I HATE IT! how long does it take to get your body back, and what about that hangy fold....will it EVER go away??? I have 4 lbs to go till I am back to pre pregnancy weight, but my body is no where close to where it was before (although I was not thin before but at least I didn't look 4-5 months preggo) Does your body ever bounce back? if it does did it do it naturally or did you have to WORK for it? I am SO sick of not being able to wear cute clothes!

I just started buying cute clothes in the next bigger size!! My 'hangy fold' never went away. My dh (bless his heart) kept tellling me I'd get my use out of it when I got preggo again, and sure enough...

Honestly, your body won't ever be the same. Even when/if you get back to the same weight - it will be distributed differently. At least it was for me. Sorry to be a downer....[sadashamed]

my body actually looks very good (toot toot)
I worked my butt off to get it back, and now it's a lot easier to maintain.

I did sparkpeople.com diet (totally free) with some wonderful ladies from here... I learned so much on that website. Weight loss is hard work, as is toning up. It it was easy, I bet this country would look a lot different... I'm naturally ornery and stubborn, so I put it to good use. LOL.

I work out at the Y and I do martial arts, plus I do try to be active with the boys. (okay that's mostly in the summer!)

Everyone's body is different, but there are lots of good reasons to eat healthier and exercise, get plenty of water and rest. (and let go, let God) If you lose weight or tone up, that's bonus :)

I changed my diet when Hannah was 8 1/2 months old, that helped A LOT! I would say that I'm 95% back to how I was pre-pregnancy. The things that remain are the stretch marks on my breasts and about 4 pounds above my pre-pregnancy weight. I was actually down below my pre-preg weight but then we stopped being as strict about eating raw...I hope to get back to being more strict soon. Worse than any weight gain was the devastating skin rash that I got during pregnancy. Fortunately my skin is almost totally back to normal due to diet changes and colonics.

Just gotta work at it...it takes time. Our bodies didn't change overnight and they won't go back to where they were overnight. (((HUGS)))

Three letters sweetheart...

B

M

X


LOL That's what *really* did it for me this time around. I bounce back rather quickly after birth. Without trying I'm into my pre-pg clothes and close to my pre-pg weight within a few months. But yes, things are distributed a bit differently than before. And there is still a pooch there.

But a workout, even a rather low-key one, can help immensely in getting that tone back. BMX worked for me because I cannot STAND to exercise. At all. Period. Hate it! With a passion I tell you!! LOL But, BMXing is fun and it works everything without you even realizing it. Think about it...pedaling = legs, balance = core, pumping and steering = arms. ;)

Ok, so, you don't just have to BMX, you could ride a regular ole bike on the road, if you must. :p Bound to be more fun than a lame workout in front of the tv. *shrug*

In terms of weight, diet and exercise (sometimes just one of those 2) can get you back there soon enough - I lost all the weight from my 2nd pg, now I just have to lose the weight I was still carrying from my first, lol! No amount of diet or exercise will get rid of the "hangy fold" though, sorry.
Even my skinny minnie friend kept hers after she had her baby. Our "girls" are different now, too; she didn't nurse and I am nursing but we both noticed changes there also.
Dh says I am sexier now bec the changes remind him that I carried his sons. Did I mention how thankful I am that he is my man?

I lost all my pregnancy weight (and then some) within a month without trying... BUT, that doesn't necessary mean anything...Cause, although I weigh even less than I did pre-pregnancy.... I STILL can't get my wedding rings back on AND my jeans are a little more snug in some areas than they were before. HA, go figure?? I, too, still have that little hang right above my incision. I have a love/hate relationship with that hanging skin because I really don't like looking at my incision...it freaks me out!