My side of the closet is bigger than my husband’s side. I have twice as many clothes as he does. Not because I am a fashionista, far from it! Instead my clothing is divided into regular, maternity, and in-between. One shelf for each {see, I told you I am not a crazy clothing lady!}. The “regular” size has definitely gotten closer in size to the in-between. Thankfully, they haven’t merged . . . yet!
Why do I share about my clothes? Because it chronicles the journey I, and many women, make through pregnancy after pregnancy dealing with the roller coaster of weight gain and loss {maybe more gain than loss!}. A few weeks ago Tristan asked “How do you handle getting and staying healthy while having so many consecutive pregnancies?” I’m not sure I am a good example of this {especially the last few years} but I do try!
First, what I don’t do is make a big deal out of the weight gain. I want my daughters {and my sons} to have a healthy view of a woman’s body in all the stages it goes through including pregnancy. Weight is an inevitable part of pregnancy. What is hard is losing the extra weight especially when children come close together.
Here is a glance at my pregnancy and weight gain journey. I am 5’2″ just so you know.
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| Fat Jiggling Machines: What Were They Thinking? |
As you can see I started off tiny. I was pretty athletic but not overly so. After child #3 I never got below 120, mostly because I thought that was too thin. I did pretty good getting my weight back down to the 120s until those miscarriages. The year was 2008. It was a hard year because of many changes that happened. I’ve written about that before. I weighed 20 pounds more at the end of that year than I did at the beginning. I’ve had two more children since then and just haven’t lost the extra weight. . . .yet. I am working on it. Right now I weigh 150 but have been slowly losing weight for the last two months {more on that later in the post}.
What have I done over the years to lose the pregnancy weight?
☀ Make time to exercise. We all know the benefits of exercising. It helps us feel better. We have more energy. It helps us combat certain health conditions and diseases. Even knowing we should exercise doesn’t mean we actually do it. This is especially hard for moms of lots of little kids. It seems like you just get started and some little one needs your attention NOW. There a few ways I have tried over the years to resolve this.
Get up earlier in the morning. Child #2 was wonderful as a baby. I was able to get up in the morning and exercise for an hour while she lay contentedly awake in her crib. I am a morning person and prefer to exercise in the morning. This really isn’t an option right now for me because I teach early morning seminary.
Break the exercise sessions up into smaller ones throughout the day. There were some years where I had to do 10-15 minute exercise sessions three times a day.
Have my children exercise with me. The younger ones love to imitate. When they see me walk out with my exercise clothes on they immediately go and get their little one pound weights and join me in front of the tv. Now my older girls exercise with me to encourage me and also to get in their 30 minutes of required exercise for their P.E. classes. It’s a lot of fun to do it together….and I think the laughter that ensues from our conversations is just as healing and healthy!
☀ Find an exercise program that works for you. The one video I have used consistently throughout the years is The Firm Low Impact Aerobics
☀Eat healthy. When I had to meet with a dietician for my gestational diabetes I had to bring a list of everything I had eaten the previous week. She looked it over and said, “I think you are the first person I have met with where I don’t see a thing wrong with the way you eat.” We don’t have pop or juice. We don’t eat processed food {for the most part}. We eat whole grain foods, including homemade whole wheat bread. We have a variety of fruit and vegetables available for snacking and as side dishes. I only had to make a few small adjustments to my diet when dealing with the gestational diabetes. It was easier because I was already used to eating healthier than the average American.
☀Stop making excuses. This is for me right here, right now. After Ganache was born I wasn’t thinking about exercising or losing weight for the first three months. I was worried about making sure he got fed and gained weight.
Then the excuses started. It was October and we were just beginning birthday season at our house. From the end of September through the end of January there is a birthday every two weeks. Then there was Thanksgiving and the Christmas holiday season. I told myself it would be too hard to start exercising and losing weight with all those delicious holiday foods available to eat. I gained more weight over the holidays. January and February came. It was too cold to go outside and walk. The days were shorter, there wasn’t time to fit in exercise. March came and I realized I really should do something. I started walking but only for about 30 minutes every other day. Finally the beginning of April came I realized I needed to stop with the excuses.
