Successful post pregnancy stories?

[Julie5150]

I have had 4 children, I'm 27.
I've read from a lot of different people about losing the loose belly and getting back into shape completely.
About sculpting thighs and arms, etc etc.

However - I always have this mental hangup of "yeah right - you musn't be as bad as I am" .. because I look at myself when I'm not sucking in my stomach and turning just so in the mirror and I don't see how on earth it can be possible to actually change.

Sure - lose weight by eating healthy and exercising - but what about my stomach and legs?
After my 1st, 2nd and 3rd child I went right down to 100/95lbs or so within a few months - but I still had problems in those areas.

Why so? What did I do different than everyone else who was able to get into far better shape than me?
Did everyone else start off better than me? Is my stomach worse than other people's?

I've heard it's possible - I just don't see how.
Any real proof that I'm not a freak of nature compared ot others who've had success?

[forme82]

I feel you girl I been having the same problem but, I have only on child. I also see the stories and wonder if I am a freak on nature myself. My daughter is 2 I don't believe I will ever get my pre body back, but I am not going to give up. Hopefully somebody will reply to your thread and I can get some answers too.
Peace stay motivated!

[BuffedWildCat]

YES, you CAN get your body back! Well, at least after having one child, I'll have to let you know after I get pregnant again and have my second (and final) child. But yes, I believe you can. I've got my six pack back that I had before my pregnancy. I will say this though, it has been MUCH more difficult getting it back after a pregnancy than it was for me to get in the first place! And I sure as heck am hoping that it doesn't get any MORE difficult after my second baby! I know what you mean, I got back down BELOW my pre-pregnancy weight but yet I still had squishy stuff on me especially my abs! And I lifted weights and did cardio (didn't overdo the cardio either mind you) all thru my entire pregnancy even up to the point of going into labor! Then I was back at it about 4 weeks after my C-section! I started back into the proper eating and everything and it was still very difficult to get my pre-pregnancy body back. I would have to say it took about 9-12 months after I had my son until I felt confident enough to wear crop tops again but I'm just NOW getting my physique to the point at which it was before I got pregnant and my son will be 2 years old at the end of June. So I believe you can get your pre-pregnancy body back but it takes a lot of hard work and a long time! Plus it depends on what kind of physique you are wanting cause about 3 months after I had my son everyone was saying I looked great, yeah, in clothes, but that wasn't good enough for me. So it also depends on the level of conditioning you are looking to attain. I was looking to attain the look of an offseason bodybuilder, which was my pre-pregnancy look, those who aren't going for that may achieve their physique goals sooner.

Hmmm... don't think I quite answered your question. The reason you still have squishy areas that you didn't have before your pregnancies even tho you got your body weight back down to its pre-pregnancy level is because your body COMPOSITION is changed. When you're pregnant, unfortunately, you gain fat and lose muscle because of the hormonal changes. I know this because I lifted as heavy as I could the whole time I was pregnant but despite that, I still lost strength. I also know what my body composition (i.e. muscle to fat ratio) actually was before I got pregnant AND after I had my son. Even tho my weight fluctuated between its exact pre-pregnancy weight and lower, according to the skinfold measurments (7 points measured with calipers), I had still lost muscle and gained fat so I had less muscle and more fat after my pregnancy. That totally explains the strength loss and squishy areas where there weren't squishy areas before at the same weight. So you have to change your body composition back to what it was pre-pregnancy and the only way you do that is thru proper diet and HEAVY weight training. Yeah, basically we have to fight to get our muscle back that we lost during the pregnancy(ies)! It sucks, but then again, would you trade your kids to have your pre-pregnancy body back or do you treasure your kids and then you just have to work some more to get your body back (and then be the envy of other mothers, hehe)? I know which I choose. Anyway, hope that answers your question.

[Julie5150]

Ah, that helped a lot, actually.

So - it's not just how you are before you're pregnant, but during, too.
See - when I was pregnant I was sick (the entire time, all four) and on bedrest for 2 or them. I had serious back and leg problems and had to walk with a cain - if I could walk at all.
I was anemic with everyone of them, too...so all of that just wrecked the physical condition that I was in all those years ago.

And I read that, too, that when you have extra here and there and are underweight that i's because your body let go of the muscle - not the fat...I just didn't know how true that was The only place I read that was tied into selling someone's book

But, it wouldn't hurt to try - any improvement is better than the shape I'm in now.


*edit*
Ok - so, what should I have done differently the previous times? ... this is where I'm lost.
I lost weight quickly, yeah - but how can I avoid that?
After our third I started working out - I tried to avoid losing too much weight too quickly by eating a more balanced diet - no crash dieting - but it didn't really help. I lost it a bit more slowly but I still had problems (nursing and so forth)
So - now that I'm simply trying to eat better how can I avoid losing too much too fast? (This is the part of dieting and exercise that I'm no good at)

[forme82]

YES, you CAN get your body back! Well, at least after having one child, I'll have to let you know after I get pregnant again and have my second (and final) child. But yes, I believe you can. I've got my six pack back that I had before my pregnancy. I will say this though, it has been MUCH more difficult getting it back after a pregnancy than it was for me to get in the first place! And I sure as heck am hoping that it doesn't get any MORE difficult after my second baby! I know what you mean, I got back down BELOW my pre-pregnancy weight but yet I still had squishy stuff on me especially my abs! And I lifted weights and did cardio (didn't overdo the cardio either mind you) all thru my entire pregnancy even up to the point of going into labor! Then I was back at it about 4 weeks after my C-section! I started back into the proper eating and everything and it was still very difficult to get my pre-pregnancy body back. I would have to say it took about 9-12 months after I had my son until I felt confident enough to wear crop tops again but I'm just NOW getting my physique to the point at which it was before I got pregnant and my son will be 2 years old at the end of June. So I believe you can get your pre-pregnancy body back but it takes a lot of hard work and a long time! Plus it depends on what kind of physique you are wanting cause about 3 months after I had my son everyone was saying I looked great, yeah, in clothes, but that wasn't good enough for me. So it also depends on the level of conditioning you are looking to attain. I was looking to attain the look of an offseason bodybuilder, which was my pre-pregnancy look, those who aren't going for that may achieve their physique goals sooner.

