I am nearly one month in to my weight loss journey, and well it’s been a bit up and down to be honest!
Diet
I am following the idea of the original Weight Watchers plan. My MIL had all the books and paperwork which meant there was no cost involved, and I am not a huge one for joining groups. Hubs introduced me to WW when I wanted to lose weight after Monkey and I found it worked really well for me.
I like to think of it as an everything in moderation diet because nothing is completely off-limits. You get a points allowance (much like the current WW system) and you work out how many points are in any food and then you can add up how much you are eating throughout the day to meet your allowance. Points come from calories (70 calories per point) and saturated fat (4g sat fat per point) and your personal points allowance is calculated using your current weight, height, activity level etc. I am not sure how the current system works but I think it takes more nutritional values into consideration than just calories and sat fat.
The reason it worked for me so well the first time was because it really made me pay attention to what I was eating, and how many calories were in everything I ate. I could still eat anything I liked but when things have a points value associated with them, and you have daily total, I found that I would make healthier choices, eat foods with lower points, as it meant I could eat more throughout the day.
I did really well on it the first time round and had high hopes it would be pretty easy again but it has been a bit harder so far. I started off really well and according to the scales lost about 5lbs in the first week. then things very much leveled off, even though I was still following the same plan. I have written before how I am not relying totally on the scales as I am not sure how accurate they are as a measure, and how for me, it is more about how I fit in certain items of clothing.
The trouble is though that it is easy to feel disheartened when the needle on the scales stops moving south. It is easy, when feeling disheartened, to go off the rails a little, and I have definitely done that a few times. I could make excuses, we still have a very small baby, I am still shattered after being up in the night with her and then looking after her and a toddler every day… and they are very true, but that is how I got overweight in the first place and not good enough reasons for going back to old habits.
The good news, I have lost weight. I can now do up my red shorts – I mean they are still ridiculously, uncomfortably tight but I can do them up, which I could not even nearly do 2 weeks ago. So regardless of what the scales say, I have lost inches and I need to focus on that.
. 
Not exactly a huge difference from 2 weeks ago but hey it is a start!
Exercise
I have been walking more and I went to a postnatal yoga class last week which was really good. My back has been terrible over the last month or two, so when I saw the taster session for postnatal yoga I was immediately interested. The class was great, the instructor took things very slowly and said it was all about rebuilding the strength in our muscles. The exercises (mainly breathing exercises) were very simple but effective and I could feel them working.
The downside? Little Miss. The idea is that you take your baby to the class and they will either doze to the side or happily gurgle at you while you do the exercises and at times you can include them in the class. Most of the other babies there did that, LM ooh no. She wanted feeding shortly after the class started – not easy to lie down doing back strengthening breathing exercises when feeding a baby! Then she needed burping, then she wasn’t happy on her back. Out of the hour long class I got to do about 10-15 mins of the exercises and was watching the rest of the time. Better than nothing and the one exercise I remember does help when I find the time to do it at home.
I would love to carry on the class but with LM having no routine at the moment I don’t feel like there is much point. I don’t want to pay for an hours session if I can’t actually do the exercises. I know she is only a few months old and a few people have said I shouldn’t be impatient, it is just what a baby is like and I get it, but it is hard to carve out time for myself when every day is so totally different. I keep changing my mind whether to join up or not, and, well I shall keep you posted I guess. The other option is to get a dvd I can do at home but it is very difficult to know which one is good. Any recommendations for a gentle post-natal exercise dvd, please share it!
I need to concentrate on strengthening my back though as it has gotten worse this last week. For a few days my whole left side has been very painful, from my neck all the way down to my knee. My knee especially has been agony at times. Hubs has regular physio for his back and because I was so uncomfortable he looked after the kids for me on Friday afternoon and gave me his appointment. It definitely helped and is all just stemming from my issues with my lower back, so I really, really have to make time to work on it if I want things to improve. I shall keep you posted with how that is going!
I need my body to be strong again and carrying excess weight isn’t helping either so I am re-doubling my efforts to stick to the diet – and I need to ask hubs to stop tempting me with offers of my favourite naughty foods in the evenings. I actually crochet-ed some baby booties for LM recently and concentrating on something and keeping my hands busy definitely stopped me snacking so much, so I think I need to crochet some more things, if only for that reason lol!
Hi Caroline
I completely understand everything you have written here. I too had my second baby 3 and half months ago and am also suffering with back ache. I know I need to start doing more gentle exercise to strengthen the muscles but by the end of the day I’m worn out just from looking after a baby and a toddler – let alone thinking about exercise and weight loss!
Anyways, below is link to a post natal exercise dvd. I attended the babyfit classes as they are local to me, but the instructor (who is a qualified midwife and has had a baby herself) has brought out a dvd to be used at home.
http://www.babyfituk.co.uk/babyfit-dvd.html
Keep up the good work 🙂
Simone x
Thank you so much for the recommendation and for the support! It is so hard to make the time for yourself isn’t it? I will check out the dvd, thanks again! xx
Very inspiring post – I need to start yoga too 🙂
Lizzie Dripping
Well done for giving the yoga a go! I too have the issue with the scales not moving but at least it can be seen in inch loss. I hope you get to do a little light exercise soon to help you back x
It is so frustrating, I swear the needle is stuck on ours!! 🙂 Thank you and I hope i can too 🙂
Hi Caroline, Sounds like you are doing a fab job. I reckon the yoga and physio will really help. When I did my knee in I was amazed at how weak and painful my leg was but all the exercises really helped. It’s just doing them religiously and trying not to overdo it!!
