out of this. Above all else just remember to be patient with yourself! It took your body all those months to prepare for this blessed event, and now your baby is here and you need to allow yourself time to readjust. It will happen--that's what I keep telling myself!

Stay positive and good luck!