I weighed 160 pounds and was still wearing my ‘in-between’ clothes. Not good. It was no fun realizing I weighed as much or more than I did at the end of pregnancy with eight of my children. I started by eating smaller portion sizes. I lost eight pounds the first three weeks. I decided it was time to seriously start exercising. Up until this point I was just walking three times a week. I did The Firm video everyday for two weeks and guess what happened? I gained those eight pounds back! And yet, I wasn’t too discouraged. I dropped a pants size and was starting to see the results. After adjusting my diet slightly {lowering carb intake a little bit} those eight pounds plus two more have come off. I am down another pant size and into my regular clothes again! My goal is to get back into the 120s by the end of summer. There are 14 weeks until the end of August so with a healthy weight loss of 1-2 pounds a week it is totally doable.
I’ll keep on trying to follow my own suggestions and report back periodically during the summer to let you know how I am doing.
What have your experiences been with pregnancy and weight gain/loss? What do you do to stay healthy?
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I joke that pregnancy is the true yoyo diet, hehe. I don’t worry at all about weight gain during pregnancy–I eat healthy and try to exercise and still gain between 45-60 lbs. I have big babies (9lbers). The weight always comes off. I try to remind people that it took nine months to gain that weight and it takes at least that long to lose…though the past two pregnancies, it took a year…
I agree that we need a lot more modeling of healthy attitudes towards weight and pregnancy! When did this fixation on not gaining weight during pregnancy begin, anyway???
I know that I won’t self start an at home workout. I will do chores, sew, read, read some more or watch tv. I recognize this so I take advantage of the Y so close to our home. Since Irish Jig is the only one home with me during the day, she gets interaction with other children while I take a class or use the weights or cardio machines. I see a difference, I feel better, and my kids know I take our health seriously. As for the pregnancy gains, losses….I was very big to start and lost weight during the first pregnancy, ending smaller than I started. The second was a gain/ loss wonderland…the third and fourth have been gains without enough losses – but I persevere! Since it’s about health for me rather than size, I am not concerned with the speed of loss.
I think that one thing we sometimes forget, in the process of focusing on pregnancy and post-pregnancy (and post-post-pregnancy), is that our metabolisms slow down as we age. I spend much of my 30s pregnant, nursing, or chasing toddlers. Now that they’re older, and I have time to focus on myself, I also have to remember that the “norm” of not being pregnant is a norm I set for myself in my 20s. Now that I’m the other side of 40, that “norm” = far too many calories for my daily life. So that portion control adjustment was a big one.
Another thing that I have found works really well is to find something outside of the house that I really love to do for exercise. I have fallen in love with ice skating, and since there is a rink 5 minutes from my house, that is my exercise of choice a few times per week. But even something as simple and inexpensive as walking the dog is good because you can’t make excuses if a pup is depending on you. She needs the daily walk, and some human has to give that to her; that’s what being a responsible pet owner means. I want my children to learn about healthy foods and exercise, but I also want them to see how much both of those things are just normal parts of daily life and not something that necessarily requires a lot of equipment or a team.
Metabolism is an issue right now for me I think. Those two miscarriages happened the year I was 30. I know my metabolism is slower than it was in my 20s so I need to work harder to get the same results.
You have a great, healthy outlook on it! I gain a lot with pregnancy and have had two large babies. Luckily I don’t fret and just wait and eventually it comes off. It takes about 1 1/2 to 2 years for it to come off for me- exercising or not. I’ve had a poor relationship with food ever since my chemo treatments as a teen. I pretty much have to eat whatever sounds good- which usually isn’t much! Fancy diets would never work for me. Our diet is very similar to yours- little processed food, mostly homemade, whole grains, no sugary drinks, etc. It really helps!
I’ve started to work with a friend since our last miscarriage. (btw – miscarriages are awful and hard – we just had another.) She suggested that I track what I’m eating and what type of exercise I’m doing. It is great to have a cheerleader who will be honest and hopeful even on a melt down day (emotionally I mean). She suggested I use myfitnesspal.com. I started Sunday and am aware of what I’m doing. It is a good way for me to report to myself what I really am putting in my mouth but also good to have a friend support the choices and know when it is a bad day because the proverbial Ben & Jerry were friends of mine. Just a food for thought.
I’m so sorry about the miscarriage Wendy! They are awful. For me it was harder to deal with them emotionally . . .which is why I gained weight as I used food as my crutch.
