I love this site. It’s great. I was facinated by becoming a mother and how it changed my body. I was also very strong willed and determined to make the best of each stage of my pregnancy, including post pardom weight loss. I worked out and stayed in shape until the end of my pregnancy when I got so tired and truly felt like it would never end. I ate a lot of really bad foods and packed on an extra 20 lbs after I had already gained 30 during the first 8 months. I gained 20 lbs in the two months before I got pregnant so that put me up to 70 lbs total. When I gave birth to my son I was 205 lbs. He was 7 lbs 4 oz. I was determined to undo what I had unnessesarily done to myself. In the next 5 and half months I worked relentlessly on diet & excersize until I lost 84 lbs. These are my pictures.
(This is me at 10 weeks preggo at about 150 lbs)
This is me at 39 weeks pregnant 2 weeks and 1 day before my son was born. I was about 197 lbs here.
And Here is my picture journey of weighloss post pardom. I wished I had kept the baby in the background throughout the weeks, that would have been cool but I didn’t realize I was doing it until much later.
(This shows me 1-25 weeks post pardom).
(One more front pic 5.5 months post pardom).
Oh and here is a neat picture I photoshopped in of me at 36 weeks preggo at abotu 195 lbs, and about 4 months post pardum at about 135 lbs.
My baby’s website is https://www.alv2.com/
Thanks for letting me share. : )
ETA a closeup of her stretchmarks here.
the word is “postpartum”
That is awesome! I dont think I’ve ever seen someone lose the weight that fast. Good on Ya!
How on earth did you get the abs back?!! tell us your secret!
I’m so glad that after all you shared, and your hard work that someone’s only comment is a mispelling – whatever. Anyway congrats on your pregnancy and your weight loss! You obviously worked hard/and have awesome genetics! :) You look great, I can’t imagine what determination it took to lose all the weight you gained, CONGRATS!
Ya, good for you darlin’! You look great and you’ll be glad you have that strength and the energy that comes from being physically fit as soon as that little guy starts zooming around. And you’re just as “real” a woman and as “real” a mom as anyone else.
That is absolutely awesome. But the word is post-partum, and it’s “rite of passage”.
This entry kind of depressed me. Almost like you were bragging that you didn’t have the scars and marks that everyone else did.
In the next 5 and half months I worked relentlessly on diet & excersize until I lost 84 lbs.I think it is awesome you lost the weight and more…but I have to ask. How did you possibly find the time and energy to work relentlessly on diet and exercise losing the weight while parenting a newborn??
So she has good genetics and works hard to keep her body…I say good for her! Maybe it should motivate people instead of depressing people, so that’s on you. You look great! Good for you for staying in shape!
You look better than I do and I haven’t had children yet! I don’t find this depressing at all – rather, it offers further perspective on just what our bodies are capable and that makes it beautiful. Also, boo to anyone snarking on this. I thought that this site was about how no one is truly perfect, and people do, in fact, make mistakes. It’s part of being human, and I think that’s what we’re here to celebrate.
How did breastfeeding go? I can’t imagine you had much milk after taking on such a dramatic weight loss regimine. I wouldn’t recommend to anyone choosing this route so soon post partum.
You obviously exercised before the baby so it was natural for you to continue after the baby. I find that very responsible since you will help pass values such as taking good care of yourself along to your child. Keep up the good work! And I really do want to know your secrets, specifically what exercises did you do while pregnant. A lot of sites vary on what they recommend leaving me confused.
You were beautiful pregnant and look amazing now. Your hard work and dedication to a healthy lifestyle should be an inspiration. Blessings to you and your little one.
Don’t listen to those jealous flaaboids who are ragging you for actually losing weight and not getting stretch marks! You look awesome and should be an inspiration to everyone. Increased belly fat has been proven to be in increased risk factor in heart disease, and putting such a great example for your children should be commended, not insulted!
You should be darn proud of yourself You go girl! And don’t let anyone take that away from you. I love the photoshop of you pregnant and post pregnant. the 5 month pp shot is awesome.
You should truly be proud!! You look great!
I had a similar experience with weight loss after my baby was born last year. I gained 50 lbs. and I had to work hard to lose the baby weight. I certainly was able to lose the baby weight while having a very successful breastfeeding relationship with my baby. Actually, breastfeeding burns so many calories that I think it helped me along. I agree that this woman probably worked very hard and also benefits from good genetics. I also bounced back reasonably well and while that may not be the emphasis of this website, it does happen and shouldn’t be viewed with skepticism or animosity.
