Belly Bands, Dieting, and Losing the Baby Weight

Well, here I am again, not pregnant... and back to the fun to losing weight. ;) I've become increasingly more interested in this whole "getting my body back" idea since I've realized that...

A. I get pregnant again FAIRLY quickly after each baby,

and

B. The weight is increasingly harder to get rid of, after each baby.

Which is why, I've tried to lose the weight between pregnancies. My pregnancies have been close together, and Lord willing, we will continue having children for a few more years! I've never had any idea when the next pregnancy will happen, and I want to make sure the weight doesn't slowly start building up.

My maximum amount of weight I wanted to gain this past time was 30 (though honestly, I was shooting for between 25-30, because that's what I've read is the healthiest for Mom and Baby), and I gained 31. Now, Caroline is barely 5 months old, and I'm a couple pounds away from my pre-baby weight. 

How? Basically... few carbs, and little sugar. Sugarless coffee, oat pancakes without syrup, lots of meat, salads, eggs almost every morning, lots and LOTS of water, no desserts except on Sundays...

I still eat plenty of awesome food--just not bread and potatoes! :)

Moving on... I thought it was about time to let you all in on a little "secret find" of mine. It's something that I only recently heard about, and I decided to try it... and I NOW KNOW that... Post-partum belly bands are AWEsome.

As soon as I read the word "compression" (and around your sagging tummy?!), I was sold. A few HOURS after Caroline was born, I put on my first belly band, and I wore it *almost* 24/7 for the first month.

[on the left: one DAY after Caroline's birth. on the right: one MONTH after Caroline's birth]

But these belly bands are NOT just for weight loss and tightening your belly. After my last births, I had weeks of *terrible* after-birth cramps--to the point that I was on my hands and knees in pain. And after Matthias's birth, I went to see a chiropractor because my back hurt so much.

This time, I had TWO DAYS of after-birth cramps, and the belly band took care of the rest! :) Besides, it just feels marvelous to have that firmness around your belly.

Now as to what I specifically used...The Shrinkx Belly I've just told you about all the PROS to the belly band. The cons are that eventually, the velcro began wearing out (you have to remember, I was wearing it ALL the time!), AND I grew out of it, so that it didn't really work comfortably anymore. (But is that really a con?) I bought a small/medium (smallest size they had), and I grew out of it within 3-4 weeks. The thing I LOVED was that it had two adjustable straps (besides the thick band) so that you could make it as tight as you wanted to (for a while).

YES, you can see it underneath your clothes, because it doesn't rest perfectly against your skin. I would either not care and still wear it OUT anyway, or I'd only wear it at home, and then put it back on as soon as I returned from errands/church/etc.

Once I grew out of the Shrinkx Belly, I bought an XS Belly Bandit. I was "done" with the Shrinx Belly, AND I'd heard other moms raving about the Belly Bandit, and I wanted to see how it worked. I like it, too. The velcro seems stronger on this one, but it doesn't have the straps. It's definitely comfortable!

So there's where I am, with this whole weight loss and tummy tightening thing. Now you know all my secrets! :)