I’m 26 with 3 pregnancies, 2 births. I have a 4 year old son and 5 months and 2 week old daughter. I was 21 when I had my first child and I weighed 150 pre pregnancy, I wasn’t the skinniest I have ever been but I liked the way my body looked. I wore form fitting clothes and bikinis and didn’t even think twice about it. I gained 50lbs during my first pregnancy and postpartum I weighed 180lbs then gained back 10lbs a few months after the pregnancy, 40lbs over my pre pregnancy weight. It took me about 2 years to start loosing weight. I lost 35lbs but I still had my mommy belly with stretch marks and flabby skin. About 8 months after loosing my weight I became pregnant with my daughter. I had a difficult pregnancy with my daughter, I Went in to preterm labor with her at 32 weeks and was in the hospital till I gave birth at 36 weeks via repeat c-section. I only gained 25 lbs with my daughter. Postpartum I weighed 170lbs and currently still do, weighing 15lbs over my pre 2nd pregnancy weight.
I loved being pregnant and having a baby belly, I get baby belly fever in stead of baby fever! I miss having that cute little round belly with my sweet lil baby in side kicking and squirming around! I wish having a mommy belly was a fun as having a baby belly! I am working on losing 25 more lbs right now but what ever I do, I cant loose this mommy belly and I’m having trouble losing this post pregnancy weight again! My husband is currently deployed over seas and will be home in October. I am trying my hardest to lose this weight and my mommy belly with it but it just isn’t working that well! I want to surprise him when he gets home, I know he doesn’t care if I have mommy belly or a tight skinny belly. But It bugs me and I want to look good for him! I have been stressing over this for the last few weeks and I know I shouldn’t stress about it but I do….
Has any one had trouble with losing weight and your mommy belly after pregnancy? also does any one have tips on how to tighten and tone my stomach so its not so flabby. I do crunches and a ton or ab work outs but its not working. Most my friends have returned to their pre pregnancy weight and body’s with in 6 months of there pregnancy. I so wish it was that easy for me! How long after pregnancy did it take any of you to get back to your pre pregnancy weight and body?
photos
1st pic- pre pregnancies, 2nd pic- first pregnancy, 3rd pic-after first pregnancy, 4th pic- second pregnancy, 5th and 6th pics- what my tummy is now
since ou asked…you need to do LOTS of cardio, i would suggest atleast an hour a day of cardio, you wont see your abs unless you lose the fat, otherwise they are hidden…i have had 2 kids, iam 29 and i am flat as a board in my belly but i worked my ass off, even going to the gym really late (mine is 24 hours) i earned this flat stomach! it wasnt easy, you really do have to stop eating sugary foods even just alittle will ruin everything, it depends what you want the most…i like being in shape and fit, i think you can be too…it will not be easy at all…seeing your pics you have the so called dreaded c section belly apron, this i heard is only able to leave by tummy tuck, butthen you have a whole new set of issues like a super bad scar so idk, try your best at cardio, and good luck!
I’m 10 months PP and still working on tightening and losing the last 16 lbs.(Then 15-20 just for me. lol) I have found good diet and cardio is what helps. I had a c-section and a rough recovery, wasn’t really able to work out much besides light yoga until 7 months PP because it hurt to much.
Anyway cardio! :) Running, treadmill, eliplictal, zumba, aerobics, anything that gets your blood pumping.
You just had a baby 5 months ago! Give yourself a break! You don’t have to be back to pre-pregnancy by 6 months pp. They say it takes 9 months to gain and 9 months to lose, but I honestly think it should be twice as long to lost since it is so much harder to lose! I am 4 months pp and I am still 12 pounds away from my pre pregnancy weight. I have been working out to lose the first part of my pre-pregnancy weight. It came off pretty fast too since I gained 50lbs! I would recommend P90x if you are looking for a great work out! It has everything, yoga, plyometrics, and ab ripper X freaking amazing at toning your ab muscles! You should really think about doing it. :) It definitely boosts you confidence if nothing else. You look great for 5 months pp! Having stretchies isn’t all that big of a deal. They will fade. Don’t worry so much about your weight! Just concentrate on loving your sweet babies and being healthy. :)
Plank plank plank! It does wonders for toning the belly. Seriously! You may only be able to hold it for 20-30 seconds at first, maybe even less… But do it quickly as many times as you think of it during the day. Ten within weeks you will notice a HUGE difference. It will also tone you arms, back and side body, and eventually you legs and butt as well. Look up “plank pose” on the Internet. It will not fail you!
