Breastfeeding makes me soooo hungry ALL the time. I know I'm burning more calories b/c of breastfeeding and I know I need to consume extra caloies. The problem is...I still need to lose 20 pounds to get back to pre-pregnancy weight. It has been 6 weeks since delivery and my scale hasn't moved in over 2 weeks! I'm active with my 21 month old and newborn...we go on walks, play, etc. I just don't have the time to really exercise. Any tips or suggestions?
I totally hear you. When i was breastfeeding both my boys I couldn't get enough food!!! Unfortunately, you don't want to do anything drastic while your breastfeeding because your little one needs you to keep a healthy diet...as long as you're making good food choices and staying active, don't be too concerned about the scale ( I know it sucks...it may sound vain but i was so anxious to drop my baby weight!). Eat healthy, stay active, and remember that weight isn't the only indicator that you are getting back in shape...I've heard that muscle weighs more than fat so if you are toning muscles while losing fat, the number on the scale may not go down like you want it to...
Jennifer,
It's only been 6 weeks. I think you need to relax! 6 months is the average time it takes to lose. I'm also the mom of a 6 week old newborn so I understand, but I'm taking it easy. It will come off when I start working out again.
I understand the urge to lose that baby belly but hun, it's only been 6 weeks. Your body is still recovering and now is the time to ensure you're getting those extra calories to help produce nutritional breastmilk.
snack on fruit, vegtables and yogurt. keep your meals small and accompany with vegtables as your main course. in other words. take your plate and divide it in two. 1/2 vegetable and 1/2 starch and protein. you can have as much vegetables as you want! just pair it with 2 tablespoons of fat free or reduced fat dressing. for breakfast keep your cereal portion to 3/4 cup and look for fiber rich foods. eat every 3 to 4 hours ( eating 3 meals and 3 snacks )and drink plenty of water. since you already go on walks i would invest in some hand weights and an exerball. when your baby is fussy bounce on the exerball with him in your arms. my baby loved this! good job breastfeeding! i had the hardest time. i gained 60 lbs with my pregnancy and have taken 40 off. this last 20 has been the hardest yet..... good luck to you.
The other women are right, it's early yet. It takes a while to get the weight off. I'm finally at my pre-pregnancy weight after 6 months on the plan. I was ravenous at first, too. After about two months, I joined Weight Watchers. They have a plan for nursing moms, making sure you take in enough calories to sustain your breastfeeding. I've used it after three (out of five) pregnancies and gotten back to my pre-pregnancy weight.
Be patient with yourself.
I've breast-fed both my kids for at least a year, so can say with conviction that it's way too soon to worry about your weight after only 6 weeks. I was shocked when I left the hospital with my first child--still looking pregnant! No one told me that I would still need to wear maternity when I left the hospital. Anyway, if you give yourself 10 months, you will be pleasantly surprised. I know it sounds like a lot, but be patient. You need to stay healthy for your baby. After both kids were 9 month, I realized that I had gotten back to my pre-pregnancy weight. A couple months later, I was about 5 pounds lighter than my pre-pregancy weight. All my friends who breast-fed for at least 10 months had the same experience, but those who didn't, didn't lose the weight any faster and still had about 5 pounds to lose from their pre-pregnancy weight. Good luck, but don't worry. You'll see gradual changes over the next few months.
I was unbelievably hungry. I don't think I ever was full until 5 months post-partum.
I had gained 50+ pounds during my pregnancy, though a lot was water. I did nothing in the way of exercise. It took a full 12 weeks for me to heal from the stitches. It also took a full 12 weeks for me to return to my pre-pregnancy weight. I didn't look the same, but I did return, and even eventually went below (which was unhealthy for me).
Now I only walk and ride my bike. Rarely break a sweat, and I am still at my pre-pregnancy weight (16months PP). I wouldn't worry about weight loss too much. All the moms I know have experienced the same thing. They warn that after breastfeeding stops is when it might be hard to shed the pounds.
Valerie
Jennifer,
I agree - it's too early to worry about your weight. Also, while some women lose all of their weight really quickly while breastfeeding, some, like me, hold on to those last 10-20 pounds while nursing. I plateaued as well with losing weight and it has stayed the same while I've been nursing. I have several friends with a similar situation who talked about how when they stopped nursing, the weight came off much easier. It takes a while for your body to get back to normal. I know it is frustrating! Keep being active and exercising and eating well and it'll come off eventually. Don't push it - you could end up losing your milk supply. Good luck!!
In Girlfriend's Guide to Pregnancy (?) she says, based on an unscientific poll of her friends, it takes 9 months to get to PP weight. That was true for me and many people I know.
