Help please!!!

[littlewonton]

Hiya guys,

Have been busting my a** trying to lose a spare tyre i have acumulated during pregnancy. 7 months on from birth, its still here! Before i got pregnant I was a fit, trim 68kgs. Now i am a flabby 90kgs and its really doing my head in. I have changed my whole diet. Been watching what I eat, i don't drink, try not to eat too many carbs go walking almost everyday and on top of that to the gym 3 times a week. I have been through so many trainers at my gym but can't be bothered with any of them anymore. Do any of you know, at least, some good exercises for love handles? I will be soo soo grateful if you do

?

[VampireChick]

Good on you for getting out there and trying to lose the weight chick :clap:

Gotta hate those love handles. In my experience, basically just getting the fat % down helped get rid of them. What do you do at the gym? Weight training? Try to get in at least three sessions of weights per week, followed by the cardio you are doing. Also, don't have any carbs after 3pm. Write down what you're eating and a lot of people here can help even further.

[Chillicat]

I haven't had kids, but I was struggling with a bit of a spare tyre for a while myself, and I found that as a first step keeping a food diary was a huge help. I first did it back in February, after a year of attempting to lose weight and not having any luck whatsoever (despite gymming a few times a week). The food diary was a way of being honest with myself and accounting for everything, and it allowed me to look over what I'd had and see where I could make changes and improvements. Some also say that it helps to keep a note of how you're feeling as well, which can help to identify times when you might be prone to overeating.

Personally, I highly recommend that as a first step, as well as what you are already doing.

Also, whatever you do, don't lose hope if you don't have success immediately. I didn't have a great deal of weight to lose, and I lost a couple of kilos very quickly in Feb once I started keeping the diary. Then I stopped losing for a month or two. But I knew that based on what I'd been eating in the past and what I was eating (and doing extra in excercise) now, I was making improvements, but it was just taking a while for it to show on the scales and in my clothes. I kept doing what I was doing, and I'm now almost 7kg lighter and feeling fantastic.

Slowly slowly, like a tortoise! I've watched my mum yo-yo diet all my life, and all it's led to for her is obesity and unhappiness. An eating plan for life is what you need, and that needs to be something you can sustain all the time, not just one of those awful deprivation diets that just lead to misery lack of success.

[littlewonton]

hey thanks for the replies ladies.

This is my gym routine-

15mins x trainer

15 mins treadmill (brisk walking)

then weights-

I do them for 20 mins. I have noticed that the exercises that my trainer has me doing are targeting my arms more than anything else. Yes, thats great but its more the spare tyre I am trying to get rid of then I will worry about everything else.

I have a diet that i am starting on monday. Its an appetite suppresion diet. I am not that convinced looking at it but i am willing to give anything a go. I am only 23 and I am afraid that I am going to have to tuck my stomach into my jeans. lol. But seriously, its really worrying. Its not just about looking good its my health that I want to improve as well.

[Sheta]

Hi littlewonton.

I can understand this one. I had a c-section & hated the 'squishiness' of my stomach area after the birth. I managed to put on 30 kilos and had 15 to shed once I got out of the hospital.

My diet was pretty good (I had stopped feeding at 3 months), and I got into serious cardio to get the flab off. My son was taken for a 45 -60 minute run every day. I took the most of exercise opportunities and would drop Lincoln at day care with the stoller, then after work would drop the car home then run to daycare before running him home. When it rained, I hit the treadmill at the gym. I weight trained for 3 one hour sessions per week aswell.

If you are unable to run for a decent length of time, do run-walk intervals to get your fitness up.

If you are breastfeeding, make sure you are getting enough cals for your bub!

[littlewonton]

heya Sheta,

Yeah, I had a natural birth and put on 20kgs during the pregnancy. I lost 10 of that and now its got back up to 90kg now. I was only able to breastfeed part time as I had a low supply. So David is formula fed and on solids, 3 meals a day.

How much cardio do you think i should do per day? And what do weights do? Are they more for shaping? The weights I do are between 15 and 20 kg. My trainer got me on the leg press and doing leg curls, lying on a swiss ball and lifting the dumbells from my sides to up in front of me....should i be on lighter or heavier weights? I had a great trainer back in Rotorua where i used to live, she got me trained up for the police but i fell pregnant to my partner so i am going to have to wait for a bit to get trained up again (and i know its gonna take me waaaay longer to get back to that standard) but since i have moved up to auckland,the trainers i have met here seem like they put everybody on the same routine when they tell you everything is personalised. I am sure there are great ones up here but they are hard to find!