If it makes you feel any better, I first posted when my daughter was 2 weeks old, and I weighed 156. She turned two last week and I weight…158. I’ve been stuck at 156 literally for two years now. It’s only in the last few weeks I added those last two pounds on, and it’s frustrating. I have a friend who has lost 67 pounds this year (Weight Watchers)! We have the same goal weight, she had like 100 pounds to go and I had 15 and she’s going to get there first! Argh.
When I was younger (I’m 27 now), I was one of those people who could eat what I wanted and not try and be skinny (120ish at 5’8”). Being faced with the prospect of having to TRY to lose weight is daunting to me. I’m WAY past the “9 months on, 9 months off” stage now. I only gained 34 pounds and I haven’t lost ANY since she was 2 weeks old.
So to answer one of your questions, I guess, it’s taken me more than two years to lose the weight, because it hasn’t happened yet. But I’m lazy. You are only 5 1/2 months PP, please don’t start beating yourself up yet. I’m sure you’ll reach your goals and shock the heck out of your husband when he gets back!
Wow your stretch marks look SO much better, they really went away nicely. That lil extra pouch is hard to get rid of, I think a tummy tuck is really the only way… at least thats what I keep hearing. You look good though, I wouldnt stress it. I have TERRIBLE stretch marks on my boobies, worse place ever btw to get them, takes your womanly ego away thats for sure. Good luck with everything!
Congrats on your children. :). Well, my advice to you is to make sure you’re eating well and doing cardio along with the ab exercises. Cutting out things like sodas and sweets and replacing them with more fruits, veggies, and water helped me lose the rest of my pregnancy weight. I do tons of ab workouts, too, but I can’t seem to tone my tummy anymore than it already is. Don’t stress, you are not alone.
Hi Sarah! You are adorable, first of all! Thanks so much for sharing here. I know how you feel – I wanted to lose my weight so badly because I wanted to be sexy to my husband and feel like I could show him my body and not be self-conscious. I’m still working on it… As far as losing belly weight goes, I learned the hard way after gaining 40 pounds, that the only way to get it off is to watch what you eat. I am a workout fanatic! But in reality you only burn a few hundred calories during most workouts, and you can easily eat that in one serving of pasta. I really finally lost the weight when I started counting calories and eating mostly fruits and vegetables and limited whole grains. I knew I had really strong abs, but you couldn’t see them under my layer of fat, and no matter what any ads tell you, no workout or machine can guarantee you a flat stomach – you have to lose the weight first. But focus on being healthy and only eating what you need, thinking of it a fuel for your body to workout and take care of your little one! Being an energetic mom and wife is more important than just plain weight loss, and usually weight loss follows if you’re being active and eating so you feel great. Best wishes :)
To answer your other question..You’ve been through one pregnancy already so you probably know this but… it took me four months to lose all the weight…but it looked nothing like before. About 6-7 months pp I had gotten more toned and a flat stomach back and looked as much like before as probably possible for my body. Since then (I’m 2 yrs pp now) I fluctuate 5 pounds up or down, but it doesn’t have anything to do with having been pregnant. I still have loose skin under my belly button and stretchmarks, but can’t do anything about that.
it took me 6 months to lose the 50 pounds i gained with my first and only pregnancy (so far) but my skin will never be the same. my tummy looks like a deflated balloon and my stretch marks have faded but are very visible still. i’m now 2 years post partum and wish i looked as normal without clothes as i do with them on. my shape is the same as pre preggo but i still feel so changed. good luck on your journey though, mama! sorry i have no great tips or anything but having a goal is a great way to start! enjoy your little ones and that hubby that will soon be home too! ;)
P90X! You don’t even have all that much loose skin or stretch marks compared to me, if I can get the results I did, you’ll get even better results if you stick to it!
But beware, no matter what you do, the belly will be the LAST to go, so you can’t get discouraged early on, and if you do a workout like P90X you CANNOT focus on weight loss, but instead how you feel and look. You take progress photos every 30 days, and they show you the REAL changes taking place. The scale is not your friend!
