4st to lose...is breastfeeding stopping me from losing it?!

BEvans1501

Hello, I'm currently breastfeeding my 5month old son. I have 4st to lose and currently 90kg. I started going to the gym end of July 3 times a week and sticking to a 1200 diet. I haven't lost anything. Is there something I'm doing wrong? Should I start upping my workouts?

Many thanks

malibu927

How are you measuring your intake? If you aren't losing on 1200 calories, you're eating more than you think.

savithny

Some people say that while breastfeeding their body hangs onto *some* of the weight - the last few pounds down to their goal weight.

This is because your body has an idea about how much fat it needs to keep feeding the baby in case of famine.

But in your case, you've got plenty. So that's not the issue. At 1200 calories and not losing, you're probably not measuring something correctly, or not counting something that really should be counted.

LazSommer

No, breastfeeding uses more calories...You are eating much more than 1200 if you are successfully breastfeeding and not losing weight - I've heard people (and witness my wife) use around 500 calories extra per day for breastfeeding, and still lose. It's not an insignificant number given that it nourishes a small human.

savithny

Also: Are you actually breastfeeding 100%, or are you supplementing and only breastfeeding part time. That affects how many "extra" calories you're burning.

I ate something like 3000 calories a day while nursing and chasing a 3yo and dropped weight like crazy, but I was the only source of calories for a baby that hit 25 pounds before she started solids.

robininfl

4 stone, no. The last little bit, yes sometimes bodies will hold on to the cushion. That happened to me with baby #4, I didn't lose all the weight until she weaned, then it just fell off. About 10lb or so. With the other three, it was the opposite situation, I had trouble keeping enough weight on while breastfeeding. But yes, nursing can impact how your body loses weight.

Try drinking more water - maybe you are eating when you are thirsty. Breastfeeding takes a little more food (though not really - as my mom says, your body will make good milk regardless, it just takes it out of your bones and muscles if you don't eat enough), but a lot more water.

kshama2001

There are mistakes that people commonly make that cause them to not lose weight that we might be able to spot if you change your Diary Sharing settings to Public: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/account/diary_settings

marissafit06

I was able to lose all my weight except the last 15 lbs when I was breastfeeding. So I would think you should be able to shift about 3stone of those. Make sure you are eating well, hydrating and getting proper sleep. You don't want to negatively impact milk quality or your own health as you diet down.

meritage4

I year after my first I was back to pre-baby weight and yes I was still breast feeding. It's only been 5 months-it was 9 months for you putting on the weight. Be patient.