Body after baby...

[Kara_Malia]

Not sure if I should put this in families or here??

I was wondering if this is normal...I am 4 months postpartum and I haven't lost ANY weight since I was 6 weeks PP (I lost 20 lbs in the first 6 weeks). I am eating SO healthy...the healthiest I've ever eaten! I am also walking 3 times a week for about an hour at a time, and babywear constantly. It's not that I want to be super-skinny...but none of my clothes fit me...my maternity clothes are too big and my pre-preg clothes are too small, and I can't afford to buy an entirely new wardrobe....plus I feel bad about my body. I don't like the way I look in anything. I have this flabby stomach and it's driving me crazy.

I'm not trying to whine or anything, but I was wondering if you all can take a look at my diet and see if you have any suggestions? I feel like I am eating SO much but I am hungry all of the time (nursing burning calories I guess!) I try to follow my body--I eat when I'm hungry and what I feel like eating (my choices are all healthy--I don't keep junk food around)...I've eaten out twice in the last 10 days, but other then that, everything is homemade (minus the typical boxed items--pasta, tofu, etc). I use whole wheat pasta, bread, brown rice, etc. All veggies and greens are fresh and fruit in smoothies is frozen. Is there anything I'm eating too much of? I obviously have a sweet tooth, but I'm mostly doing homemade baked goods...are they still really bad for me?

Day 1: green smoothie, veggie burger w/ sprouts/chard on wheat, edamame, banana, pumpkin seeds, cereal w/ soymilk, lentil veggie bake
Day 2: green smoothie, sandwich of sauteed veggies & fries (restaurant), carrot bread, dark choc bar, black beans & rice, veggie sautee, casserole w/ nuts/veg/tofu
Day 3:green smoothie, wheat pierogies w/ spinach, steamed artichoke, edamame, chocolate bar, carrot cashew coconut curry soup
Day 4: Green smoothie, quinoa w veg/walnuts, beans/rice, salad w tofu, chocolate bar, tempeh/jasmine rice casserole, braggs spinach sautee
Day 5: Green smoothie, tofu w/ arugula, edamames, tempeh/rice casserole, homemade chocolate chip cookie, wheat pierogies, spinach, cereal w/ soymilk
Day 6: Green smoothie, chick'n nuggets, hummus veggie wrap, 2 homemade choc chip cookies, pasta w/ arugula/spinach/avocado, homemade baba ganouj w/ wheat pitas
Day 7: Green smoothie, pasta w/ avocado/arugula/spinach, boiled peanuts, lara bar, frozen veg potstickers, hummus & pitas, chocolate bar
Day 8: green smoothie, tofu omelet/veggies/hashbrowns, wheat pierogies/spinach, conglomerate of leftovers: a little pasta avocado/spin/arugula & a little rice & tempeh, and a little baba ganouj w/ pitas, banana/avocado/flax pudding in walnut/date crust, cereal w/ soymilk
Day 9: Green smoothie, tofu/spinach, chick'n nuggets, 1 chocolate chip cookie, spinach & cashew butter curry over rice, homemade pumpkin chocolate muffin
Day 10: Green smoothie, tofu scramble, toast with cashew butter, lentils & rice, carrot cashew coconut curry soup, pumpkin choc muffins, veggie lentil 'meat'loaf, homemade mashed potatoes, agave carrots, cereal w/ soymilk

[Princess Peach]

This is not at all uncommon. Many women find that their stomach will always be a slightly different shape. If you are breastfeeding it may not be the best time to lose weight. If you have lost a good amount of pounds and stalled, and lose not more even though you are hungry, your body is probably saying this is a good weight for this part of your life (nursing). As long as you are not obese, it should be ok. You sound like you eat a good, wholesome diet. Do not listen to the Hollywood websites proclaiming that such and such a celebrity got her body "back" after the baby. That is not the norm. Many women find their body shapes change forever. I know mine did. After birthing and breastfeeding I have always had a little flabby pouch and largier, slightly saggier breasts. It is just part of being a woman and part of the cycle of life.

[Irizary]

NIt's not that I want to be super-skinny...but none of my clothes fit me...my maternity clothes are too big and my pre-preg clothes are too small, and I can't afford to buy an entirely new wardrobe....

One thing I suggest is that you get a little crafty and sew up the sides of your maternity clothes so that they fit a little more snuggly. You don't have to be a great sewer to do some easy alterations of your clothes :)

[Princess Peach]

I was thinking that. Perhaps you can let out some of your other clothes, too. I know it is frustrating, but you need to do what is best for your body and your child right now, and that is proper nutrition.

[Alicia Avocado]

What I do is a keep track of my calories. It really helps with portion control and helps you realize just how many 'hidden' or underestimated calories you consume. I have lost 11lbs so far by doing this :)

[Beachbnny]

Since you're keeping such a good food journal I would highly suggest you track your food with something like www.fitday.com and compare the results with recommendations for breastfeeding and nutritional requirements. Your diet looks pretty good to me though you could certainly add more vegetables in addition to your green smoothies. I'm no expert on post-pregnancy nutrition though :) You could also start kicking up your exercise too if those walks aren't helping to burn enough calories.

Either way, love your body! It's just given you a precious gift.

[Kara_Malia]

I'm definitely not trying to deprive myself in order to lose weight...and so thankful that my body gave me my sweet little girl. It's just that I am technically obese right now...I weigh about 158-160 and I'm only 5 feet tall. I knew my body would change, but I literally look the same now as I did in some of my 5-6 month belly pics while pregnant...except my arms, legs, and face are chunkier then they were in those pictures. Somewhere around 8 months, I suddenly got this huge pooch--before that my belly was big, but full of baby only--and everywhere else on me just blew up.