I also run for cardio exercise. :)
ive got three lil ones 5, 2, and 3months and run daycare and keep my house running now thats a workout in its self and im still 35lbs overweight, i walk when i can 2-3miles at a time try to lose some fat then do muscle building workouts idk bout you but i dont have time to do cardio or any workout at least an hour a day im lucky if i get 1-2 hrs a week.. just do what you can and be proud of your accomplishments!! i lost all my baby weight with my firts pg by walking and walking still had a lil mom apron but most of us do!! good luck and congrants on mommy hood!!
the trick is actually to do core strengthening exercises and cardio. At least that’s what worked for me, and we have essentially the same post-partum look. I followed a book called “6 weeks to a new body” and its worked really well for me.
Unfortunately, I have found that working out, no matter how awesome and regular a routine you have, won’t work if the diet isn’t right. I was 150 pounds (@ 5’8″ tall) and 23 years old when I found out I was pregnant. I topped the scale at 200 the morning before I delivered (eight days past my due date…), gaining a total of 50 pounds with that pregnancy! Needless to say, I had some extra belly left over, and plenty of angry stretchmarks I NEVER thought would fade! Immediately after delivering my healthy baby girl last September 7th, 2010, I lost 35 pounds within the first two weeks, but the last 15 extra pounds lingered until I was around 7 months post partum, when I decided to make some changes to my diet, including the amount I was taking in. I am a full time nursing mom, even still at almost one year PP now. I was concerned that if I dropped too many calories, my milk supply would be affected and I was not okay with that. But, taking a chance, I went ahead and cut down the amount I was taking in to where I was only eating what I NEEDED to feel satisfied, not full, and nowhere close to stuffed. I ate more regularly, too. Instead of three larger, traditional meals, I still ate those three meals, but the portions were literally half their usual size, and I would eat a light snack in between. My mom is a health nut so I started eating some of the foods she recommended–mostly whole foods AND LARGE PORTIONS OF VEGGIES, especially the green leafy variety, including spinach & kale, but also broccoli, brussel sprouts, and sauteed zuchini. For breakfast I might cook up two scrambled eggs, have 3 or 4 large spoonfuls of yogart (not much because there was still sugar in the brand I bought), maybe some kind of fruit (a few grapes, half and apple, or some apple sauce), and a glass of milk. Steel cut oat meal is a great option, too, just buttered and salted to taste, or mix in some applesauce, cinnimon, and raisins. Lunch might be two slices of whole grain or whole wheat bread, toasted with some shredded cheddar cheese melted on top, some steamed broccoli or sauteed zuchini (lots of whatever the veggie of choice!!!), and plain old, cold water. When I got hungry between meals, I would either spread some peanut butter on two whole wheat ritz crackers for protein and a quick energy boost, or eat one boiled egg, salted. Basically, I took most of the sugar out and cut down portion sizes by half. Along with breastfeeding (which burns tons of calories) and cutting portion sizes in half at each meal, I dropped the rest of my baby weight, and an extra 10 pounds on top of that, in just two months, by 9 months PP! I went from a size 12 or 14 (depending on the brand) down to my current size 8 in pants, which I haven’t fit into since I first started college, right after I got married! I’m now 140 and feeling pretty great. My stretch marks are still quite obvious because they were so wide, but they silvered out. Those marks do make me very aware of my body when I wear a two piece at the pool or lake, but after losing all that weight, I’m proud to be able to just fit nicely in my bikinis again! My husband thinks my stretchmarks are fascinating, and loves my mommy body… especially now that I’m even lighter than I was before I was pregnant! My husband and I do ride bikes quite a bit, take long walks, and go hiking when we can get out, but it’s not regular exercise. (FYI, packing your baby around in a baby backpack adds to an already awesome workout!) Even without really having a regular workout routine, the nursing and reduced calorie intake have done the trick for me. I don’t have a washboard tummy, but it is flat enough that I practically disappear when I turn sideways, and I can show my belly and feel comfortable in my skin. Now all I need is that tan…. Hope that gives you some ideas and encouragement! You’ll probably drop your baby weight quicker than I did, and maybe get away with less obvious stretch marks in the end. Come on–you’re only 2 weeks post partum?! Don’t even sweat it right now. Just fuel your body with the right foods. And be careful not to flood it with too many unnecessary calories, even if they come from good quality foods–even too much of a good thing is still too much! If you’re nursing, all the veggies you eat will flavor your breastmilk with those foods, making it easier to introduce your baby to those foods later on–big plus if you don’t want a picky eater. :) Good luck!
