The Saturday Question: How Did You Lose the Baby Weight on a Budget?

12 Responses for "The Saturday Question: How Did You Lose the Baby Weight on a Budget?"

1. suzannah June 6th, 2009 at 6:30 am 1

   i know it’s not true for all women, but breastfeeding melted off the pounds for me. i walked a bit, too, and cooking healthfully made a difference. i think a big key is to be patient–they say nine months on, nine months off. it took at least 5 months for me to fit back into my old jeans.

2. sara l June 6th, 2009 at 6:36 am 2

   A friend of mine recently stated taking her 5 yr and 20 mth old to preschool using a bike with a trailer. Then she bikes to the grocery store, load the trailer with groceries and heads home. Later she bikes back to pick up the kids. In 6 weeks she said the last of the baby weight melted off.

3. Jillian June 6th, 2009 at 8:10 am 3

   Honestly i didn’t do anything special. Being a stay at home mom is a LOT of work, more then i was every prepared for. Doing the daily chores, breastfeeding, carrying around a growing baby, running errands and taking the normal walks got it off. But it wasn’t quick, definitely took 6-8 months to really get back to normal. I don’t worry to much about it, i eat healthy but am not afraid of dessert or snacks. We don’t eat a lot of meat and most of our meals are home made so i know exactly whats in them.

4. Amy June 6th, 2009 at 11:20 am 4

   After gaining 50 lbs., and at 6 months post-partum, I’m still about 10 lbs. away from my starting weight (which was healthy and trim). My tips are to breastfeed and wear the baby. You’ve seen the weighted vests people wear for exercise, right? A well-positioned baby, snug to the body can increase your calorie output by up to 20%, plus, you can get the chores done. Patience with your body and plenty of rest (when possible). And like Jillian, I’m not afraid of dessert from time to time.

5. Leigh June 6th, 2009 at 12:45 pm 5

   I literally walked my ass off. I choose not to have a car, so walk everywhere, groceries, friends, pediactricians. It works out to half an hour most days. I also breasfeed, and the weight was gone and then some by three months. I walked all my pregnancy and though I gained 40+ lbs, I felt great and still do. It is free, and really calms mamma and baby down.

6. rebecca June 6th, 2009 at 2:09 pm 6

   Taking walks with the baby and wearing the baby are definitely good exercise. Because I was on crutches and couldn’t walk for a couple months after my baby was born, I missed out on those opportunities. (However, I have to say that hobbling around on crutches is actually quite the workout.) Also, with a winter baby my outdoor excursions were limited. I think that you are ahead of the game by having a June baby. All summer you can take long walks wearing the baby and running after Roscoe.

   Unfortunately (or fortunately?) I think a lot of the way we gain weight and then lose it after childbirth is up to genetics. I have heard that nursing helps mothers lose weight–but I have also heard that it’s impossible to lose the last few pounds before weaning. So I guess the best thing is to try to eat well and get out whenever possible without fretting about it too much!

7. VeggieMomma June 6th, 2009 at 3:52 pm 7

   Breastfeeding, clean vegetarian eating, and walking everywear. Also the Wii!! The EA Sports Active game is like having a personal trainer whenever you want for $60 (plus the Wii). It’s great!

8. Ali June 6th, 2009 at 5:31 pm 8

   With my first it was harder for me to loose weight. I had him in September and where I live it was too cold to take a nb out and walk. I did loose weight steadily but never got down to my starting weight bc I got preggers when my son was 11 months old.

   My 2nd I had at the end of April. I have lost 20 lbs already bc I am chasing a 20 month old while having my nb in my ergo carrier. Breastfeeding also has helped. I try to walk as much as I can. Oh and I moved and we have stairs galore in this house so as much of a pain as it is to have many levels it is also beneficial for me right now.

9. Erin June 7th, 2009 at 8:53 pm 9

   I cloth diaper, which is all set up upstairs. So any time I need to change my 18.5 pound 4 month old, I heft him up those stairs. I also DVR excercise programs on T.V. I can fast forward through all the commercials, and I can do as many as I want while my son naps.

10. Cathy June 8th, 2009 at 6:14 am 10

    it was hard for me to lose weight, even with nursing. one of the best things i did was take the baby for walks in the stroller–it helped me mentally, too.

11. Lori June 8th, 2009 at 7:02 am 11

    Breastfeeding helped the weight come right off, but then when I stopped nursing I started to gain it back. In winter, borrowing fitness DVDs from the library is free and gives you a variety of workouts rather than just repeating the same one over and getting bored. Also if you have Netflix, there are a variety of workout videos that you can watch online from Netflix. Some are really short–things like “10-minute abs”–which makes it easier to fit into a busy day! Hooking up with other moms to walk, bike, or whatever helps keep me motivated, and I push myself harder when I am with someone else.

12. Jaime June 10th, 2009 at 1:13 am 12

    Breastfeeding, walking in the summer and wii Fit as well as T.V. exercise programs in the winter is how I lost 40lbs in 5 months. That and like a previous person said, being a stay-at-home-mom requires a lot of energy and not a lot of time to eat…at least for me.