I know - I DO, I SWEAR - that I just had a baby three weeks ago (today). But I still feel like a total cow. I can't help it. I gained twice as much weight as I wanted to during this pregnancy (42 pounds!) and now I'm suffering for it. Why couldn't I just stop stuffing my piehole BEFORE!?!?
So. This morning I weighed 194.5 pounds. And as horrific as it sounds - at least that number starts with a 1 and not a 2! I have 20 pounds to lose to get back to my starting weight plus 15 more to get to a "healthy" weight of 160 pounds (I'm 5'7.5"). At this point, I'll just be happy if my old size 14s ever fit me again. Unlike most people who torture themselves about returning to their pre-baby bodies, I'm at least realistic in my expectations. I'll never be a single digit size and I'm totally okay with that. I've not once believed the myth that size equals beauty.
But still! I'm never going to lose these twenty pounds if I don't stop eating so goddamn much. Guess what? Graham crackers don't have any milk in them! Which, according to my stupid ass brain means it's TOTALLY OKAY to sit down and eat an entire package of them (not the whole box, mind you, but a third of it!). Go me!
I'm sure you'll do fine. You've got two young ones that will take a lot of attention away from eating.
Posted by: R. Robyn | June 14, 2006 at 04:05 AM
Combine the hunger from breastfeeding with the metabolic craziness of post-partum life, and season with the necessities of caring for a toddler, and you have a Rubenesque physique. Go you. Be patient, it will come off eventually. My experience (4 kids) is that it gets a little harder with each subsequent birth, but it will (I think) eventually come off. I'm still working on getting #4 off, and he's 7.
Posted by: rootietoot | June 14, 2006 at 05:28 AM
Give yourself a break. I know how intense that early breastfeeding hunger is. Although you might want to focus on non-dairy sources of protein rather than graham crackers, but that box was probabaly metabolized after the very next feeding.
Posted by: Ally | June 14, 2006 at 06:22 AM
What is it about graham crackers? I positively inhaled them for at least a month after giving birth.
Posted by: Monica | June 14, 2006 at 06:38 AM
I felt the same way after I had my baby. I was eating constantly due to the breastfeeding, but actually dropped the weight pretty easily. One year later, and with a little help from Weight Watchers, I'm now about 80 pounds lighter and only about 20 pounds away from my goal weight. Give yourself a little time to enjoy Genoa. Worry about the weight later.
Posted by: dee | June 14, 2006 at 08:09 AM
I'm 2 months post partum and thinking I look like a cow. I'm nursing non-stop, or so it seems and i'm also HUNGRY non stop.
After my first was born, i got down to about 30lbs LIGHTER than i was before i got pregnant.
Now i need the motivation to do that again. Oh yeah, going to Mexico in December. That should do it. Alas, it hasn't yet.
Posted by: Chrissie | June 14, 2006 at 04:39 PM
I gained 45 lbs when I was pregnant and most of it was due to hormones (while on the BC pills, I gained weight also). Since it took me 9 months to gain that baby weight, I gave myself 9 months to get back to my pre-baby clothes. First it was yoga which I liked but the pounds were not coming off fast enough for me. Pilates did the job (Windsor Pilates). I finally could wear my summer shorts that I have not seen in two years. Good luck! =D
Posted by: Keri | June 14, 2006 at 07:34 PM
DUDE. Give yourself a break. I swear that no matter what you do the baby wieght doesn't come off till it's good and ready (which was a whole YEAR in my case).
Exercise if it feels good, and eay healthy because you are breastfeeding. The fact that you can't have cheese (sorry!) will help. And seriously, my opinion is that it is POINTLESS to try too hard, because the baby weight truly has a mind of it's own. It goes when it's damn good and ready. To fight it is tantamount to self-torture, and who needs that in a sleep-deprived state? NOT YOU!!! That's for sure. Now go kiss that sweet baby girl and stop worrying.
Posted by: Meghan | June 15, 2006 at 07:30 AM
sweetness, i feel you. i gained 65 fucking pounds with mina, and i'm STILL working on the last 20, 3.5 year later.
i think it will prove what a vain person i really am when i say that this is one of the primary (yes, PRIMARY) reasons i don't want to have another. well that, and the fact that my family has a nasty vericose vein history, which my mom tells me springs to life on baby #2.
NO. CAN. DO.
seriously tho, you're 3 weeks in. i didn't start losing anything until probably 6 months in. cut yourself some slack, lady.
Posted by: sweetney | June 15, 2006 at 10:15 AM
Just breathe.
Then try the whole six small meals a day thing (just make sure they're whole foods). You get to snack AND you lose weight.
Posted by: Buffy | June 15, 2006 at 10:32 AM
Yeah, seriously, give yourself a break! It's so soon to be worried about it. Plus? If you lose it quickly like I did, then you'll think you can eat whatever you want, and gain it all back! And that? So not fun! Now I don't even have an excuse.
Posted by: MoMo | June 15, 2006 at 01:10 PM
Thats funny, the same food reasoning capabilities kick in at my house every month two or so days before my period when I totally justify eating that whole pan of spanikopita because of the iron content. (Just nevermind the 10 ounces of feta and two sticks of butter and 14 layers of filo dough that actually surround the spinach!)
Posted by: Amy | June 15, 2006 at 05:15 PM
I'm right there with ya. I gained 55 lbs with my pregnancy (more than my other two). By 3 weeks pp I was down about 35 lbs, but three weeks later my scale hasn't budged. That's still 20 lbs to go. I said I was going to use breastfeeding to my advantage, but even with eating healthy all week the scale is the same. I might as well have been eating cheetos and pop tarts. I've long since given up hope of getting into single digit clothes again, but I'd at least like to get into my pre-pregnancy clothes.
Posted by: beki | June 16, 2006 at 09:13 PM