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laurakaram
New Member
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Posted: 24 May 2005 02:58 am |
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I gave birth to a baby girl 16 months ago. During my pregnancy, I gained 40 pounds, and I just can't seem to lose the last five. I have tried everything from working out everyday, (pilates and cardio) to Trim Spa, but these last five just won't budge.
Recently, I've started writing everything down, and have been trying to keep my calorie intake under 900 calories per day (except Sunday).
Can anyone suggest anything ?
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peterinwa
New Member
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Posted: 24 May 2005 03:06 am |
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As a male  , I'm obviously NOT the one to reply to this. I can only say hang in there... I have watched my older daughter do it after all four children!
But to help others who might reply, 900 calories (my, that's very little!) of what? It could be 900 calories of great amounts of highly nutritious, low calorie foods... or one piece of cheesecake... and your answer could make all the difference!
Hang in there! Peter
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laurakaram
New Member
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Posted: 24 May 2005 03:16 am |
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| Thanks for your response, actually, I've been eating very little carbs and lots of vegetables, fruits, and lean meat. For example, today, for breakfast, I had a bowl of Kellog's Complete Bran flakes with skim milk, for lunch I had a side salad with 2 ounces of grilled salmon fillet. For dinner, I'll probably have a can of Campbell's Soup at Hand, with some more salad. I'm trying not to eat late, but I am getting really hungry late at night, then I'll usually have some tea, or fruit. It's just really frustrating because I've been doing this for the last 3 weeks and I haven't budge a pound. Do you think it will kick in later?
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peterinwa
New Member
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Posted: 24 May 2005 08:49 am |
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My older daughter respects and appreciates my helping people via my website, but it's not the sort of thing she would want to be involved with. Nevertheless in this rare instance I asked if she might want to look at your post. With her permission, I am posting her e-mail reply to me.
If anyone wants to comment on it, fine. But just FYI she won't be looking back to read your comments.
BTW, I am very proud of her!
From my daughter:
the ironic thing is that if i were going to respond to her, and i wouldn't, i would tell her to stop looking at your website for a while. that all the time she's spending counting calories and carbs is time she's missing her baby grow and missing life. that all the energy she's putting into wishing she was 5 pounds thinner is only keeping it on longer. that if she could accept that five pounds as a beautiful part of who she is now and exactly how she's supposed to be, it'd probably come off on it's own. that she needs to let go of the control and realize that having babies changes people's bodies and that's just part of life but a beautiful part. that i was stuck up in the 160 lb. range for a long time and the moment i accepted that that's exactly where i was supposed to be and the weight i was supposed to be at for whatever reason at that time and love myself despite it - was the moment the pounds started coming off. since i've learned that lesson, when i find myself giving my energy and time to feeling like i'm not skinny enough, i remember that there's more to life than what my jean size is or the scale says, and i turn my attention to something that gives me joy or satisfaction - and that doesn't include calorie counting or dieting or comparing my old jean size before babies to what my shape is now. i'm not saying i'm great at it, but i've had to go through the process enough times to know that she's missing something really important while she's got her nose in the diet books. the more energy you give something the bigger it gets - that includes your body. you may not agree with me but that's my experience. i focus on it less than ever in my life and i just bought a size 2 jeans. before i had savannah i was size 10.
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laurakaram
New Member
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Posted: 24 May 2005 06:35 pm |
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| I appreciate your daughter's opinion about the matter, but it really doesn't help me much. I do spend plenty of time with my two children, considering I am a stay at home mom, and it takes me about 2 mins to put in the info after they go to bed at night. I guess my husband doesn't help much either, because if it were just me I would have been fine at 125 but now I am stuck at 120 and he keeps pushing me to lose the last 5, not to give up. (FYI: I am 5'3 and I am a size 4) I know posting my issue probably aggrevates alot of people, but this is the problem I'm dealing with, I know I'm not overweight, but I have a goal I would like to reach, and I'm stuck.
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peterinwa
New Member
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Posted: 24 May 2005 07:26 pm |
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Though I guess it must have seemed so, I didn't intend for my daughter's thoughts to solve your problem. I just wanted to share another way of looking at things. Perhaps it will help someone else reading these posts.
But I would like to point out that she DID lose the weight in the end.
Funny about your husband. A part of me wants to say that he's the problem... perhaps being a real jerk... that perhaps HE should concentrate more on the children than your last five pounds.
But in all the years I've struggled with weight (and it never stops!) I've never really had anyone that cared along with me, giving me support. On or off a diet or eating well or not... I was all alone in my battles.
