This really F-ing sucks

[xxxkazxxx]

I hear what you all are saying. And, I am sticking to it. In fact, I'm pushing harder than I was 2 weeks ago. But, when I would diet before I would lose a lb or two each week. True, I'm not contest dieting,but my body IMHO- of course- should be losing something.

When my Dr said 4-6 weeks for your body to almost return to normal, does that mean it should be returning to it's normal hormonal levels? Meaning, should I really not expect to see results. And furthermore, what would be happening to my body if I wasn't working so hard? What I'm getting at is partly is- am I doing this all for nothing until my body is right again?

I mean, I've changed my cardio AND my weight training. I started out doing sets of 8 and 20 min of cardio 3-4 times a week...Now I'm doing supersets and 20 min of cardio twice a day....

It's not that I want to give up, or don't think that what I'm doing will pay off. I just simply do not understand why I can't seem to lose a lb.

Maybe your body is holding onto the weight for life & death because it feels that's what it need's to do for someone who should at the present time, be breast feeding. So the DR could be right about all your hormones having to return to some kind of normality. Females bodys are so complicated. And once a baby has been added to the life cycle, it all becomes even more complicated. I know after I had my daughter at age 22, weight just went on twice as fast, & became twice as hard to lose. I only gained 7kg in actual non baby body weight, but before pregnancy, it would take me 6 weeks of lazing around to put on a kilo. After giving birth, it's just been a battle. I can put on 1kg in a week if I sit on my lazy butt long enough. Now ofcourse add age into it & I'm gonna have to start sleeping on the treadmill.

I think if you are doing what YOU KNOW has always worked for you, then it simply could be the hormones and your body in baby mode. Which is just going to take time. But your definately not doing it for nothing. Because like you said, imagine what would happen if you wernt doing all this hard work. Fair to say, you would probably pile the pounds on. How many women do we see have great bodies before pregnancy, then they have a baby and explode to larger proportions. I think that covers pretty much 9/10 mothers i know. A mothers body is not what it was before pregnancy. Whole new ball game. Most women dont adapt themselves for that & hence end up tossing out the crappy line *Ive had children, thats why im fat*. And then my silent voice says, "NO!!! Your fat because you watch soapies all day and shovel biscuits in your mouth like they are about to run out of production"

Stick with it RS. You might just have to believe that it's out of your control for just a few more weeks until your body settles back to normal. But don't stop untill then. Youll only put weight on.

[redsquirrel]

OMG- All I have to say is- I'm so glad you are here!!!! That was such great insight, Kaz!!!

But, on a lighter note....maybe I overreacted- it seems as though my BF went down a whole % since last week when sonis pulled my pinches.

And get this: I went to my trainer last night (and yes, I know- but let's face it; I want to lose muscle AND fat- get that long lean, look ,so Shush!) He pretty much tild me that if I started training again that I would be wastingmy sessions. So_ I can TOTALLY appreciate that!! he really gave me great insight as to what my body is going thru

And SHIBBY- I'm mad that you didn't give me any insight about how your girl handled it all. :(

[xxxkazxxx]

OMG- All I have to say is- I'm so glad you are here!!!! That was such great insight, Kaz!!!

But, on a lighter note....maybe I overreacted- it seems as though my BF went down a whole % since last week when sonis pulled my pinches.

And get this: I went to my trainer last night (and yes, I know- but let's face it; I want to lose muscle AND fat- get that long lean, look ,so Shush!) He pretty much tild me that if I started training again that I would be wastingmy sessions. So_ I can TOTALLY appreciate that!! he really gave me great insight as to what my body is going thru

And SHIBBY- I'm mad that you didn't give me any insight about how your girl handled it all. :(

Hehe, so easy to over react, especially when its our OWN bodies we are talking about.

Do you monitor your progress day to day? week to week? or longer? Ive decided to stay away from the scales and BF% for the next month so I don't drive myself crazy. Or maybe I should make it two weeks? In otherwords, how long should you give a set diet & routine time to show progress before you decide to change something that dosnt seem to be working?

And congrats on the BF% loss. You lost it & I think I found it! haha.

