dieting vent

MommaDalton

I'm not really looking for any advice, just need to vent a little. I'm new to MFP and I'm 7 weeks post partum - just had my second baby boy in July. At 10 months pregnant I was about 195lbs (I'm 5'3'' and small boned) and now I am at 167lbs just from having the baby, getting rid of all that fluid and from breastfeeding. I'm not exclusively breastfeeding; I'll give my baby a few ounces of formula maybe 2 or 3x a day, just depends on how much milk I have. My milk production seems to be lagging, I don't know if that's because I'm not getting all the nutrients I need throughout the day or what but it's the reason I'm using some formula here and there. Anyway, I just started doing Jillian Michael's 30 Day Shred 4 days ago and I've been using MFP to track what I'm eating/how many calories I'm consuming and burning off through the Shred. So here's where I'm gonna start venting...I LOVE food. I honestly think I am a food addict. I can easily eat 5 full size candy bars and still want more even if my stomach is telling me I'm full. I'll have seconds and third helpings at meals and snack all day. When I met my husband, I was 135lbs (only a little bit overweight but still very happy with my body!) and after 3 years of marriage and 2 kids later, my body has changed drastically and I eat to deal with absolutely every problem in my life (bills, marriage troubles, bills, home sickness, bills, kids, bills...). My stomach is a hot mess from having 2 kids in 2 years, stretch marks like zebra stripes and a gut thats threatening to start sagging pretty soon. Since I started using MFP, I've LOVED keeping track of the calories however I'm not into what I'm eating to try to keep it at my allotted calories or under, and I struggle with deciding if I should be taking in a few hundred extra calories or not because of the breastfeeding. If I take in more calories, will it take me longer to lose a pound? If I stick to my allotted 1550 cals a day, will my milk production slow down even more? And, I hate this, NO diet programs such as Nutrisystem or eDiets allow breastfeeding women to do their programs. My biggest annoyance with dieting is prepping my own food and cooking delicious, fattening dinners for my husband and our 18 month old. (okay okay they're not fattening, they're good dinners but if you eat 3 helpings like me then they're fattening!). I loathe seeing my pathetic 1/2 cup of fruit next to my husband's bag of TGI Fridays chips. I just think that if I could go on one of those programs, I wouldn't hate dieting so much cause they give you so many options and some of them are fresh so they're not packed with so much sodium and other bad crap. The other problem is, I can't seem to find ANY recipes for low fat/low cal meals to make just for myself that I actually like and would eat. I also can't afford to spend more than X amount of money on myself each month because money is reaaaaallllly tight and we still need stuff like diapers, wipes, toiletries and food for my 3 guys of course. And did I mention that I had 2 c-sections so I can't even do all the exercises that I'd like to be doing? I feel so LIMITED in everything!!! Okay. I'm done venting. Like I said, I'm not looking for advice or someone to throw me a pity party. Just needing to get some stuff off my chest cause I don't have any real friends close by to talk to about this. Plus the majority of my friends are thin and don't have any children so they just wouldn't understand where I'm coming from. Alright, thanks for reading. Tootaloo.

nxd10

Just vent. I'm sorry. You can do it. It will get better. Really.

---

Concretely . . . What do you like to eat? There are tons of good, cheap, low cal/carb recipes out there that taste good. You just need to find them.

mommacxjx

They say exclusive breastfeeding an infant that young burns about an extra 500 calories a day. Each ounce of milk you produce is roughly 20 calories. So, if you're supplementing say three ounces a day, you could subtract 60 calories from that 500 and add 440 calories to your base. You absolutely need to give yourself calories from nursing or your milk supply will suffer. I breastfeed exclusively, but my baby is 6 months so she nurses less than a baby your son's age and I give myself an extra 300 calories everyday and I've lost 18 pounds since June 24. You CAN do this.

pattyg1821

I breastfed for total of 13 months. Naturally for the first 7months my daughter wouldn't take bottle til 7months and thats when I started formula as well.

I would definetly watch what you eat because with you breast feeding baby can get gassy /colic etc or ancy.

You need to treat breastfeeding as if you are pregnant. Enough calories in but enough good stufff.

I would Suggest even cardio and some ab exercises too help but don't.

As far as how many cals I don't really know.

kathyc727

Let it out Sweetie...you'll get it together in time. Congratulations on the new baby

pinkyleigh83

I was in a similar spot 9 months ago when I had my 2nd baby as a repeat c-section.
Pre-pregnancy I was 164, a tight size 10, at 5' tall. At delivery I was 211. 6 weeks post partum I was 174.
It's at 6 weeks post baby I decided I needed to change. I used to be 115 & a size 4 10 years ago & the weight slowly crept up & I was sick of it. Nothing like a pregnancy to motivate you to get into shape!

It's been about 8 months & I have lost almost 64lbs, am a size 0, surpassing my initial goal. It can be done!! I promise! I never, ever thought I could get my stomach anywhere close to how it looked before. It may have stretchmarks & loose skin but I'll be damned if I'm not proud of my abs now!
Keep your eye on the prize & want to change your lifestyle more than you want that candy bar. It truly is a journey & is about baby steps in changing bad habits into good ones. It takes time. You can definitely do it! You are stronger than you think you are!

Feel free to add me if you want some support.

FemmeJolie

You're supply is likely suffering from feeding your baby formula rather than malnutrition... my son is 7 months old and exclusively breastfed. I have lost 80 pounds since he was born (40 since I started MFP) and I eat between 1300-1900 calories- usually 1400 or 1500.

MommaDalton

thank you all SO much for letting me vent and for your encouragement and insight i truly appreciate it and love knowing that there are people out there who are actually willing to take the time to listen to what i needed to get out. much love and keep up the good work to all of YOU as well