I do have an account at myfitnesspal.com, maybe I should start using it!
Thanks for the post Cocoa! I’m so in the middle of this right now and it’s a wee bit frustrating. I was losing weight and then my thyroid medication needed adjusted. Now I’m not losing anything. I’m not gaining either, which I’ll take, but I know my time is ticking away – Mason is 4 months old. By this time last baby I was already pregnant again. 10 pregnancies in 11 years(3 ending in miscarriage) is just brutal on the body. I know I’ll get out of the pregnancy and baby stage eventually (not too soon I hope!I’m just 31) but until then I’m trying a lot of what you said – eating and moving in a healthy way whether the scale moves or not. I’ll be rereading this post tonight after the kids are asleep to see what else jumps out at me – thanks again!
You touched on some very good points. The end of last June I joined myfitnesspal.com as a way to keep track of everything I eat and any exercise I do. I found their calorie recommendations to be too low. But I coupled their resources with the knowledge from fat2fitradio.com and had the perfect combination. I listened to their old podcasts regularly to educate myself on healthy weight-loss.
I think the combination is perfect for me. I still got to eat plenty of calories (including goodies from time to time) and I still lost weight regularly.
Of course, now I’m 25 1/2 weeks pregnant with my 8th baby. I’m trying to keep the healthy tips in mind (like plenty of water and fruits and veggies), but not worry at all about weight gain during pregnancy.
Great post! Pregnancy weight gain/loss is such a frustrating roller coaster to ride. It always seems like just when I almost get to where I want to be, I’m pregnant again! But the past few years my health has suffered. My body and mind require me to live healthy or suffer the consequences. With the pressures of life and 6 kids, eating has often been my coping mechanism. The past few weeks I finally got motivated and started exercising and eating better. Just as a couple other comments suggested, I joined myfitnesspal.com and it has been fantastic! I’ve never done well at monitoring my calories or limiting my portions, but myfitnesspal makes it so easy. I feel super motivated every day to exercise so I can earn more calories to eat! Ha!
I appreciate you sharing your experience. You’re a great example to your kids! I think it’s really important to model a healthy body image and not obsess about weight loss, but at the same time, our children need to learn the importance of healthy eating, exercise, and overall discipline in regards to our health.
I’ve always been much more concerned with how I feel about myself then my actual weight, so I have no idea how much I weighed before or after my kiddos! I’m on pregnancy #4 right now and I’m actually really looking forward to be able to go running again (I’m due mid-July). My favorite thing about being in shape is being able to have the stamina to keep up with my kids. There’s a 10k here in Richmond every March that first motivated me to start my running program, and now it’s my goal every year I can participate, mostly because it’s just such a fun race and I love the feeling of accomplishment. For me that’s the biggest motivator to exercise, eat right, and lose weight- being able to set off from that starting line knowing I can run the whole 6.2 miles and feel great the whole time (well, almost the whole time!). I also have great friends who will run with me and help watch my kids, and we get together at church to do workout videos- we just let the kids run around in the back of the gym while we exercise in the front.
Being accountable, either by a looming deadline, like a race, or by having friends who are counting on you to show up, are great motivators. I also love being able to take my kids out to a big park or zoo or city and spend 4 hours on my feet and not feel dead tired at the end. It’s a reward in itself to be able to actually OUTLAST your kids’ energy!!
I’ve been holding on to that overall good feeling of being healthier when exercising, even when the weight isn’t coming off.
WOW! I am impressed that you know your beginning weight and ending weight for each pregnancy! I weighed 135 (I am 5’3″) at the beginning of my first pregnancy. Nine pregnancies and 16 years later (4 were miscarriages) I weighed 187 and decided I really needed to do something about it. I need to be a better role model for my daughter who is 15. Back in September I started eating smaller portions and stopped my late night snacks. I also made sure I kept moving throughout the day. I lost 17 lbs through the beginning of January. I really started to struggle after that. I put back on 10 lbs and now I am 9 weeks pregnant so I am not trying to loose, but still trying to eat healthy and not gain way to much like I did with Pregnancy #8 AKA my 3 year old! I am also hoping this one doesn’t end in another dreaded miscarriage. I am getting to old to keep doing this 🙂
By the way I LOVE reading your blog. You are such an inspiration to me!
