I have 5 kids and need to lose weight

[Anonymous]

Posting for encouragement. I have 5 kids, including a baby. I was thin through my first two kids then lost the baby weight with a lot of effort a year after my third baby. After my fourth baby I didn’t lose any weight and I gained even more with my fifth, who is 6 months old. I’ll be nursing for at least another 6 months.

I am 5’8” and need to lose 35 pounds. (I’m technically about 10 pounds overweight by BMI standards.) My diet is not great. I used to eat keto but now I eat tons of carbs and have a bad Diet Coke habit. My husband is fit. He still finds me attractive and compliments me but his job is very networking-focused and I’m embarrassed to show up to his events.

I need a swift kick in the pants. 35 pounds seems impossible. Starting while postpartum seems impossible.

[Anonymous]

Oh and I’m 40.

[Anonymous]

Why not return to what worked for you before?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why not return to what worked for you before?

Because I have more kids and am more tired. I lack the motivation! And I don’t want to do anything to hurt the nursing but I know I can clean up my diet without hurting. I just really lack willpower right now because all my energy is going to my kids.

[Anonymous]

It's hard to fit in exercise unless you have a lot of help but try to take advantage of the weekend. Also, just try to make small changes and have easy, healthier options available when you're tempted to reach for the sugary snack or fast food.

[Anonymous]

Diet Coke is not causing you weight gain, and you probably need caffeine as a mom to five kids. Also, don't be too hard on yourself or criticize yourself.
As to weight loss, you should take it easy and first figure out how to cook and what to use to cook with. Do you even have time to cook?

[Anonymous]

35 lbs isn’t bad. Count calories and find a small deficit to eat at- 300 calories below your maintenance. Put the baby in a stroller and walk a lot. The Diet Coke is absolutely fine. It’ll take time because baby weight is hard to move at this age but it’s also doable and not as bad as you think it is. You can get that off in 8-12 months easily

[Anonymous]

Attack one habit at a time. I would suggest lowering your carbs (but not going keto). Tell us what you eat in a typical day and we can give suggestions. Like…swap your morning bagel for 3 scrambled eggs with spinach. Yes, 3 eggs to start because that bagel was filling you up and 1-2 eggs aren’t as filling. You can reduce later if you need/want. Having a sandwich for lunch? Swap it for a salad with protein. Prep the veg and protein on the weekends when you may have more time Having pretzels for a snack? Swap it with 20 almonds and 10 chocolate chips.

THEN tackle your Diet Coke habit. How many do you have in a day—2? -3? Reduce it by one and replace it with La croix with extra squeezed lemon or something similar. Don’t cut DC out totally until you feel you have a grasp on the reduction of each one.

Chances are with the diet and soda changes you’ll have more energy to work out. Then add that in.

Small changes, one at a time, give yourself grace.

Also…your goals should be smaller. 3l5lbs is a lot.

Start by a goal of 5 lost. Then another 5. Then another. Celebrate each attained goal (not with food).

Finally—don’t consider yourself the person who has to “clean up” your kids uneaten food. A lot of moms do that and it’s not healthy

[Anonymous]

Start a GLP-1 medication after you stop breastfeeding. It's the easiest and most effective solution; you won't need to stay on it forever, just to lose the initial bolus of weight. You can then maintain on your own.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Posting for encouragement. I have 5 kids, including a baby. I was thin through my first two kids then lost the baby weight with a lot of effort a year after my third baby. After my fourth baby I didn’t lose any weight and I gained even more with my fifth, who is 6 months old. I’ll be nursing for at least another 6 months.

I am 5’8” and need to lose 35 pounds. (I’m technically about 10 pounds overweight by BMI standards.) My diet is not great. I used to eat keto but now I eat tons of carbs and have a bad Diet Coke habit. My husband is fit. He still finds me attractive and compliments me but his job is very networking-focused and I’m embarrassed to show up to his events.

I need a swift kick in the pants. 35 pounds seems impossible. Starting while postpartum seems impossible.

Make healthier changes to your diet -now. Build in some weight exercises - when you lift a kid - do a double - put them down then pick them up again. When you are carrying handled grocery bags in from the car- do some arm curls. Park on the outskirts of where you are going and walk in. After dinner, have the whole family go for a walk around the block. Get a Fitbit and walk 250 steps every hour from 7am to 9pm - picking up things around the house if you are home. Lift the laundry basket higher and away from your body as you bring a load to the washer and when you bring it around to put away. Don’t push yourself out of a chair- use your legs and core - then sit down and do it again - every time you have to get up. Same for when you get up from playing with the kids on the floor- get down again and get back up.

See how much that helps and once you wean you can reduce your calorie intake if you need to.

Be realistic. You have had five children. You are now middle aged. Things will have permanently shifted. Be healthy not perfect. If you have a tendency towards perfection, ED, or OCD - get help for that now - having the right mind set helps happiness and health.

[Anonymous]

It sounds like you know what you need to do but don't have the motivation to make it happen. I think you need to start by finding the time and energy for some self-care. Get your husband to help. Maybe nice haircut, some new clothes (yes, even if they won't fit after you lose weight), etc., will motivate you to tackle the weight loss. When I've been in the same situation, I find that momentum is everything. If I start to look better, I find the will to do more to look better.

[Anonymous]

Just figure out how you want to tackle it and start. I'm on Wegovy (which is absolutely not the walk in the park people think it is, at least not for me -- horrible side effects), and have lost 30 and still need to lose at least 50 more. You can do this.

[Anonymous]

How many months post partum are you? Are you breastfeeding?

[Anonymous]

OP, I personally found kicking a Diet Coke habit helpful. I lost 5 lbs without any other changes and it seemed to help sugar cravings. I switched to plain seltzer and plain hot or cold tea.

Consider having that be step one.

If you want to lower carbs, I found it pretty easy to do in the context of family cooking. I make rice and cauli rice or use buns & lettuce wraps. Now I eat a protein heavy diet but I did something similar when I was the only vegetarian. It helped me lower inflammation and I have more energy.

Congrats on the little one!

[Anonymous]

39 year old mom of five who lost 35 pounds. it's **all** diet. I have been a lifelong exerciser and even hired a trainer and nothing budged on the scale. It was hiring a dietician that did it. But you don't even need that. You just need to eat a high protein low carb diet and kick the diet coke habit. Skipping carbs with dinner is huge for me. ie when it's taco night I do lettuce cups. when it's pizza night I do cali crust. you just have to decide you are sticking with a better diet and it will work. it doesn't take time. ie for lunch today I have nothing low carb for myself. I'm just going to have apples and peanut butter.