almost 3 yrs out and need to lose 20 lbs- help!

Ok, so I hit goal at 10 months out and was at 140 and very happy.  Then I got pg with baby #3 at 14 months out and gained 27 lbs during the pregnancy.   I lost all 27 lbs of baby weight in 6 days post partum (yes, that has happened with all 3 babies- this is the first post op baby though), but then had to go on some meds for PPD that made me gain all of it back in like 2 months!!!  I thankfully was only on those horrible meds that made me eat like a friggin HORSE for 2 months and then got on something that actually worked and lost some weight.  

 I had my baby last April and all the crap I had to go through ended in October, but I still have this 20 lbs I need to get rid of!!  I have gotten back  into some bad habits from when I got pg almost 2 yrs ago, like eating cookies, sweets, and the part I know is bad- eating after dinner and just before bed!  

How do I lose these extra 20 lbs??  I go between 168/170 and want to at least get back down to 150, 140 would be nice, but I'll take 150.   I am 5'3" and every 5 lbs shows so much!!  My clothes are getting tighter and it's scaring me, my jeans especially are tight.  I used to wear a size 8 and am in a size 12 right now!   I'm also on the Lo-Estrin bcp to help with some hormonal stuff (also have the Mirena IUD in) and have gained 10 lbs in the last 2 months since I've been on it!   My dr wants me to be on it for another 3 months, but I know it's also another reason I'm hungry a lot and snack more during the day than I normally do or should do.  

Any help would be appreciated, thanks!! 

As hard as it may be go back on a full liquid diet for a week or 2. I know a few ppl who have had gastric bypass and if they start to gain a little weight back they do the liquid diet until it comes off. Good Luck

It sounds like you know what you are doing and why you have gained. I have been on meds too that increased my hunger and it is very hard to fight. All I can suggest for the time being until you can get off of them is to cut out the refined carbs like cookies and candy. Don't keep them in your house and they won't tempt you. Give yourself a cut off time for eating. For me I stop eating after dinner although I have a protein shake before bed to hold me over until morning. Increase your protein to help with the hunger. Dense protein will satisfy you longer.
Good luck to you and congratulations on your new baby.

hey beautiful!

If you are drinking with meals.... stop

If you have bad treats in the house, pitch them

I wouldn't go all liquid, but you might replace one meal with a protein shake for a while (a lo-cal protein shake)

As long as you do NOT have reactive hypoglycemia, try not to snack before bedtime

If you aren't exercising, try to do more.....even if it's walking a little further each day.

Oh and HI! Howareya!

Hey Lithia! I'm doing good lately- but it's been a rough last year though. With having baby #3 last April and going through emotional HELL for about 6 months from PPD, I finally adjusted about 4 months ago really from it all.

I rarely sip while I'm eating, but I do if I'm eating something dry and need to wet my mouth down- and it's a small sip. I take my CC during my meal too, take that with a small swig. I learned a while ago that the CC is better absorbed WITH food than on an empty stomach! And sometimes it's so hard to wait that half hour after eating to drink, I usually try to wait an hour but it's usually 45 mins or so and then I gulp down a whole glass (in about 5 minutes) because I'm so thirsty!! lol

I do have a little hypoglycemia sometimes, so I eat when I feel it coming on.

I have tried getting rid of the all the "crap" that I ate before like oh man, those EL Fudge Keebler cookies are the DEVIL I tell ya! I can have a whole package gone in like 2-3 days (where before it was a day or less!!. I think my body is addicted to sugar right now though, have to get weaned off it.  It's so hard passing the cookies at the store, but I managed to do that this last time I went grocery shopping.  But then I made white chocolate/chocolate chip cookies at home (my fave recipe is Nestle Toll House, mmm.. buttery) a few days later!!   I have to get off this bad habit, don't want to gain any more of it back.  I loved being 140 and skinny!

Good idea about replacing a meal w/protein shake, I need to get more protein in each day anyways. I think I'm only doing like 40 a day, when my dr said to do more like 70 or more!

And yes, I have to get my butt in gear and exercise. I lost all my 130 lbs in the beginning with no exercise at ALL (well 2 weeks post op in the beginning I walked with my SIL and that was nice). I'm not a big exercise person, so this is the hardest thing that I will have to start doing. But it's good that the weather is getting nicer, can take the baby for a stroll and get a nice walk in every day!

Thanks everyone, keep the ideas coming!

Most of my meds are BETTEr on a full stomach, which is the conundrum, of course, as I don't take the pills without liquid or it gets stuck in my esophagus, but taking with liquid is difficult because I throw up if I drink on a full stomach (That rule is easy for ME to follow because of that) sometimes I use a bit of yoghurt, but I can't even have yoghurt on a full stomach as it makes me throw up too!

having never evven been pregnant I can't relate about the PPD but I know it is tough even if I don't understand it. I'm glad you've gotten through that!

Due to teh hypoglycemia, you should (I recently learned) have a good protein-forward snack just before sleeping ..... might not help your weight loss efforts but will keep you from crashing in the night, which is what I've lately been facing, really awful night crashes..... bought a blood glucose monitor today to determine if it really is my blood sugar or if I just feel like a low blood sugar incident even when that isn't the case.

It's REALLY easy for me to counsel exercise, but I'm the shining example of NOT exercising. Though I think that the way I move my body in general IS responsible for helping me keep the weight off, because it's jumped back on the last two weeks while I've been recuperating from having my tailbone removed.

