I have no recommendations other than smacking your husband for making comments. Let's see how HE would look after having five kids. Sorry, but that just irks me.

And for what it's worth, I bet you look much better than you think you do.

More protein, a bit less fat. Aim for 80 gm protein/day.

Walk more/move slowly at least 2 hours/day.

Sprints/dance wildly for at least 15-20 min once a week.

Lift heavy weights for no more than 20 min 2 x /week.(body weight is fine)

Get D3 level up to 60-80 ng/ml via sun/supplements.

Get good sleep.

Limit wine & chocolate. 1/2 glass & 20 gm/day.

Reduce excessive stress. Stop weighing & start measuring (once a month.)

Tell DH to shut up!

If your hubby makes comments about your body and makes you feel bad for how you look after five kids, losing weight is not your biggest issue.

I understand wanting to be a size 8 but maybe focus more on bein g fit and healthy and dealing with negative criticism.

I think you should get a massage. Not kidding, it can greatly affect water retention, blood flow (nutrient and waste distribution) and cortisol. I'd suggest finding one hour a week (yes, every week) to go to a massage school if you have access to one. In my area the schools charge about $30 for one hour, a typical tip is only $5.

Your cortisol levels maybe raised due to all the hit training. This will encourage your body to hold fat around the middle. You may want to ease up on the hit and just do some easy to moderate cardio, along with weights. Do a hiit workout once a week. Rest is also important. Try and stay focused on your well being, we all want to look good, but sacrificing your health to do it is not worth it.... Keep your chin up and don't find your worth in a number on a pair of jeans. You got this!!

My wife had 2 kids. It took well over a year after she stopped nursing for her body to start thinking "normal" vs. "milk-making-machine". I've seen similar with friends. After a year or two the body returns to a "I don't need to store fat to feed the baby" state. I have no research or studies to back this up - just an observation. Curious if this resonates with anyone.

My wife is 5'1" and was ~100lb pre pregnancy. 2nd kid took her to 145lbs (45% gain). At the end of nursing she was "stuck" at 115 for over a year. 3 years later she drifted to 105 with no real effort other than normal routine. The unique stress of infants is a cortisol factory IMHO. I don't know how any of us survive those first 2 years! Having 5 kids and seeing where you're at - holy crap you should be stoked!

Second all the comments about your husband, he should support you!

As for losing the weight — if it's to make YOURSELF happy: Lift heavy weights a couple of times a week and go for walks. Cut back on the wine (wine disrupts my sleep, even a glass or 2!) For what it's worth, I never 100% gave up red wine or dark chocolate and I went from skinny fat to toned in about 6 months. Took longer but was worth the slow progress! Good luck!

I'm sure it's hard with having five kids, but how much sleep are you getting? If you aren't getting enough, or you're stressed in other ways, your cortisol levels will be raised.

Tell your entitled husband to take care of the kids like a partner should and let you relax! Then you'll lose the weight, promise :)

Did you happen to catch the last episode from Underground Wellness? I actually got a different perspective about the "last 5 pounds". Will losing 10 more pounds make you more healthy or is it all vanity? I myself always want to lose the last 10 pounds but then it is always 10 more and then 10 more. When does it stop? If the body isn't responding, am I going too far?

Stefanie and Diane talk about the last 5 pounds towards the end of the podcast. Just a different perspective that got me thinking...Maybe it will help you. http://www.blogtalkradio.com/undergroundwellness/2012/08/02/womens-health-with-stefani-ruper

Hang in there and keep working but don't beat yourself up if it takes months to even a year to lose it. You will get there if you are meant to! Good luck.

You are still nursing. Your fat reserves aren't going anywhere but into your baby's mouth until he or she weans. Your fat reserves exist to provide your baby with good nutrition even if your own diet suffers. The fat deposits around your hips--e.g., your butt and "muffin top"-- are repositories of DHA, which is crucial to the development of your infant's brain. You absolutely do not want to whittle those deposits down now; evolution has accordingly made it exceedingly difficult for you to do so.