The only reason I know my beginning and ending weights is because I have the charts from each of my pregnancies. I always ask the doctor for a copy to put in the kids scrapbooks. 🙂
Loved this. I have six weeks (give or take) until our little guy arrives, and I am really looking forward to getting my health back after yet another rough pregnancy. And can I just say, I love those old school FIRM videos! 🙂 I’m on myfitnesspal too– maybe we need to start a group on there! 🙂 Good luck in achieving your goals! ♥
I have had 14 pregnancies(5 miscarriages) and the weight would come off well between each until I hit age 33. I’ve definitely had to adjust my idea of “normal” weight. Once when I was attending weight watchers the leader asked me when I had last weighed my goal weight and told me that it was unlikely I’d be able to get to and maintain that weight. It was an eye-opener.
I’ve been using a T-Tapp DVD and now think if it more in terms of inches lost rather than the number on the scale. Muscle weighs more than fat but takes less space! 😉
You know you caught my attention with this one! 🙂 And I’m glad that I clicked over and got to see your beautiful new look on the site! Looks great…and blogs don’t have “sizes” thank goodness! 😉
Your blog looks awesome! 🙂
This has been an issue that I struggle with. I love my body, but according to the world I am a little fat. I am Ok with my body if I know I am healthy.
I love your list as well. I agree with all of them. I tried so hard to cut sugar and all desserts from my diet, and while I lost 6 lbs in a month…it just wasn’t worth it to me. 🙂
It is funny what pregnancy does to each person–I think it affects everyone differently. No matter what happens with each, I think as long as we do the best we can do, that is great! (And sometimes, with morning sickness, a slice of pizza is all you can eat…it doesn’t make sense, but IT’S TRUE.)
I have actually lost 25 pounds this pregnancy, but it wasn’t because I did anything much differently than my previous ones (and I am OLD!). I guess it’s just what I needed this time, and God allowed it. (And I DID need it–I have gotten very overweight with all these babies.)
I love the idea of changing our lifestyles so that exercise is part of just what we do, not another thing to add to the list of things to feel guilty about. Ice skating sounds fun!
I think it’s always important to include Heavenly Father in the equation because sometimes it’s just not something we can do without His help–no matter if we are high achievers or obsess over it or spend a lot of time on it. Sometimes it’s not the right time, or there may be a hormonal imbalance we are not aware of…
I tried a fitness widget on my phone. I recommend just doing it for a few weeks to kind of get an idea of where you’re at in your eating habits. After that, it can become a distraction in our lives and we can become too preoccupied about it.
I have been pregnant or nursing for 15 years, and my motto is that as long as I am doing my best to be healthy, I cannot worry about weight gain/loss during my childbearing years. My body is in a constant state of flux and I just have to wait until I am done having babies. Before I know it, this time of my life will be passed and then I can focus on those things and age gracefully, like a great European cheese. (And I will and it will be fun!)
I have the data to do a chart like you so I will probably do that too. I have it just because I keep track of my weight every once in awhile I weigh myself and write it down. It’s kind of a habit. Anyways…I am on my second pregnancy right now but I started out weighing less this time than my first pregnancy. I didn’t really try to lose weight with my first but due to some dietary restrictions for him I had to cut out dairy and since I ate a lot of dairy like ranch dressing and sour cream the weight just started to melt off. I did that for several months and then slowly added some dairy in but found other alternatives that I liked better. I try not to focus on weight loss but feeling better. Which is what I liked about your post when you lost weight and then gained it back but had gone down a pant size. It’s not just about weight…it’s about overall health and feeling good.
I don’t try and loose all the baby weight right away. I want my breastfed babies to have all the calories they need available to them, and I don’t believe that trying to loose weight right away is conducive to that. At the same time women scoff at me and “the nerve” I have to be so skinny after three babies (and a miscarriage and ectopic pregnancy) saying I’m just “lucky” I have good genes. And it’s true I have good genes, but its also not true that I don’t do anything. I love to be outdoors and work in my garden and take my family for walks and hikes, and I spend hours and hours in the kitchen every week making fresh meals for us from whole foods. So I don’t diet or exercise to loose weight from pregnancies, but live a lifestyle conducive to a healthy body, and let my body act accordingly. I haven’t yet hit the dreaded 33-35 when I’ve been told it all goes downhill from there:-)