any success stories??

My body is really flabby all over and I hate it (I've just had a  baby one year ago). I don't hate my weight as much as I hate my body shape. I sometimes get discouraged by the fact that every muscle in my body has gone., left only with fat, and I'm only 23. I just want to hear from you! I'm in desperate need of some motivation. My question is???

Is it possible to look this fit, toned lady once again, or I'm doomed??

If so how long would it take and what is the proper excersice program????

sniff sniff

Well, I'm a guy so I don't know if I'm necessarily the best example for you. I have managed to tone up significatly (in my opinion anyway) in just a few months. I was very out of shape without a hint of muscle definition anywhere in my body. I have some definition now. It's a work in progress though. It's only been a few months after all. Here's a pic I snapped last night:

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y19/mishimak azama/IMG_3989.jpg

and you can check my profile to see just how out of shape I was.

 

Hope it helped.

I have been following the program in New Rules of Weight Lifting for Women

It will kick your butt into shape (literally). 

edited to add:  I don't follow the diet in the book at all, just the weight routine.  I lift 3 days per week (but you can be successful on the program with just 2 days per week) and do HIIT after 2 of my workouts per week.  I also do a nice run or rollerblade once per week.

The great thing about the workout, is they are short (but intense).  It really doesn't take much time in the gym at all (the weight training takes only 20-30 minutes per workout!). 

MORTALMOMKEY! WOW!!! Great job!!! But I dunno if toning is easier for men since their bodies tend to be mascular naturally.

CHEREE I'll try to get the book, but hey!!! you already look just in shape and you look as if you were born toned!! can you relate to my "flabbiness" then???? But thanks for advice anyway.

I really appreciate it 

fat is fat, so you can follow any success story weather a person has had babies or not :)

i have been flabby since grade four. lifting weights has made a huge difference in my weight, look, mood... everything.

my sister had two babies and tried Just About Everything until she started exercising - that was the only thing that made a difference. she is pretty much as her high school weight once again.

me, i am way slimmer than high school - but she was always the skinny one ya, so it's nice to be able to share clothes with her for the first time ever!

Ok, speaking from a woman who had a baby 6 years ago & still hate my stomach, you can slim it down but it does take a lot of work!  I have came down from 180 to 148 now and even though my stomach is smaller from working out & I have lost my fat middle, I do still have loose skin from where my tummy stretched out.  Some women can go down to nothing again & other's like me who stretch out of proportion, will always have a little extra skin no matter how skinny we get.  It's ok though because I know that the extra stuff is from my sweet son and I wouldn't give him back now!

I had a baby 5 months ago and i'm 4 pounds away from my pre-preggo weight! I chose a combination of strength training and cardio 6 days a week, as well as a 500-700 cal deficit on most days.

I've just started the same progam as Cheree and have found that it significantly reduces my time at the gym and is still a great workout. Now I am shifting my focus to mainly strength training with a couple cardio sessions per week, I'll let you know how it goes!

I also recommend investing in a Heart Rate Monitor, I seriously over-estimated the calories I was burning at the gym by logging activities through this site.

As long as you keep your program realistic and allow yourself some indulgences you are gonna be back to your pre-preggo self in no time at all!