Do you think an appetite suppressing diet would help as well? ?You have 4 small meals plus snacks. It says not to exercise in the first week but, i didnt get that part.

[poos_n_wees]

Do you think an appetite suppressing diet would help as well? ?You have 4 small meals plus snacks. It says not to exercise in the first week but, i didnt get that part.

I don't get it either :-s Weird.

Are you able to list the meals they've got you on in this diet? Which gym are you at?

[littlewonton]

Yep i can. I am at the YMCA Lagoon gym in Panmure. As its close to my house. The beauty about living where I am is I have the panmure basin as well to walk around so i think thats awesome = )

Here is the diet-

Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday

BREAKFAST:

1/2 grapefruit

1 slice dry toast

2 tp peanut butter

1 cup tea/coffee

1 Apple sliced into

small pieces

LUNCH:

1/2 cup cottage

cheese

5 snax crackers

1 Apple sliced into

small pieces

DINNER:

Skinless Chicken

or fi sh

1 cup broccoli

1/2 cup carrots

1 cup caulifl ower

DESERT:

Ice Cream Soda

(1/2 cup vanilla

ice cream with diet cola)

1 Apple sliced into

small pieces

BREAKFAST:

Egg & Cheese

Omelette

1 cup tea/coffee

1 Apple sliced into

small pieces

LUNCH:

1/3 cup tuna

1 slice dry toast

1 Apple sliced into

small pieces

DINNER:

Goat Cheese Salad

(recipe below)

DESERT:

Ice Cream Soda

1 Apple sliced into

small pieces

BREAKFAST:

1/2 grapefruit

1 slice dry toast

2 tp peanut butter

1 cup tea/coffee

1 Apple sliced into

small pieces

LUNCH:

Tomato and cucumber

sandwich with

low fat

Mayonnaise

1 Apple sliced into

small pieces

DINNER:

Guacamole

(recipe below)

DESERT:

Ice Cream Soda

1 Apple sliced into

small pieces

BREAKFAST:

Egg & Cheese

Omelette

1 cup tea/coffee

1 Apple sliced into

small pieces

LUNCH:

Green Salad

1 Apple sliced into

small pieces

DINNER:

Skinless Chicken

or Fish

1 cup broccoli

1/2 cup carrots

1 cup caulifl ower

DESERT:

Ice Cream Soda

1 Apple sliced into

small pieces

BREAKFAST:

1/2 grapefruit

1 slice dry toast

2 tp peanut butter

1 cup tea/coffee

1 Apple sliced into

small pieces

LUNCH:

1/3 cup tuna

1 slice dry toast

1 Apple sliced into

small pieces

DINNER:

Goat Cheese Salad

(recipe below)

DESERT:

Ice Cream Soda

1 Apple sliced into

small pieces

BREAKFAST:

Egg & Cheese

Omelette

1 cup tea/coffee

1 Apple sliced into

small pieces

LUNCH:

Vegetable Wrap

with Hummus

Spread

1 Apple sliced into

small pieces

DINNER:

Takeaway of your

choice... try healthy

DESERT:

1 Apple sliced into

small pieces

BREAKFAST:

1/2 grapefruit

1 slice dry toast

2 tp peanut butter

1 cup tea/coffee

1 Apple sliced into

small pieces

LUNCH:

1/2 cup cottage

cheese

5 snax crackers

1 Apple sliced into

small pieces

DINNER:

Guacamole

(recipe below)

DESERT:

Ice Cream Soda

1 Apple sliced into

small pieces

I don't know about the ice cream sodas either :-s

What do you think?

[littlewonton]

wow that came out long hehe :oops:

[Chillicat]

the trainers i have met here seem like they put everybody on the same routine when they tell you everything is personalised.

Yes, I've had that with the two PTs I've seen and it's kind of put me off forking out the $$ for them. But I've had a great recommendation for a good one here in Welly, so it might be just a case of getting a good ne for yourself through word of mouth up there.

[runveerun]

Ice cream soda- I want your diet! =P~

[Chillicat]

Hmmm, personally looking at that I think I wouldn't be feeling particularly satisfied by the meals, which would make me think about food constantly, and I don't think I'd last a week on it. Is there room for snacks in this diet? I don't really like the 3 meals + ice-cream dessert idea. Who developed the diet?

Snax crackers are fairly fat laden aren't they? I'm not sure, but I have generally steered well clear of them. I'd prefer a ryvita for a cracker. Same with ice-cream. Is dessert really necessary every night? Especially something as fatty as ice-cream? If I need a sweet treat, I'd be more inclined to have a natural yogurt with some banana (or other flavour) protein powder mixed in - that's yummy and very satisfying.

