@stellasam Yes the sweat app was the best thing for me. I am currently pregnant again and will have another c section ( I’m 8 months) so I am preparing to use the app again. I’m 40. We can do it. Age is a number take a look at the app it’s amazing. First time around took me 9 months to the lose the weight but I started working out 12 weeks post partum.
@stellasam Ur welcome! Seriously I highly recommend it. Also the weightlifting workout plans for us women we need to maintain and gain muscle to lose fat and beat the aging process.
@stellasam I love pilates for injury prevention and rehab but it doesn't help much for building muscle and at all for losing weight.
Get a strength and conditioning PT or a CrossFit coach PT who's had kids. If that's too pricey, join a CrossFit gym and do group classes, but only if they are happy to talk to you in detail about how they scale for post partum women.
@stellasam I've had three babies. Each time it took about 18 months for my body shape to return to relatively normal. It took about 9 months each time to get back to my pre-pregnancy weight, but I had way more fat in my gut and less in my butt. I was pretty unhappy the first time around. After 18 months, the fat stopped shifting around, and I was left with something pretty similar to my pre-pregnancy body.
However, my new normal looks a bit different. I used to be very pear shaped before I had kids. Now I have a permanently somewhat larger waist, and larger breasts.
@stellasam I’m ten months postpartum. I did not have a c section but I still have a belly bulge, especially as the day goes on and I eat more. I feel like things are improving and many people who see me with my clothes on say my body is back to normal but I can definitely tell a difference in and out of clothes, but especially out. I’m trying to be patient but it’s tough. Try to keep being kind to yourself, it seems that things ARE improving more now (but I am not longer breastfeeding which may also be involved).
@stellasam I know you said you’re eating healthy but what does “healthy” look like? How high is your protein? Real food vs quick-easy premade or prepackaged? Just trying to think of basics that may help a little.
@stellasam I understand the frustration. When you look at the big picture, 7 months is still quite early to expect everything to go back to normal. It took me about double that time to feel happy with my stomach again.This video talks about a few interesting factors that could cause a persistent pooch, and may give you a few other things to think about.
@stellasam My body changed more (went back to more "normal") after I stopped breastfeeding. I know it's easy to get down, but your body did perform a miracle. I'd say when you are done breastfeeding, your body will start to change a little more. As hard as it is, give yourself time. Wow, 5 days/week of Pilates and you're still breast feeding, that's pretty impressive! I wouldn't have had the energy for that.
@stellasam It takes about 10 months to grow a whole ass human, and you underwent a major surgery on top of growing that human. It takes time to get back to some semblance of normalcy post partum, and even then, your body will never be quite the same. I hope you can give yourself grace and acceptance right now. That being said, I found that weight lifting really helped my body image, even if I'm not my "ideal" version of myself. I've also found that therapy helps, a lot. I've been working on body neutrality in therapy and it's been helpful- that may be something to look into!
@stellasam Unfortunately changes like stretch marks, breast sagging, scars, these are changes we have to accept postpartum. Weight can absolutely be changed with proper diet though, diet is key, you can't exercise to the body you want with a poor diet. I'm at 2 months postpartum and I'm where I want to be, it's totally possible, it's just difficult with the added stress of caring for a newborn.
@stellasam You don’t have to accept this is your new body, you just had a baby 7 months ago and it takes everyone different amounts of time to get back in shape. I also hated the way I looked at 7 months PP but I didn’t accept that this is my new body I continued to workout and go hard at the gym, go for walks, eat healthy etc. eventually my body started to change and go back, I only fit into my pre baby clothes at about 16 months PP maybe even 17/18 months PP. my stomach didn’t look flat like before baby until my son was almost 2 years old. You literally can’t give up on your health and fitness you just gotta work towards the body you want.
@stellasam I’m 6 weeks pp and feel like I gained weight pp - as for the c section scar, everyone keeps telling me to massage it to breakdown the scar tissue under all the layers to make your skin more mobile. But I know exactly what you are talking about as the shelf. When I wear jeans I call it my c section fupa
@mjain3391 thats exactly it. the puffiest weirdest fupa. haha. ugh. I just bought a bunch of huge button ups and sweat pants and have been hiding out in them but now summer is coming...
@stellasam The swelling around my emergency c section scar didn’t completely go away until I was closer to a year postpartum and I didn’t get back to my pre-pregnancy weight until I stopped breastfeeding. Around the same time as you postpartum, I thought I’d just have to live with my “scar shelf” forever, and now it is almost completely flat around my scar and the scar itself is much lighter than it was at that point. It just takes time.
@stellasam Just wanted to send support and cheer you on! Pregnancy and postpartum brought back all kinds of body and self-esteem issues I thought I’d worked through over years of therapy.
I’d always heard that BF helps people “melt” the weight off, so I was sad at how hard it was to lose weight while that was happening. Lately I’ve been reading that, possibly due to the prolactin and other hormones required for lactation, it’s sometimes the opposite, and that was the case for me. I was having a lot of trouble losing weight and finding energy to work out until I finished BF, and I’m finally back to pre-pregnancy weight after being able to limit calories and add in daily walks and yoga again. It also probably helps that I’m able to sleep more (not much—just more) after not having to triple-feed for so long trying to get my supply up.
The author of Dune was wrong. Fear isn’t the mind killer. Sleep is.
@stellasam Hey mama.
Remember it took time to make the baby it’ll take time for your body to recover!
Breastfeeding for me definitely makes me hold on to weight, once you lower the feedings of your lo or maybe even once you stop , you should be able to see more body recomp going on.
@stellasam Tbh the best advice is going to be improving your body composition through fat loss and building muscle. Cellulite will only go away if your body fat goes down. Everyone has some cellulite, but I feel you, I hate mine too and it is a lot more than pre-pregnancy. The best thing you can do for fat loss is eat fewer calories, but if that’s not doable with breastfeeding right now, then don’t put pressure on yourself. You can start by increasing protein, water, and veggies. High protein is key for your body to produce collagen, which is what makes up those deeper layers of our skin, as well as muscle. Sleep is also huge. If you’re not sleeping, your body composition won’t improve much because your body remains in a stressed state. This is easier said than done at 7 months pp so really give yourself grace and be patient. Finally, I would recommend strength training instead of Pilates. Deep core work and pelvic floor work will help to tighten your core muscles to hold all those organs in place, and weight lifting will give you solidness / “shape” - which might help with the appearance of your cellulite - and increase your metabolism. Have you heard of Mind Pump? Finally, you might see about getting bloodwork done to check for any nutrient deficiencies and see if there are any specific vitamins or supplements you might be deficient in that are affecting your body. It’s super common after pregnancy to be depleted. Your doctor should be able to get this covered by insurance.
@stellasam It took me nearly two years after my first baby to start feeling normal and for my body to adjust back to something I'm used to.
After my second, well he's not even 8 weeks yet, but i feel well on my way to being myself again.
The "shelf" unfortunately never went away 100% because its not a weight issue, its a bit of looser skin thats been cut and folded. It did improve a huge amount though.