I hate it when women infer that someone is “less” of a mother because their body has bounced back or because they have worked hard to get fit. Jealousy is ugly.
I don’t care what a few snarky people said: You look wonderful. Good for you for working hard to “reclaim your body”. That is something to be commended and respected, especially when dealing with an infant!And I love the photoshopped pic! I’m gonna have to do that to mine the second time around! Thanks for that great idea!
As someone whose bod has not bounced back, I have to say congrats! You must have worked super hard and should be very proud. I say pooh on those green eyed gals…jealousy is a very ugly thing.
You look AMAZING. I am pregnant with my first child and you are an inspiration to me. I only hope that I look this wonderful after I’ve had my baby!! GOOD FOR YOU! I can tell you worked hard to get your body back and you look wonderful.
I had no idea it was spelled “post-partum”, thank you all for teaching me that. I also don’t recall writing anything about a rite of passage. I believe that was the person before me. I’m truly sorry if I offended anyone with my misspelling. Moving on, why is it that the people who came on here to knock me and write sniveling comments on here are all ‘anonymous’? If you’re going to comment negatively at least have the courage to leave a name for me to address you by. Also, BTW, the breastfeeding went wonderful! I never had a lack of milk supply believe it or not I was blessed with a more than healthy milk supply and I am still nursing my son, and I believe it contributed to the weight loss. To the ‘anonymous’ person who said you felt my entry was depressing- I was not bragging, and I was only trying to inspire other moms that it is possible to be the best that you can be if you believe you can do it, and yes I have stretch marks, they are just light so you cannot see them very well in low-quality images. If you wish I will post another photo of my light stretch marks. I know a few women who have zero stretch marks and got really big like me, and of them, I am envious. I just wanted to show other mom’s that if you are determined enough you can look great after having a baby, but it does not come easy, and it takes a LOT of effort and determination. For those of you mom’s who have had more than one baby, I cannot speak for you because I only have one and I’ve seen what happens after having multiple children and I have yet to experience that and what it may do to my body. As far as my ‘secret’ I would say it was 90% in my head. You have to truly believe you can do it and devote yourself to it and be persistent (I can?t express that enough). I ate a low carb, high protein, low fat diet, and exercised 3-5x a week for about an hour to an hour 1/2 a day, including cardio and light weight training (and lots of ab training crunches, etc.). I did it at the YMCA where they have childcare included in your membership and watch your baby right in the same building. I will definitely say that the diet was a HUGE part of it. I had to stay persistent and track all of my daily foods/calorie consumption online at fitday.com. I have had a lifestyle like this on and off since I was 12 years old so it was not a huge change for me. (I am 25 now). I just had to get back into a routine that I have done for years and years. Fitness and nutrition has always been a large part of my life, so naturally when it came time to pull out all the stops to get rid of the baby fat, I knew I could do it, and I did. It does not mean I do not have the war wounds to prove it because I do.
Also, for those of you that thought I did not get stretch marks, you are wrong. I didn’t have this picture to post before, but I have it now. I took this pic just now. My son is now 14 months old, and this is what my lovely stomach looks like. I have a nice belly ring scar too. (Not one of the smartest things I ever did).https://www.alv2.com/body/stretchmarks14mpp.jpg
Also, thanks to all of you for your kind, thoughtful comments.
Tami~Just was turned on to the website, and wish to commend you for your hard work. I am not jealous nor upset that you worked on YOU! God forbid any new mother should take time for herself. We are all blessed to be mothers and get and have any “love scars”. BUT my mistake was forgetting about myself physically and mentally – until now, 10 years in and three births. It’s SO VERY VERY hard now, but I am finally finding myself again. I send love and wish women would NOT put one another down. I love your glorious HUGE self at 193(?) and now – fit and firm and fabulous ~ you GO girl. AND I am so proud of you for breastfeeding so faithfully, that is even harder than losing weight for many women.Peace and Joy-libby
ShadyShannons: During my pregnancy in my 7th and 8th month I was so determined to stay in shape that I worked out 6 days a week, 1-2 hours a day. I would go 30-45 minutes on the nordictrack ski machine, and would lift 10-15 lb weights for my arms, and for my abs and back I did pregnancy modified ab routines that kept me vertical so that the weight of the baby would not be on top of vital organs. I also did the ab exercises that you do while on all fours and tilting your pelvis. By the end of my 8th month I stopped working out and that’s when I began eating a lot and gaining a LOT of weight. I read that while pregnant on the contrary to popular believe you need more exercise than when you aren’t pregnant, and that you should do some sort of exercise every day! I went for 6x a week. I also worked out for about 5 weeks right after I found out I was pregnant, until my first trimester got the better of me and I was too exhausted. I never got morning sickness through the whole pregnancy though, and when the first trimester exhaustion went away I should have began working out again but took a break until my 7th month.
