[banananutmuffin]

Originally Posted by berryblondeboys

But I bet you were more active then too - you probably walked more, did more moving around than now that wasn't formal exercise, but was movement nonetheless.

Actually, no. In college, I used to drive four blocks to the local Mexican restaurant for a huge burrito and cheese fries because I was too lazy to walk. Never played sports. Never active. Known as the laziest one among my friends. After college my job was very sedentary and I spent most of my time in and out of work on my butt. I'd work, pick up Papa Johns and Chinese for dinner, scarf it down, then crawl into bed with a bowl of popcorn and a book until it was time to sleep. Wake up. Repeat.

Now I am way more active. Chasing two small kids. Try to walk regularly. More formal exercise. Plus just busier daily life (shopping, carrying grocery bags for a family, running after kids on playground, etc.).

There is absolutely no doubt that my "metabolism" has changed with either age or kids (not sure which). Now, could there be some underlying issue for it (thyroid problems, perhaps)? Maybe. But I have to eat and act very differently now than I did 10 years ago if I want to maintain my weight.

[freelancemomma]

Originally Posted by 2salads

Even though it's counterintuitive to up your calories when you work out alot athletic people seem to do so without even thinking about it.

It's not counterintuitive at all. It's necessary. My ex-husband used to go on arctic expeditions in which he spent all day pulling a loaded sled over uneven snowy and icy terrain. He had to eat 6,000 calories per day to stay warm and maintain his weight.

That's not the same thing as having a so-called "super fast metabolism" and being able to eat 5,000 calories per day without doing any exercise and not gaining weight. I don't believe there are many (if any) people who can get away with that.

Freelance

[surfergirl2]

I hope this doesn't offend people who've had babies (which i haven't)...but i was always led to believe that pregnancy results in weight gain that is hard to shed. Until my friends started having babies. Time after time i had friends tell me they were a good 10 pounds lighter after breastfeeding the baby than they were before pregnancy. And this is PERMANENT. I made a mental note that if i ever get pregnant, i have no excuse to gain weight permanently, if they are LIGHTER than they were pre-pregnancy!

[banananutmuffin]

Originally Posted by surfergirl2

I hope this doesn't offend people who've had babies (which i haven't)...but i was always led to believe that pregnancy results in weight gain that is hard to shed. Until my friends started having babies. Time after time i had friends tell me they were a good 10 pounds lighter after breastfeeding the baby than they were before pregnancy. And this is PERMANENT. I made a mental note that if i ever get pregnant, i have no excuse to gain weight permanently, if they are LIGHTER than they were pre-pregnancy!

I think it depends. I actually AM lighter now that I was right before I got pregnant, but my body is different after kids. I hold my fat in different places now. My hipbones spread (not a biggie on me, but some people might notice a more pronounced difference). I had a natural and a C-section. After the natural, it was harder to lose the weight (weird, eh?). but I admit that I wasn't very diligent about it because I knew I wanted to get pregnant again. After the C-section, it was easier to lose the weight (didn't even have to work too hard at it) but my stomach is never ever gonna be the same (hello loose skin). I nursed both kids for over a year.

My best friend has always been teeny tiny itty bitty. She dropped the weight plus more after her first kid, no problem. After her second kid, though, she's been struggling to lose it. She weighs more now than I've seen her weigh ever. We were both a little older when we had our second kids, so that might be a factor. It's possible her eating habits have changed, but I don't see it. And she exercises a ton (she's a yoga instructor).

Pregnancy does affect everyone differently. The fact that some women walk away with stretch marks and loose skin, and others don't, is kind of a testament to that. My days of bikinis are over. Not necessarily because I'll never have a flat stomach again, but because of the loose skin and my C-section scar (which is enormous, thank-you-very-much-doc).

As for overall weight, though, yeah... I do WEIGH less than pre-pregnancy. But even though I have more muscle now, I also have more flab. It's very weird.

[freelancemomma]

Originally Posted by banananutmuffin

Pregnancy does affect everyone differently. The fact that some women walk away with stretch marks and loose skin, and others don't, is kind of a testament to that.

I guess I was one of the lucky ones in that regard. Two full-term pregnancies, no loose skin, no stretch marks, no belly bulge. I was left with a very nasty varicose vein on my left leg, though, so I didn't come out of it totally unscathed.

F.

[fitmom]

Originally Posted by freelancemomma

I guess I was one of the lucky ones in that regard. Two full-term pregnancies, no loose skin, no stretch marks, no belly bulge. I was left with a very nasty varicose vein on my left leg, though, so I didn't come out of it totally unscathed.

F.

Same here, I've had two kids and no problem - bounced back like nobody's business, lol. But alas, I have a few spider veins on my right leg which are my 'badge of honor'.