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MyFitnessPal Community

Gaining weight after lowering calories

prplrose33

I am getting so frustrated with this weight loss crap! It really feels like no matter what I do the scale is creeping back up to where I was after my initial weight loss after I had my little one. I am up 3 pounds in the past couple of weeks. I just can't seem to find my happy medium. I really don't want to wait until after I am done breastfeeding to lose these 20+ pounds. I WANT TO BE "SKINNY" again. Everyone says that I look good and that I shouldn't be so harsh on myself since I just had a baby 12 weeks ago, but it is so hard when I look around and see everyone else losing weight and seeing new moms back to their pre-pregnancy size. I just don't know what to do anymore. Every time I step on the scale I get so discouraged that I end up eating less that day, which in turn makes my supply drop and then the scale go up. Is it possible that I am just not eating enough??? I'm 5'6 176 lbs. I try and workout out at least 3 times a week either by walking, riding my stationary bike, or a 20-30 min video. I also noticed that I'm not really just sitting around all day. I am constantly up and down with my kiddos while at home and running around the 2 days that I am working out of the house. I had my calorie goal set to 2000 (including the 500 for breastfeeding). I usually end up eating between 2000 and 2300 depending on my exercise level that day. I do go over on occasion. I find that I am still hungry eating this amount. I had my activity level set to sedentary and to lose 1 pound a week. I would love any suggestions. Please help!

Replies

kcasey155

When you don't eat enough one day, the next day your body will hold on to extra stores to make sure you have enough supplies to keep you going should you undereat again. Try and eat at an even level every day. 2000 calories may not be enough if you are very active and breastfeeding. Look at your nutrition too - can you cut down on processed foods and replace them with raw or homemade food? There's no easy answer, you'll have to experiment to see what works for you. But ironically if you're not eating enough regularly you won't lose weight.

RBXChas

I wish I had the answer

You know how much I've struggled with calorie intake! It sounds to me like upping your calories may work, though.

Jenny_Rose77

Ditto what Rebecca said. Also, my thought is if I'm not going to lose (much) either way, why not just be happier ( and not worry so much about my supply) and eat more?

RBXChas

If it makes you feel better, I spent about an hour reading random stuff on the Internet tonight about breastfeeding and weight loss. Slow weight loss is really, really common, though there's still a lot of stuff out there about how it's such a great "diet."

I did find one interesting blog (in which she links to MFP when she mentions logging food), and she said that she lost weight super slowly until she weaned. Once she weaned, the weight came off a little faster but then really accelerated when she stopped producing. I guess she had weaned but a few weeks later could still squeeze some out, as she put it. So for her it took until her body was 100% sure it wasn't supposed to produce breastmilk anymore.

My point is that this is really tough. I had the mentality just the other day that I must be doing something wrong. I'm not. We're not. This is trial and error for all of us. Sure, 2000 calories/day is working for me right now, or at least it was until earlier this week when I last posted a loss, but it might not be in a month. I might have to try dipping down to 1800 or back up to 2200 again.

Hang in there. Someone said to me yesterday that she's losing slowly, but hopefully in a year she'll be back where she was. I said I hoped to be, too. And my guess is that in a year we will look back and feel like it went by really quickly.

But back to you, specifically, I would again suggest eating more. It can't hurt your supply (or your mental state), and switching up your calories might keep your body guessing even if the increase isn't permanent.

Me, I'd love to create a calculator that determines how much a BFing woman should eat in order to lose steadily while maintaining supply by just entering her BMR and TDEE. I think I'd have a lot of Google Ad revenue.

Jenny_Rose77

Me, I'd love to create a calculator that determines how much a BFing woman should eat in order to lose steadily while maintaining supply by just entering her BMR and TDEE. I think I'd have a lot of Google Ad revenue.

At this point, I'd pay you to reveal the secret!

daytolive

I totally know how you feel. It took me awhile to be close to my PP weight and now my daughter is almost 1 year and my supply is non existent. You are only 12 weeks PP, don't worry so much about losing,this is when you want to make sure you feed your baby the most you can! The weight WILL come off,i swear.

Now that my nursing is coming to an end,i'm sad I was thinking about vanity more than providing the best milk possible for my baby.

Keep up whatever you're doing. Just make sure your food choice are healthy and you should lose weight!

daytolive

Me, I'd love to create a calculator that determines how much a BFing woman should eat in order to lose steadily while maintaining supply by just entering her BMR and TDEE. I think I'd have a lot of Google Ad revenue.

You'd make a fortune!!!!!