6 weeks? That's not enough time to see any weight drop unless you are one of those celebrity moms in Hollywood : ) It took me a year to lose all the weight. I nursed for 16 months.
Once your baby starts solids, you can start to watch your diet. Also, start exercising as soon as you feel up to it. I believe Weight Watchers has a special plan for nursing moms too if you want to check that out.
I did weight watchers on line while nursing. It took me about 8 months to loose 40 lbs. I lost all my weight from my second one, plus, all the remaining weight from my first one, and a little more. No exercise involved. Now three years later, as the metabolism is slowing down, I've got to get up and move!
If you're hungry, then eat! You need to take care of yourself and your little one right now & not focus on the scale. Chances are, it'll all come off without you even worrying about it. I had gained 60 lbs & then breastfed, and I kept track of the weight loss at first, and it went like this, for me:
-20 lbs after 1 week
-35 at 2 weeks
-40 at 6 weeks
-45 at 8 weeks...
And then I must've stopped writing it down. The whole 60 lbs did come off (before a year?), but those last 15 lbs were much slower to come off than the first 45.
Good luck!
Breastfeeding has generally helped me lose weight in the beginning, but as time goes by I find myself eating a lot as well. It's not until I stop breastfeeding that I lose most of the rest of the weight. I just stopped breastfeeding my third child and the same thing has happened. I am not as hungry throughout the day and I lost quite a bit of weight as well. Still have a little more to go, but at least I can now wear some of my pre-pregnancy clothes again.
keep breast feeding- it will begin to fall off!
They say that breastfeeding helps with weight loss, but it did not help me at all !!!! I gained 65lbs with the first pregnancy and I'm still working on loosing it...
Nothing worked for me until I went on South Beach diet and started working out after I was done breastfeeding.... now the weight is SLOWLY coming off...
I did a baby mommy swim class so that at least I was in the water moving around and getting in shape but I wasn't not with my son. I also played games on the floor with my son where I would lift him up and tickle him but for me I was doing a crunch and lifting him (he was about 10 lbs) so I was getting a good workout as well as strengh training.
You need to relax about it! It has only been 6 weeks! Stay active and eat healthy and worry about it later. As long as you are living a healthy lifestyle for yourself and children it will come off.
I was still up 20 lbs at 6 weeks too. Please don't be so hard on yourself! Remember it can easily take several months for your weight to drop back to what it was. I breastfed my son for 20 months and never really paid attention to what I ate (ie I ate when I was hungry and stopped when I was full). I found that my weight loss went in fits and starts. I plateaued for a month or so, then it dropped quickly, then it stopped for a while etc. I was within 10 lbs of my prepregnancy weight by around 4 months postpartum and was back to my original weight around 6 or 7 months.
Give yourself a break. Your body is still doing a lot of adjusting. It will return to its "set point" on its own
Congratulations on your continued success with breastfeeding! It is true that breastfeeding helps you shed your pregnancy pounds. What you must watch, though, is where the calories are coming from. Obviously you still need extra calories while breastfeeding. If you eat a candy bar for the extra calories, then you're getting most of them from sugar! A big bowl of mac & cheese may fill you up, but it's loaded with saturated fat- not conducive to weight-loss.
According to the Physicians Committee For Responsible Medicine (from the book Healthy Eating For Life For Kids), you can get all of the necessary calories from a diet consisting of the New Four Food Groups: vegetables (fresh or frozen), fresh fruit, legumes (beans, peas, or lentils), and whole grains. There is no need to eat fatty, sugary and refined packaged foods, or fish, meat, eggs, and dairy products.
Calcium-fortified foods are orange and apple juice, tofu, soy milk, and cereals. Beans, peas, and lentils also contain calcium and other minerals, vitamins, fiber, protein, and small amounts of healthy fats.
Nuts are a good source of protein- and while high in fat, these are the good fats you hear about! A handful of nuts each day is not a problem- and it's much better than a handful of cookies.
A diet consisting of these foods would definitely help you lose the baby weight. I've done it with my last two pregnancies, and during pregnancy as well. I've always returned to my pre-pregnancy weight (or lower!) within a few months. (I gained about 30 pounds with each pregnancy)
Another book that you may find useful is Disease Proof Your Child, by Dr. Joel Fuhrman. It offers a lot of information on breastfeeding and a healthy diet.
Good luck with your little one, and be healthy- you'll lose that weight in no time! It's all about what you're putting into your body. The exercise is secondary.
Check out: www.pcrm.org for more information and menu/recipe ideas.