Thanks for speaking up again, Tami! I was afraid you would be scared off and other people would be afraid to post. I just wanted to chime in to support you and to counter those (catty? concerned and well-meaning?) comments about weight loss while breastfeeding and exercise meaning you are neglecting your child. I have lost 100 pounds since the birth of my 9 lb 1 oz son (I was about 50 lbs overweight when I got pregnant). I did it through healthy diet and exercise. I am still breast feeding at nearly two years, still exercising at least an hour every day, and my son is in no way neglected. By eating whole grains, fruits and veggies, lean protein, drinking milk, and exercising daily, not only have I lost weight and gotten much stronger, but I think I am also sending a positive message to my son. I will never look as good as Tami does (yes, I’ll post pics), and I’ll freely admit that she and some others on this website make me jealous! I have big ole thighs, stretch marks, and “mommy skin” in buckets. But I’m also very jealous of those bigger, more stretch marked, looser skinned women on this site who have such postive self images about their beautiful bodies. That’s even more important than “objective” standards of beauty. Still, I have a healthy, well-balanced lifestyle now, and I want to raise my son in that environment. It’s good to take time for yourself, it’s great to feel good about yourself, but it’s even better to model healthy habits and attitudes for your children. Rock on, Mommy Women!
I just wanted to let you know you look great! I look very much the same with an almost 2 year old and 3 month old and am breastfeeding with an oversupply actually, so it’s very possible to lose the weight. And go you for being so fit! I will admit I’m not so great with the exercise, I only wish I had the motivation you do.
Dear Anonymous with 3 month old and 2 year old- you should post pictures!! Then I will not seem like such an odd thing.
Okay, I was 118lbs to start my first pregnancy I delivered in July04 at about 160lbs. When I conceived my next child a year later I was 106lbs and got up to 150lbs when I delivered in April this year. I must say part of it is genetics my mom looks great and has no stretch marks (I have some small ones on my butt, hips, thighs and a few on my stomach)This is the day I delivered #2 when contractions first startedhttps://img.photobucket.com/albums/v636/Mandi04/July/April202006.jpghttps://img.photobucket.com/albums/v636/Mandi04/July/April202006side.jpgAnd today, #2 is exactly 3 months and #1 is a week away from 2https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v636/Mandi04/July/July037.jpghttps://img.photobucket.com/albums/v636/Mandi04/July/July038.jpg
I can’t believe some people are being rude because you actually were and are taking care of yourself. What better example to set for your child than to show him how to be healthy? I’m floored at some of the comments. And who cares if you spelled something wrong? What matters is what you said, not how you said it. xoxo rock on Tami
Dear Anonymous (mandi) again. HOLY CRAP! You look AMAZING. And your belly looks almost identical to mine except you’re thinner! You even have that same naval ring scar, and a couple moles on yur belly like me! How tall are you? I’m just asking because I could never get down do 106 with my frame size. The thinnest I ever got was 117 (when I was 17) and I was a skeleton. My hips are so wide, (hipbones) that’s why you can see them jut out in the one picture, that even at my skinniest smallest too thin weight, I still could not wear any less than a junior size 9 or 7 (depending on brand). I’m 5’6.
I’m 5’3, the 106 was a little too much on the thin side for me, I’m currently 115 and I like this weight on my frame. The naval ring scar is my least favorite part about my tummy but I’m still happy with my body for having 2 babies in the past 2 years
waoh!! you look fantastic!!!I am amazed!I hope that I can loose weigth after I stop nursing.
Anonymous..Mandi(?)- I also hate my naval ring scar, but I agree, I hope I look that good after having two babies. My goal for next time will to be start at a healthy weight and to not gain as much weight as I did last time. I am also at a more realistic weight right now for my height. I am at 132. I took this picture just now. You can see my darkest stretch marks in this picture. https://www.alv2.com/body/13314mpp.jpg
Tami, you look amazing. I am really inspired by your hard work :) I have 2 boys, one 2 yo, one 8 mo. I can only hope that I’ll gt up the energy to take charge of my figure like you did. You’re a fabulous inspiration! ~Mel
Screw all the negative remarks, You and I both know you worked your ASS off to be where you are! and not in a negative way either, plus not to mention all the hard work you did WHILE prego, I think you should be an inspiration to lots of people that are commenting so negatively…wonder why they didnt leave a name, maybe they are the type (like me haha) that are still big after pregnancy and cant get off thier butts to do anything about it…I wish I had your motivation honey! You are beautiful. And for the negatives, you would be beautiful too if you werent so stuck on hating people who work so hard to be where they are at! Hugs.
