This week in books
I feel like I'm starting to get back into the swing of blogging - at least I'm starting to have all sorts of post ideas constantly swirling around in my brain. That's a good sign since I'm sure you all would appreciate a post on something of substance every now and then. Speaking of which, have you noticed the abundance of primarily picture posts recently? That's called "my brain is mush and I have no bloggy thoughts to produce so I'll just take the easy road and post pictures." Not that pictures are bad - I love showing off my girls and I also love it when other people post pictures - it's just that this blog has never been a family scrapbook and I am not planning that that is what it will become. I'm sure you will still be subjected to plenty more pictures of us as I can't but help and post them, but I'm hoping to get back to more "normal" blogging here in the next few weeks. I can't go for very long without touching on some hot-button topic or another. No, that just wouldn't be me. :)
However, this post is not about any hot button subject, it's just a post reviving on old feature that had died away in the past few months with all the other things going on - the weekly posts highlighting my recent reads. So, without further ado, this week I read none other than a book on shedding pregnancy pounds. I picked it up at the library and couldn't hardly put it down until I'd finished it.
Hello, Baby! Good-bye Baby Fat! by Sheldon Levine was a fascinating book based upon the premise that the first six to nine months postpartum are one of the very best and easiest times in a woman's life to lose weight - not just pregnancy weight, but any other extra weight you may have been carrying around since before pregnancy. I think any woman - especially a woman hoping to someday have children, who is currently pregnant, or who recently had a baby - would find it an interesting and encouraging read. The book explains in detail how the author believes a woman's body works to both gain weight during pregnancy and lose weight postpartum (based upon a lot of scientific and medical research). He explains in-depth how to best work with your body to achieve maximum weight loss results postpartum in a healthy fashion.
I've gained 30 pounds with both pregnancies, even though I do not eat much more when pregnant than I do normally. My body just seems to assimilate food a lot differently when I am pregnant. As someone who has never struggled with my weight under normal circumstances and has stayed at the almost exact same weight for a number of years, gaining 30 pounds with my first pregnancy was quite a shock. However, without hardly any effort at all on my part (besides just making sure I was watching my food intake - nursing makes me hungry literally all. the. time. - and eating a balanced diet), I was back down to my pre-pregnancy weight again within a few months after Kathrynne's birth.
I've heard from many moms that second pregnancies and all subsequent pregnancies are often harder to bounce back weight-wise from (I'm curious: has this been true for those of you with more than one child?), so I'm putting in a bit more effort this time to be careful to eat well and I'm also working harder to be consistent to exercise at least 5-6 times per week. Being fit and trim is certainly not the most important thing in life, but I do think that we have a responsibility to take care of our bodies and to maintain a healthy weight - not only for our future health, but also for our families and for the health of future pregnancies should the Lord see fit to bless us in that regard. Discipline in the area of eating and exercise is a way we can not only practice self-control, but it also is a way we can honor our husbands and, I believe, it brings glory to the Lord. Plus, discipline in one area of our lives helps us to be disciplined in other areas.
I didn't agree with all the author's thoughts or conclusions in Hello Baby! Good-bye Baby Fat!, but I can say I was definitely motivated to continue on with my current course of striving for moderate, nutritional eating and either taking a walk or doing Pilates everyday. According to this book, on my current plan and caloric intake, I should lose at least a pound per week until I am down to my pre-pregnancy weight again. We'll see what happens!
Also read this week:
Shopping for Time
Currently Reading:
Matthew
Family Driven Faith by Voddie Baucham
David Livingstone (to Kathrynne and Kaitlynn)
Missionary Heroism (as a family)
However, this post is not about any hot button subject, it's just a post reviving on old feature that had died away in the past few months with all the other things going on - the weekly posts highlighting my recent reads. So, without further ado, this week I read none other than a book on shedding pregnancy pounds. I picked it up at the library and couldn't hardly put it down until I'd finished it.
