It all started when the extra kilos no longer came off by themselves after the birth of her second child, and something had to be done about her postpartum weight loss. At first, Merit tried various programs, but after using the Elustiil app for just one week and losing 1 kilo in no time, she knew she wanted to continue. The main reason Merit decided to take control of her lifestyle was her desire to feel good in her body again and to feel proud of and love herself! Postpartum weight loss is not always easy.This story comes from our archives, from when FunTastyQ Fit was still called Geneto Elustiil. We keep older stories available—our product has a long history.
What goal did you set yourself when you started using the Elustiil app? Postpartum weight loss is possible!
“I started in October at 77 kg. I wanted to reach 70 kg, which seemed like a nice round number. Somehow, I reached it very easily and quickly, and then I decided to continue eating this way to maintain my weight. With this maintenance strategy and by continuing to discover different healthy foods, another 3 kilos have quietly slipped away! In any case, I have reached my target weight, and I am very proud of myself! But more important to me than the number on the scale was getting rid of the fold on my stomach. Since I am quite tall (178 cm), the extra kilos were not generally all that noticeable. However, I have diastasis recti, which cannot be corrected through exercise, so the excess fat on my stomach bothered me. I had even considered surgery to correct the diastasis, but I thought I first needed to do what I could to improve the situation and that I would not have surgery at that weight. Now that I have reached my ideal weight, it no longer bothers me as much, and I do not need surgery after all! Of course, the diastasis has not gone anywhere, but now that I am happier with my body, I have even learned to love that little pouch. Alongside being a mum, I have found myself again!”How did you achieve this postpartum weight-loss goal?
“The beginning was hard because weighing food seemed terribly tedious, but fortunately it soon became a habit, and weighing my food became automatic. Seeing the weight start to come off right away kept me motivated to continue. At one point, my weight plateaued, but I continued monitoring my calorie intake. Female hormones probably played a small part in that too. Fortunately, I kept logging my food consistently, and my weight began to fall again. My problem was overeating. Weighing my food really helped—if I was wondering whether to have a sweet, for example, I would calculate the calories in the app and decide based on that. When the app showed me that the sweet contained that many (too many!) calories, I changed my mind and decided I did not want it after all.When you can see exactly how much you are actually eating, the amounts naturally start to shrink!”Do you follow a meal plan or keep a food diary? “I am what you would call a tracker, meaning I keep a food diary. Since life with children is always a little chaotic, I did not start by trying to follow a meal plan. I simply began making healthier choices for myself when cooking for the family, and the important thing was that I weighed my food. Whenever I ran out of ideas, I browsed the recipes in the app for inspiration.”
Postpartum weight loss: how do you stay motivated?
“Of course, there are moments when I think, ‘I cannot be bothered to log this,’ but fortunately my sporty side wins out, and I tell myself that after coming this far, I am certainly not going to stop now. I still allow myself treats too. Once a week, I indulge for one meal—I might eat a whole pizza, for example, as much as I can manage! But the rule works as long as it really is just that one meal on one day a week, not every day. That is very important because sometimes you need to give your mind a break and let your body enjoy itself.”How satisfied are you with the app?
“I love it! It is simply a fantastic app, with so many features, and everything has been made very user-friendly. If I did not understand something at first, I asked customer support and received an immediate response. I use the barcode scanner all the time and also add my favourite products so they are quick and easy to log later. What I especially like about the Elustiil app—something I have not seen in other apps—is that amounts can be entered not only in grams but also in other units. If I am eating out, for example, and cannot weigh my food, it is very helpful to be able to estimate whether it is a tablespoon, a small or large glass, how many slices there are, whether an egg is medium, large or small, and so on. I have absolutely no ability to estimate portions by eye, so this is a huge help.”What is your favourite food?
“I love bean noodles! I use them to make different light, stir-fry-style dishes. For example, I might have them with shrimp one day and chicken the next—whatever I happen to fancy. I create and save my own recipes, which makes it easy to select the same dish again.”You have reached your goal—what comes next?
“I will definitely continue using the app. I bought an annual plan, and although after five months I have already learned how much different foods weigh and roughly what I can eat, I still like being able to double-check things regularly with the app. It is useful to check halfway through the day how many calories I have consumed and whether I am on track for the day. If I have already gone over, for example, I know I definitely need to go for a walk or work out later that day. I need to keep going to maintain this weight and continue feeling good!”What would you say to people who are just getting started? The key to postpartum weight loss lies in small steps!
“If you think weighing your food is really tedious, it is at first—but that passes! Once you get used to it, it becomes easy. And if you really do not have time, preparing food in the evening and putting meals into containers ahead of time helps. That makes it easier to follow the plan. At first, you may just have to grit your teeth and do it; then it starts to come naturally. Soon, you will automatically start making healthier choices—for example, you will read labels more carefully at the supermarket.To encourage and motivate you to begin changing your lifestyle, I can assure you that the true achievement is rediscovering your self-worth, and that is more valuable than all those numbers dropping on the scale!”
