Losing the mummy bear weight

Bigbear

Silver Member
3 years ago I created my 'Claire Bears shrinking mission' thread, when I had reached the overwhelming weight of 28 and a half stone!!! Over 20 months I lost just over 9 stone, and the fell pregnant! My beautiful baby bear arrived in December 2016 and now she is almost 7 months old it's time for time to get back in my weight loss journey - now for her sake as well as mine.

The last year has been challenging, My first thought when pregnant was not to deprive my baby of anything, I certainly didn't want to stay on my diet during that time, but in my attempts to just 'eat normally' I fell back into all my bad habits. Since becoming a mother I have indulged in whatever I wanted or felt I needed. Sleep deprivation certainly increases those sugar cravings, and my ability to cook healthy meals has been somewhat hampered. Now that baby bear has also started eating it's another reason why now is a great time to get back into better cooking habits and stocking up with lush fruit and veg.

So here I am, starting weight of 25 stone 5 pounds. That was a shock, and I don't want to dwell on the feelings I had this morning when I stepped on the scales, although at the same time I want to remember that feeling in order to give me motivation never to be in this situation again. I vowed never to be above 20 stone before (and then a few months later I fell pregnant)! I want to be below 20 stone by Christmas... an ambitious target but I really believe in having big goals to aim for (as well as smaller goals to feel like you're achieving things)

My plan is to eat less!! I use slim fast products for ease and portion control. I will log everything in MFP. I will eat little and often, my plan is loosely based on slim fast:

Breakfast - 300ish cals - toast/bagel or belvita biscuits

Snack - 100 cal slimfast snack or fruit

Lunch - 200 cal slimfast meal bar

Snack - 100 cal slimfast snack or fruit

Dinner - normal dinner (trying to cook healthily) with my lovely partner - trying to keep under 1000 cals

Snack if needed - 100 cals slim fast snack, chocolate Freddo or similar

I'm also going to be excercisig as much as possible - on mat leave this is entirely achievable!! Will try to take pics when I am out an about to upload on here.

Drinking water and squash by the gallon load will hopefully help, and if I am actually hungry inbetween all my meals and snacks, I will always allow myself fruit

So let's see how this goes. This was basically my plan last time and it worked for me - I know that portion control is key for me, and having pre-made meal bars really helps. Wouldn't be my first choice but I known how easily I get into bad habits if I start cooking myself breakfasts and lunches. My portion sizes creeps up so easily. I'll look forward to a proper dinner with my partner each evening, that's really important to me.

Looking for support. All comments welcomed and I will try to follow all your threads too and give support as much as I can. I love the community on here, it was so key to me last time, and even though it's so quiet here these days I reckon we can get it going again.

Onwards and downwards xxxx
 
Hi Claire! Here to sub :)

You did amazingly well before, and you can do it again! Not just for you beautiful baby, but for yourself! You're not back to your original weight, so that's a positive. And you have a tried and tested plan, which you know works for you.

We can do this :) xxx
 
Thanks Elanor, you are so right. It's just about being in the right headspace and after 7 months of living with my life turned upside down I'm finally Ready to get back into this.

So today was day 1 and I've done pretty well!

Breakfast - 2 slices toast, marg and marmalade
Snack - 2 satsuma
Lunch - slimfast yoghurt crunch meal bar
Snack - banana
Snack - satsuma and shared a peach with baby bear
Dinner - gammon steak, egg and oven chips

Walked for just over 2 miles all around Blenheim Palace grounds with a friend. Didn't manage to count steps, but my legs definitely got a good workout!!!
 

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Head space is probably the most important, and trickiest part. One day mine will be in the right place.

Day sounds great! Especially the walk around Blenheim! I've never been, but would love to go. xx
 
WTG Claire Bear, you're back in focus - and it really sounds like you've got the perfect plan that works for you, so I have no doubt you will blast the extra weight out of the hemisphere!

See if you can sneak in some spinach or other greens into your evening meal, they really do help with weight loss - and are full of vits and minerals :).

Blenheim is gorgeous isn't it - and what great exercise, it's a huge place!

Cuddles to baby bear. Sxxx
 
THank your elanor and Susie for the positive comments xxxxx

Good point in the spinach, need to get some veggies back on my plate. I signed up to a ricerford veg box a few weeks ago, Hopefully that will help me on my way.

Boring day today - had to go to Banbury to get my car serviced. Took about 3 hours, so used the opportunity to rack up some steps - managed 5,500 walking around the shops.

This afternoon went round my friends house. She's dieting too (SW) so no temptation there thankfully

Breakfast - 2 slices toast, marg and marmalade
Snack - apple and satsuma
Lunch - slimfast meal bar
Snack - strawberries, banana, peach
Dinner - chicken fajitas
 
Oh well done on the Riverford Farm box - I bought their veg cookbook from Amazon a while back, must start actually using it! :)
 
I signed up at a food fair and got one of their recipe books and a bag for free
ive been struggling to lose weight honestly and i stumbled across an amazing product that i use alongside slimming world thats really been helping me stay focused and on track for recipes maybe take a look at my blog? chefwhoslims i post fairly regularly and would really love some inputs as to the kind of recipes people want to see?
 
