Breastfeeding mothers and weight loss

amycdsteinberg

Are there any of those out there besides me??? LOL...I am having a really hard time with weight loss as I am currently breastfeeding-wasn't sure if it made a diffference but it really does, because even with exercise and great eating I am still just maintaining. Is this normal?

mandimommy

For some people, it is! I nursed three children (13 months, 21 months, 13 months) and always kept about 10 pounds on until I weaned, I had a lot of friends who lost tons of weight and others who gained. Even with a good diet and exercise, I never could drop the last 10 until I was done.

buttercup62999

I would say a good thing, you are not gaining! They say that weight loss during breastfeeding can change the taste of the milk and it turns some babies off. I didn't start losing any though until my daughter was weaned at 10 months (her choice).

6Pk2Go

I lost over 60lbs while breastfeeding both of my children. I agree that the last 10lbs didn't come off until I weaned. The bulk of it came off through eating healthy, moderate exercise (walking with baby attached), and breast feeding.

MrsNoir

Hi! I don't know how to calculate this for you, given that I am Spanish and used to Kilos or Stones, as I live in England. But I think 1k equals 2lb or sort of so I'll try

So when I got pregnant was also the fittest I've ever been in a decade and a half, as it happens..

Pre. pregnancy: 59kilos (around 118 lbs)
Full term pregnancy: 82 kilos (164 lbs approx)
16 weeks later and exclusively breastfeeding: 62.6 (135 lbs,i checked that one in lbs today)

I must say that I also start counting calories around the 6th or the 7th week after giving birth, I put myself the target of 1,200.. but because I was so hungry, I forced myself to earn some more calories doing loads of walking so I could eat them back! so I didn't lose much for a couple of weeks, but then I realized that the secret was to burn some extra and never eat them back!, so in the end I might have ended up eating 1600 calories or more but did exercise enough to save some 200 calories or 150 that I didn't eat, I hated to be in red numbers! lol.

Now in the past two or three weeks I've been doing work outs as well as daily exercises like carrying 16lbs (my little one is a big baby) load to and fro about 30 mins, an hour or more if he's got bad winds and he's feeling grumpy or poor. I also add the cleaning, I like to have the house spotless when I have guests, and given that the baby only naps for 3 hours during the day, if I have guests, gosh... I run like a mad person to have all spotless, plus I set up the baby nursery upstairs, so everytime I would have to change him I would have to go upstairs.. that makes at least 5 mins of wlaking upstairs with baby. I also add the standing while I change his nappy, which is no less than 5 mins or 10 if he feels great, so that 4x or 5x a day, adds like 40 mins standing.. (I log it as fishing, as I'm also moving my arms) lol . Well all this logging is justified anyway as I do seem to lose weight during the day, also I believe it helps that I drink loads of water and I try to eat loads of healthy and food that really helps to lose weight

However I have very sweet teeth and rare is the day I don't have a hot chocolate or an icecream, or a couple of biscuits, and so on, but yeah, I'm starting to fit in most of my pre pregnant clothes,but then I might just been lucky, it might be down to genetics as well, check if your mum had the same difficulty to lose the baby weight, or any of your sisters.

Good luck with it!:D

amycdsteinberg

Thanks for the replies! I am really struggling with this especially since my cycle which didn't come back until my baby was about 9 months old is really messed up now too. I do have 5 children and am constantly busy as well, it just seems like this weight is going to stubbornly stick until I am done nursing! My baby will be 1 in less than a month and is still going strong, so we will see. Meanwhile I am going to continue just walking walking walking and eating right!

Melatonin

My current calorie goal is 1320 and there is a option in food that you can add in the calories burned by breastfeed. So really I'm taking in about 1500 in food, and I've been loosing a steady 2 pounds a week. My baby turns 1 next month too and he just won't quit. I've been working out at least 45 minutes a day and just trying really hard.

I think if you're making the right choices, tracking, and getting in a good workout it'll come off eventually. I wouldn't stress about it too much.

Are you just walking? If you can squeeze in a good 25 minute workout like 30DS you'll kick up your metabolism and it'll start coming off. That's what I did.

If I can help any more let me know or message me I'm in the same boat too so it'd be good to have someone to talk to in regards to this as well

porffor

Just a quick note to say kudos to you breast feeders.. I fed my little one for 17 montsh her option to quit not mine. I didn't manage to lose much while feeding, but that was my own hunger / eating the wrong things. I think general healthy eating works along with adding extra calories for feeding, not sure what the amount is though..

keep up the great work!

Sagetheplace

My son is 19 months and I started trying to lose wieght when he was 11 months old. IN about 9 months I have lost 52 pounds. I workout 4-6 days a week, usally 5. I usally work out in the mornings using a video like 30 day shred, some videos on exercisetv.com things like that. My wieght loss has slowed down and on average I am only losing 3 pounds a month if that. I am trying to up my calories...but somedays I a still too low. I know how you feel, it seems like it has stalled and dosnt want to move anymore and I still have lots to lose so it is frustrating.