r/weightlossafterbaby • u/meleskody • Mar 23 '26

I NEED HELP

Hi everyone.

I currently have a seventeen month old and am the heaviest I've ever been in my life. A little back story here I was so sick in pregnancy that I lost weight and ended up being one pound heavier giving birth than when I was when I got pregnant. I had post partum preeclampsia and then struggled terribly with postpartum depression/anxiety. I exclusively pumped for 14 months and weaned in December. I also started Zoloft in October. Since then I have put on 20 pounds. I don't recognize my body or myself any more and I have got to do something. WHERE DO I START?! I joined a gym and currently I just walk for exercise I haven't exercised consistently since middle of my pregnancy.

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u/notnotnot_it Mar 23 '26

I think you’re making a good start! Your body went through a lot and now you’re starting your journey to get to a new space. I did not bounce back at all but now I’m feeling stronger and better than I did before children. When I stopped breastfeeding after 2 years I went on metformin and decreased eating sugar/bread because I was terrified of pooping my pants in public, I did Zumba a couple times a week, lost 20 lbs, and have kept it off for over a year. Keep adding onto your routine as you go - now I still go to Zumba, started running last year, and started Pilates this year - which has been game changing for my stomach muscles. But I’m still about 15lbs away from my pre-baby weight. Find something that works for you! The gym can be a great community to find a group of people with similar goals and you can motivate each other. Start looking at how you eat and look for opportunities to improve (eat fruits, veg, protein, whole foods as much as possible). I think of it as healing my body - which takes time. I read it can take 7 years for moms to completely heal after childbirth. I’m always telling my kid to make good choices and listen to their body. Seems like you’re listening to your body that it’s time to start moving. You got this!

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u/kangarizzo Mar 23 '26

My suggestions on where to start would be these:

  1. Cut out pop and fried foods
  2. Prioritize rest and keeping your stress low (hard with a baby)
  3. Focus on adding fibre and micronutrients to meals to make them healthier. Can you add some fruit to your breakfast? Can you change some snacks to fruit? Can you add a larger serving of veggies to lunch and dinner?

That's where I would start ☺️