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I'm only about 3.5 months postpartum, but I have been really hard on myself with getting back into shape. I was a gymnast for a long time so it's not been easy for me to deal with such a changed body. I never thought it would be this hard!

I hear you on the motivation..it's so hard, especially when I'm tired and it's easier to just not do it. I also find myself craving food that is not the best, I think it's just because I am tired. One thing that has helped with that is taking a weekend afternoon to make freezer meals for the week, that way I can prep healthy meals and then I am not tempted to order out, etc. Saves a lot of time during the week, too. I also do not buy snacks/junk food, and if we want something sweet I bake it...that way it requires effort and a lot of the time I don't feel like doing it so then we just go without.

I found some good exercise DVD's on amazon, those help, and also I make sure to walk or use the elliptical a few days a week. It's easier now because my son is not mobile yet...I'm dreading trying to workout during the day when he is mobile because I'm sure he will hate being confined in the stroller or a play area. Not sure how I will handle that yet but momma has to be healthy!

I'm 6 months pp and have never been able to commit to any sort of dedicated exercise routine. What really helped me was breastfeeding, taking DS for long (& hilly) walks in the baby carrier/stroller, holding him as much as possible and rocking him often. My arms have really toned up! It works for me because it's all just part of an average day.

As hard as I try not to indulge my sweet tooth, I still end up heading straight for chips, cookies and chocolate whenever I'm a little hungry, so I can't help you there

One of the tricks I read about doing was to do goal setting exercises. They sound incredibly cheesy, but they work. It's a mental game for many/most, ya know?! Make a list of why you want the goals that you do in affirmation form...."i will be strong" or "i will X", whatever it is. Read it every day, keep it on you, etc. Keep track of what you're eating and see where to go from there. Even if you don't exercise at all, you can still lose weight with the proper diet. For me, the motivation comes when I'm unhappy with my body. The desire to look and feel good again outweighs the daily toll of feeling like a fluffy bum 24/7. But the constant reminder of your goal--can help keep you motivated. You're also probably tired b/c you're making poor food choices. It's sort of a vicious cycle. Can you keep healthy, pre-made options around? Veggies+hummus, pre-cut fruit, etc? It's at least a start. Throw out the crap so you aren't tempted to eat it. Another idea i've always liked is that junk food is expensive--a bag of chips is, what, $4 or so? take that money and put it towards an invisible fund for something else you want--like a nice purse.

@poundcake: think about doing whole 30/paleo or just going sugar free (iquitsugar.com). That alone will give you more energy and help you lose weight. Doing this it's the only way I have ever been able to lose weight without feeling deprived plus I feel like I could do this (paleo) long term and make it a lifestyle vs being on different diets on and off and my weight yo-yoing for the rest of my life.

Is there anyone that can watch your lo even for a short time, while you get out and exercise? I'm 6 month pp and until last week I thought it would be impossible to work out again because I couldn't do it with my daughter (she also hates the stroller).

Now my husband and I have made a deal to trade workout nights and the other one will watch her. After going for my first thirty min jog and seeing the world didn't explode when I left her I feel a bit silly for thinking there was no way to fit it in.

Also knowing the next night is my husbands night to work out makes me less likely to skip mine, since I can't just do it the next day.

I did the advocare 24 day challenge with a group to jump start my weight loss. The only way I was getting motivated was if I paid for it. I don't have time to exercise so it's a slow process but it's working. I count my calories using my fitness pal. I'm trying to make better choices but I do cheat a bit. Since the start of the year, I've lost about 12 pounds. I have about 10 more to go. Slow is working for me because I don't feel deprived. But the challenge really helped me quit the junk!

This was me, I didn't seriously start thinking about weight loss until I was done nursing at 15 months and momma was about 20lbs overweight. I found a website, http://www.dietbetter.com where you could earn real actual money for losing weight. It did the job of setting a goal for me, lose 4% of your body weight in 4 weeks and win, or lose money if you don't make the goal. I was terrible at setting those goals and rewards for myself, so this worked awesome for me. I tracked every single thing I ate on myfitnesspal, and exercised in the evenings after E went to bed, or early in the morning before work. I never bet a huge amount, usually $30-35, but it was enough motivation to me not to want to lose that money and over the course of about 4 months, I made about $100 over what I had bet losing that extra 20lbs.

Finding a gym with a daycare was the ultimate for me. DD loves going there and playing with the toys and I know she is safe and having fun while I am working out. Before that I tried every home exercise program but would never actually do it. As for eating, I totally understand. Start by making some simple switches. Use ground turkey instead of beef. We use Barilla plus pasta for some added protein and omega3 in easy pasta dishes. Greek yogurt with chocolate chips makes an excellent dessert. And remember, everything in moderation! Eat the ice cream, but don't eat the whole pint!

As someone who made every excuse possible for a really long time, I am telling you right now that you can totally do it!!