I'm most definitely not an expert though, so not really in a position to make useful comment on this but some others on here might have better ideas.

[littlewonton]

Yeah, thats what I thought about the snax crackers too. I think they are fried in oil plus have the salty stuff on them. I haven't started this diet as I wasn't too sure about it. I think maybe making up a diet of common sense would be better for me. You know? Fruit instead of ice cream etc. Yeah, i don't think I could survive on it either. I have a busy life so would need more fuel that that. Also, after I have been to the gym i just wanna eat eat eat.

Has anybody used the Usana shakes in the sachets? They are meal replacement shakes. I have a whole bunch of them here and I whip it up with a banana and water from the fridge. Makes a yummy shake and it is quite satisfying. I usually try to get into one of those after the gym so I am not tempted by anything else.

But I welcome any exercise and diet suggestions from anybody

[Chillicat]

I'm with you on the 'making up a diet of common sense' comment, for sure. If you take a look at the workout journals of some of the girls, none of us follow exactly the same meals - we've all worked out what we like and what works for us. You'll also notice that we eat a LOT of meals during the day. Small and regular, and that is the key.

I eat 5-7 meals a day (depending on things, but mostly 6-7 on most days). Some of those 'meals' might seem pretty small - like just a protein shake, or yogurt with protein powder mixed in. But the point is that I'm not depriving myself at all, I'm satisfied during the day, only starving hungry right after the gym (which you'd expect!), and I've lost all the weight I needed to this year by doing this.

The diet you've put up looks kind of like a deprivation diet rather than a plan for life, but with a few extras thrown in (like the icecream) which make you feel like you're getting a treat after depriving yourself during the day. I don't really like that idea as it doesn't look sustainable long term, and personally I think that's what you should be working towards - an eating plan that you'll stick to long term, not a diet to lose weight, which are generally doomed to failure.

[littlewonton]

I will take a look at that cheers

I can understand the concept of eating small and regularly and I will take that on board and try it. I am not wanting to bulk as I am 5"4 and in my old gym routine in my pre baby days, my legs were really bulky and so were my shoulders. My partner doesn't really like that look on me hehe. Just looking to slim down.

What kind of foods do you eat after a session at the gym? And do you think that eating before your work out (like when I go to the gym I go as soon as I get up because my son is still asleep) is good, or do you wait to eat when you get home? Also, which time at night do you stop eating? Our dinner time is usually 7-8. I have heard you shoyld stop eating before 8. Is this true?

[poos_n_wees]

MONDAY

M1: 1/2 grapefruit, 1 slice dry toast, 2 tp peanut butter, 1C tea/coffee, 1 Apple sliced into small pieces

M2: 1/2 cup cottage cheese, 5 snax crackers, 1 Apple sliced into small pieces

M3: Skinless Chicken or fish, 1C broccoli, 1/2 cup carrots, 1C cauliflower

M4: Ice Cream Soda (1/2 cup vanilla ice cream with diet cola), 1 Apple sliced into small pieces

Just looking at your Monday diet, that's not alot of food at all. Lol @ Apple sliced into small pieces. What difference do the size of the pieces make? :-s

If I was trying to diet, I'd have something like this:

M1: 4 eggwhites, 1 whole egg (omelette), 2 pieces wholegrain toast, 1 apple..cut into however many pieces you want LOL

M2: Small can tuna, 3-4 cornthins, handful almonds

M3: 150g (or the size of your palm) of skinless chicken/fish/beef, 2C green veges

M4: Same as M2

M5: Same as M3

M6: 1C Lite cottage cheese, 2tsp peanut butter

Depending on where your workout fits in the day, the full meal after *that* (M3 or M5) would have some form of carb in it, such as 100g of potato or kumara. Might also wanna get some multivitamin tabs as well

That's just a suggestion, I'm sure people with much more knowlege in nutrition will chime in too But what I've found in my history of dieting, is that it's all trial and error to begin with. As you become more familiar with how your body takes certain foods, and your likes and dislikes.. you can chop and change your diet as you go along

If you (or hubby?) have a tub of whey protein powder, that makes life a helluva lot easier, as you can have a shake right after your workout, or with meals if you need something a little extra :nod: (Like the yoghurt + protein powder Chillicat suggested =P~ )

You could also try drinking green tea (or the various other herbal teas out there), you can have as many of them as you like throughout the day :nod:

Has anybody used the Usana shakes in the sachets? They are meal replacement shakes. I have a whole bunch of them here and I whip it up with a banana and water from the fridge. Makes a yummy shake and it is quite satisfying.