[dreamgirl]

When my Dr said 4-6 weeks for your body to almost return to normal, does that mean it should be returning to it's normal hormonal levels? Meaning, should I really not expect to see results. And furthermore, what would be happening to my body if I wasn't working so hard? What I'm getting at is partly is- am I doing this all for nothing until my body is right again?

RS I've had many discussions the past 2 years with my OB/GYN about just this. It usually takes 4-6 weeks from the moment you stop breastfeeding to hormonally get back to normal. My doc said that loosing weight and lifting can take easily a year... a lot has to do with age, younger women are quicker to getting back into a more normal state than older... and I can completely agree with that (seeing that I was 24 the first time and 29 this past)!

I've spent the last year beating myself up mentally, at the gym, and even with my eating. About 4-5 months ago I was even thinking, maybe it's just not in my cards to EVER loose this weight. I seriously tried accepted being 5'2" and 144lbs (a size 12). and I was hardly on this site because I got so depressed that nothing was working for me. For me it's been in the last 3 months that my body has finally started changing for the better, that puts me at 21 months post baby.

It totally has sucked all that I have done and getting the no results for soooo long, but I know you are younger, so it should happen sooner for you. hang in there.

[xxxkazxxx]

I agree Dreamgirl. I think age has alot to do with it. Ive noticed a few of my friends, who havnt even had children and have had perfect, non fat, non cellulite bodies since we were teeneagers & they have been slowly putting on some fat for the past few years. Add a pregnancy in there & they are going to have to start doing what they have always laughed they have gotton away with NOT doing for 15 years. Exercising & eating properly.

RS, another reason i think its harder to lose weight after pregnancy is because i think once you have one baby, your body trys to hold onto that environment for the next one. As horrible as it is to say & hear, even for myself, the whole purpose of the female body is to reproduce, be a housing case for 9 months & then be a source of food for as long as possible. I still had spots of milk 5 years later. Thats nature & once that seed has been planted, you have given your body the control as to why it exists. On the UP side of it all. And I don't know this for sure at all, but maybe you might find you fall pregnant alot easier this time round.

[redsquirrel]

Do you monitor your progress day to day? week to week? or longer? Ive decided to stay away from the scales and BF% for the next month so I don't drive myself crazy. Or maybe I should make it two weeks? In otherwords, how long should you give a set diet & routine time to show progress before you decide to change something that dosnt seem to be working?

And congrats on the BF% loss. You lost it & I think I found it! haha.

I usually monitor my progress once a week. Each week on the same day I will weigh and have my husband pull my BF pinches. When I start a new routine, I usually give my body about 3-4 weeks before I start to see results.

And DG- I'm as old as you are. However, I have heard that losing weight after the second baby is ten times harder than the first.

[xxxkazxxx]

How's it going RS? Things settled into place yet?

[redsquirrel]

Not so much....I almost feel like I should start on a contest diet...really just to see if anything would work at this point. My clothes are slightly looser, and I have lost a little BF, I guess....But not nearly what I was expecting thus far. I just don't know if my estrogen is still really high or what. This past Saturday marked the 6 week point, so maybe I'll start seeing more changes- REALLY soon. LOL

My boobs are still big. I think if they shrunk a little bit more, I wouldn't feel so heavy.

[xxxkazxxx]

Not so much....I almost feel like I should start on a contest diet...really just to see if anything would work at this point. My clothes are slightly looser, and I have lost a little BF, I guess....But not nearly what I was expecting thus far. I just don't know if my estrogen is still really high or what. This past Saturday marked the 6 week point, so maybe I'll start seeing more changes- REALLY soon. LOL

My boobs are still big. I think if they shrunk a little bit more, I wouldn't feel so heavy.

You want your boobs to shrink as slowly as possible to lessen the shock on your skin. But funny how you feel heavier with bigger boobs. I always feel smaller when my boobs are biggest. Makes my waist and butt feel smaller.

6 weeks already? That's flown. I know if I havnt worked out in a while, it takes me 4 weeks of exercise before i start to see any change at all. It's usually the 6 week mark that the progress really get's off the ground and i have to stay dedicated week 7 & 8, because if i slacken off in the slightest, i end up back at week 4.

