Weight loss and Breast feeding

123Allyxox

So everyone says you burn an extra 500 calories breastfeeding, which should make weight loss easier, but I can't get this baby weight off!!!

I'm getting so upset. I know my diet isn't perfect by any means but I TRY to stay in the 1500-1800(maybe closer to 2000 if I worked with the trainer or went on a long run) calorie range, I eat a mostly clean diet (lean protein, fruit, veggies, whole grain, minimal dairy) and I exercise 4-6 times a week. I work out with a personal trainer, take various classes (spin, yoga, Pilates, exercise videos) I run, and I'm CONSTANTLY cleaning the house, a lot of the time with a 30 pound baby on my hip.
I wear I HRM when I workout at home ( I normally forget it when I'm going to the gym) but I don't think I'm overestimating my workouts.


Why can't I lose this baby weight:'(

I'm 5'4.5 Pre-baby I was about 127 I gained 50 pounds, I'm stuck at 140. And I'm almost 8 months postpartum

Any advice is appreciated!

kgeyser

Open your diary, it's easier to give advice if we have data to look at.

momma2azoo

I have 5 kiddos and I've nursed all of them into their toddler years (youngest will be 3 in Oct and is still nursing).

First, congrats in nursing! It's an awesome thing to do for your baby. After reading what I'm about to write PLEASE don't consider early weaning. Keep nursing. There are many future years to get to your ideal weight. Not many years to nurse your baby.

So that said, stop fighting your body. It is trying to protect its ability to feed your baby. There are a lot of hormones involved with milk production. Some of those hormones make it harder to loose weight while breastfeeding. I honestly hate the (mostly) myth that breastfeeding makes women loose weight. In my 17+ year experience of nursing babies I've met more women who struggled with weight loss for the first time ever while nursing than I have those who saw the post baby weight melt off. For me, I don't loose weight much at all until my babies are older and my hormones start to normalize (I go 2 years or more post birth with no period, my body gets really dedicated to nursing). Once my babies start weaning and my hormones get more normal my body suddenly starts letting go of the weight.

It is frustrating. You are eating healthy and working out. The weight you are at may where your body is comfortable while nursing. You can try restricting calories more. Just keep a close eye on your milk production. Sometimes restricting calories will just make you feel like crap, sometimes it will make your milk supply drop.

Another thing to keep in mind, especially if this is your first baby, is that you may never hit your pre baby weight without a real struggle. We change after having kids. Our bodies change. Some women don't see much of a change, for others adding a few pounds thanks to curvier hips and bigger boobs is their new normal. Don't get fixated on a scale number. Work towards a healthy body.

123Allyxox

Thank you. That makes me feel A LOT better, I definitely wouldn't wean to lose weight I want to nurse until my son is ready to stop for sure! Ive tried lowering my calories but it makes me really tired. I wish there was more info out there about women struggling to lose weight while nursing, everything I can find online talks about how it should be easier:/

kristydi

I have 5 kiddos and I've nursed all of them into their toddler years (youngest will be 3 in Oct and is still nursing).

First, congrats in nursing! It's an awesome thing to do for your baby. After reading what I'm about to write PLEASE don't consider early weaning. Keep nursing. There are many future years to get to your ideal weight. Not many years to nurse your baby.

So that said, stop fighting your body. It is trying to protect its ability to feed your baby. There are a lot of hormones involved with milk production. Some of those hormones make it harder to loose weight while breastfeeding. I honestly hate the (mostly) myth that breastfeeding makes women loose weight. In my 17+ year experience of nursing babies I've met more women who struggled with weight loss for the first time ever while nursing than I have those who saw the post baby weight melt off. For me, I don't loose weight much at all until my babies are older and my hormones start to normalize (I go 2 years or more post birth with no period, my body gets really dedicated to nursing). Once my babies start weaning and my hormones get more normal my body suddenly starts letting go of the weight.

It is frustrating. You are eating healthy and working out. The weight you are at may where your body is comfortable while nursing. You can try restricting calories more. Just keep a close eye on your milk production. Sometimes restricting calories will just make you feel like crap, sometimes it will make your milk supply drop.

Another thing to keep in mind, especially if this is your first baby, is that you may never hit your pre baby weight without a real struggle. We change after having kids. Our bodies change. Some women don't see much of a change, for others adding a few pounds thanks to curvier hips and bigger boobs is their new normal. Don't get fixated on a scale number. Work towards a healthy body.

Yup to most of this.
I did find that weight got easier to drop after my period returned. With my first that was around 15 months after birth. With my second it was around 7 months. My youngest is nearly 2 and still nursing. Most of the weight lost in my ticker was before my second pregnancy. I've just started really focusing on losing again after maintaining during daughters first years. MFP suggests that I eat 1440 calories to lose 1 pound a week. I bumped my goal up to 1500 and am OK with going over by a 100 calories or so. I figure that will put me losing between .5 and 1 pound a week. The general advice is to figure around 300 calories for breastfeeding after you introduce solids.

I urge you to focus on being healthy. As mamma2azoo said, you have years to worry about a weight for vanity (not that there's anything wrong with wanting to look good. I certainly do.) The time you have to nurse your babies is short and precious.

psych101

To be honest, I didn't lose hardly any weight while breastfeeding. I fed my boy until he was 16months and I'm stoked that I was able to do so for so long, but my weight was stable pretty much that whole time!

It certainly didn't 'drop off' like my mother kept telling me hers did :grumble:

rebeccaisafish

I gained a lot of weight in the first year of my daughter life. She's almost two now, and I'm still breast feeding and struggling to lose the weight even though I eat better than I did before I got pregnant.

I get so jealous of the people who find breast feeding helps the weight fall off because I'm certain that I'm the opposite! I'm sure my body is hanging onto every calorie just in case a famine happens and I still need to breast feed lol. I'm hoping that when I stop things will magically get easier, but as that's not looking like it will happen any time soon I'm just going to keep plugging along with tracking my calories and hoping for the best.

skrakalaka

I couldn't lose any weight while breastfeeding. I started exercising and joined Sparkpeople but had no success. After I quit breastfeeding however I lost 30 lbs without even trying.

purplehering

It is so nice to read all your comments! I feel the same way, I was told when breast feeding I would not have a period and lose weight better, this has not been true for me. I love my little girl and will continue to breast feed as long as possible, I know I could eat better but I am tired a lot and turned to food for energy ,since caffeine is off limits .