I lost a lot of weight a year ago, got down to my dream weight, got so lean and felt great, but just could not keep up the diet and exercise regime, i have kids too and they are still small and very demanding, i know my kids definitely get my cortisol levels up, i got down to 120lbs and am 5ft 2 now i'm back up to 130 and the difference is huge, its only 10lb but it feels a lot more, anyway when kids get back to school in sept i am going to try again, just too hard for me at the moment, what worked for me was exercising on an empty stomach, i would take a caffeine supplement before workout, i would walk, run, sprint, do some kettlebells, i would not eat until 2pm, i found this very effective, also keep the carbs low, my husband is like yours and i often tell him he needs to do more weights when he makes any remarks, that puts him in his box, anyway wish u all the luck in the world x

Working out LESS, and dealing with my cortisol issue is the only way I've been able to drop weight, especially on my belly. When I'm not sleeping, and stressed, the weight is there. I started taking NOW brand cortisol supplement, which has helped just as much as being Paleo does. Intermittent fasting was not for me - I actually gained weight that way. I'm moderate carb, and don't stress out anymore if I eat a gluten free muffin every now and again. The don't stress out part is the important part, and with your hubby and that much exercise, you might be stressing out a lot. If you mentally feel like you can't stop exercising, switch half your days to a Vinyasa style yoga, or something similar.

I'm still trying to figure this one out too!

I'm 42 and have noticed a benefit lately from taking liver support vitamins (Indole-3 carbinol and calcium gluconarate) and eating liver foods in my nightly salad (dandelion greens, cabbage, kale, etc.) The reason is to help my liver clear the excess estrogen from my body instead of recycling it (a cause of holding on to that belly and thigh fat).

Also, I'd been doing whey protein isolate daily and decided to cut it out and see what happened. With both these things I did not get the mothly bloat and sore boobs which when you're already feeling bloated with the extra around the middle, adding on is uncomfortable.

And I agree with everyone else: lower stress, sleep more, rest when you need to, work out hard and smart but don't go crazy with it. You need all your available chi for yourself and being a mom and wife. Anything you can do to nourish the adrenals is good.

One last thing: sexiness is a state of being. I've seen rubenesque women who were just super sexy in their energy, and thin or even athletic women who were so unhappy in their skin that the energy was just stuck/stagnant. Just sayin (to myself included) that somehow we've gotta find that self love balance so that even if we never lose that last 10 or 15, we still enjoy our own beauty and potential for the sexy vibe.

Similar situation. Im 5'1" and have a almost 4 year old and a baby who is one years old..still breastfeeding a LOT. I had stopped losing weight and it was bugging me so much. I got skinny fat on paleo and figured since I was breastfeeding that last bit of fat around the belly and thighs were not going to budge. Enter The Whole30. I am on day 27 of 30..and HOLY MOLY..the fat is melting away..Ive always done pretty strict paleo..although I admit I ate a lot of dairy..Organic cream, grass fed butter. And sugar. With the Whole 30 thats basically all I gave up was dairy and sugar (except fruit..they suggest you eat minimal fruit). Either way I HGHLY recommend it if you want to lose those few extra lbs. It will reshape your body! Good luck!

More exercise, like 12 hours a day of strenuous exercise at high altitude. Give it about 10 days. You'll get it all off. Trust me. I did it for 5 days and got 5lbs off. Don't know if it will stay off, though, but I had a great time. I went backpacking.

From Livestrong:

"You've probably heard the adage that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. This is not just a saying -- scientific research backs it up. Breakfast eaters are apt to be leaner and those who are dieting are more successful at weight loss. According to the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, a study found that lifelong breakfast-skippers had higher cholesterol levels and carried more mid-section weight than breakfast eaters. In addition, breakfast is shown to improve mood and concentration."

http://www.livestrong.com/article/523716-how-soon-after-waking-up-should-you-eat/#ixzz22UIFxa1i

Within 4 weeks, I gained 5 lbs doing a 19/5 IF. Many state that IF does not work the same for women and men and that it is dangerous for women. Drop the IF.

Your hubby should shove it, and be a little sensitive.