Hello, Baby! Good-bye Baby Fat! by Sheldon Levine was a fascinating book based upon the premise that the first six to nine months postpartum are one of the very best and easiest times in a woman's life to lose weight - not just pregnancy weight, but any other extra weight you may have been carrying around since before pregnancy. I think any woman - especially a woman hoping to someday have children, who is currently pregnant, or who recently had a baby - would find it an interesting and encouraging read. The book explains in detail how the author believes a woman's body works to both gain weight during pregnancy and lose weight postpartum (based upon a lot of scientific and medical research). He explains in-depth how to best work with your body to achieve maximum weight loss results postpartum in a healthy fashion.I've gained 30 pounds with both pregnancies, even though I do not eat much more when pregnant than I do normally. My body just seems to assimilate food a lot differently when I am pregnant. As someone who has never struggled with my weight under normal circumstances and has stayed at the almost exact same weight for a number of years, gaining 30 pounds with my first pregnancy was quite a shock. However, without hardly any effort at all on my part (besides just making sure I was watching my food intake - nursing makes me hungry literally all. the. time. - and eating a balanced diet), I was back down to my pre-pregnancy weight again within a few months after Kathrynne's birth.
I've heard from many moms that second pregnancies and all subsequent pregnancies are often harder to bounce back weight-wise from (I'm curious: has this been true for those of you with more than one child?), so I'm putting in a bit more effort this time to be careful to eat well and I'm also working harder to be consistent to exercise at least 5-6 times per week. Being fit and trim is certainly not the most important thing in life, but I do think that we have a responsibility to take care of our bodies and to maintain a healthy weight - not only for our future health, but also for our families and for the health of future pregnancies should the Lord see fit to bless us in that regard. Discipline in the area of eating and exercise is a way we can not only practice self-control, but it also is a way we can honor our husbands and, I believe, it brings glory to the Lord. Plus, discipline in one area of our lives helps us to be disciplined in other areas.
I didn't agree with all the author's thoughts or conclusions in Hello Baby! Good-bye Baby Fat!, but I can say I was definitely motivated to continue on with my current course of striving for moderate, nutritional eating and either taking a walk or doing Pilates everyday. According to this book, on my current plan and caloric intake, I should lose at least a pound per week until I am down to my pre-pregnancy weight again. We'll see what happens!
Also read this week:
Shopping for Time
Currently Reading:
Matthew
Family Driven Faith by Voddie Baucham
David Livingstone (to Kathrynne and Kaitlynn)
Missionary Heroism (as a family)
posted by Crystal Paine at 2:51 PM
36 Comments:
Hi Crystal,
I'll comment on "more than one baby" weight gain/loss.
I am a petite lady (110 lbs right now) and my weight has varied for each of my 3 full-term pregnancies at the start. But, for each of them I gained exactly 40 lbs (even with different starting weights)without doing anything in particular other than eating when I needed to. I've come to the conclusion that's the amount I just need to gain!
I dislike exercising (something I'm working on!!) and so have not done anything to try to lose baby weight. For all 3 pregnancies, the weight has come right off. No effort, no dieting (but I don't eat a bunch of junk), no exercise (other than what you normally do as a busy mother!). Now, I know not everyone has it that easy, it's just that it was my experience to have the weight from babies 2 and 3 come off just as easily as baby 1. The biggest amount came off literally within 2 months after the birth (about 25-30 lbs of it believe it or not!) and the rest took a few more months. I can't remember exactly when I was totally back to normal as I nursed quite awhile with each, but I looked pretty close to pre-pregnancy within just a few months.
Since the weight came off easily with your first baby, maybe this will be easy for you this time, too!! :)
Either way, the important thing is to stay healthy, and focus on your precious blessings! This season passes too quickly!
Blessings,
Jill J
Crystal,
I also did not have a problem getting back to pre-pregnancy weight with my first or second. Not quite down to the 110 lbs of Jill J., but to the 115 lbs of me :)
I also am not a huge exerciser as the above mentioned, but I do love a good walk now and then. Two miles won't really phase me, and I can do three, but I may feel it in my legs the next day.
Anyway, I think that nursing really is the key. I am still nursing my second and she is 18mos now. By the way, I'm also pregnant. Have any of the ladies reading this blog nursed two children (who were not twins)? How did it go for you?
Another key is probably age. I'm only 27, but I have heard that metabolisms can change drastically around 30. Maybe that is what has happened with the ladies who have not had such great luck with returning to pre-pregnancy weight.
With that in mind, it is good to think about regular exercise and a healthy diet, because one thing is for sure, we are all going to age!
Adrienne
I just thought I would add my two cents!