Hi Emily, looks like you are following SW, I'm a dedicated CC-er with slimfast products :)

Nice day today, saw some friends then took baby what to swimming lessons. I look horrendous is a swimming cossie, big deep breath and a pinch of courage, I just get in on and get on with it. Don't like it though... worth it once I'm in the water with her.

Breakfast - 2 slices of toast and marmalade and a peach
Snack - half a banana, 2 satsuma
Lunch - slim fast meal bar
Snack - slimfast snack bar
Diner - Tesco pizza
 
No one will be looking at you hun, they are all focused on what they are doing - so you enjoy the time with your gorgeous little bundle xx
 
Thanks susie. You are so right, and that's what I try to tell myself and not let it stop me (or baby bear) from enjoying ourselves

Unfortunately I've hurt my back, which meant cancelling my walk yesterday. I've also developed a stye in my eye. I'm falling apart!!

Yesterday took all my strength not to dive into a tub of ice cream of devour a big bar of chocolate, but I think I survived almost unscathed...

B - toast and marmalade
S - mint kit kat
L - slimfast meal bat
S - banana and two satsumas
S - slimfast snack bar
D- sausages and oven chips and peas
Collective blueberry yoghurt
 
Day started with a trip to the dentist to get a filling done. Luckily I'm pretty laid back about dental work - plus my dentist puts in enough anaesthetic to hymn half of my face so Inreallyndont feel anything - turns out it was 30 mins of lying back and having a bit of peace! Except for the noise of the drill
Daddy bear came with me to sit with baby bear in the waiting room and then went off to work once I was done.

Came home and had a quiet morning, then decided to do a bit of baby bear cooking - she is just starting in solid food, mostly purées at the moment but it always pays to get ahead with these things so I've made loads of things for the freezer. Using full fat yogurt, milk, loads of cheese and butter etc feels very against my nature, but it is what she needs!

I've had another ok day...

B - toast and marmalade
S - apple and 2 satsumas
L - slimfast bar
S - tried a baby bear porridge bite!
D - spaghetti bolognaise
Activists yoghurt
S - slimfast snack bar
 
Hi Claire, I'm so glad you have a new diary and I can catch up with you again. And baby bear sounds so grown up already. How much longer will you have on maternity leave? When mine where little I loved popping them into a buggy and just walking as far as I could...great for me and them. Now I have the cutest grandson ever and a 4km walk pushing him and pulling a dog is much more of a workout on my body than just walking alone.
If you are now prepping food for baby bear can you also do the same for you....tubs of great cooked frozen fresh veg that can be heated quickly when you are in a hurry. I've used quorn mince to have some standby frozen homemade cottage pies ready with lots of grated carrot in them and cauliflower added to the potato.

Keep writing
 
Thanks for your message Tipp xx I'm so lucky I'll be on mat leave until Feb, when she'll be just over 13 months. I'm really treasuring this time together. Walking with the pram is great, and also having the time to do it makes it so much easier! I hurt my back this week that has held me back a bit, but feeling a bit better already so back in the swing of things next week hopefully.

Thanks for the food suggestions. It's so lovely preparing healthy meals for little one. At the moment she's having separate stuff, but I hope it won't be long until we can share meals.

I did a weigh in today - 8 pounds off!! Ok, somprobably koatly water weight, but I'm thrilled and it's the big whoosh I need for a whack of positive motivation. Onwards and downwards!!!

Not a very interesting day today - tidying the house whilstnInhave lovely boyfriend here to watch the baby, off to do shopping in sainsburys (the one time of the week I go out on my own, I am irrationally excited) and then I'm planning to cook a currry for dinner - have dug out my maddhur jaffrey curry book....
 
Argh it's so much harder to stay on track on weekends, lively Boyd is here and just want to chill out and eat copious amounts of yummy food !

Did some tidying today, went to the supermarket then came home and cooked a curry :)

Turned out Ok

B toast and marmalade
L cheese and pickle sandwich
Banana and 2 satsuma
S a peach
D chicken and spinach curry with rice,
Aero choc mousse
 

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Again... being at home with lovely boyfriend means eating slimfast bars just don't really contribute to sociable mealtimes!! Still, today i have been a little more restrained but ended up on a bit of a toast feast ??!

B - 2 slices toast and marmalade
L - 3 slices toast and marmalade
S - slimfast snack bar
D - Roast Lamb, small heap of roasted veg, big pile of asparagus and broccoli
 
I find I have to have at least 3 proper meals to stay on track. For me a day starting with toast does mean a whole day of toast
13 months....that's brilliant.
 
Quiet morning at home after quite a disturbed night for baby bear (and me!). This afternoon I went to collect a painting (pic below), a bit of a 'push present' for me, to celebrate an amazing year with our baby bear. In particular this week I am coming to an end of my breastfeeding journey which has been tough for us so proud of getting this far.

Good day foodwise:

B - 2 slices toast and marmalade
S - banana and 2 satsuams
L - slimfast meal bar
S - slimfast choc snack bar
D - chicken Kiev, tortellini and probably some broccoli. Usually follow with a yoghurt :)
 

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