Clean your teeth early – that stops me eating again at night – can’t be bothered to do it again hehe xxx
Thanks Sarah, they do help but it is about forcing myself to do them I know! Haha genius idea with the teeth cleaning, I am definitely going to do that! xx
That’s a great achievement. I also would have loved to do a class with baby with me but mine was like yours with no routine.
I’m so impressed that you can do your shorts up again all of a sudden Caroline! 🙂 I’m with you that getting into certain items of clothing is definitely more of an indicator for me than standing on the scales. The exercise class thing is really tricky – I would have had the one baby who didn’t want to play ball too I’m sure! I think it is really hard to diet at this time of year too though – I am still stuffing my face and the thought of salad just doesn’t appeal to me at all although I know it will come early summer. If I lived nearer to you and I wasn’t working I would definitely offer to have LM while you did your yoga. I know that’s not much consolation! Keep going though, you have a goal and you are such a clear-headed kind of person I know it will happen even if more slowly than you might like. Xx
Aw thank you lovely, I really appreciate the sentiment and you are so sweet, I guess I know I will get there, I just want it to happen now lol! 🙂 xx
Firstly hon massive congrats on getting your diet and fitness kick started, and it’s amazing that you’ve already seen results. Small baby steps = lasting change. What’s important is that you’ve found something that works for you lovely. I can thoroughly recommend Tara Lee’s post natal yoga DVD, it has various sections including a ten min workout which I love xxx
Thanks lovely I know you are right, I am just far too impatient! Thanks for the recommendation, it seems to be discontinued but managed to find one 2nd hand which is hopefully winging it’s way to me and I am looking forward to having a go! xx
Having a item of clothing to judge against is the best way imo! Well done! Its progress and steady progress lasts way longer than sudden drastic loss 🙂
It sounds like you are putting so much effort in and that is great – the fact that your shorts are starting to fit you really should spur you on. #FromBloggingtoJogging
Thanks Vicky, it really does so am trying to focus on that rather than the scales at the moment! xx
that’s great the your shorts fit! I was thinking about yoga but I’m starting pilates, might try yoga after. you’re doing great xx #bloggingtojogging
Oh good for you, and well done for getting this far -the starting off is often the hardest part!
I also totally understand about the importance of strengthening your lower back; after pregnancy I struggled and have been visiting the osteopath but day-to-day back yoga is so good for your back. Best of luck and well done so far xx xx
Hope LM settles down so you can enjoy the classes! Weight Watchers is great for totally changing everything but in a way you can still eat what you like. Unfortunately I no longer have access to the library of points so I go off what I remember and the WW food which is labelled – I am finding calorie counting so much easier though.
Fantastic to see the shorts have zipped up – what immense progress in such a short space of time! Look forward to your next update!
Sim @ Simslife.co.uk #WeightLossWednesday xx
Well done on getting your shorts to zip up! Stick with it and the weight will start to come off, hopefully exercise will be become easier as your back starts to improve and the little one gets into her routine. #WeightLossWednesday
Well done! You have done so well in just 2 weeks you can fit into the shorts! I hope you have a successful week x #weightlosswednesday
I totally understand how you feel about not being a “group” person as I’m the same. But I hear so many success stories from WW and Slimming World so they’re obviously right for a lot of people. Great that your mum-in-law already had all the info!!
Good luck for this week!
x
#weightlosswednesday
Well done on getting your shorts done up! I am having a similar struggle with a pair of trousers at the moment! I am 4 month PP with baby no. 2.
I love yoga, but it is definitely hard to fit it in with the children. I have a DVD I do at home and my toddler loves to join in- which is pretty hilarious!
keep up the good work- its clearly paying off!
haha that sounds great, think I will have to get Monkey involved when I get going with mine! xx
You are doing brilliantly! I think you have to find what works for you, and experiment with different options – as for yoga dvds, I know that Honest Mummy has one she swears by (it’s not specifically post-natal though, but like all things, I think you have to listen to your body and take responsibility for how far you push yourself), and I have a few different resources listed in a yoga post I did before Christmas (hope you don’t mind me posting the link to you here!) – http://mama-andmore.com/2014/10/weekly-yoga-series-yogamamazee-getting-started-with-yoga.html
Thanks so much for linking up to #AllAboutYou – ps, I found that doing crunches with my little one on my knees worked really well – he cracked up in giggles at my head bouncing up and down, and I got my workout in!
thanks lovely and no I don’t mind at all! Will have a read 🙂 xx
Yay for doing up the famous red shorts! I didn’t bother with yoga for that exact reason, Toby screamed for hours a day for the first few months of life so it would most certainly not have been relaxing! Good luck with keeping it all up hun. Thanks for linking up with #BloggingToJogging xx
Pingback: Weight Loss highs and lows | Becoming a Stay at Home Mum
This reminds me of the one time I went to a mum+baby exercise class. My daughter was maybe 10 weeks. I ended up using her as hand weights while doing my cardio as she would start crying as soon as I would put her down. I now just exercise at home.