please help

ancl123

Hello everyone. I need advice please. I am breastfeeding an almost 5 month old baby girl. I have 2 other kids and stay home so I am always cooking cleansing and caring for 3 kids under 5. I am currently 165 pounds and am 5 foot 4 and would love to get back to 140. I was on weight watchers and lost 6 pounds but it took me since October which is frankly too slow of a progress for me. I have been eating 40-50 points which equates to about 2200 calories per day. I also exercise about 4 times a day on the treadmill.

I went to the gym this week 4 times and ate 2500 calories and did rigorous classes like weights and aerobics. The scale went up 3 pounds. Frankly, I would rather do walking to loose weight as I really don't have the energy and time to run to the gym if it doesn't even work for me. If I saw a payoff that would be another story.

I dont know what to do. I measure everything and write it down. Its frustrating to diet and not see a payoff I minds well sit on my couch and eat ice cream. I have done low carb in the past but prefer Weight watchers as it is more sustainable. If only it works or are my calories too high? I dont want to go to low either if it makes my body go into starvation mode. HELP please!

kcasey155

Your calories don't sound too far off. But I must admit I've never tried Weight Watchers and don't know how their system works. I'm a mother of five and breastfeeding my 15 week old. I am 5ft 5in and 182lb. Mfp has me on 1850 calories, which for me is 'lightly active' and losing half a pound a week. I also add 500 calories for exclusive breastfeeding and I eat back exercise calories. Most days I guess I'm eating about 2600 calories or thereabouts.

Perhaps you should also look at where your calories are coming from? I do find I lose more when I prepare my own food, rather than buy processed food. It also seems to help to vary your exercise and calories intake from one day to the next. High days and low days, gym, walking, zumba, swimming, keeping it varied.

The last thing is that some people seem to have real problems losing while breastfeeding and only achieve it once baby is fully weaned.

Good luck. I hope you find a way that works for you.

RBXChas

I can sense the frustration in your post because I've been there! I am much higher above my previous low weight than you are, and I have very few clothes that fit - and nothing presentable at that, mostly yoga pants.

Everyone and their mom thinks breastfeeding is the ultimate diet. I've even heard it referred to as "natural liposuction." You're doing great with the judgmental folks by BFing but failing the Us-Magazine-reading crowd by not being in your skinny jeans by 3 months postpartum.

I have said it before, and I'll say it again: if it were highly publicized that BFing is about as likely to make you hold on to weight as it is to help you lose weight, most women wouldn't do it.

Instead everyone touts how you can eat like crazy and still lose weight. They even fed me this line at the hospital after I had both kids.

Sure, for some that's how it works, but for a lot of us, it's the opposite. We either can't lose or hardly lose.

I have put so much effort into my postpartum weight loss, as much as I did after my older son was born. He was supplemented (but most FF) until he was 3 months old, then he was completely FF. This time I EBF until six months when we started solids, but we still BF a lot. Yesterday he was especially needy, and I counted that he nursed 8 times in less than 24 hours ending at 7:30 last night. The only difference between last time and this time is BFing. I've considered quitting more times than I can count, but formula is a pain in the *kitten* and really expensive! Plus I discovered that I am actually pretty emotionally attached to BFing, much more than I realized.

I eat 1800 calories, and the scale won't move. If it does, it is mega slow, like 1-2 lbs/month. For me that's way too slow for me to be killing myself trying to lose weight.

I know this isn't the answer you want to hear, but in the past couple of months or so, I've been much happier just relaxing. I log most days, and I allow myself treats without guilt but don't go apesh*t on them. I try to make healthy food choices, and I have tried to focus more on fitness with specific goals in mind. (I'm doing a four-hour charity Spinning marathon on March 8th and signed up for a half-marathon (running) in December). Since relaxing around Christmastime, I haven't gained or lost any significant amount of weight. That's better to me than running myself ragged only to lose one or two pounds.

My advice is to keep up as many healthy habits as you can mentally handle, and keep in mind that after you wean, it will be much easier. My baby turns 9 months old on Sunday. I doubt he'll wean anytime soon, so I just have to work on that when we get to a year. I just have to be ok with being this size for the time being.

I know it sucks, believe me! But it's worth your sanity to stop beating yourself up over why this damn weight won't move and try to focus on other things until you wean.

Jenny_Rose77

I know it sucks, believe me! But it's worth your sanity to stop beating yourself up over why this damn weight won't move and try to focus on other things until you wean.

^^Everything she said, but especially this!

FitMama2013

re: exercise - do what you like to do, what fits into your schedule, and what makes you feel good. the scale "gain" you saw was likely from lifting weights (I am lifting and also experience this on days after I lift). if you enjoy getting out of the house and taking classes in a group environment, then keep it up! if you prefer to walk, then walk! don't do anything that you don't enjoy or don't want to do. but please don't let a number on a scale decide for you. keeping the muscle you have as you lose weight will help you achieve the body you want at your goal weight, so keep that in mind as well.

re: calories - you seem to be on target with your calorie goal. I don't have anything to add that wasn't already said

re: frustration - there are quite a few of us in this boat who can sympathize. The advice above is exactly what I would suggest - just try to relax, listen to hunger signals, exercise for your health, and see what happens. You may not lose your weight until you wean, and you may lose it once you stop worrying about it. It's hard, though...I know! My son is 13 months and I'm 10 pounds less than the day I had him.