I have three children. With my first pregnancy I gained 50 lbs but I was underweight and should have gained around 40 lbs (the other 10 lbs I like to blame my mother-in-law for all of her "You are too thin! You need to eat more! I bought you a bag of powdered donuts" LOL.
I lost all but 10 lbs (went to a healthy weight) and became pregnant again. I was not underweight and gained 28 lbs which is what the doctor wanted me to gain. I lost all of it and more within 9 months. I was back to underweight. I became pregnant again and gained around 50 lbs. My daughter is 15 months old and I have not lost all of the weight but I just stopped breastfeeding. I am 5'7 and 140 lbs. which is a healthy weight. I would like to lose 20 lbs but with 3 kids exercising isn't my number 1 priority and it is purely for vanity reasons.
For me the biggest factor is activity level. The times in my life that I had been underweight I taught ballet and danced (until mid-second trimester) about 10 hours or more per week of heart pounding dancing. I don't teach dance anymore and don't find the time to dance (and exercising beyond taking a walk is so boring for me) so I don't burn as much calories.
Although I am not the tiny woman that I used to be my husband loves me just the same (and thinks I am just as beautiful) so I don't really care. I am positive your husband feels the same way about you. Just focus on health and you will lose the weight if you need to.
Lisa
Crystal-
I have gained and lost 205 pounds through five pregnacies. I used to be a HUGE exerciser but do not have the time now. I have relied on God's direction in determining what caloric needs my body has and have rested in Him. You will bounce back, but I do believe that the first six weeks should be a time of rest for your body. Short walks and normal household activity are plenty for the post-partum body. Eat well, nourish your baby and don't worry about your weight. I weigh the same today that I weighed at age 13 and have had 5 babies. I am 5"7" and weigh 127 pounds after five children. Enjoy the wonderful time with your girls and the wieght will come off.
Claire
Crystal, I found the comment by Adrienne interesting. I lost weight with my first pregnancy no problem. With my 2nd, I had a little harder time and kept about 10 pounds, but I'm very little 5'2" and usually about 110. So I started my 3rd prenancy off about 120. I gained 38 pounds with each pregnancy. My 3rd is 10 months old now and I'm still at 130. I can't seem to get beyond that. I'm wondering about the age (being above 30). My metabolism always was very fast, but I was 20 when I had my 2nd and 31 when I had my 3rd. I'll have to think about the weight connection....
I loved your blog entry on the books! I'm a book-a-haulic to my husband's chagrin. Seriously, it is something that I have to exercise discipline in. I have to ask you, which David Livingstone are you reading to your girls? Also, are you enjoying Missionary Heroism? Is that the same one that Vision Forum sells? I've been thinking of purchasing it for a family read-aloud but have not had a chance to peruse it and I wanted to before I purchased it. Maybe you can let me know how it is. :-)
Anyways, congratulations on your little blessing. Our family is rejoicing as we have a 2-day old niece. Aren't God's blessings wonderful?
Dovey
I have a slightly different perspective, having struggled with my weight since adolescence and being 45 lbs overweight when I became pregnant with my first. My eating habits were not the best then and I gained about 32 lbs with that pregnancy. However, I began exercising as well as nursing, and ended up about 10 lbs lighter than I began the pregnancy within a few months. My next pregnancy began only about 35 lbs overweight, but I gained 40 lbs, eating fairly healthfully, but easily lost that PLUS another 25 in the 18 months that followed (while nursing, of course). The third pregnancy then began at about 10-15 lbs overweight, gained 45 (eating very well), and had lost all but about 6 in the following 8 months before I became pregnant with my 4th, due this January. I feel the loss for me has been due to nursing (the biggie) and switching to mainly organic dairy products and meat (thereby eliminating the sources of most growth hormones administered to animals). The weight loss has just gotten easier with each pregnancy even though I'm gaining progressively more.
