[Laine]

My little one is nursing right now so excuse any typing issues

I just had my son almost 4 weeks ago. I also have a 21 month old daughter.

Years ago I was overweight. I worked hard and lost over 150 lbs by eating well and having a dedicated exercise routine. I felt FANTASTIC after my weight loss. My comfortable weight was around 200lbs. I'm 5'8 and curvy by nature. I liked my body at that weight.

When I got pregnant with my daughter I stopped exercising for the most part and fell into old eating habits. I gained 60 lbs. After her birth I lost around 25 lbs but never any more than that. In fact, I gained some back By the time I got pregnant with my son I was back up to 270. During my pregnancy I gained 35 lbs, despite a great effort at eating well and staying active. The day before delivery I was really swollen. I weighed in that day and I was 308.

After he was born and my swelling went down, I started losing. I'm around 282 and the weight loss has stopped. I know I'm going to have to work the rest of it off. I REALLY want to be back around 200 at some point but I know it's going to take a lot of work, as it did before. I don't mind working hard but the problem is that I have NO time to exercise. I have a high needs newborn (cries all the time, won't let me put him down), and a VERY active toddler. I've tried taking them on walks but it's too hard to keep my daughter in the stroller.

My husband works and is graduate school. When he's home he helps but I rarely get a moment to myself. Plus, I'm tired from being up with the baby and my energy is low. I used to cook a lot, before the baby was born but now I never have 2 free hands to do anything. All of this adds up to having no time to exercise and limited options with cooking. We've been eating simple things like sandwiches and wraps and easy to cook things.

I'm frustrated and sad about being this weight. I don't feel like myself. I want to be fit and healthy again. That was such a wonderful feeling.

Does anyone have any tips? or can you relate? I'm feeling so down.

Please/thanks.

[happyveggie]

hmmm, sounds tough with the two babies, why dont you try to incorporate them into your exercises? I understand the infant may be too young, but maybe you can dance and do other activities with your toddler to tire him out and get some cardio lol or maybe take them to the park or walk around the neighborhood with a stroller (pushing a stroller burns more calories than regular walking), any little bit of movement helps

[jamsk8r]

What about a gym with a nursery, so you can have a break for an hour or so and get some exercise in? Or, try the walking with the stroller when your toddler is ready for her nap? Or, as soon as the hubby gets home, get out the door and get some quiet time. You have to take care of yourself and your sanity, so you can be the happy mom the rest of the time.

[GlamourGirl827]

Laine-
Your life sounds so much like mine, that it kind of spooked me a little!
I have a 2 1/2 year old and a 2 week old. Both boys though. I was over weight too, before kids, but with weight watchers and a lot of regular exercise, I lost and maintained a healthy weight( ok well, give or take a few pounds).
When I got pregnant with my older son, I gained like 60 lbs but lost most of it. I only had one baby to work around. But this time around is completely different.
Now with two I have no time. No time to exercise and no time to cook time consuming meals. My 2 week old cries when ever he's not being held. I'm BFing too (actually I'm typing with one hand right now! ) So I spend most of the day holding him. And my 2 1/2 year old is also more than a hand full. He's actually been diagnosed with ASD, and he has severe behavior problems. He has never sat calmly in a stroller. He screams to get out and throws fits. The classic exercise of putting the kids in a stroller and going for a walk is not an option for me.
My husband just graduated from grad school too. I know what its like not having your husband around, even though its for a good reason.

I wish I had suggestions for you. But I'm in the same boat. I wanted to let you know that you are not alone! I'm on here typing with one hand whenever I nurse the baby.

I'll tell you one idea that I'm kicking around. When I was inbetween my sophmore and junior year of highschool (over 10 years ago! Where does the time go??) I switched schools and did not want to start the new one being the weight I was. But I couldn't afford to go to a gym and I was too embarrassed to run out side...so in my very tiny bedroom (we lived in a tiny apartment sized beach house) I jogged in circles. Well they were more like ovals) Everyday I jogged in my room, for a set amount of time. Then did sit ups and leg lifts and other exercises that I could do in my room. Since then I've gotten spoiled with gym memberships. But I'm thinking about just walking in my livingroom. There I can hold my baby, stop whenever I need to to feed him if he starts crying; I don't have to worry about the weather outside or driving anywhere. Also I can break it up into say 3 groups of 10 minutes which would fit my day better then a 30 minute workout. So I guess that's one suggestion I do have, but I don't if it'll work with two kids!

Message me anytime you want to talk.

[flamejobgrrl]

In a similar boat (where are the paddles to get me out of here!!!!).....Had lost 100 lbs a few years ago, gained 65lbs with this pregnancy, lost 35 and am still 30 lbs away from 200.

A few friends and I started a biggest loser club ... all via facebook. People weigh in on their own, send in $20 and weigh in each week. If they submit a weight each week for 6 weeks they get $10 back and the other $10 goes to the biggest loser. Just helps to make you a little more accountable, go perhaps for an extra long walk and watch what I eat.

It isn't easy though - you need to eat to breastfeed and the easy food is usually the worst for you. I also welcome any suggestions as my husband is not able to give me a spare minute at all for more than one reason - but that is for another post

[ToriLeigh]

I totally understand how you feel. My daughter was only 22 months when my son was born and it can be tough with two under two. Two things saved my sanity. When my son was old enough, we joined the YMCA and they have a nursery where both kids could stay. I think he had to be 6 weeks. The other thing that helped was my Moby wrap, think big long piece of cloth. Eli spent hours everyday cuddled close to me while I had two hands free to get stuff done. I still had to be careful cooking things that splattered, but at least I could make something to put in the oven.

[mom4life]

I was there after my last child was born. I gained 65 lbs during the pregnancy, lost 30 and slowly saw my weight increase again. I had an easy baby, it was my 2 y/o that I had a problem with. I tried taking my double jogging stroller with the two young ones in it as my oldest walked but my 2 y/o would throw a fit after 10 minutes of being in the thing. I felt utterly defeated and doomed to gain, gain, and gain because of my circumstances.The Wii Fit was a God send in my case. I would set it to do a 30 minute step-aerobic session then flip the channel to cartoons for the kids. They loved it, my 4 y/o would get a book and go along with me. They had no clue I was doing my workout. I did this so that the Wii could track my exercise progress and the kids could watch whatever they wanted and have mom in the room at the same time. The experience was so much better then trying to put in an aerobics DVD where the kids would get insanely bored and throw fits. There's no fancy footwork, just up and down on the step. If the baby needed to be held I would hold him as I continued my workout....heck, I just saw it as him helping me burn more calories.
Texas summers are horrible, so a couple months later I bought a treadmill. There were friends of mine in a moms group who would meet at a park or mall to walk once or twice a week, I joined them a few times.
I'm hoping to keep my weight gain with this pregnancy under 40 lbs. I have slacked on my exercise but my eating has been under control. now my kids are 5/3/1 (my oldest is much older and out of the house), as soon as I can I'm jumping back on that treadmill after my baby is born.
((hugs)) I know you can do it.