Stuck!

daduter5

Hi there!

I am starting to get discouraged. I gained 40 lb during pregnancy, and I'm now two months post partum. I have lost all but about 12 lb but I haven't lost any weight in about a month. I am having trouble because I want to lose the rest, but since I'm breastfeeding, I need to have calories for milk. Is anyone else in the same boat? Any suggestions? I'm exercising every day for at least an hour. I also have a calorie deficit every day. Frustrating!

RBXChas

What is your calorie goal? I am six weeks postpartum today, and I've lost almost 30 pounds. However, I have a long way to go! I have my calories set at 1900. I usually eat between 1800 and 1900 a day, and occasionally I will go slightly over (by less than 50 calories). If I assume that breastfeeding burns 500 a day, I am netting between 1300 and 1400 a day. (We are EBFing.) I also eat back any and all exercise calories. I do weigh in every day, which I know you're not supposed to do, but what I've noticed is on the days where I end up on the lower end, my weight does not go down. But if I am either at 1900 or even a little bit over, I am more likely to have a loss on the scale the next morning!

What you should probably do is experiment with your calorie intake a little bit. For example, you can increase it by 100 or 200 calories a day for a week and see how it goes. If that still doesn't work maybe go down from where you were starting. It's hard for me to say without knowing where you are right now. However, you should definitely be eating back your exercise calories as well as your breastfeeding calories.

RBXChas

Additionally, some women have trouble losing the last 5 to 10 pounds while they are breastfeeding, and those pounds only disappear when they wean. I can't say from experience because I did not exclusively breastfeed my first.

kcasey155

I ebf my four and can say the last 10lb is always breastfeeding weight. It's the weight of the milk, plus the fat/reserves stored by the body for the milk. It will leave you one to three months after stopping breastfeeding completely if you are eating healthily. Each time after I quit feeding I am down a dress size in a few months.

daduter5

Thanks ladies! I usually have at least a 400 cal. Deficit. I am 5 1" and I was 118 pre pregnancy and now am stuck at 131! I was 158 when I delivered. I seem to have lost some inches in the past 4 months based on how my clothes fit...but not pounds.
My my fitness pal goal is 1300. Exercise burns 400-600 and breastfeeding another 500. I usually end up eating around 1700.

RBXChas

I ebf my four and can say the last 10lb is always breastfeeding weight. It's the weight of the milk, plus the fat/reserves stored by the body for the milk. It will leave you one to three months after stopping breastfeeding completely if you are eating healthily. Each time after I quit feeding I am down a dress size in a few months.

^This. I was reading somewhere recently that BFing women can have 3 lbs of extra weight in their breasts alone! My first was BF'd and supplemented, and I started MFP when he was 2 months old with a 1200 calorie goal. My bad supply only got worse, so a month later I quit nursing/pumping and did lose weight a little more easily after that. I wasn't exercising at the time, either.

RBXChas

Thanks ladies! I usually have at least a 400 cal. Deficit. I am 5 1" and I was 118 pre pregnancy and now am stuck at 131! I was 158 when I delivered. I seem to have lost some inches in the past 4 months based on how my clothes fit...but not pounds.
My my fitness pal goal is 1300. Exercise burns 400-600 and breastfeeding another 500. I usually end up eating around 1700.

Kellymom suggests actually consuming no less than 1800 calories/day, which is especially important for you because your baby isn't old enough for solids and is eating nothing but breast milk.

If you're eating 1700, then you're netting 1200 after BFing, then 600-800 after exercise. I'm surprised your supply hasn't suffered! If I were you, I'd try upping my intake - maybe eating closer to 1900 or 2000 so that your net is a little higher. I'd suggest more but don't want to freak you out! You might experience an uptick in supply, which is good if you are pumping, too, but your body might release some weight. Be sure to give it a week or two to see how it shakes out before you revert or add in more calories.

Rubyayn

Thanks ladies! I usually have at least a 400 cal. Deficit. I am 5 1" and I was 118 pre pregnancy and now am stuck at 131! I was 158 when I delivered. I seem to have lost some inches in the past 4 months based on how my clothes fit...but not pounds.
My my fitness pal goal is 1300. Exercise burns 400-600 and breastfeeding another 500. I usually end up eating around 1700.

Kellymom suggests actually consuming no less than 1800 calories/day, which is especially important for you because your baby isn't old enough for solids and is eating nothing but breast milk.

If you're eating 1700, then you're netting 1200 after BFing, then 600-800 after exercise. I'm surprised your supply hasn't suffered! If I were you, I'd try upping my intake - maybe eating closer to 1900 or 2000 so that your net is a little higher. I'd suggest more but don't want to freak you out! You might experience an uptick in supply, which is good if you are pumping, too, but your body might release some weight. Be sure to give it a week or two to see how it shakes out before you revert or add in more calories.

^^This. I would say that with your workouts burning so much that you are likely in far too much of a deficit. This can not only hurt your weight loss efforts, but your supply as well. I would play around with a higher goal and see if the weight comes off.