Cathy
Crystal,
I had the opposite problem of the other ladies that have posted so far. I struggled a bit with weight growing up, always weighing toward the high end of healthy. I weighed 156 pounds. With my first pregnancy, I gained 44 pounds. Totally normal. Except I had a lot of complications with that pregnancy. My doctor encouraged me to eat as much ice cream and high calories as possible to help the baby gain weight...which did not work. I gained 24 poundsthe last two months of pregnancy to deliver a healthy 3lb 9 oz baby girl (Kaitlyn). Unfortunately, I was not real quick to give up this habit of high calorie foods after she was born. I lost twenty pounds over the next six months. And got pregnant again. Gained 15 pounds before I miscarried. I got pregnant again three months after I miscarried. Gained 35 pounds. Had a healthy 7 pound baby boy (DJ). Lost twenty five pounds. Got pregnant when he was 10 months old. Gained 35 pounds. Had a girl (Chloe), lost 15 pounds before I was pregnant again. Gave birth to a girl(Kyrie). My little baby is going to be two in November and I am weighing in at 197. I struggle every day to lose the weight I have been blessed with. I would love to wear my old clothes. Look as good as I used to. I will get there someday. But I would rather be a mommy than have my figure back.
In response to Adrienne, I am currently nursing DD (11 months) and am 13 weeks pregnant with my 4th. This is a first for me; my other children have been farther apart, naturally. I have yet to gain any weight so far...this is unusual for me but I'm chalking it up to nursing, as I'm following the Brewer pregnancy diet and eating LOTS of good wholesome (and mostly organic) foods.
Cathy
Dovey: We're reading the YWAM biography - it's been really good so far. Nursing affords us lots of reading time so we've been going through lots of picture books plus reading a little bit harder books for 15-30 minutes everyday.
Missionary Heroism is the one recently reprinted by Vision Forum and we've loved it. It takes us awhile to get through books as we usually only have one or two evenings a week to read together. But slowly but surely, we're getting through it and finding it very interesting. Even Kathrynne is enjoying it! I would definitely recommend it.
Thanks for posting about this book, Crystal! I'll have to look for it at our library too. I recently picked up copies of Lean Mommy and Lose Your Mummy Tummy, which were winners because they are ok for folks like me who've had a repeat C-section. (I've been amazed at how hard it is to find books/DVDs offering exercise programs that are safe for use during C-section recovery.)
Just a few hours ago my hubby and I picked up a resistance band set + video to go with the Lean Mommy book - got a good deal, so I'll tell about that in my Frugal Friday post next week. ;-) Have a great Sunday!
I gained about 30lbs with my son and about 40-45lbs with my daughter. I gained more the second time around because breastfeeding my son had brought me down to my lowest weight since high school and I needed the extra reserves for the baby.
I found that the weight came off just as quickly (actually more so if you consider that I gained 10-15lbs more) with my daughter. I didn't exercise in either case. I am a fairly active person naturally but don't follow any sort of routine. We rarely eat dessert and I try to eat moderately.
I have started put on more "reserves" again as I am 8 weeks pregnant but I must confess I was relieved that I got down to my pre-pregnancy size so quickly again.
I've always naturally returned to my pre-pregnancy weight too, even though I get very little "real" exercise; just the constant puttering that comes with lots of little ones.
I chalk it up to good genes, because I certainly can't take the credit myself.
Hi Crystal,
The picture posts are great, although we miss the other posts!!
About weight loss, one thing i would really say is make sure you take care for the first 6 weeks and don't try to think about this really until then. i know someone who started a huge exercise program shortly after giving birth and it is not healthy for your body.
Also, don't worry about gaining 30 pounds, you are a smaller person and our bodies are made so when they are pregnant they will gain weight for the baby even if you did not provide it with nutrients, instead it pulls it from your bones etc. Ask me how I know? = / That is a fairly healthy weight gain for someone who is smaller.
Also, losing the weight fast can have a sad band of loose skin that is sort of like when people who lose a ton of weight with a tummy tuck deal with. I am a slender person, but I deal with this because i lost the weight too fast the last couple times. They say over a year is better and the fat stores are actually for the first few months of breastfeeding.
Oh, I have had 4 pregnancies and am pretty close to the same weight i was when I got married.
I have not always had time for good exercise for a good period of time in a day, so I do things like (after the 6 weeks of course)
Stairs: Run up them every time you go up and down. This really tones you more than you think.
Run or walk swiftly when going somewhere, whenever possible
If you have a spare minute do a couple of leg lifts, crunches etc. It adds up
Put on a song and do jumping jacks or some other exercise that gets your heartrate up for the length of the song. My boys love this!
I like to exercise, but I have to make sure I stay hydrated!
