# Getting rid of the flab post baby & pics during progress. (Diastasis Recti)



## optimistic1

So I decided to finally get serious about getting rid of this flab. Im tired of not being confident and feeling like I need to hide my body....even from myself :cry:

I'm not looking to lose weight I pretty much lost all I need to through breastfeeding and now that Nadia is in a bit of a better schedule/routine I have a little time here and there to do a bit of exercising. I don't have enough time to do a full workout so this progress is going to be slow. Im hoping to reach my goal by summer.

Anyone else looking to do the same want to join me and support each other? Were going to post pictures of our biggest pregnancy pic/very first pp pic/ and where we are when we started exercising. Im also going to updated my pics once a month until my goal is reached.


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## optimistic1

Well I was researching and decided to check myself for diastasis recti (separation of the ab muscles) and it seems I have about 2 finger tip width of separation I have to repair before I can do any kind of abdominal exercise. I'll post a pic of what that looks like as well and I'll still update my progress on repairing that without surgery!!!


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## seoj

Best of luck hun!!! you got this :) I got serious about losing the baby weight (and then some) about 4mos after LO was born too- and I am very proud of myself for doing it. First time ever really I counted calories- I'd worked out for years, but food was my weakness and sweets for sure during pregnancy... hehe. I'm actually in better shape now than I've been in years ;) just take it slow- do what you can- listen to your body and you'll get there. The slower go the better as it's easier to keep it up since your used to it. Kudos!


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## Kimber

My day to start is tomorrow! 

It's been too long and I'm too self conscious! 

Problem for me, aside from just MAKING myself exercise, is my diet. I'm anxious about calories because I want to eat at a level I can lose weight, but I do NOT want to mess with my milk supply. 

However, I've been using that as a major excuse....time to get serious!


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## optimistic1

Yeah my diet is horrible I never have time for a decent meal let alone a healthy one! If I'm lucky I get to eat take out...I haven't even gotten to really start on anything yet besides the exercise I get from carrying Nadia around and rocking her to sleep all day and night. I think she's going through a sleep regression she put a complete halt on my plans but that's also something I knew would happen which is why I plan for slow results.

Seoj thank you :) glad you finally got into shape. That's what I'm hoping for..I recently started worrying about my health and how all the little things I put it through will eventually catch up to me. I'm not a teenager anymore I can't just pig out on whatever I want.


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## optimistic1

39 weeks pregnant-4 months postpartum (had one from when I first had her but I had my tummy covered so took this one)-Diastasis Recti (That's if anyone was wondering what it looks like)


Also if anyone is dieting I would love for an idea of what you might eat on a daily basis...or better yet the things you stay away from.
 



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## nuffmac

Im just starting too. Havent lost the pp weight yet so gonna be using my fitness pal app to count calories. I have diastasis recti too and have looked to get referred to a physio as mine seems bad. Im 2 stone heavier than before i got pregnant and struggling to lose anything. I am bfing too and find dieting hard to balance with bf. I have started jogging again but only managed 10 mins twice last week as my dh travels so i have no one to watch bubs. I just opened up my zumba fitness wii but im not sure if i can use it with my tummy muscles still separated so much. I also had a section so only able to start exercising in the last week.


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## optimistic1

nuffmac said:


> Im just starting too. Havent lost the pp weight yet so gonna be using my fitness pal app to count calories. I have diastasis recti too and have looked to get referred to a physio as mine seems bad. Im 2 stone heavier than before i got pregnant and struggling to lose anything. I am bfing too and find dieting hard to balance with bf. I have started jogging again but only managed 10 mins twice last week as my dh travels so i have no one to watch bubs. I just opened up my zumba fitness wii but im not sure if i can use it with my tummy muscles still separated so much. I also had a section so only able to start exercising in the last week.


Good luck to you!

I found a couple of good sites that show simple exercises that can help heal the diastasis recti. I've read that depending on how much its separated that it should fuse together in time but that's meaning years or longer so the workouts help. As long as you don't do any hard core ab workouts you'll be fine. Cardio is a fantastic workout I wish I could run or even jog that's always been my weakness within like 5 min I have to stop cause I can't breath. Have you thought of getting a jogging stroller? Maybe your lo could take a nap while you go for a nice jog or even just enjoy the motions..my daughter won't sleep during car rides but she does enjoy the movements.

I hope you have better luck with dieting. I bought more fruits and veggies and while grains than usual and still can't seem to stop snacking....with bfing and a demanding 4 month old its much easier for me to reach for an unhealthy quick snack than prepare a decent healthy snack and we need them calories! 

I'll post a couple of the exercise sites I found helpful later today. They seem pretty simple......hopeful I'll get some time to start on them! It would be my luck to decide to start this right in the middle of a huge sleep regression....and now oh its going through kidney stones AGAIN so I'll be catering to him as well...atleast I'll be staying active lol.


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## optimistic1

Here's a link to a decent site about diastasis recti and some exercises.

Dear Diastasis Recti, Im So Over You!


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## aliss

Hi Optimistic. I'm going to make my 1 year progress thread in a sec if you want to check it out. I had a 5 finger gap and I'm down to about 1.5 which is pretty good (and tbh considering the size of my babies, 1.5 is probably as good as it gets).

I used Julie Tupler's program, it really helped a lot (I didn't use anything after my 1st and it never really improved).

Good luck!