I was just wondering if you all thought that I was eating too much sugar...do I need to completely cut out the baked goods and sweet things? Or something else? I plan on quitting the faux meat as soon as I can get it all out of my freezer (I had coupons a few months ago and bought a bunch) since it's not vegan and that's the direction I'm going.

[Poppy]

They used to say that it took nine months to make a baby and nine months to get your figure back. I can tell you, though, that I didn't lose the last bit of my baby-weight until I stopped nursing. Not that I recommend that at all! :no: It's just your body might need to keep some amount of padding while you are feeding your little one.

[penny79]

I think you need more fresh fruit (in addition to the green smoothie) and less cooked foods and less fat. You do need good fat, but I'd go with avocado as opposed to all of the oils (from sauteeing and French fries), nuts, seeds, and soy (which is high fat).

I don't want to offend you, because I know you said you consider what you eat healthy, but to me it seems the best you do is breakfast and it goes downhill from there. It appears almost everything after that is quick, on-the-go, processed, cooked, high-fat, and sweetened. Go simple. Fresh spinach with tomatoes as a snack. Celery and romaine topped with homemade guac. Cherries and banana smoothie with kale for dinner, etc. You're probably always hungry because your body wants more vitamins and minerals (think fresh like your green smoothie; that's where your body will be satisfied with the carbs and nutrients).

[Kara_Malia]

No, you didn't offend me...I appreciate the honesty--that's what I'm asking for here.

The only thing is, when I drink my green smoothies, I don't feel full. I drink 2-3 glasses of it, and I still feel hungry. Also, I put 2-3 c of greens, 2-3 bananas and 2 cups of frozen fruit in my smoothie in the morning...I thought that was enough fruit for the day, but do I still need more? Yes, all of my food is cooked...I have a really, really hard time with raw veggies and fruits. I just really don't like them. In fact, I never had fresh fruits or veggies at all (only canned) until about a year ago. I know I can improve upon my diet, but this is the healthiest I've eaten in my life thus far. But I want to do better, which is why I'm here!

Maybe I need to search for more raw recipes. I've tried some (just because I can't force myself to eat the veggies and fruits raw by themselves) and I didn't like them much...

[Kara_Malia]

Also, I've read that the whole 'low fat' fad in the 80's, I think it was, has been disproven, and that there isn't anything wrong with fat? I also was told by a doctor that I have hypoglycemia, and that I needed to avoid carbs, not fat. I feel like I get a lot of conflicting information on fat, so I'm a bit confused.

[penny79]

I think almost every well-known author on vegan and heart-healthy nutrition has advocated a diet lower in fat. The amounts vary, but in general, they suggest 10-20% of calories from fat. Soy products have about 50%. Oils are 100%. Nuts and seeds are about 65-85%. Cheese is 90-95% I think?

Honestly, I wouldn't necessarily suggest raw food recipes. Those are usually high fat, with about 65% of calories from fat. I'm not obsessed with fat - I just go for the high-nutrient foods (fruit and leafy greens) and avoid the dehydrating, acid-forming foods. Even just eating fruits and vegetables (except the overtly fat ones like avocado), your diet would already be 5% of calories from fat. Greens and fruit have good fats. Can you avoid grains some nights for your dinner, like instead of a tortilla, use leaf lettuce? That would help get some freshness into your diet.

I'm not breastfeeding, and I would eat a green smoothie with about 8 bananas, 3 c. greens, and water every 2-3 hours. (I'm active/athletic).

Maybe you can ask your doc where you are supposed to get your energy from to carry your baby around without carbohydrates? :D I think the best carbs for humans are from fruit, btw.

[Kara_Malia]

I need to talk to a doctor, but I see military doctors, and I am just assigned to the person who is 'my' doctor. I've never met them, but my husband works with them, and has told me what they are like. It isn't really worth it to expose myself and the baby to germs at the doctor's office only to be told by some idiot that I need to eat meat, give my baby rice cereal & quit breastfeeding.

Thanks for the advice. I am definitely going to try to incorporate more fruits and veggies into my diet.

[penny79]

Yeah, not worth your time or exposure to those extra germs at the doc office!!!

[EmandM]

Give yourself some time too. I had twins and it took me 6 months to get my body back to pre-preg weight, and about a year and a half to get my body looking the way it did pre-preg. Once my twins started walking I lost an additional 5 pounds just chasing them around!

[IrieMama]

I had one baby [gained 50 pounds] and it took me 8 months to get back into shape. At one point I was going to the gym four days a week for two months. You are eating pretty healthy though and as long as you drink lots of water and start to ease into exercising and cardio, the weight will probably fall right off.

[Jinga]

Kara_Malia, I know it's hard but try not to stress about this. Your diet is reasonably healthy. I wish I was eating that well right now! You also DO need more fat and calories than the average person due to breastfeeding, so try not to go 'low-fat'. Like you, I had a baby 4 months ago and am in the annoying situation of being too small for my maternity wear and too big for my pre-pregancy clothes. I gained 7lb while trying to get pregnant, and 40+ while I was pregnant, so this 50lbs is going to take some time to come off. At this point, I'm not even sure what causes me to lose weight. Every once in awhile, it seems my body decides it can do without and I suddenly lose a few, but I've still got a ways to go. My best advice is to just continue to eat healthy and get in some exercise when you can, but most of all enjoy your time with your baby. You don't want to look back and realize you missed out because you were stressing about your body.