| I had a baby 6 months ago and was cleared to exercise at 4 months. I have 20 pounds to lose and for the past 8 weeks have been counting calories and exercising daily only to lose 2 pounds. I am usually a fit person and previous college athlete but the things that used to work appear not to be anymore. Any tips would be helpful as I am losing my mind. TIA. |
| Are you breastfeeding? |
Op - stopped breastfeeding when i went back to work at 4 months as I travel too often for work to keep up demand. Am also weightlifting 3 days a week with cardio 6 days a week. |
| Don't be too hard on yourself. Once you get reliable sleep, it's easier to focus on your body. |
How are your clothes fitting/how do you look? Is it possible you've exchanged some fat for muscle? I also agree with PP that disrupted sleep makes things harder. Also, for the first few weeks (and maybe even still), your hormones were wacky. |
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how tall are you and how many calories are you consuming? are you hitting your calorie target consistently/At least 80% of the time? are you accurately tracking everything?
you also say you are lifting 6 days a week and lift 3. That is a lot of exercise and exhausting. Focus more on your diet than exercise. I think the tendency when the scale isn't moving is to think you need to add in more exercise, when in reality you really need to reign in your diet. Or so that is the case for me. That said, a 2 lb loss is still a 2 lb loss. Get rid of a timeline or expectation that you "should" be losing x lbs/ week or "have lost x lbs by now." That is just unnecessary stress. Those first months with a baby are exhausting, especially if you go back to work. Be gentle with yourself and give it time. Keep adding in new healthy habits and don't quit. |
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What's your goal weight and how old are you?
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| the lack of sleep makes it harder for your body. Just reevaluate after 6 more months. It seriously takes time |
| The weight usually falls off after the first year. Don’t worry at this point. |
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Depends on your age. Is your baby a good sleeper? I would focus more on sleeping well, and less exercise. And I am a huge exercise is important for weight loss advocate.
Second, you are likely not counting right. Have you watched that British show Secret Eaters? We all think we eat way less than we do. Or something is off with how many calories you think you should be eating. Third, eat green beans, and a lot of green beans, there are barely any calories in them and they are awesome. Good luck. |
| I agree with focusing on sleep. Drink plenty of water a day. At least 64 ounces. Keep eating healthy. Depending on what you are eating, maybe try increasing protein, decreasing carbs. But mostly, just keep on doing what you are doing. Baby weight hangs on for a while. |
I think 64 ounces is too much for the majority of people. Here is an article discussing: https://www.livescience.com/61353-how-much-water-you-really-need-drink.html |
| You're up against biology and cultural traditions trying to lose weight this time of year, as well. Your body is inclined to put on some extra weight for the winter, whether you want to or not, and fall harvest festivals and comfort foods kind of go along with that. Keep at it, you have lost a bit of weight and probably replaced some fat with muscle with your working out. |
X1B I never lost weight til the kids slept through the night. Give it time. People love a plump new mom. You look amazing. |
| Agree with taking it easy on yourself. For now, I would focus more on your diet and exercise less. You probably aren’t getting great sleep and exercise exhausts you even more. Pause on serious gym exercise for now and cut more calories- if you want the weight off badly and now. When you are down to the last 10 lbs AND getting good sleep, go back to the gym, |