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## readyORnot

Hi optimistic! How's it going? I also have diastasisi recti but didn't realise this until a couple of months ago. I had gotten down to my pre-pregnancy weight of 109lb but still looked about 16 weeks pregnant except when I was lying flat, so I knew something wasn't right but it took me forever to find out what it was! I bought Julie Tupler's book but I've been too busy to do it, but now that I'm pregnant again I really want to sort this out. I know she also has a program for pregnant women so I'll be doing that. Would love to stalk you and see how your progress goes!


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## babyjo

I started the tupler technique and banding 1 week ago and my separation has reduced from 5 finger separation to 3 1/2!!!!!! I'm amazed and upset that it took me so long to start it!!!!! I weigh less than I do pre pregnancy and my belly was looking like a 5 month pregnant lady! Now I took the band off for a day to see how much it would puff out but it's all the way flat!!!!! I missed taking photos because I thought it would take months to work! Amazing result so fast! I wasn't expecting it to work to be honest! I still have a long way to go but I'm very happy so far! Cannot recommend it highly enough!


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## nuffmac

Hi optimistic hows it going. Im down a few pounds but my belly still isnt improving. Think i need to buy this tupler book by the sounds of it.

Babyjo whats banding?


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## aliss

nuffmac said:


> Hi optimistic hows it going. Im down a few pounds but my belly still isnt improving. Think i need to buy this tupler book by the sounds of it.
> 
> Babyjo whats banding?

It's basically wrapping your stomach tightly so that you use your transverse abdominals instead of your obliques. This helps you close the abdominal separation that was created by the pregnancy. When you do things like sit ups or crunches or jacknifing out of bed, your exacerbate the separation - whereas if you roll sideways out of bed and use stomach binding, it helps close it.

This is why girls do 1000 situps and make their bellies look worse. It's the biggest mistake a postpartum woman could do.


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## readyORnot

Yep, I made that mistake. I did months of abdominal workout DVDs and now I know that all I was doing was making the situation worse.

I've been looking at the link somebody posted in this thread and been looking at Wendy Powell's MuTu program for diastasis. It looks similar to Tupler's program except Wendy Powell is based in the UK, so her materials are a lot easier to get hold of this side of the Atlantic! I'm considering buying the online coaching programme but struggling to find any independent reviews.


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## shterr612

Hey ready (and others) I'm so glad I stumbled on this post! I have this too and will be looking into the system you are talking about. I went down to about 10 lbs away from my pre-preg weight but have ballooned up a bit and am now 20 lbs too heavy. I'm by no means over weight, but I'm ready to start eating healthier and exercising more. I was really relaxed about it all since the BF helped lose so much but lately I've been eating very poorly and have lapsed on going to the gym. Starting today, I went to the gym again and am getting myself back into a schedule of gym days, exercises at home and eating healthier. I'm cutting out fast food and one or less soft drinks a day and more water. We are going to be TTC #2 starting this spring, so i'd like to ideally get back to my pre-preg weight, but for sure at least down 10 lbs from where I am now. I don't really care what the number is, I just want to have a healthier lifestyle and be a better role-model. (Having a more toned tummy and butt would be a nice plus!) :)


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## Smile181c

I'll have to dig my photos out, but when I was pregnant I put on 4 stone! I had an emcs and after I had him I'm so sure I had diastasis recti (he was a 9lber)- there was about a 4 finger widgth gap! I think I'm back to normal now though :) I've lost the 4 stone I put on, now it's just a case of toning and getting back in shape - we can do this!


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## Smile181c

39 days pregnant (6 days before I had LO and I got bigger and dropped more!):
https://i43.tinypic.com/2eyj329.png

11 days pp:
https://i44.tinypic.com/2801iyp.jpg https://i41.tinypic.com/2ymvzwz.jpg

Recent update photos:
https://i42.tinypic.com/1690vpx.jpg https://i40.tinypic.com/2agt504.jpg


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## aliss

Great job! Oh my you were carrying a watermelon eh???


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## Smile181c

Haha I definitely was!


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## optimistic1

Sorry I didn't realize anyone was checking this thread out!!

I haven't done much but some wall push ups here and there. I thought about sort of making my own wrap type thing..I wonder if that would work the same?? I finally looked up how to do a plank correctly so I might start those tomorrow or even tonight since LO is asleep..

Does anyone know when we can start doing ab work outs? My separation seems to be down to about 1.5 finger length and im anxious to start this 30 day ab workout + some chest and butt lift workouts I seen online but I don't want to make my separation worse :?

You look great smile! What exercise are you planning to do?

A lot of new things will be happening next year and I want a new and more confident me to go with it..My next goal is to learn how to cook :blush: I know....its crazy but I grew up with a dad that pretty much just threw something easy into the oven and that's how we ate and that's how I now eat...but I don't want my daughter to eat that way!


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## optimistic1

And does anyone else have a fluid filled bubble type thing inside their separation above their belly button? I think its an umbilical hernia but im not 100% positive.


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## readyORnot

yikes, don't like the sound of umbilical hernia!
the tupler book suggests that once you've had a separation it's probably a good idea to permanently steer clear of traditional ab routines. You can probably modify the exercises so they don't reopen the diastasis, I imagine. 
And the book suggests that you can easily use a scarf or something as a home made splint, which I plan to do once I'm au fait with the tupler exercises


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