Upping liquids and protein and exercise, and making the Keebler Elves go live elsewhere are all steps in the right direction. I know you can do it, it just takes some time and effort and you'll get there. It's really REALLY good to see you around again!

Sorry if this is at all irrelevant BUT, do you NEED the Mirena? I ask for one simple reason, I had MAJOR issues with mine. Had it put in after baby #2, right after at the doctors advice. Got really depressed (which I attributed to PPD) and was put on depression meds...gained a TON of weight and even on the meds (and after 18mos) was STILL very depressed. SO, I read up on Mirena and was totally appalled at the things the doctors DIDN'T tell me...the personal things happening to OTHER women that sounded JUST LIKE ME. So, I had it removed...instant weight loss, instant better feeling about life...instantly happy with my decision to have it removed. Did the Mirena cause weight gain and depression? I and my doctors cannot say with 100% certainty...do I think it did and feel having it removed was the best decision for me? Absolutely.

Here's some good reading on the matter (sorry I'm not tech savvy so do not know how to make the URL smaller):   http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=502544039669161957&p ostID=7910878823453031245&page=1&token=1286513137323_AIe9_BG xC6JEMpE2XJh2vNwTFNvM9-UYJAegM9qD7PDCLEffr43pW3Wy2mLx8vL1aKn bIvxy8O8bDUOOX-AWHlsg5LVImx3sFBXW_z-BwhjRDToeEoLavBYGcZbsqAz O7dSJZlLRdD1B7GiWHeF9uNeUHwpj8zeekykvJkMwzEO1RpmWh1dGPbpZrl3 OZcieyy-6s5bVGRYnQaaYUXCzNtVxt6g5bCu-asM5o4HCprjIRRBWQ64Fb9m xqLGGLzET6EqPL1IZbUi1tDKH-YdKvNP3Wslz6dcFrM_230Ym0Q921geMljG K3eCiV2XfU2SKKDXFp21a0Vndpa3xj5dnKx8Ju7xNfGcd5haL4ra2wOCWfxn dLWUVF_2IcGElpqJdE47JPXtQBao2HFnRWNPFe2Q51dUlER0tVi7qOD-2BaC W0GFT7kBXqqfASPpj2BHVJG0uxk4nmbiW63gMgXyIb-SYZwyw733OXtjyyr4 p5jseL1ONTjsyrkktzJOZN41RZmqSX2G2hWJC-me976W6yX6k3m6nekNs1Nm WXIJHthCJXuBPyD4AZHcdshiRA6pPelTwMICGJlEV-n8tb7dgq8Gt6C1mD9M Rnmnmi9BfqPKwHD_kKjryTwDZz_t058W3wNSivVg5hZrxeKDlP5LHqRaKjJY cTR_fmQucqXCwMZTkot4Bpss-OlVVikilJYOnQ81DR_BiDmqkg33wPm5Tew5 2uUexmWROLhxt76YfakRhnvD7rS4uf4cfPC98m7svjE-w-M3Aeqz5KHvT2yX _fzDg8StyJgMuKw21lQ_QArqUs178vhHX_ERPAzLkXWoZSOnstjmNliLC9GO Bu_xuDrNLDf9Zys0PVOOjboZPUtqePo1G2LB0oM1S3ChvEMB59W1mATbL8Tk 75wpPYCnwVehBEnshoJ1Ho3KSiNNY95AA3vFwXGRjIAurboGl6GF2F3tNTX2 x4BAV_ooN-WgBuYGhmZTW85vZnF0csj8XSQYyqaZcg9pma646ohuqKvlP-ig PgNHbqpbRYN7LlW-VCyCinc2zLaTREcUti5nlo3OQG0QKa0GiBiEpYBNwlwf Fq9q53P4-zC4f6jnxAciLn9zAt3QFSxtjLs3J9M64fQnlZrb30I823Wjkahi X5ivn_ry_inXaFNABsaFl9ltC7qAri7HxFaH6aQmjk-d0-AK7g-DIiP8rXih aTRE5zBN4rmPfL83P3t7TRdq6dybqyUfT3px6qLf94C1-TXzwmHXjM1e2Ncm uwvZYADOckeIfIBq0J9h5cao-la3trjoNX0PWquBJGW_SWeFhmapQkVafaPt ZbwVGYSTxjIkDiagvqH5FJBy4PXVwEMRBEQasaWrMo4bo6Vbr11E_i8cegyx emN3LY96BvLs

Have you ever tried a running, or an interval walk/run program?   That really helped me shed some extra pounds.  Now I am an avid runner.  Jeff Galloway has a GREAT program that has you start off walking and gradually get to where you are running 1 minute, walking 2, etc. 

You build up at your pace.  GREAT fat burner!

hehe, Lithia... make the Keebler Elves go live somewhere else comment made me LOL

As for the Mirena IUD, I had it once before about 4 yrs ago, after the birth of my 2nd child and had no issues of depression after I had it put in. And after I went off the Zoloft back in October, from then until Dec, I was fine and no depression. In fact, I was happier than I had been in a LONG time, until I went off the bcp in the end of Nov! Then it's like 2 wks later, I crashed after I went off the pill! So I went back on the pill in the beginning of January and about a month later, the depressive mood and other stuff went away- weird huh??

I will try the protein shake for a meal and exercising (3 times a week probably to start with) and see where that gets me. Thanks everyone!