My girlfriend and I just had a child... she needs to get in shape now

[StRoNg_WoN]

Hi,

My girl and I have a beautiful 6 week old daughter now, and she is looking to get into shape... I've explained to her that it took 9 months to gain, and will take time to lose...

She is depressed at having to shop in the plus sizes now, when she used to shop in the junior section...

I've attached a pic of mah baby... (Yea... yea... I'm just a proud dad... )

Anyway...

She is 5'3 or so, and weighs around 180lbs... she gained a good 60 lbs during the pregnancy, and is finding it hard to motivate herself to diet, and train...

She used to workout some years ago at the local YWCA, but hasn't touched a weight, and/or exercised in years...

Anyway... she is a vegetarian, and looking to get back into shape... for myself, I eat everything, and grow crazy... I am just having a hard time coming up with something for her to eat that'll work...

This is what I've workout out so far:

Meal 1 - (Breakfast)

1/2 cup of cottage cheese
2 whole eggs
1 slice of dry toast
1 glass of water
1 cup of coffee

Meal 2 - (mid morning Snack)

1/2 cup of non-fat yogurt
a few carrot sticks
500ml water

Meal 3 - (Lunch)

1 serving of tofu (I don't eat the stuff, and aren't too sure how much protein is in it... hang on I'll get the package...)

Shit... it's in a Tupperware... argh...

Anyway how much is 30g of protein?

with a small salad, or perhaps some greens...

1/2 cup of rice or a potato

Meal 4 - (Snack)

Similar to first snack

Meal 5 - (Din Din)

chicken breast, or fish (I still don't know if she'll eat chicken or fish)

small green salad

Meal 6 -

(Maybe before bed another 30g of whey in water? if she will go for it...)

So that's pretty much it...

She can't really do cardio all that easily first thing in the AM, as she has to feed the baby and stuff while I go to work... my mother lives in the same building, and will mind her while she goes to the gym etc...

The problem is she has fairly week ankles, and gets winded pretty easily, so jogging would be out... maybe the elliptical training machine?

I will throw together a workout, I was thinking full body 3 times a week Mon - Wed - Fri style, with cardio after?

If any of you have heard of, or been in the same situation, we'd REALLY appreciate any advice you could give us...

Thanks a lot...

S.



__________________
"Friends may come and go. But two hundred pounds is always two hundred pounds."

- Henry Rollins

 

[starfish]

Awwwwwwwwww!!!!! Beautiful baby!!!!!

Spatts, Kronkette, and Temple are moms.. I bet they will help.


Congratulations

 

[StRoNg_WoN]

Thanks....

 

[makedah]

Just wanted to say that none of the vegetarians that I know eat chicken or fish.

 

[StRoNg_WoN]

Ya... she won't eat the chicken, but doesn't mind the fish... she just doesn't want to eat read meat, and isn't that fond of chicken... so that's cool...

Tofu would be a good source of protein I imagine, and fish as well... she loves when I cook her trout... she doesn't like canned tuna, which is a shame... as it is such a great source of protein, with no carbs, or fat...

So her primary sources of protein will be - Fish, Cottage Cheese, Tofu, and peanut butter...

Can you think of other sources that'll do?

Thanks...

 

[Night Fly]

There is a member on here named veggielifter or something like that. I'm sure she could recommend some great sources of protein for your wife! Beautiful baby, btw!

 

[Screwball]

Kronkette is a mom? Damn, my mental image of the hot, young, petite, hard-bodied vixen is tainted a bit. Not in a bad way, mind you. Just takes the edge off a bit.

 

[Temple]

Beautiful Baby!!!!!!!!!!
Okay, first of all is she breastfeeding??? That will make a bit of a difference as far as what she needs nutrition wise.
I am 5'4" and have two children, one is 20 and the other is 8 and I never waddled into a delivery room an ounce under 210# so I know the frustration she is feeling. Right now her body is going thru a bunch of hormonal changes not to mention a bit of sleep deprivation so she needs to go easy on herself.

Have her start with walking at least 30 min a day or doing the eliptical. She want to do a min to moderate intensity. Be sure to take it easy on the knees because it is really easy to do some damage if you put to much impact on them when you are carrying some extra weight. She can gradually increase the duration and frequency as she feels up to it.

I don't know how long you ligaments are soft post partum - do you know Spatts??? I know there are some physical limitations for awhile or increased risk of injury. I would start her on the very basic bodybuilding exercises: bench press, squats and deadlifts providing that she had a natural delivery and she has stopped her post partum menstrual flow. I would start with a weight that she can do 10 reps with 3-4 sets. Example day 1 - squats, day 2 off, day 3 bench press, day 4 off etc. When she feels comfortable with this and has good form add some weight and gradually add exercises to the mix.

Basically she needs to just do a program that gradually works her up to full steam and give herself a good year to get back down to her prepregnancy weight. She may go faster than that but she doesn't want to just in full throttle and injure herself.

 

[StRoNg_WoN]

Ya... sorry... I guess I should have mentioned that she isn't nursing... that'd be a pretty bad diet to nourish the baby...

Ummm... the baby is using first start formula...

My wife is taking Paxil, and was also having latching/soreness problems, so we decided it'd be best to bottle feed... which is going quite nicely actually, and I can help to...

She is pretty excited about all this, and is going to create an account soon...

S.

 

[Hannibal]

Forgive me, as I have no advice on how to get "in shape"...unless fat and happy is the shape you are looking for. Just wanted to congratulate you on the birth of your baby girl...