Myth busting - Having children doesn’t make you gain weight

[Anonymous]

This thread is ridiculous. Having children does, literally, make you gain weight. It also stretches your body- your joints, skin, and even bones. That’s what happens in pregnancy.

It’s great OP and others can then lose that weight quickly postpartum, but a lot of women struggle with that for lots of different reasons. It’s also not uncommon for your rib cage or hips to not quite go back to the same size, despite weight loss. It is what it is.

[Anonymous]

The sleep deprivation and stress made me gain weight

[Anonymous]

I put on 60 pounds during first pregnancy and 40 pounds during 2nd pregnancy. Not saying kids make me chubby, but being pregnancy clearly does. Have been able to shed 20 pounds after 8 years.
I walk 20-30k steps at work daily and eat healthy. I have had the same work since I was 20 years old. The pounds are going nowhere unless I stop eating.

[Anonymous]

I think there are so many factors, lifestyle is one of them. Sleep deprivation is very much linked to higher weight for a variety of reasons. Less time for exercise and self care (I went fro workig out 2 plus hours every day to barely going 2x/week, from riding my bike to work to driving because I was picking up kids).

I also find that what I would have eaten for dinner, for example a large salad, is not what I feed my family.

Finally I think it can reshape your metabolism and fat storage in different ways. My best friend was always on the slightly chubby/fighting weight gain side.She was even on bed rest with both kids after 5 months. Breasffeeding not only caused her significant weight loss (a good 10-15 lbs below pregnancy) but she claims just reshaped her metabolism. She never regained the weight and eats/exercises like she did pre kids. I gained 30 lbs with #1 and 25# with #2 and only lost the last 5 or 8 lbs when I was done breastfeedng and I'm still 5 lbs up from prepregnancy, but I'm also a decade older and I dont have the lifestyle I used to.

so having children doesn't necessarily make you gain weight but it can create conditions--both phycial and lifestyle--in which weight loss is much more challenging.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I had twins and while I lost the weight, my stomach will never be the same.

I had 3 kids but after the middle one at 9 lb 6 oz kid at 22.5 inches and my stomach will never be the same either.

Yep. My first was a ten pounder, 23 inches long and due to a tumor I didn’t know I had, he was mostly on one side of my abdomen. I have a lopsided, stretch marked stomach that’s not going to be fixed without surgery. I’m so glad that women like OP who have standard issue pregnancies know everything.

Not enough eye roll emojis for the likes of OP.

Lol no one is saying pregnancy doesn’t change your body. The point is if you want to lose weight and do the same thing a woman who doesn’t have children does, you can lose weight. Even though you’ve had children.

Some of you are so defensive and there’s just no reason. If you are happy with an extra 10, 20, 30 pounds that is great. But if you actually want to lose weight there isn’t anything preventing you from doing it.

[Anonymous]

Your whole body changes shape. Your ribcage gets bigger.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The sleep deprivation and stress made me gain weight

Mood

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I was 5’4’’ 125 lbs when I got pregnant. I gained 30 lbs during my pregnancy and lost it all by the time DD was 6 months old. I’m now 5’4’’ 122 lbs.

Cute, I did too. Get back to us in 15 years.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yeah of course … why would child bearing in itself cause you to gain weight?

I have no idea but people post this here all the time. “Oh you’re a mom, you shouldn’t expect to go back to your pre pregnancy weight?” And it’s like…why not?

I say this as a mom to a five year old who has been at pre baby weight and measurements since my kid was 1.5.

Wanna cookie for that accomplishment?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:About the conclusion of the article: no shit.

About your commentary that “you have the time and energy to do it”: shut up. You don’t know my life. Just mind your own business.

*standing ovation*

[Anonymous]

Well besides not losing all the weight, ravenous due to breast feeding and not being able to workout, stressed, lack of sleep etc. Sure maybe it isn't the pregnancy per se, it's absolutely the result of raising kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yeah of course … why would child bearing in itself cause you to gain weight?

I have no idea but people post this here all the time. “Oh you’re a mom, you shouldn’t expect to go back to your pre pregnancy weight?” And it’s like…why not?

I say this as a mom to a five year old who has been at pre baby weight and measurements since my kid was 1.5.

Wanna cookie for that accomplishment?

No thanks I don’t eat all that many cookies. That’s why I wear size 2.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I had twins and while I lost the weight, my stomach will never be the same.

I had 3 kids but after the middle one at 9 lb 6 oz kid at 22.5 inches and my stomach will never be the same either.

Yep. My first was a ten pounder, 23 inches long and due to a tumor I didn’t know I had, he was mostly on one side of my abdomen. I have a lopsided, stretch marked stomach that’s not going to be fixed without surgery. I’m so glad that women like OP who have standard issue pregnancies know everything.

Not enough eye roll emojis for the likes of OP.

Lol no one is saying pregnancy doesn’t change your body. The point is if you want to lose weight and do the same thing a woman who doesn’t have children does, you can lose weight. Even though you’ve had children.

Some of you are so defensive and there’s just no reason. If you are happy with an extra 10, 20, 30 pounds that is great. But if you actually want to lose weight there isn’t anything preventing you from doing it.

This statement wreaks of judgement. There’s a billion dollar industry for weight loss. Just because you want to lose weight does not mean its as easy as you’re making it out to be. If I had the solo time to only focus on myself the way my pre-kids lifestyle was, sure losing weight may be doable. Buts it’s not apples to apples.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I had twins and while I lost the weight, my stomach will never be the same.

I had 3 kids but after the middle one at 9 lb 6 oz kid at 22.5 inches and my stomach will never be the same either.

Yep. My first was a ten pounder, 23 inches long and due to a tumor I didn’t know I had, he was mostly on one side of my abdomen. I have a lopsided, stretch marked stomach that’s not going to be fixed without surgery. I’m so glad that women like OP who have standard issue pregnancies know everything.

Not enough eye roll emojis for the likes of OP.

Lol no one is saying pregnancy doesn’t change your body. The point is if you want to lose weight and do the same thing a woman who doesn’t have children does, you can lose weight. Even though you’ve had children.

Some of you are so defensive and there’s just no reason. If you are happy with an extra 10, 20, 30 pounds that is great. But if you actually want to lose weight there isn’t anything preventing you from doing it.

I think you are just misunderstanding what “everyone” is saying. First, there are some women who come on here 2 weeks postpartum and wonder why they don’t have their pre-pregnancy body yet. In that case, it’s true they cannot expect to have the same body, for biological reasons. But when people tell a mom of a 5 and 2 yo she can’t expect to have a pre-pregnancy body, they’re talking about lifestyle. Sure, I guess you CAN be a mom and eat different meals from your family and workout an hour a day, but it’s really difficult and an unreasonable ask of most women. So I don’t see why you feel the need to go around telling women they can lose weight if they tried harder. Why is this so important to you? Is that your main source of identity and self esteem - that your body is the same as before kids??

[Anonymous]

I had no trouble getting back to my pre-pregnancy weight with my first three children. I had my fourth in my 40s, and ten years later, I am still 10 lbs over my pre-pregnancy weight. I didn't do anything different the fourth time around; I'm just getting older and my metabolism is slowing down. I never cared about getting back to my pre-pregnancy weight. All I cared about was eating nourishing food for me and for my baby. I suppose if I worked at it, I could lose those 10 lb, but I don't really care. I exercise regularly and am healthy.