Hmmm... don't think I quite answered your question. The reason you still have squishy areas that you didn't have before your pregnancies even tho you got your body weight back down to its pre-pregnancy level is because your body COMPOSITION is changed. When you're pregnant, unfortunately, you gain fat and lose muscle because of the hormonal changes. I know this because I lifted as heavy as I could the whole time I was pregnant but despite that, I still lost strength. I also know what my body composition (i.e. muscle to fat ratio) actually was before I got pregnant AND after I had my son. Even tho my weight fluctuated between its exact pre-pregnancy weight and lower, according to the skinfold measurments (7 points measured with calipers), I had still lost muscle and gained fat so I had less muscle and more fat after my pregnancy. That totally explains the strength loss and squishy areas where there weren't squishy areas before at the same weight. So you have to change your body composition back to what it was pre-pregnancy and the only way you do that is thru proper diet and HEAVY weight training. Yeah, basically we have to fight to get our muscle back that we lost during the pregnancy(ies)! It sucks, but then again, would you trade your kids to have your pre-pregnancy body back or do you treasure your kids and then you just have to work some more to get your body back (and then be the envy of other mothers, hehe)? I know which I choose. Anyway, hope that answers your question.

That makes alot of sense, So you say lift heavy what about the ab area what did you do to get it back? What workouts did you do for the abs, the rest of my body are getting better through my weight training and diet but, my abs are having a hard time getting back. As for cardio is 30mins intervals good enough?

[BuffedWildCat]

...

*edit*
Ok - so, what should I have done differently the previous times? ... this is where I'm lost.
I lost weight quickly, yeah - but how can I avoid that?
After our third I started working out - I tried to avoid losing too much weight too quickly by eating a more balanced diet - no crash dieting - but it didn't really help. I lost it a bit more slowly but I still had problems (nursing and so forth)
So - now that I'm simply trying to eat better how can I avoid losing too much too fast? (This is the part of dieting and exercise that I'm no good at)

I lost weight quickly too. I gained 33 lbs total during my pregnancy and I lost 30 lbs of it in one month, then it took another 3 months to get rid of the last 3 lbs! Weird, but I was also breastfeeding so I know that had an effect. So I wouldn't worry about losing too much too fast. If you are eating enough and properly, as in nutritious, avoiding the "evils" such as white flour, sugars, etc. and lifting HEAVY in the 6-12 rep range, then that's all you can do. It's usually the diet that hinders one's progress that or overdoing it on the cardio. Eat every 2-3 hours, balanced, nutritious meals, that means protein, good carbs, and fat then just keep hitting the weights heavy and hard and don't overdo the cardio, I wouldn't do anymore than twice a week for about 30 min for starters.

That makes alot of sense, So you say lift heavy what about the ab area what did you do to get it back? What workouts did you do for the abs, the rest of my body are getting better through my weight training and diet but, my abs are having a hard time getting back. As for cardio is 30mins intervals good enough?

Nothing special really. In the beginning, because my ab muscles were so weak from having a C-section, I was hitting them twice a week to gain the strength back quickly. Now I am just doing them once a week. I normally do a circuit style type workout on them, several exercises, a couple sets of about 25 each. I keep it varied, I do crunches on the sit-up bench, I use the ab wheel, lying leg lifts, holds, and scissors, off the edge of a bench crunches, (bringing my knees to my chest as I come up off the bench), crunches on the floor with knees bent or legs resting up on the bench, etc. The last several workouts all I've been doing are 4 sets of 25 crunches on an ab sit-up bench. It's not the exercises that gave me my six pack back, it's been my diet. I do the ab exercises to make my abs stronger and/or keep my ab strength. I've gotten the best results as far as getting my abs back from my diet. The exercises have never made any difference. You just have to acquire a low enough body fat thru diet to see your abs. And after you have a baby, that area just happens to be the area that gains the most fat, at least it was for me and the more fat you have in an area, then it's going to take longer than other body parts to get lean again just cause there is simply more there to lose. DIET, as in sound nutrition, and heavy weight training is what is going to get you your pre-pregnancy body back. I am also only doing cardio twice a week for 30 min. I walk on a treadmill for 30 min twice a week. You don't have to do tons of cardio. It's better that you don't cause it tends to burn up more muscle than it does fat. So other than that, just keep reading, researching, and asking questions and put to use what you learn, stick with it, and try to have patience, and you too can get your pre-pregnancy body back! Good luck girls!

[Julie5150]

Great info, thank you

don't overdo the cardio - see - I thought that doing the more cardio the better!
And in hindsight - I always think I'm eating healthy and right, but wehn I examine my food I find I'm just not eating enough. (sounds odd: get in shape = eat more)