Hi Crystal,
I'm not a mother yet, but as a nutritionist I can confirm what you already know: your entire metabolism changes while you're pregnant/breastfeeding! Nursing might help you shed those few extra pounds IF you watch your intake (without depriving yourself and your baby of course), and exercise is great. Do you know how much calories we spend in normal houskeeping work? Great motivation to get out those brooms and mops and get to work, isn't it? :)
that is an EXCELLENT book!!!! I have had 4 children and I weigh what I did in high school now.... The key for me was weight training 3 times a week after my 6 week checkup and pilates... I nursed as well...I had my fourth when I was 30...healthy eating WITH exercise to get the ab muscles back is key!!!
I've only had one child, but lost 30 lbs in one week after he was born. Within another month I'd lost 20 more. This brought me down to where I was before I got pregnant. Imagine my surprise when four weeks later I step on a scale and had lost another 10 lbs.
He's now 7 months old, and I'm 23 lbs lighter than I was before getting pregnant. (perspective--i'm 5'4" and that brought me from 147 down to 124.
Crystal,
Like you, I gain around 30lbs with each pregnancy, regardless of what I do and what the varying circumstances may be (nursing during 1st trimester vs. not having a nursing infant, exercising vs. bedrest, etc.). And, like you, I figure that just must be what my body needs!!
I will say that it was after my 2nd was born that I lost the weight most easily (I'm currently 29w pregnant with #4), actually. With #1, it took about 6mos to shed 25#s and then when he was around 8mos the last 5#s came off-- all this without much effort and simply with breastfeeding, which I do exclusively until the baby is 12mos. With #2 I expected the same thing, but actually had lost all the weight by 4mos and by the time she was 6mos I'd lost another 5#s. I think this is because she has grown at a very fast pace from day 1 and was nursing LOTS! (There are benefits to chubby babies, that's for sure!) With #3 was when I found I had to watch what I ate a bit more carefully, as by 6mos I still had a good 7#s hanging on-- and with my history of getting pregnant when the youngest is 8-9mos old, I like to get rid of the baby weight before we start all over again! We'll see how it goes the 4th time around, but I anticipate that it will at least be more like #3 since I have heard, like you, that it gets more challenging each time.
While weight can be such a sensitive issue, I think you bring up a good point in stewardship. Especially as moms-- pregnant or otherwise-- we are making an investment in our children by caring for our bodies. I know that when I needed the extra motivation to lose the weight with my last pregnancy, I considered the joy I have in being able to run around with my children without losing my breath and I considered my deep desire to be a blessing to my children and their families when I am old, and how I won't have as much freedom to do that if I am overweight and struggling with health issues because of poor eating habits. Caring for our bodies is a gift we give our offspring!
Thanks for the book recommendation. I think I will request it from my library!
Crystal, does this book mention how women can loose weight post-pregnancy who do not or are not able to breast feed?
I learned in nursing school and have heard repeatedly that the key to weight loss after pregnancy is from breast feeding, but since some women are not able to do this for health reasons or simple inability, I was curious if there were other easy ways to lose weight after the baby.
This sounds like a book I would enjoy delving into sometime. You know I have an interest in nutrition and health related topics. :) Thanks for providing your review.
Hi Crystal,
I didn't find it too hard to lose most of my baby weight for the first few babies, but #6 was (and is ) somewhat harder. I am older too, so metabolism does slow down.
However, can I caution you - some people will truly struggle to breastfeed if their weight drops off too much, or too fast. Over-excercising and poor calorie intake are leading causes of poor milk supply. I believe God gives us those hunger pangs to remind us to nourish our bodies enough to feed our growing babies.
So, moderation!
Oh, and baby Kaitlyn is just beautiful :)
Sim in Oz.
I've had 3 babies in 3 pregnancies in 3 years and 3 months (lots of 3s there!). I gained 20-25 pounds with each just by eating normal. I lost the pounds each time within 6 months. I think nursing is a huge reason why! Right now I'm trying to lose a little non-baby weight and get toned. 3 babies really does a number on muscle tone - except for arms, those have never looked better! = ) Hefting 30+ pounds several times a day will do that for you.
Dear Crystal,
Don't stop the pictures! They are so cute.