I had my daughter almost 3 years ago in November. It took a lot of work to lose the 25 lbs I have left after having her. I did cardio 5 days a week which included light weights and ab workout. I had also cut out fast food, sodas, juices and junk food period. Just whole grains fruits and veggie, i baked, steamed or boiled my meats. Never fried. I still have the faded stretch marks and wrinkly belly but its no where near what it was after i had my daughter. My belly is flat for the most part. I still have some belly fat that just doesnt want to go away but I am in shape and healthy and that what matters most. Dont get frustrated just take it easy. Just eat right and excercise and you lose the weight eventually. It just takes time.
Every one’s body is different and every pregnancy is different. Some people are at their pre pregnancy weight in a month or less… some may never get back to it. With my 1st (I was 26)I gained 60lbs and lost it in 6 months. Now with my second (I’m 29) I “only” gained 50lbs I’m 8.5 months PP but still 5lbs away… so even though I gained less it’s taking longer to lose!
A lot of these responses are talking about cardio and ab work… for me it’s all about strength training and eating a healthy diet (not dieting, just healthy eating). I play hockey once a week and walk a lot but that’s it, no running, elliptical, treadmill, zumba, etc for me! So you can get there without the cardio for sure!
this might sound really weird and it’s something i discovered about a month ago. Sleep on your tummy.
i went running 2.5 miles 4 days a week, lifted weights every other day (sunday was resting day). I kept this up for about a month. “physically” i FELT a little slimmer (my jeans felt more loose) however, on the scale, i weighed exactly the same. (i also ate 6 proportioned meals and healthier foods as well as drinking great tea and tons of water to help my metabolism and ate plenty of fiber)
so i quit cuz that was discouraging and i still had my mommy belly. (my tummy looks just like yours. i posted too so you can see. it’s called i feel hideous).
anyway, i always have a late night craving but i started to ignore it to not gain any more unnecessary weight. i also slept on my tummy and i feel a pain. but i ignored it. next morning my tummy looks flatter. throughout the day, your tummy will “puff” back out. but after a month or so of doing this, OVERALL, my tummy did get flatter.
i also started doing
Thank you everyone for your advice and comments! I have lost 7 lbs since I posted and one pant size! Im excited that I finally started to lose weight! I have been running 3-4 times a day and I have kicked up the ab work outs and added zumba when I can get away from the kids for a bit. I am still on a 1500 cal diet and that is still doing good! But I want to thank you all for your stories, you are all amazing women and have inspired me and helped out a lot thank you soo much! sarah
Don’t worry about it. As others have said, it hasn’t even been that long. I am 19 months postpartum and I still haven’t lost any of the weight (and Lord knows I’ve tried). I was 158 pre-pregnancy and now I’m 187 and have been since about three weeks after my son was born. I’ve even tried P90X but a month in I haven’t seen any fat loss at all. Everyone is different and every woman has belly issues after pregnancy. Just remember that your belly means you brought a beautiful baby into this world.
Your story and body are so much like mine! I am currently 10-11wks pp w my 2nd and although I am at my prepregnancy weight (w 2nd) I am not, at a comfortable or healthy,weight. I weigh 179 and I am 5′ 3”-5′ 4”. I lost,the,baby weight by nursing but the weight left over fron firat pregnancy & having been overweight b4 baby #1 I still have about 53lbs to go,not thrilled. Neway start out slow w 35min of some form or cardio every day,even walking. Do strength training 3-4x a wk as well,its important for toning and not havin loose skin. Drink plenty of water. Yoga and Pilates are especially good for long lean muacles n weight loss. You,look great,your only,5mos pp so give urself some time :)
It took 9mos to gain so give urself about 18mos to lose n tone. You will get there. Dont get discouraged
I think most women know your pain! I have lost 70 lbs since I had my daughter (she is 13 months) MORE than I gained with her…I had to lose the weight I gained with my first child too! I am about ten lbs away from where I was before children and my body is TOTALLY different! I too am frustrated and somehow thought that if I dropped the weight then I would look similar. I do have to say that the hard work and the dedication have paid off for my family. We are all eating better and everyone has gotten healthier! So maybe the answer is building a happy healthy family and the rest will come…
gosh i cannot say enough about this blog. I love how raw and real it is. Its tough to go from pre baby to have lose saggy skin. I wasnt blessed with skin that loved being stretched hehe. Ive lost a ton of weight since having both kids. Its still a journey. Eating healthy and exercising have helped tons. Thanks for sharing this!