Eat breakfast. Here's my recommendation... This is what I do to stay slim (and I do have to work at it, but I'm very slim with this routine (5'8, 120 lbs):

Chia pudding for breakfast OR an egg omelet (2 whole eggs, a little cheese if you must, lots of greens, spinach tastes best in an omelet... don't forget onions. Broccoli is also good). As for the chia pudding, you can make coconut, chocolate, it's great. Recipes are all over the internet. Coffee is fine, with a LITTLE bit of cream or milk, and no sugar. ESPECIALLY not sweetener.

For lunch, I eat a salad every single day. You can do a mushroom, red pepper, romaine, ranch, onion type thing if you want salty, and a tomato, avocado, hemp heart, alfalfa sprouts, walnut, balsamic one for something a little sweeter. Easy on the dressing, no low-fat varieties because they mess up your metabolism, and screw with your appetite.

Dinner = lean protein and veggies, and that doesn't always mean meat. Aim for meat once or twice a week. The rest of the time go for beans+grains. Quinoa and black beans with a little salt and olive oil is pretty delicious.Throw some spinach in there, and you're getting most of the nutrients, and all of the amino acids you would in meat. Or even occasionally some tofu. Hemp seeds are good, fish, etc. and don't go too crazy with the extra-yummy vegetables. Haha by that I mean the tasty, starchy ones. Sweet potatoes are better than regular potatoes.

Snacks = a handful of nuts (unsalted, raw) and a piece of fruit. Apple and a tbsp. of almond butter is my favourite snack. Lots of water, another cup of coffee if you're feeling really hungry, tea is a good filler-upper too.

Try to do an hour of moderate cardio OR 45 mins of HIIT, and I'd do some strength training. Yoga or Pilates if you want to tone up, or a weight class a couple times a week if you want to rev up your metabolism.

I'm not an expert or anything, but I've struggled with my weight for years, and when I adopted this lifestyle, I got SKINNY! (And toned, in a good way). Finally! And after a few months of it, I honestly prefer a salad to any other kind of lunch. If I skip my salad, it's all I can think about until I eat one. (Don't be afraid to make your salad a family-sized one. I use a giant mixing bowl. :) It'll fill you up, and I don't think there's such thing as too many veggies. And the gym becomes addictive if you go 5-6 days a week.

GOOD LUCK with whatever method you decide to try! :)

Oh and, 'research' on this being more healthy than that; thats called a fad.

""More exercise, like 12 hours a day of strenuous exercise at high altitude. Give it about 10 days. You'll get it all off. Trust me. I did it for 5 days and got 5lbs off. Don't know if it will stay off, though, but I had a great time. I went backpacking.""

Yeah, just go be insanely psychotic and wipe out half of your day for ten days even though you hwve five children by running around on a mountain; since you have to have a backpack with you while doing it, its called backpacking-Trust me, I have no life so I do this and had a great time, dont know if itll stay off but I hope it does"

Great Plan! No, surely! This will totally work! Just go run around on some mountain for 800 hours straight.

'Vegans are leaner and have less cancer than American women on average' Well no sh-t. When you have only grass to eat, youre going to look like what you eat; Grass. You really think that vegans, being at a lower body weight by nature of their core personalities that MADE them practioners of veganism (thats the key) are eating the saem caloric intake as regular American women-with their kale? No. Lower bodyweight=less cell activity and lower menstruation and thus lower risk of female-related cancers; No Sh-t.

By the way, in my teenage years, to boost my legitimacy, I was a national olympic-weightlifter doing CandJ's at 80 kilo; Snatches at 65 kilo. I am now a figure and art model and artist by profession at 5'10, 128-130 lbs. I am daresay, adventurous. Ive learned a lot, Ive met Poliquin, Ive been close to thus industry weekly and daily since I started private training at 12 years old.