Good to hear your hanging in there. I had a week of the vommiting bug & not eating. Now i feel like sh!t. No energy to pick up a fork, let alone a weight. It's interupted my dedication. But achieving your goals isnt meant to be easy is it. Otherwise everyone would do it.

[redsquirrel]

The time since has flown....but I was thinking at the gym tonight that I've only been back at the gym now for 4 weeks, so your comments really help. :)

[xxxkazxxx]

Well RS I hope you have been a little more strict than I. Since being sick I just have not been able to get 100% back into it. Kinda gone into a slump, doing things half arsed. So whats the point in doing it at all really. I think its because I have been having to do weights from home (no car for a few months. What a crappy excuse huh!). Is it just me or is it harder to motivate yourself at home? I should be back with my car in 2 weeks, which means back at the gym. So I am looking forward to that. But I am angry at myself that I havnt put in 100% at home. I have a crappy weight bench, its not suited to my height and my back breaks doing chest exercises, but thats just another lame excuse. Ive also noticed since eating all the boring stuff, oats, egg whites, tuna, brown rice, i crave sugar SO BAD come "that time" of the month & I keep giving in. BAD BAD BAD!

How's your BF going? Closer to where you like it?

[redsquirrel]

We have a work out room in the house we just built. But, it only has a treadmill, balance ball, etc. And yes, it is way harder to get motivated at home. I always tell myself I'm going to do another 15 min of cardio at home later, but I get home fromt he gym around 7:30. Cook dinner, eat, and by that time it's 9pm, and all I want to do is relax for an hour. In your case, seeing how your equipment doesn't seem to be to par, that would make me even less motivated. Don't fret, though. Just a brief setback.

As for you cravings- I just got my "full fledged Flow" LOL last Tuesday, and the whole day I was craving salty fries. It should only last for a day....You know one thing since I've been dieting is my mid afternoon meal- Chocolate shake w/ a rice cake & natty PB. I don't like sweets so much, but it's a great combo.

My Bf is slowly dropping...definitely not where I like it, but less. My clothes fit better, and I've dropped a pants size. Boobs are still big, though. I'm starting to wonder if they will ever go back! My weight finally started dropping THIS WEEK....8 weeks after, so go figure. I am actually eating even less calories than before. I just started thinking about it, and maybe I just don't need 1500 cals a day to lose weight. Weekends, I let loose but during the week, I'm at it full force.

[xxxkazxxx]

It is just a setback :) Today I went to get info, prices etc and check out a different gym to the one i used to goto. That got me pretty excited. My old gym was more of a social gathering place. Lots of aerobics classes and people gossiping and barely no room to do weights. Especially at peak hour. It was a fun gym mind you. Very enjoyable. But this gym I am going to change to is all about weights. No aerobics classes or large social gatherings, just people lifting weights. So it attracts a more focused BB crowd I believe. So I cant wait to see if that makes a difference to my training. More lifting & less talking. Still a few weeks till I start there, but the motivation is already welling in my tummy.

See, the 8 week thing? Like i was saying, if I get to weeks 7 & 8 & slackin off, then i end up back at week 4. Well if I stay strict on weeks 7 & 8, then at the end of week 8 I am a happy chappy standin nekkid in the mirror with a big grin on my face ready to easily slip into *THE MOTIVATION JEANS*. So maybe week 8 is one of your bodies medal winning levels also.

I keep meaning to ask aswell, what is natty PB? I know its peanut butter, but what is the natty part of it?. Is that a brand name? Or some low fat PB? I don't even dare buy PB down here becasue it is almost 100% fat and i will eat the whole jar on fresh bread or toast if it's in the house. But if there is some certain PB that is okay, then i would love to get my hands on it :D

And i have no sympathy about your boobs RS. Only jelousy :P

[dreamgirl]

Natty peanut butter is the kind that the ingredients are peanuts, peanut oil and salt.

Smuckers makes it here in the US. Any of the other kinds of peanut butter like Jif add sugar and tons of other preservatives. make sure if you do buy some, refridgerate it after you open it or it will go bad.

[FitnessBrat]

Natty PB is natural. Its just raw peanuts - no preservatives, sweetners, etc. Its delicious. I just tried almond butter - yummy! I have cashew butter as well, but haven't tried it out yet.