Hang in there, Peter
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junebug
Senior Member
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Posted: 24 May 2005 07:30 pm |
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Peter, I was thinking the same thing about her husband!!!! I am very curious to know what his stats are and if he holds himself to the same criteria he obviously has for her, because to me, she sounds perfectly fine and should tell him to find something else to obsess about. I am a big fan of "fix yourself first" school of thought. Sheesh.
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laurakaram
New Member
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Posted: 25 May 2005 10:21 pm |
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| Well, to answer some questions about my hubby, he used to work in a military type job, so everything is bootcamp to him. It's quite frustrating, as you can imagine, he's become a lot more laid back since we first got married, but the weight thing has always been an issue with him. He is 6'1" and weighs 175 pounds, I have never ever commented him on his weight, ever, because I don't look at him that way, I guess men are just more shallow. I have become alot more self concious about the way I look after I've had children. Anyone who has had children should know what I'm talking about.
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damnkidz
New Member
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Posted: 26 May 2005 09:37 pm |
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I gained 35 lbs. with my first daughter 4 years ago and kept the weight on. Then I got pregnant with my second daughter and put on an additional 10 lbs. I joined weight watchers and lost 20 lbs., but put it right back on when my hubby and I were hit with financial problems and had to move. As to say I turned to food and still can't "kick the habbit". I am 24 and it is sooooo depressing to go out and see other girls my age with nice fit bodies. My hubby wanted to take me and the girls to the shore this summer, but I refuse to go because I am too FAT! 
I need to get my body and my life back!
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flyawayana
Senior Member
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Posted: 1 June 2005 11:02 pm |
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ok, im not going to get into your husband or your children or anything, im going to focus on YOU.
having kids DOES change your body, but it sounds like you are fine just the way you are. but, i wont go there, cause i know whats its like to just want those last few pounds to go away!
you said you are trying to eat under 900 calories a day. ohhh kay. STOP THAT. eat more, yes, you heard me, eat MORE. eat freuits, veggies, lean meats (maybe even soy based stuff? or is that going too far ;) ) and eat whole grain foods. high fiber, low fat, drink lots of water! try not to drink things with calories, they dont fill you up, and just add cals. but! eat MORE that just 900 cals or less a day. you probably cant lose those last 5 pounds because your metabolism is shutting down (below, i think its 1,200 calories, your body thinks its in a famine, and slows way down) aim for eating 1,400 calories (no, really, im seriouse) you said you excersize also, so thats super great, keep that up! actually, you probably could go up to 1,500 cals in all honesty. how old are you? whats your weight? and whats your excersize regimine? that will all play into how many cals to eat.
one more thing - im a recovering anorexic, and i got up to eating 900 cals a day and the people who were helping me STILL yelled at me for eating too little. granted, i was eaing about 300 cals a day, so 900 was a good amount for me at the moment. but, in the long run, it would still cause problems. when you are now eating enogh, you cant get enough vitamins and minerals and such, and that causes its own problems in the long run.
and tell your husband to screw off about your weight. he married you right? not the scale you stand on? sorry. anyway, congrats on your little baby - and keep up the good work with getting back your pre baby weight.
fly
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laurakaram
New Member
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Posted: 2 June 2005 06:29 am |
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Thanks for your advice, I appreciate it! I've been eating, veggies, and lean meats, chicken breast, low carb bread, anything, and everything that has to do with dieting, and actually the funny thing is, just this week, my scale started to show a different #. I lost 4 pounds since Saturday, which is kind of weird, I'm starting to think that there is something wrong with my scale. :P
To answer some of your questions, I'm 5'3" 116 pounds (this morning), and my exercise is quite minimal, I walk/jog every other day for about 40 mins, and do stationary bike every other day for 30 mins. Also I do about 150 sit-ups a day. I think that after having 2 kids, it looks to me more like extra skin than actual fat. My major problem area is my hips, butt, and upper thighs (as with most women). So I also try to fit in about 100 butt crunches ( I think that's what you call them, (where you lay flat on your back with your feet flat on the floor and you lift your abs and squeeze your butt)) a day.
I think that I just need time to see more results, I've lost about 4 pounds in 4 weeks, but again that just happened this week.
