Weight Loss Progress Thread!

[Dekka]

I disagree.. I don't think being over weight after children is an excuse..

There are loads of papers etc showing the metabolic changes in women after child bearing. We arent' supposed to look like we did when were were 15. Can we? Quite possibly.. but its not easy for most women. Women who have little weight issues can achieve it fairly easy. Those who are insulin resistant typically become more insulin resistant with child birth.

The metabolic change makes it easier to store fat and harder to get rid of it. I think that is more than 'an excuse' but a darn good reason why many women struggle to lose weight or even not to put it on after having kids.

[LauraLeigh]

I did not think you meant it towards me, but since it was brought up I thought I'd talk about it

I do think that's what happens with many people though... They blame it on "baby" but it's really, for many, from changes in lifestyle they may not even be aware of.. LOL

Although I lost weight far easier after my first than my second... :-)

So maybe it's a bit of both?

I need to get at more exercise, I am struggling with that more than anything!

ETA removed the ROFLMAO smilie... Did not mean for that to be at the start of my post !?!?

[LauraLeigh]

Originally Posted by Dekka

I disagree.. I don't think being over weight after children is an excuse..

There are loads of papers etc showing the metabolic changes in women after child bearing. We arent' supposed to look like we did when were were 15. Can we? Quite possibly.. but its not easy for most women. Women who have little weight issues can achieve it fairly easy. Those who are insulin resistant typically become more insulin resistant with child birth

That makes sense as well, I know for me it surely was more a crappy diet and not caring for myself, ESP when the pattern repeated itself when my life got crazy again....

Because I got pregnant at 16, then had both children a year apart to the day I really have no idea what my weight would have settled out like at say 21... At 21 I was quite overweight, I lost the weight I put on during that "after kids" time when I was 25, settled out at about 145.. A good 15 heavier than before I had kids... But.... Because I had my kids so darn young, I really have no gauge of my "normal" weight...

[Saeleofu]

I've lost 18 pounds

[Doberluv]

Congrats Saeleofu! And everyone who is losing extra pounds.

I realize that there are metabolic and hormonal changes in women after giving birth. And changes in the pelvic bones. I wasn't born yesterday, ya know. But that shouldn't be an excuse, a catch all... to be significantly over weight. I've heard so many people use child birth as their reason for being vastly over weight long after the child was born.... and it's just ridiculous. Again, using my Mom and sister as examples: My sister is 5'2", weighs about 100 lbs. She works out, eats right and has a terrific, fit figure with basically no surplus fat beyond what's healthy. My Mom is going to be 90 next month. She has never been over weight and still wears her LL Bean jeans and looks very slim and stylish. Both had three children. I only had two kids and I got over weight, not quite obese probably, but way too heavy still. Not because of having children, but from eating too much of the wrong things. Plain and simple. No ifs ands or buts about it.

[Jules]

I weighed myself this morning and I'm down 33.5 lbs. I'll see about a ticker and a pic or so.

Congrats to everyone- this is awesome!

[Dekka]

Originally Posted by Doberluv

Congrats Saeleofu! And everyone who is losing extra pounds.

I realize that there are metabolic and hormonal changes in women after giving birth. And changes in the pelvic bones. I wasn't born yesterday, ya know. But that shouldn't be an excuse, a catch all... to be significantly over weight. I've heard so many people use child birth as their reason for being vastly over weight long after the child was born.... and it's just ridiculous. Again, using my Mom and sister as examples: My sister is 5'2", weighs about 100 lbs. She works out, eats right and has a terrific, fit figure with basically no surplus fat beyond what's healthy. My Mom is going to be 90 next month. She has never been over weight and still wears her LL Bean jeans and looks very slim and stylish. Both had three children. I only had two kids and I got over weight, not quite obese probably, but way too heavy still. Not because of having children, but from eating too much of the wrong things. Plain and simple. No ifs ands or buts about it.

Yes and some people stay like stick thin living on a 3000 calorie diet doing nothing much...

I am saying no its not an excuse.. but to throw it out the window and say ahhh you just didn't try hard enough. Great so now I am stupid!! I ate 'healthy' and even took up running. I did loose 60 pounds (but couldn't maintain that low a calorie consumption to keep it off) so great. Were your mother and sister small people before hand? Or have they struggled with their weight? I did say if you had little issues before you would have only small ones after. For those who struggled before it because MUCH harder.

Is that an excuse? I dunno, but dismissing it IMO is just as harmful as embracing it. It should be acknowledged, supported and recognized. Telling people if only they work a little at it or eat a little healthy it will all get better really sucks when they are already doing that. (trust me on this one) I have a friend who was back in a bikini 4 months after having a kid.. but she has been tiny her whole life and wouldn't know what its like to struggle with weight (and no she doesn't eat healthy or work out)

[Doberluv]

Wow, just wow. You are really missing my point I see. I'm not criticizing you or anyone's way of trying to get weight off or saying anything is easy. I ought to know how hard it is for crying out loud. I gained 45 lbs with my babies. I didn't lose it all but I wasn't as careful as I should have been. That's why I didn't get down to my previous weight, which was still about 10 lbs over probably. I ate too many of the wrong things too often and have off and on since. Sometimes I've been okay, but most of these years, some degree...(maybe 10 lbs, sometimes more) of being overweight.

Just the past couple years, I've gotten up to 170 lbs. That's obese for my height and frame etc. All of a sudden, I became so shocked at my behavior which caused this that I did an abrupt 180 and started doing something about it. I didn't get that way by eating correctly. Now I got down to about 130 or so, much better, but still about 10 - 15 lbs away from my ideal. Then the holidays and I gained 8. Since the holidays I think I just lost a couple 2-3. I'm not losing weight because I'm eating junk. I'm losing because I'm eating healthy fresh food, not too many carbs, not too much of the wrong kinds of fat, combined with exercise.

Of course it's not easy and of course I'm not trying to discourage anyone. wha? I'm merely stating that pregnancy and childbirth in and of itself is not a valid excuse for being overweight indefinitely.

Yes, my Mom and sister have never had weight issues so naturally, they didn't gain extra weight. So are you're saying that people who eat in a healthy way and exercise can still become obese? I don't buy it. Unless there's some rare or unusual thyroid or other medical problem.

[Dekka]

Great.. now I am a liar.. thanx..

good to know I wasn't actually exercising or eating 'healthy'....

Here is a vid of what can happen if you eat too much sugar for your metabolism (and yes that is whole grains, whole grain pasta has a very similar GI rating as coke or straight sugar... starch is broken down into sugar quickly.. drinking a coke has about the same sugar spike as eating whole bran cereal)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mNYlIcXynwE

if you don't have that issue no you won't have that problem. Pregnancy makes it worse.

I will have you know I ate 'healthy' by all common methods, low fat low junk high in complex carbs and exercised.. and GAINED weight. And its not uncommon! but I am lying so what ever...

[Doberluv]

Huh? Now I'm really confused. Please don't put words in my mouth. You ARE losing weight, right? Aren't you eating differently from how you use to? Aren't you now eating things that don't tend to cause undue weight gain? Why is this all about you anyway? It's not, you know. A lot of my statements are very general. I guess I better stay out of this thread before there are more misunderstandings.