Hi Crystal, Here's my two cents on the post-pregnancy weight thing. With my first two pregnancies I gained about 25 pounds and lost it all quickly with nursing but never exercised. With baby #3 I gained the same amount of weight and nursed the same but when he was 8 months old I weighed the same as when I left the hospital. Oh yah, I also started each of those pregnancies at exactly the same weight. So, this lazy mama began jogging and lost the weight through a disciplined four-day a week routine. Then after a couple years and some time cooking "South Beach" for my husband, I weighed less than ever when I got pregnant with #4. I only gained 20 lbs. and it started coming off but I got pregnant when she was nine months old (stopped nursing at 6 mos.) Now remember I now was exercising (sort of , sometimes...but better than never)When I got pregnant with #5 I started the pregnancy weighing more but I gained less and am continuing to work at getting it off. Granted, we're talking about a 5'4" 125 lb. 33 yr old. That's not bad and I'm not complaining but I will have more pregnancies, God willing, and my husband likes me thinner rather than heavier and I want to please him. In my case, my body gains about 20 to 25 lbs. each pregnancy and I've produced 5 babies that all weigh between 6lbs.10oz. and 7lbs.3oz. Interestingly enough, my first baby weighed the most and I gained the most weight. Now, my advice to you is keep doing what you are doing and you will be slender in time and most importantly healthy. To other ladies who struggle with the pregnancy pounds, I feel for you and I do believe that it is so much a part of our genetics. Just eat healthy and TRY to make time to exercise and remember that the children that God blesses us with are worth the extra pounds!! One more thing, I've had friends who carried the last 5-10 lbs. while nursing and then it came off after the baby weaned so our bodies will do what they need to in order to make that healthy milk and we need to remember to not "diet" while nursing because we have an important function to carry out. LOL!!!
Hi Crystal,
I really enjoy reading your blog and seeing the photos of your two girls. We are also blessed with 2 girls! I started out my first pregnancy at 138-142 (I'm 5'6) So I was average size to start with and gained about 40 lbs. I walked 3 miles 4-5 times a week and ate very healthy. I avoided high fat foods and most junk, but I still gained 40 lbs! I lost all but the last 10 lbs within the first 6 weeks, but then I hung onto that last 10 lbs until my daughter weaned. When she weaned that 10 lbs came off effortlessly, but I regained that same 10 lbs by the time I got pregnant with our second daughter. I started out the 2nd pregnancy at 152 and once again, gained 40 lbs. The second time around I was working and tired taking care of a toddler, so my eating habits were not near as good, and I didn't exercise one single bit due to lack of time, and I gained the exact same amount of weight that I did the first time! Even with a 40 lb weight gain I still delivered 6lb baby girls both times. I am now rid of all but the last 6 lbs of my 2nd child, but she's already 3! :)
Patricia
Hey Crystal!
I am a mom of four kids (7,5,3, and 11 months)....I had no problems losing with my first(a girl), ended up underweight after my 2nd (a boy)....but after my 3rd (girl, homebirth) I had a harder time losing...got pregnant with my 4th with a few extra lbs...and when I had my 4th (another boy! homebirth) I lost 16lbs the day I had him, and have since just fluctuated a few pounds since. Age has nothing to do with it for me....I am only 24. I agree that discipline is a lot of the problem. I am always hungry nursing, and have a MAJOR sweet tooth....I have put myself on a pretty strict diet, and am trying to excercise 3-5 times a week (Kathy Ireland's Core workout DVD $4 at Ross! Very good, plus she talks about her own post-baby stuggles) I am seeing some positive results....I too though want to be fit in case the Lord blesses us again sometime, and right now I need to lose about 20 lbs, and strengthen my tummy muscles. Nursing is definitely good, and I am trying to make the most of it till I wean my son, which I usually do around the age of one. Babies are so much fun!
Narelle
Hi Crystal,
I gained well over what you did on both of my pregnancies and am pretty much back to normal in my weight now. I think that the thing you have to be careful about is getting enough healthy fat intake for your baby (which by the way HELPS you lose weight). It's very important for your infants needs. Children will literally die when feed a non-fat diet (a couple was on trial not to long ago for child abuse by keeping their child on a low or non fat diet which killed him).
So you could say fat is very important for their health. Good quality butter (yes, I do actually believe it it good for you*smile*), good quality olive oil and coconut oil. It's also important for their brain, I have been told.
My husband has a lot of diet restrictions and so he eats a lot of fats (one of the things he can eat!) and he is one of the skinnest men I know. Because I cook for him, I eat a lot of healthy fats as well and I don't need to tell you my weight but I am also quite slender. : ) An interesting book is EAT FAT, LOSE FAT.
