I just started working out again after having my second child. My friends had told me some horror stories about how dieting after a second child was much harder than the first. Plus, I gained 55 pounds with my second child compared to only 43 pounds with my first. So I knew I was going to have to do a lot more work to get rid of the extra pounds. Right before the baby was born, my goal was to start working out within 2-3 wees to lose the baby weight.
Unfortunately, my goal was squashed out of the gate. My pregnancy was tougher than I imagined and I had to stay in bed for a week. Then I had a case of the "baby blues" for another 2-3 weeks. So when I finally was mentally prepared to start dieting, I was already about 4 weeks behind schedule.
One huge aspect I wasnt counting on was finding the time and energy to get those sneakers on. The baby and my three year old made it seem like there 5 kids in the house. And then when they would take a nap, I just could not find the energy to do some form of exercise. I didnt have crazy goals either -- leg lifts in the den, 3 lb barbells for the arms, or a quick walk on our old clunky treadmill. Still, mustering up the energy was extremely hard at first.
After about 6 weeks, I finally turned the corner and laced up my sneakers and jumped on the treadmill. I am only two weeks into it now, but I already feel 100% better. It's amazing how much better I feel when I exercise. I have way more energy to play with the kids and I am much happier in general. My biggest problem however is I'm finding the weight is not really coming off. I am really walking hard on the treadmill and I am sweating up a storm, but I only seem to be losing a few pounds here and there. Plus my arms and legs are not tightening up.
Right now, I am considering a weight loss program like Jenny Craig or Nutrisystem. I've been on Jenny Craig before and I liked it -- the meals are pretty good and it really gets you analyzing calories and fat intake. But it's pretty expensive and I'm hoping to break through with my regular diet plan.
