Hi there. I've read most of your threads and I decided to start one of my own. I have 2 children - My daughter is 4 and my son is a little over 8 weeks old. The weight doesn't seem to be coming off easily with my second child. I had a c-section and only nursed for 2 weeks because I developed an infection. I gained a total of 35 pounds and have 15 pounds of actual fat I need to lose - the 20lbs of water weight came off after 2 weeks. I've been eating healthy (about 1200-1300 calories a day - fruits, veggies, grains & fiber) and doing light excercising for about 4 weeks - I haven't lost a pound! Actually, I ended up gaining 1-2 pounds! I just received clearance from my doctor to start exercising. I've been doing 20-30 min cardio 3x a week and adding in some 10-20 min pilates with a few hundred sit-ups, in conjuction with my healthy eating and still have not lost 1 pound! I just don't understand how I'm not losing any weight! I understand it's only been 8 weeks since I had my son but I'm eating the minimal calories AND exercising. I'm starting to get depressed and just want to give up all together. I've been on this routine for 6 weeks with NO reward. Am I doing something wrong? I read Heidi Klum hit the runway 6 weeks after her second child in tip-top shape. So what's my problem? I don't look like Heidi Klum and never will, but how come dieting and exercise worked for her and it's not working for me? Anyone in the same boat or is there anyone that can offer some advice?? I start work again in less than 2 weeks (Dec 16th) and nothing fits me. I can't afford to buy a new wardrobe. My husband and I started a new business in construction (bad timing) and needless to say, there is no construction work out there, so I have to work and buying new clothes is not in our budget. HELP! Thank you kindly in advance for you support.

All I can say is HORMONES. It takes awhile for some women's hormones to level out after having a baby. If you get a chance, go check out my diary at the first of it. Give it time and please don't give up. It gets better, I promise.

Breastfeeding helps you to lose weight after having a baby. That may be a factor. Your hormones may also be a factor.

Don't compare yourself to Heidi Klum. She probably used amphetamines to lose the weight. Or she popped into an out-patient clinic for a little surgery.

Would you mind posting a list of what you're eating? It looks to me like you're not eating any protein.

BTW, you don't need to do a few hundred sit-ups. That's overkill.

Amy - THANK YOU!!! Your diary is very inspiring so far! I'm only at page 15 but will resume reading tomorrow - thank you!


I love muscle - THANK YOU!! I'll give you an example daily menu of what I've been eating.

AM: I'll eat a few egg whites with a piece of cheese melted on top in between 2 pieces of wheat bread -OR- I'll eat a cup of fiber cereal.

AM SNACK: I try to snack on a piece of fruit or sometimes I'll skip a snack

LUNCH: A Lean Cuisine -OR- 3oz tuna w/ cheese on a whole grain english muffin -OR- ham or turkey sandwich with cheese on wheat bread

PM SNACK: Rice cakes or a piece of fruit. Sometimes some cottage cheese and pineapple

DINNER: Always a fish, chicken or red meat with a large green salad (with olive and red wine vinegar) and a vegetable.

Don't get me wrong... I do cheat a little and I'll eat a piece of chocolate or some cookies, but I'll do a little extra exercise when I do. Once a week I'll splurge on Mexican food or whatever... but I don't stuff myself. I eat slow and in moderation.

I think my eating habits are pretty good... I've been eating like this for about 6 weeks and only exercising for about 2 weeks. I wish I could still breast feed but I developed an infection and had to stop. I know that burns quite a bit of calories.

Thank you for taking the time and responding to me - i can't tell you how much I appreciate it!

You're not eating badly at all.

Naturally you're discouraged because you've got a goal in mind and your body isn't responding the way you want it to (very bad body!)

You're also probably sleep deprived and stressed out, and that can increase cortisol levels which is going to make fat loss more difficult.

I say keep working out and eating healthy. Don't be so hard on yourself. You just had a baby!!! It might take you longer to get rid of the excess weight, but don't sweat it.

I know that doesn't help the wardrobe issue, though. I'm not sure what to say about that. That's a tough one.

You Americans don't get much time off after having a baby, do you?

I would be eating more veges. I would be including more veges/salad at lunchtime, I'd get rid of the cheese. I would only snack on fruit or raw veges.

But that's just my advice. You don't need to eat meat every night for dinner, try replacing at least two meals a week with mixed beans, lentils, chickpeas or a boiled egg.

This is similar to how I eat. I've had two c-sections and had my figure back within weeks of having both children.

However I stuff myself with gourmet salads and veges most days. i doin't count calories, just eat the right things.

It will do wonders for your skin too.

Thanks, Muscles! I didn't realize stress and lack of sleep increases cortisol levels. Actually, I'm not exactly sure what happens to our bodies when cortisol levels are higher - I'll have to do some research on that. Nope... Americans don't get much time off at all! If we're lucky, we may get 6-8 weeks of Short Term disabiltiy (STD)! Since I had a c-section, I get 8 weeks of STD at 80% of my salary and I'm taking 2 weeks of vacation, for a total of 10 weeks! Not a lot at all. I took 12 weeks with my daughter. I had her natrually so I got 6 weeks at 80% and the rest of the time NO SALARY! I hear the Canadians get a full year!

Shae - Glad you were able to bounce back so quickly after having your kids. I wish I could do the same. But I'm stressing about it too much maybe. You'll be happy to know for breakfast, I had 2 egg whites on a Low Carb Tortilla and I just ate a large green salad with raw mushrooms, cauliflower and a few dollops of light ranch dressing (I usually never eat creamy dressings - it was my treat today). Oh... and a little piece of Halloween candy! I've got to get that stuff out of my house!

Are you sure you're eating enough? The last thing you want is for your body to go into starvation mode and start clinging onto the fat.

1200 - 1300 calories a day is fine if you aren't exercising at all and are being relatively sedentary - but if you are, you need to make up those calories by adding in extra to your diet, otherwise you are basically starving yourself, which is no way to lose weight, in fact, it's guaranteed to make it harder.