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flyawayana
Senior Member
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Posted: 6 June 2005 12:09 am |
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your weight sounds fine to me....
if you want to try squats also for your quads and glutes, they work (more i think) than the laying on your back ones.... and if your doing that many crunches...make sure you are doing back extensions also - you gotta keep your abs and back "even" in strength or in the long run you could have problems, like back pain. which is always awsome....
fly
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laurakaram
New Member
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Posted: 7 June 2005 05:55 am |
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| Thanks for the advice, I'm going to try the squats. I guess I never thought about doing them before because someone once told me they actually make your butt and thighs bulkier, but I could have been misinformed.
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maya
New Member
| Joined: | 12 June 2005 |
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| Posts: | 5 |
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Posted: 13 June 2005 04:02 am |
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ok, i have similar problem. i,m 26 years old and i had baby when i was 24. she,s 20 months old now and i still didn,t get my prepregnancy figure back.
i was regular at aerobics for 5 years before i got pregnant and i never ever had any weight problems (just some little cellulite, but who doesn,t?) and i had really firm abdomen and thin waist.
now (almost two years after birth) i am stuck with 5 pounds extra that really will not go off, extra cellulite, extra skin and extra fat around abdomen.
i returned to aerobics 3 monts after birth and i still do it 3 times a week for 1 hour at my aerobics center. i eat properly but i,m not on diet, because i never needed one i still believe i don,t need one. i drink lots of fluids (mix of herbal teas). i massage my thighs and butt every day for 1 hour to get rid of cellulite. and use anticellulite cream
for thighs and butt and skin firming cream for abdomen regulary. i,m active in my everyday life and walk a lot because of my lifestyle and my profession. and i was really active while i was pregnant.
ok, if you would look at me you maybe even couldn,t tell that i,m mom, but i would really like to get as close to my
former figure as posible (if not the same). and don,t tell me that this is the way body should look like when you are mom because it shouldn,t, specially not when you are 26 years old mom.
i really don,t know what to do next. is it normal to take so long to get into shape again. i have been really patient but now it is starting to seem hopeless.
ps. i,m not native english speaker so exuse my spelling and
grammer
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laurakaram
New Member
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Posted: 13 June 2005 07:10 am |
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| After I read your message, I couldn't help but laugh. I didn't laugh at you , I laughed because I have the same exact problem! I did finally lose the last 5 pounds, I am now 115, but I NEVER regained my pre-pregnancy figure. I still have heavier thighs and a little extra skin and fat around my abdomen. I am also 26 years old, I had my first son at 21 and my daughter at 24 just like you. I think exercising your abdomen would help, I know it is so annoying to do but it does help. Just curious, what is your native language?
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Peter
Founder, caloriesperhour.com
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Posted: 13 June 2005 09:25 pm |
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Just for fun, put your City (State) Country in your Profile for others to see!
(Like I did on the left.)
Peter
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maya
New Member
| Joined: | 12 June 2005 |
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| Posts: | 5 |
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Posted: 14 June 2005 03:43 pm |
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i,m from zagreb, croatia (europe).
i do exercise my abdomen. i exercise every part of my body, but progress is very slow. as i said i do aerobics very regulary (3 times a week). and it is kind of aerobic that is geared more to body shaping. maybe i should do some extra abdomen exercise each day at home.
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flyawayana
Senior Member
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Posted: 22 June 2005 09:15 pm |
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maybe if you add another day or 2 of aerobics, that will help you. 3 times a week usually isnt for weight loss - especially when it gets down tothe last few pounds.
fly
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Lisa
New Member
| Joined: | 24 June 2005 |
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| Posts: | 5 |
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Posted: 24 June 2005 04:51 pm |
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| I agree with the other poster that said you need to eat more. I am on weight watchers currently, and have learned that taking care of kids all day will allow you to burn tons of calories. Therefore, I cannot exercise that much or I won't lose weight. I eat around 1400 cals a day, and exercise maybe ten minutes twice a day. Anything over that, my metabolism shuts down. It is good to eat a snack in between every meal to, because it gives your metabolism a boost. Good luck! :)Oh also weigh yourself in the morning before you eat and after you ..um go to the bathroom...that is your "real" weight. Also don't have clothes on when you step on the scale.
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Lisa
New Member
| Joined: | 24 June 2005 |
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| Posts: | 5 |
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Posted: 24 June 2005 04:53 pm |
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| oh i did squats for a few days..maybe 50 a day...i can already see a difference!!! i couldn't believe it! i am 26 as well, and this is the first time my butt hasn't looked so flat. Hee hee.