Also to all those posters above that are telling this poor woman attempting to get control of her diet these heinous Ridiculous stressful bulletpoint summaries n what you think she needs to do to look better? Go F--- Yourselves Silly. You guys are BULLIES. Youre the same women that look down on the women who DONT follow your little bulletpoint summaries on how to be perfect in your eyes. No; You do not have to take fish oil supplements/flax seed supplements to get lean. NO, nobody will talk about the gunmetal sharp scientific confirmations on how exercise DOES NOT TAKE OFF BODY FAT nor Help Your Weight Loss, the only way to lose weight is to restrict your caloric intake: PERIOD. Exercise does not build muscles enough in both men And women to constitute you eating whatever quanitity of food you want to stick in your mouth, the amount of calories that muscles do burn post workout is TRIVIAL but would it or would it not surprise you that that is Exactly what youre personal trainer Or that fitness magazine you just bought for 5 bucks or those celebrities Just Like Us articles, wouldnt want you to think that? It boosts their God complex and marketing if they can cnvince you they just have this natural advantage due to things they do as people that you do not do that if you did you could be as amazing as they are and eat McRibs everyday. Exercise DOES bulk women up relative to their size before they started exercising since it DOES build muscle which thus pushes out your fat; Cardio builds your thigh muscles-Thats why you keep running to trim down your trouble-spot, i.e., Your THIGHS yet here you are going to the gym to get on the treadmill after that big meal at Thanskgiving; Where do you think all of those calories are going to localize themselves in your body? Your Thighs, because youre On The Treadmill Using Your Thighs, thus it is placing the fat In Your Thighs, pushing out any tiny bits of fat out for all to see with your thigh muscles, aka, Thunder Thighs. This isnt rocket science; But some women and the fitness industry indefinitely wants you to think as such! If they could get the other 50% of the population (women) into Crossfit, look at those profit margins.

FACT: Eat one lunchbag of cheetos every day, only one bag of Cheetos for the full day; Youll lose weight.

It doesnt matter if youre a vegan, vegetarian to lose weight is to restrict cals, and 'paleo' is Wrong and thus a fad as well because in historical accuracy, if you were to actually be doing a 'paleo' diet; you would Rarely-to-Mostly-Never touch meat, eat loads and loads of insects, raw veggies and some fruit. Dont go with the fad, just get on a low dosage of uppers, Im dead serious. Medication is to improve your life, and thats what you need to help you. You cant br spending 5 hours a day fretting over thid and talking to neurotic Powerpoint Diet of Perfection people on the web who'll just make you feel worse about yourself; Go to a psychiatrist and get help.

Not to bust all of your bubbles, but you really do not have to do all of this crap everybody is telling you. Get prescribed uppers and IF. You won't 'hate yourself' regarding your diet if you could control it better, am I right? Did you know obese people are prescribed Ritalin? Adderal? Just because you are not That Severe does not mean you can not take a harmless (if you have low blood pressure) 10 mg Ritalin. And then, even if you do have a high blood pressure; On 10 mg during IF, you'll lose weight which will then lower the blood pressure and all of this pressure on your self overall. Like, seriously? Five kids, an ass husband, and your own pressure on your self? Give your self a break. Its ridiculous. Youre shortening your life by fretting over this so much.

These people who tell you IF doesnt work for them aren't doing IF; They are binging, they just are not owning up to that fact and cover it up by calling what they are doing 'IF'. Its called 'denial'. Then they say IF is 'dangerous' to women, grow some vulvas-Please. No eating isnt dangerous if you are regularly eating; If you are anorexic-restrictive which would constitute for a 4-day fast imo; You arent IFing, youre a severely restrictive rehab-needing anorexic. THATS dangerous, but THATS anorexia; Not IF. Ok, I have no clue who these women are by my work is done in front of the camera, if you get what I mean, so take it from me; The f do you think the 'Special-K' diet is? Vitamin R isnt a vitamin you get from being a rootatarian. Every skinny girl like me that I know doesnt ever think about her diet during the day more than twice and thats the da-n truth; You know why? Uppers. What do you think strippers are taking? Uppers. Dont do meth, dont do street drugs, dont be an idi-t loser; Get them prescribed due to stress, take a low dosage and be consistent and never go above your dosage; Ever. If you do not abuse it, Its Fine. There is a reason why Ritalin is safely given to children, ok? Stop listening to these women; You want to be skinny? Do as I say and stop BShitting about your feelings and chakras on an online chatroom with people. Im on here only bc I was trying to find science to back of gluten tolerance with IF. Do as I say, Im smart and I know my sh-t.