Melanie Nilles

I haven’t updated for a while on the postpartum issue, but it is going well. I have now been working out at the gym for about 11 weeks. I have only seven pounds to lose to reach my pre-pregnancy weight and for mother’s day reached my goal of fitting into my old jeans, even if they were a little snug. That means I’ve lost 35 pounds! Now, I hope to have those last pounds and maybe a little more gone before the end of June. By then, I should have my horse to ride again.

I have to share what has been working for me. Mind you that I know my body and that for me low meat works best when I want to lose weight.

The keys I found are the following:

1. Breastfeed exclusively

2. Exercise regularly, including cardio and weights

3. Drink lots of water, especially to keep up the breastfeeding

4. Cut back calories

5. Eat low fat, low sugar diet (and for me, low protein)

6. A bowl of oatmeal about an hour before bed

7. After every 4-5 days of low calorie dieting, splurge. You slow down your metabolism by cutting back too much. Enjoying yourself every few days not only helps keep you going, but also boosts that metabolism again. You’ll put a couple pounds on, but it will fall off quickly once calories are cut back.

The end will come when I reach my goal weight, which means hitting below it and finding the right amount of maintenance calories afterwards.