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Lisa
New Member
| Joined: | 24 June 2005 |
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| Posts: | 5 |
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Posted: 24 June 2005 04:56 pm |
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| ok its me again, for those who can't lose those extra five pounds..could it be more muscle weight you've gained from working out? you have to remember muscle weighs more than fat...so maybe your gained muscle is why you are five pounds heavier than you were before. just a thought. :)
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maya
New Member
| Joined: | 12 June 2005 |
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| Posts: | 5 |
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Posted: 29 June 2005 07:35 pm |
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i have started to do aerobics 4 to 5 times a week, so i will see what will happen in few weeks. the problem is that i never had any weight problems before pregnancy, so i asumed that this getting back into shape will take less time. it's not even that i'm generally overweight, it's just waist, abdomen and butt. so i don't think that diet would be good idea. i don't want to loose weight just to get rid of fat from these areas. and i shall say once more that extra skin on abdomen makes it look even worse. is there any other solution to that problem other than plastic surgery?
but, i do see some progress in anticelullite programme.
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corrie
New Member
| Joined: | 1 September 2005 |
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| Posts: | 16 |
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Posted: 16 May 2006 08:13 pm |
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I know this is an old thread, but I'll write this anyway...The reason a person can't lose that "last five pounds" is because YOU DON'T NEED TO.
If your body knows it's too fat, it'll shed pounds like there's no tomorrow once you lessen your calories and hit the treadmill. You remember how fast that first 10 or 20 pounds came off....then it was maybe 5lbs/month....then maybe 3...That's because the less you weigh, the less your body feels it needs to lose. (it doesn't really care about the fact that the 5 pounds "bugs you").
Your body wants to protect itself, and when you're already a normal weight, it'll require you to take much more drastic measures, even to lose a mere 5 "vanity pounds" (as they're called...not calling anyone here vain.) Unlike when you need to lose 50 lbs, and all you have to do is stop drinking 6 Cokes/day and you lose 10 lbs in two weeks (as an example).
My advice: It's much healthier and easier to just not worry about the 5 lbs than it is to lose it and keep it off. I mean 125 vs. 120??? Are you looking at those two numbers and really seeing a huge difference??? You'll have to eat like a gerbil for the rest of your life...Want to do that? And you're a size FOUR??? Again, your body won't do what you (or your husband) want it to do, because you're...say it with me: ALREADY A HEALTHY WEIGHT
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motherboarder
New Member
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Posted: 29 May 2006 09:58 pm |
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| I didn't recently bare a child BUT I struggled for many years trying to lose that last 10 lbs... I had been an exercise fanatic for years and still couldn't make those last few pounds disappear. My daughter (lives 350 miles away) and I went on a cruise together 4 years ago and when we met in the Seattle airport the first thing I noticed was how slender she was after recently giving birth (and she is a small gal) and I asked what her secret was... She replied the Elliptical. Well, I came home from that cruise and started exercising on the Elliptical cross trainer at my club and boom!! those pounds were gone just like that. I love the Elliptical so much that I bought one for home. This piece of equipment is very easy on all your joints, etc. I taped a bunch of my favorite music on 5 different tapes for variety and I listen and exercise to the beat. I read an article in Fitness Magazine that if you want to lose weight exercising on the Elliptical to set it on the lowest resistance level. I have mine set on 1. If you have access to a club with an Elliptical try it.. I think you'll love it.. I have many exercise buddies that agree 100% about this piece of equipment.. Wishing yu the best ~ Marylou
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Youlka
New Member
| Joined: | 28 June 2006 |
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| Posts: | 23 |
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Posted: 28 June 2006 08:06 pm |
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| Yeah, it took me a couple of years to get the last pounds off too! I did it with real extensive exercise! But it was Very difficult!
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alissa27
New Member
| Joined: | 25 July 2006 |
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| Posts: | 1 |
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Posted: 25 July 2006 10:22 pm |
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Hi,
I also gained 40 pounds with my pregnancy. My child is now just over 6 months old and I can't lose the last 6 pounds. I watch everything I eat. I used to write down the calories I consumed but that got really old. I work out on an elliptical 4-5 times per week and go on walks with my husband and baby 1-2 times per week. I am 5 10" and weight 136 pounds which is a healthy weight for my height but I still can't fit into my old pants/jeans. I loved my body before I was pregnant and it seems whatever I do now the last of the weight will not come off. I would also like to state that several years before my pregnancy I lost 42 pounds (172 to 130) over 2 1/2 years. The weight came off much easier then. I am frustrated, any advice?
Alissa
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