Hi everyone
I am at a loss I have been breast feeding for 5 and a half mouths I workout yet I can't seem to lose any of my weight. Do any of you out there have any suggestions or have you gone through this does it ever fall off?? Do some women hold on to it while breast feeding? I don't want to stop breast feeding and I know I shouldn't reduce my cals to far so any thoughts whould really be helpful! I would like to get in shape again so I am ready for baby #2 as we would like to try again in January of 2010.
Hiya Vicky!
I was told all during my pregnancy that the weight would fall off while nursing. I think it is true of some women but not for all unfortunately. I have an 18 month old, after he was born I lost about 20 lbs of water weight within the 1st 5 months. I am still trying to get the rest off (I gained 50). I eat well and exercise and still not much. It seems to go in spurts of losing here and there but nothing major. DO NOT CUT CALS! Its better for your baby to be healthy and happy. Find more fulfulling ways of eating healthy while nursing. I cant tell you how many of my friends went on diets then had to stop nursing because they stopped producing and their babies LOST weight. You may want to check your adrenals and thyroid, those can be strained after pregnancy and also stress! Keep doing what you are doing, it will eventually come off. One question though, did you have to have steroids or were you on bed rest at all? That I have noticed in my group of friends that that seems to be a factor in not losing weighgt after pregnancy. GOOD LUCK, and Many Blessings to you and your family.
I never lost weight while nursing. I think it happens for most women, but not all. I just worked really hard after, unless like you, we were trying again. Hang in there, though. It will happen at some point, just maybe not now.
nursing should definitely help, and while you work out you may retain or even gain weight as you build muscle. Don't stress too much, you will have plenty of time to figure that out, just keep active and focus on your energy.
Hi Vicky, I was unable to loose any weight while breastfeeding either. I got a book called "Eat Well, Lose Weight, While Breastfeeding" It says in part of it that while breastfeeding helps most women lose weight, some will hang onto it even with a healthy diet and exercise due to hormones. Then once they stop breastfeeding it the weight starts to fall off. I didn't get to see if it worked or not because I got pregnant before I stopped nursing my son, but I just wanted to say that it is pretty normal to keep the weight on too. Anyway if you want to check out the book I got it from amazon. GL!
Keep exercisings. Drink lots of water. Snack on all the fresh produce out there right now....And try not to worry about it. I noticed if I weigh myself daily and only cut back on days that I have a jump up in weight then I start losing. I didn't lose with my son until I had been nursing around 7 months. Meanwhile keep in mind that your horomones could be out of wack, I didn't lose the last of the baby weight with my daughter until I got off the pill then it came right off. Get your thyroid and adrenals checked and just take really good care of yourself it will work out!
Rochelle
I second the recommendation for the book "Eat Well, Lose Weight While Breastfeeding." It's medically sound and realistic, and it's recently been revamped in a new edition.
While you could buy it anywhere, I highly recommend you contact your local La Leche League group and borrow it from them. All their services are free, and you will probably find just what you're looking for if you attend one of their meetings--lots of nice moms who are nursing and can relate to your experiences. I think it's so fun to have friends with babies the same age as mine! There are a couple of groups in the Salt Lake area; you can find them at www.llli.org.
Many mothers hang on to some extra pounds post-baby. I lost weight with my first and second babies more quickly than with my third. My midwife says to remember it's "nine months up and nine months down," and not to get discouraged. Slow weight loss is the most permanent. When I was brutally honest with myself and stopped eating extra treats and chose fruits and veggies for snacks, I lost more weight. But, since nursing burns about 600 calories a day, I needed to have a couple of snacks (carrots, apples, Triscuits) to keep me from being hungry and grumpy. I also started drinking only water instead of soda or even juice. Yes, it's boring, but it will save you all those extra calories.
Hang in there! I hope you find some new friends at LLL!
Breast feeding (producing the milk) takes about 500 calories a day. So if you use that in figuring your maintenance calories, then drop 100-200 calories a day (which could be as easy as cutting your portion size to 3/4 of normal in one or two meals, or dropping a soda or something every day) you should start to loose weight. Weight gain/loss is a law of thermodynamics, take in more calories (enery) than you use, its going to be stored by your body, take in less and you body will have to use those stores.
There are usually some good resources on the internet for figuring calorie needs. Try webMD or a google search and don't go with anything that is also promoting any weight loss products :)
Start walking. I didn't lose any weight from breastfeeding itself that I know of but I was also walking an hour a day after I had my first one & working out 45 mins/day after my 2nd one. Put baby in the stroller & go walking for an hour-you'll be surprised how fast the weight falls off!
I don't have any experience about breast feeding, but I wanted to just add encouragement to you. I am not sure what the recommended calorie intake is for breast feeding, but I would suggest keeping track of what you eat and how much. I know some of my friends fell into the trap of "needing" more calories and then overate. There is a great website called dailyplate. com that is wonderful for this. Also just a thought, it could be lack of sleep with a new baby or the new stress of having a little one that is adding to the lack of weight loss. I know my body shuts down when I am not getting enough sleep. Just remember to be kind to yourself and its 9 months on 9 months off. ( still could be a year really) Good luck and don't give up.