You just gotta be careful with some of these meal replacement drinks, alot of them are quite high in calories, especially sugar.

**If you want, I have an e-book for the Body For Life that may help you as well? PM me, and I'll email it to you.

[littlewonton]

Thanks for that poos_n_wees, lovely name btw lol have PM'd you.

What a cool site! If I had known it was here I would have joined ages ago. Its nice to know there are people out there that care about themselves.

[Chillicat]

I will take a look at that cheers

I can understand the concept of eating small and regularly and I will take that on board and try it. I am not wanting to bulk as I am 5"4 and in my old gym routine in my pre baby days, my legs were really bulky and so were my shoulders. My partner doesn't really like that look on me hehe. Just looking to slim down.

What kind of foods do you eat after a session at the gym? And do you think that eating before your work out (like when I go to the gym I go as soon as I get up because my son is still asleep) is good, or do you wait to eat when you get home? Also, which time at night do you stop eating? Our dinner time is usually 7-8. I have heard you shoyld stop eating before 8. Is this true?

How annoying - I just spent AGES writing you a really brilliantly helpful response, hit 'submit' and realised my connection had dropped and lost my post. I'm kind of not in the mood for re-doing it, so you'll just have to trust me that I was being super helpful! Grrr!

[Chillicat]

I will take a look at that cheers

I can understand the concept of eating small and regularly and I will take that on board and try it. I am not wanting to bulk as I am 5"4 and in my old gym routine in my pre baby days, my legs were really bulky and so were my shoulders. My partner doesn't really like that look on me hehe. Just looking to slim down.

What kind of foods do you eat after a session at the gym? And do you think that eating before your work out (like when I go to the gym I go as soon as I get up because my son is still asleep) is good, or do you wait to eat when you get home? Also, which time at night do you stop eating? Our dinner time is usually 7-8. I have heard you shoyld stop eating before 8. Is this true?

OK, simplified and not as helpful version of lost post - might seem abrupt, but only because I'm doing this as fast as poss, as out of time!!

Re bulk - eating what I eat won't make you bulky. I lost weight eating less healthy than I currently do. The way I eat now is aimed at fat loss not weight loss, so I've changed a few things. When I was losing weight I was eating lots of sugary cereals for brekkie (muesli and sultana bran) and now I do oats so as not to have as much sugar. So if you don't like oats, you can eat muesli or whatever without fear!

I had written down a typical day's eating for you - haven't got time to re-do, so just check out my journal, as it's fairly similar from day to day. Bear in mind, I'm only 2" taller than you, and I went from 66kg to 59kg eating slightly less healthy than I do now. Not bulky!! Definitely leaner and more 'toned' looking with the workouts.

Re eating pre-gym. I think most people have something like a protein shake before a morning workout. If I do a morning workout I do this too, then have proper brekkie after. Post workout you should have both carbs and protein, so cereal of some type is good - if you don't like oats, muesli and sultana bran type stuff won't kill you!

Re protein shakes. Many are very expensive. When I was just losing weight and working out (before I leaned more towards bodybuilding), I just used Sculpt, which you'll find at your supermarket. Don't worry about drinking it with just water if you don't want to. I lost weight drinking them with milk and they're yummy and very satisfying. Vanilla is super versatile and goes with everything, and banana is yum too.

OK, gotta run. Hope this helps a little! Sorry it's so rushed - my other post was so much more helpful!

[littlewonton]

Thanks for that Chillicat will take a look at your journal. I think I will sit down tonight and make a meal chart for myself and grab some protein powder tomorrow. I don't mind oats and they are pretty nice with saltanas.

Thats great and thanks sooo much for your help! I will let you guys know how I go

Hey poos_n_wees, I don't know if I have sent you my PM properly (they are still sitting in my outbox, not sure if theyre supposed to pend in th outbox then go to sent) but I don't mind posting my email addy here its-

penny.dobbin@orcon.net.nz

Will chat to you more about the NZP there if you like?

[poos_n_wees]

Hey poos_n_wees, I don't know if I have sent you my PM properly (they are still sitting in my outbox, not sure if theyre supposed to pend in th outbox then go to sent) but I don't mind posting my email addy here its-

penny.dobbin@orcon.net.nz

Will chat to you more about the NZP there if you like?

Got it, cheers