Weaning from breastfeeding and weight piling on

vgpeterson1984
vgpeterson1984 Posts: 51 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
So I have always been big. No huge but big. I'm active and strong... Used mfp a few years ago and lost 20lbs or so. I got pregnant and actually gained only 10lbs thru pregnancy. I have lost that plus 30 thanks for breastfeeding. Now my baby boy is weening himself ( he's 18 months) and the weight is flying on. Like 10lbs in three weeks. I just started logging everything and I feel like I'm doing ok. Anybody else have this happen? I know breastfeeding burnt calories but damn. It's like I only need 1200 calories a day or I gain. :/

Replies

  • jskalouise
    jskalouise Posts: 13 Member
    Hello! While breastfeeding you have to start eating 500 calories more than normal. Now that your baby is weaning have you stopped eating the extra 500?

    I struggled with my weight a little after I stopped breastfeeding, but it was getting used to eating less again, because I no longer needed the extra food.

    I stopped breastfeeding about four months ago and only now I've really started losing weight again. Also, if you're dieting and still not losing weight, try drinking more water. I get bloated super fast when I'm dehydrated and it makes me think I've gained weight :)
  • JennB629
    JennB629 Posts: 54 Member
    Consider yourself lucky! I was one of those freak of natures that never lost weight while nursing
  • lindaloo1213
    lindaloo1213 Posts: 283 Member
    JennB629 wrote: »
    Consider yourself lucky! I was one of those freak of natures that never lost weight while nursing
    Me too. I held onto the weight until I was done. Then the weight came off.
  • driving_miss_crazy
    driving_miss_crazy Posts: 36 Member
    Oh no...I will be weaning soon and I hope this doesn't happen. I wonder if it could be hormone adjustment?
  • stephaniej2888
    stephaniej2888 Posts: 93 Member
    jskalouise wrote: »
    Hello! While breastfeeding you have to start eating 500 calories more than normal. Now that your baby is weaning have you stopped eating the extra 500?

    I struggled with my weight a little after I stopped breastfeeding, but it was getting used to eating less again, because I no longer needed the extra food.

    I stopped breastfeeding about four months ago and only now I've really started losing weight again. Also, if you're dieting and still not losing weight, try drinking more water. I get bloated super fast when I'm dehydrated and it makes me think I've gained weight :)

    She has it right!
    When you are breastfeeding you have to eat extra to keep the milk production up so that your making enough to feed the baby, now that your not breastfeeding anymore you need to look at what & how much your eating, portions, etc.

    Also keep in mind that breastfeeding is burning calories....so your essentially going from "working out" every few hours to.....what? Are you active? If your going from breastfeeding to not breastfeeding, eating the same, and not working out then there's your problem!
  • victoria_1024
    victoria_1024 Posts: 915 Member
    My toddler is almost 20 months and still nurses 2-3 times a day but I've lost 90 lbs while nursing. Along the way I continued to drop the number of breastfeeding calories I ate. At this point I don't eat any extra back to account for those 2-3 times because it's probably very minimal. But months ago I could add 200-300 extra a day!

    More than likely your body got used to eating a set number while you were nursing and now you're burning fewer calories but eating the same so you're gaining weight.
  • Asher_Ethan
    Asher_Ethan Posts: 2,430 Member
    lindaloo9331 wrote: »
    JennB629 wrote: »
    Consider yourself lucky! I was one of those freak of natures that never lost weight while nursing
    Me too. I held onto the weight until I was done. Then the weight came off.

    This was me too.

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