Vicky,
I had the same problem you are having. I have four children (ages 6,4,2, and 11 months) and my first three kids were bottle fed (or breastfed for less than 6 weeks). With all three of them I was back to my pre-pregnancy weight within a few months after they were born. My fourth baby did really well with nursing, so I breastfed her until she was around five months old. I used the same eating and exercising plan after her birth that I did after all my other kids, but I did not lose any weight at all until after she was weaned. It was really frustrating hearing about all the women who lose weight so quickly while they are breast feeding, when I wasn't one of them. After asking around, however, I did find a few other women who had the same problem of holding on to their weight, or actually gaining a little until they were done nursing. My youngest daughter is 11 months now, and we are done having kids. I am still about 8 pounds heavier than my pre pregnancy weight, but it is coming off much easier since I stopped nursing. Don't let yourself get discouraged! It will come off eventually. I always remind myself that I would rather be pudgy with beautiful children than skinny with none!!!
Vicky, I am a LE, and this is very common. Some woman's bodies are very fine on the line of self preservation. The body knows it needs to support you and your milk supply so it just starts hording. A big problem, under eating. I knopw everyone if spouting "don't over eat" but make sure you are eating enough, of the right stuff, to support yourself and your milk supply. between 1500-1800 calories a day if you aren't very active. This will help, then add in exercise. Also, be patient, some bodies will take longer to relax and let go of the weight. Just remember, your body is running on different hormones than it was before you got pregnant, so be patient and allow your body due time to adjust.
hope this helps
Hi Vicky - breastfeeding really isnt a magic diet pill. It's all about calories in and calories burned. It's impossible to lose weight without a calorie deficit. My metabolism went crazy when I was breastfeeding but so did my appetite so I actually put on a few pounds.
Perhaps log your eating for a week or so - it will probably help you identify some foods that you can cut out that wont affect your nutrition for nursing. It could be as easy as cutting the sports drinks, desserts, or a starch serving a day. Dont forget that you need extra calcium right now as well as additional protein!
best of all things to you!
yes, some women hold on to the weight while breastfeeding. i have been breastfeeding my son for just over a year now, and i am finally within 3 pounds of my pre-pregnancy weight, but still not all the way there yet. be patient with yourself, and don't beat yourself up about it. :)
I have 4 kids and have fortunatley lost the weight each time in between pregnancies. Make sure you are mixing up your workouts. Don't do the same thing every day or your body is more likely to plateau. Even though breast feeding helps with weight loss, I can really get back to my pre-baby size (the last 5-10 lbs.) after stopping breast feeding. Some moms make the mistake of really loading up on the calories while breastfeeding too, which only makes moms maintain weight. I really think that a well-balanced eating plan is best for mom and baby. Don't skimp, but don't overload as well. Best of luck!
I gained 50 pounds when I was pregnant and only started to really lose more than the initial birth weight after about 6 months of breastfeeding. I have now dropped about 15 pounds below my prepregnacy weight, and I just weaned. Now I am afraid of gaining it all back!
Some lose, some don't, but I was ready to give my body to my child from pregnancy through breastfeeding. That mindset helped me to eat healthy for him, and not think about the weight. I think that not thinking about it is what did it for me, because I had tried to lose before without success. Don't stress about it, and just enjoy your son!
Hi Vicky-
Give yourself a break--your body is in go mode right now. Your body knows it needs to provide you and your baby with enough nutrients for both of you, so it may be conserving your weight for a bit. With my daughter, I gained a lot & it took me a year to lose--you will lose it! You just have to be patient, eat well--lots of fruits and vegetables, beans and lean meats. I walked at least 2x a day with my daughter and kept as active as possible. But mentally, you have to give yourself a break. Hang in there--it will come off and you are doing a great job!
I feel your pain! I breastfeed my daughter until she was 10 months, I definitely gained weight while nursing. But when I tried to eat low cal foods and limit portions I had a hard time keeping my milk supply up. All my weight was in my chest and stomach. As soon as I stopped nursing the weight just melted away and I didn't need to eat so many calories anymore. Shirts finally fit me and I looked normal, instead of having a giant chest. But if you are planning on getting pregnant in January are you going to still nurse at that time? Many women do it that way but personally for your own sake I would let your body recover from nursing and being pregnant before you do it all over again. So if that is still your plan I would just eat 3 balanced meals a day and exercise and stay ACTIVE!
Sweetheart, why do you want to put that much stress onto your body? Ideally, your body doesn't go through a pregnancy closer than 24 months at a time. (not MY ideal) That just barely brings you over a year of breastfeeding--one year, three months. Even the AAP (American Association of Pediatrics) says babies should get a full 12 months of breast milk at LEAST and ideally two years. You can breastfeed while you are pregnant, but that puts a lot of stress on your body for which you'll have to be extremely diligent in your nutrition, many more calories, much more protein, a significant increase in fluids, and that also includes more rest which may not be so easy with progressing toddler but can be done for the diligent.
Two is the natural spacing the average woman's body prefers, if she is healthy and is also breastfeeding.
As far as the weight loss, you will hold on to 10-15 pounds for fat stores that you need as a milk producing mama...part of that weight is the the milk itself. So, if you're generally fitting your clothes, you're just fine. You just need to remember that you are weighing the amount of fluids and fat stores that you're carrying for your baby--tell yourself those pounds don't count, because really they don't, they belong to your wee one.
Good luck to ya!
Keep in mind that you only need an addition 300 calories per day when you breast feed and what you eat makes a big difference. I would keep strict about what you put in your body - no fried, fast food, or desert, stick to basic food groups and lots of water. I have found that if I eat a smaller amount every 2 hours rather than big meals I lose a lot faster. Good luck! Babies are totally worth the screwed up body. =)