That all said, your book sounds very interesting as well!
I hope that you are doing well in all areas of your life. Remember to rest. Take it from someone who ended up really wore down from lack of sleep, resting is a good thing.
I would do anything to be able to loose wieght like I did after having 2 children.I gained and lost the 60lb after each birth.Now at 48 my body is slower and it is harder to lose weight and I am not as motivated to exercise.Miss the days of pushing a stroller!!
I am sure at your age the weight will come off fast.
I was chubbier after having my second than after I had my first, though I gained the same amount both pregnancies. I haven't found it harder to lose the weight. As you say, self-control in eating is key, though I do eat a lot more when nursing, as is daily moderate exercise. My husband got me a gazelle for the days it's impracticable to get out of the house to exercise (too hot or babies napping crazily or whatever) and it has been a lifesaver!
Hi Crystal, glad you're doing so well. I am also reading Family Driven Faith. It's been great so far and offers alot of challenges to families in terms of discipling our kids. As to the post partum baby weight i found it hard to lose after my second pregnancy but I had twins and was so overwhelmed with caring for them and their older sister that I paid almost no attention to nutrition or exercise. however, once the fog cleared, I was able to shed the pounds. With my most recent birth, 11 months ago, it's been much harder but I think the fact that I'm 12 years older than I was last time might play a role. I might check out that book you mentioned given that we want to have another baby soon.
Hi, This comment is directed to Adrienne about nursing 2....It was my plan to tandem nurse. My dd was 14mths when I found out I was expecting again. My goal was to continue to nurse her until age 2/3years. I found a lot of help from a La Leache Leage group in my area. The have groups all around the world (I believe) and are on the web. It can be done. Your milk changes as your body changes. My dd decided that she didn't like the taste of the milk anymore(and the fact that there was huge tummy between us I had to shift nursing positions) she self weaned 4 weeks before #2 was born. I was slightly sad about it because I was so ready to try it but.....Oh well. Best wishes to you and your family.
-Blessings!
~Mrs. Johnson
read? dear Crystal, you have time to read? just as I thought, you are superwoman!
Penny Raine
Penny: Never fear, I'm nowhere near superwoman - gave up that idea a long time ago! I just have found that sitting down and nursing every few hours affords one quite a bit of reading time! I'm trying to make the most of it - especially using these times for doing a lot of reading with Kathrynne and Kaitlynn!
Lydia: Actually this book talks a LOT about losing weight when not nursing. Since my experience has been that nursing really helps the pounds come off, I was surprised that the author actually didn't give as much credence to nursing in helping the pounds come off. In fact, he argued that it is sometimes harder to lose weight when nursing because you are so hungry. I see where that could be the case, though, if you were overeating or eating a lot of unhealthy foods to curb your hunger.
The author talks a lot about what he believes are the three different body types and the three different stages for losing weight after pregnancy and how each body type can best lose weight. He also talks a lot about how our genetics affect our weight and ability to lose weight.
Thanks for the advice. It is good to know some others out there are happy even without a degree.
I'm not really looking for ministry opportunities or to reach out to people. My life is in total chaos so I'm actually the one reaching out for help. lol I need to get out there are really make some money so I get caught up with bills etc... I'm trying to remember this may make me a stronger person. Maybe this is what I need to mature me. Then maybe I can go back to college and finish. Then one day be in a position to get married. Maybe there are others like me!!!! It took me a long time to learn I will have to work hard in life!!!
-Laura
Interesting! And good to know. :) I appreciate your book reviews!
I'm late to be posting, I know, but just thought I would share my experience in case anyone goes back to read this. :-) I have two children, and gained about 30 pounds each time, in spite of not keeping much down the first couple months due to morning sickness. I couldn't understand how I managed to gain "that much", but in retrospect, I think that was just because I started out a little underwieght for my height and thus my body clung to whatever I put into it. I tried to eat healthy and exercised several times a week. Both times the weight melted off within weeks of the births. The biggest things I noticed this second time is that it's taking longer for my tummy to tighten up again, even though I'm back down to my goal weight. Oh, well. A small thing when you get a baby out of the deal! :-) I guess when your skin has been stretched to the max more than once it's amazing if you still resemble your pre-pregnant form anyway! :-) I totally agree that nursing is a big bonus to getting the pounds off, too.
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