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How in the WORLD do you lose weight and BF?!?

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april0803
april0803 Posts: 5
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ok I've been going at this weight loss thing for exactly a month, as of today. I have only dropped 7 pounds and my weight varies sooooooo bad!! Any advice on how to tackle this? one day ill be down 3 pounds, then up 2, then down 5 and so on and so on. Help (:

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  • RBXChas
    RBXChas Posts: 2,708 Member
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    ok I've been going at this weight loss thing for exactly a month, as of today. I have only dropped 7 pounds and my weight varies sooooooo bad!! Any advice on how to tackle this? one day ill be down 3 pounds, then up 2, then down 5 and so on and so on. Help (:

    I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but for some women it's nearly impossible. Many of us on here, myself included, struggle so hard only to not lose or barely lose until they wean. We are thus faced with the option of either quitting BFing and losing weight or sticking with it and staying heavier. I personally struggled with this for months and months. I seriously considered quitting more times than I can count. However I am so glad I stuck with it! My first child was supplemented from day 1 and fully formula-fed from 3 months, so I had the benefit of knowing the boat I'd be in if I quit BFing.

    A little over a month ago I made peace with it. I'm ok with the fact that my body will be like this until we wean (and for several months afterwards, as I have a lot to lose).

    I know that's hard to hear, and I wanted so badly to make peace with it for a long time but couldn't until sometime in January. My baby is 9.5 months old now, and I plan on weaning at a year, unless he decides earlier that he's done.

    Check out these topics in here for more on this:

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1144122-does-breastfeeding-secretly-sabotage-weight-loss

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1198520-please-help-feeling-frustrated

    And definitely read this now, then again in a month, then again in a few months:

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1108196-if-i-could-do-it-all-over-again

    Best wishes! It can be really frustrating, I know. You might luck out in a few months, but if you don't lose a bunch until you wean, take heart that many of us are in the same boat! :flowerforyou:
  • RBXChas
    RBXChas Posts: 2,708 Member
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    Also, weight is only one way to measure progress. However it fluctuates wildly. I burned somewhere between 3,000 and 4,000 calories on Saturday, have eaten normally since then, had plenty of water, and I'm still up 2+ lbs on the scale. The scale makes zero sense.

    Measurements and how your clothes fit are great ways to measure your progress, especially because our bodies change so much pospartum.

    ETA that 7 lbs in a month is a great loss! Even without BFing and working out hardcore, etc, I've never lost that much in a month except maybe my first month on MFP.
  • april0803
    april0803 Posts: 5
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    Yes! It makes no sense at all....its so sad :( I really am trying hard but nothing is happening
  • mkcolombia
    mkcolombia Posts: 71 Member
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    ok I've been going at this weight loss thing for exactly a month, as of today. I have only dropped 7 pounds and my weight varies sooooooo bad!! Any advice on how to tackle this? one day ill be down 3 pounds, then up 2, then down 5 and so on and so on. Help (:

    You have been on here for a month and lost 7 and yet you think this is nothing? That's great weight loss! I don't think I have lost that mush in a month ever!!! Gradual weightloss is easier to maintain in the long run
  • her4g63
    her4g63 Posts: 284 Member
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    Some women lose quickly, others take time but we all want it off like yesterday.

    But you have to remember this: You are doing a GREAT job!! 7lbs is a fantastic loss and you should be proud of it (:
  • ramsx1991
    ramsx1991 Posts: 142 Member
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    7 lbs in one month is fantastic.

    Are you weighing yourself at the same times of the day? I will go up and down as much as 7 lbs in one day, it happens. How about measurements? I would recommend going my measurements... For over 3 weeks I didn't lose 1 lb but I had lost many inches all over my body.

    And also, some women hang on to the weight until they wean, some women only hang onto the last 10 lbs and for some women, the weight just melts off. It's always different :)
  • ks4e
    ks4e Posts: 374 Member
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    7 pounds is great! It took me 13 months postpartum to reach my pre pregnancy weight. I also had diastasis recti so my abdominal region protruded more than it should. I found that pushing myself too hard with exercise made my pelvic region hurt, and too drastic a drop in calories made my supply suffer. So I tried my best to eat REAL food for nourishment and when I felt better, I began to lift. This resulted in some body decomposition, so if the weight wasn't dropping quickly, at least I was building muscle and looking a bit slimmer.

    Don't be too hard on yourself. It takes time, and at least you have a baby to enjoy in the meantime!
  • AsellusReborn
    AsellusReborn Posts: 1,112 Member
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    Slowly. I've never been able to lose more than 2-3lbs a month while breastfeeding, because I'm way too hungry to eat at a pound a week deficit while also breastfeeding and maintaining my supply comes first. My scale is ticking steadily downwards but at a snail's pace; mmy son is 5 1/2 months old and I am 7lbs under pre-preg.

    I decided weightloss - while I'd eat at a deficit anyway - is not a goal anymore. I'd go mad. I'm working on my fitness instead, working on becoming a stronger, better runner. It's a lot more fulfilling that way.

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