Tami thanks for the inspiration. I actually saved your workout advice to a file for the future. You rock!
I think you should be proud of yourself! You’ve obviously worked very hard to be where you are now. That rocks! Plus you are teaching your child to take good care of himself, which is so important. Good for you :) I wish I had your motivation! It’s ridiculous to me that anyone else would criticize you for posting, you’re a momma like the rest of us! Or correct your spelling… please… jealous much ladies?? :)
Wow…you look amazing! Hold your head high! It’s awesome that your baby has such a healthy mama. Way to go.
you look great! and i agree, nobody has the right to come to this site and leave negative comments, that is horrible. i got enough courage to leave pictures of myself last week (under the name r.s.p., if you want to go back and see) and while most people were nice, some people simply accused me of getting breast implants. my body, like yours, bounced back very quickly. anyway i think you look beyond awesome, and thanks for sharing your pics!
i think you look very healthy and that’s the important thing. i’m bothered by the perception that “taking care” of oneself indicates thinness. thinness is not an indicator of good health. all we mamas should focus on being healthy and not how we look. THAT’S the best thing we can pass on to our children, not an obsession with thinness. i think it’s wonderful that you bounced back so well and were so committed to maintaining good health. if this website is going to represent “everywoman” there has to be pictures of women who look like they’ve never had babies too…that DOES happen and not just to celebrities. thanks for adding to the diversity.
I had a similar situation with my second child, as I was able to breastfeed her much longer than I did my first. The weight dropped off so quickly that everyone, even my midwife, was concerned. I was eating well over the amount that I should have been while breastfeeding, but the weight loss wouldn’t stop. By 8 weeks post-partum I had lost all of the weight and began to exercise my body back into shape. My little sister has not been so lucky, she is still struggling to lose any weight at all. Some of us have an easier time than others, and some work harder. AS someone before said…”jealousy is an ugly thing”. Everyone needs support here.
Hi TamiI’m currently 7 months pregnant and loved looking at your entry!!!My weight gain is also a little higher then I’d like it to be so far- I’ve put on 28 pounds, but like you, I’ve been working out steadily 3-5 days a weeks throughout my entire pregnancy since my first trimester.The benefits of me excercising have been that I’ve had no physical pain except for baby streching in my belly and have had lots more energy than expected. I feel terrific!!!You’re an inspiration to me as I also plan on attacking my fitness goals as soon as my doctor gives me the thumbs up post delivery!!
i luv that last pics, thats awesome. damn gurl, you are an inspiration… i hope to follow in your footsteps after this baby is out. :)
Hi everyone, thanks again for the comments. I just wanted to add here, that I was not simply ‘lucky’ and ‘bounced back’. I know only a couple of women in this category that were simply lucky to bounce back because of their genes, etc… but I did not ‘bounce’ back. I FOUGHT back. I worked my ass off to get back in shape and I had to work and work and work at it, constantly for 6 months. It was something that I had to think about every single day, and I had to put a LOT of effort into. I did not in anyway just sit back and continue my pregnancy eating habits and simply watch the weight fall off. My body does not work that way and never has. I’ve struggled with weight gain and a slow metabolism my whole life and every bit of fitness and shape I’ve ever achieved was through blood sweat & tears. Ok not the blood part but it was not easy. That is why I posted my story because I wanted to show that if you want something bad enough; you can have it. Also, I want to express that if it isn’t important to you to be extremely fit and to lose all the pregnancy weight & more, than it’s not going to happen, and that is ok as long as you are healthy, and happy. It just happened to be really important to me because I had been there before, I knew I could do it, and I wanted to feel it again. I did not quit until I achieved what was important to me, and what I knew that I could achieve.
Hi,I just saw your baby’s pics. What a cutie. My son is 7.5 months old now. BTW, way to go on the body!
What happens to those with a belly ring and why do you get scars? Can it be avoided? i have a navel ring too, I’m only 9 weeks right now….
Sandra Rose, yes you can avoid the belly ring scar if you take it out before your belly really starts to stretch. If you’ve had the piercing a long time, you should be able to get the jewelry back in post-partum. If not, it may close up — if that’s the case, then you’ll likely have a small hole scar, but you can either get it repierced or just live with the small scar. The long scars happen when you leave the jewelry in too long and the skin is pulled around the jewelry. It’s VERY common.
You are an inspiration!