anyone have a hard time losing weight while nursing?

carriej82

seriously I have been at it since my daughter was 6 weeks old. she is now over 3 months old and I have only "lost" 5lbs but it fluctuates on and off. so really I have lost nothing. I have been working so hard, fluctuated calories, I even started weight watchers thinking may be that would help but I still am not losing anything. I workout 3-5 times a week doing a variety of things like walking, running, step aerobics, body pump, and elliptical. I am beyond frustrated and discouraged. I am considering seeing the dr ???

can it be hard to lose weight while nursing a baby? I feel like everyone else the weight just melts right off?

H_Jack

It's hard to not get discouraged! My daughter is 8 months and the weight is still coming off slowly. I have to work extra hard, and half the time I feel like I don't know what I'm doing! Am I eating too many cals? Too few? What's the issue today. Gah--it's maddening!

I try to remind myself that even if the scale is barely budging, I'm building awesome habits that will continue even after I'm done nursing. It's a hard pill to swallow when all I want is to look in the mirror and feel good about my reflection. Remember, we're fighting an entire history that insists women's value comes from their appearances. Sometimes, it's not just the weight that needs changing, but our perception of ourselves, too.

Your body just created life and is now sustaining it. That's AMAZING stuff! Feed it well and go easy on yourself. You're giving it the fuel and attention it needs to take care of yourself and your baby. The weight will drop, even if it doesn't seem like it's going fast enough!

carriej82

I try to remind myself that even if the scale is barely budging, I'm building awesome habits that will continue even after I'm done nursing. It's a hard pill to swallow when all I want is to look in the mirror and feel good about my reflection.

this is true and I have thought of this and I like to think to myself may be if the scale isn't budging now, may be when I am done nursing it will fall off quicker? lol I can hope.

I just feel like right now weight loss in consuming me and it is so frustrating to have it consume me and yet not see results.

Neaner2012

I've heard a lot lately that you'll hold on to 5-10 extra pounds if you're breastfeeding and the weight won't come off until you've weaned. Mother Nature's a b%&*#!

sorry thought you said you had 5 left. The only thing I can think of is diet. Are you keeping track?
Otherwise you should go to the Dr. Maybe thyroid or something?

carriej82

I've heard a lot lately that you'll hold on to 5-10 extra pounds if you're breastfeeding and the weight won't come off until you've weaned. Mother Nature's a b%&*#!

sorry thought you said you had 5 left. The only thing I can think of is diet. Are you keeping track?
Otherwise you should go to the Dr. Maybe thyroid or something?

I do keep track.... I have been doing WW now vs MFP so I have been counting points vs calories now. I made a dr appointment for Monday... I hope it is a thyroid

MeanSophieCat

I'm having the same issue. I lost a lot of weight quickly - more than just the baby, fluids, ect... but have been really stuck in the past couple months. My baby is 6 months old. I have real problems running a big calorie deficit including too little fat in my milk supply and all-day dizziness.

As a PP said, I'm trying to develop good habits that will continue once I stop nursing. In the life of our children, breastfeeding is a very short period of time. Everytime I think about the weight, I try to remember that the bonding time with my baby girl is better than being 10lbs thinner right now.

jacquel13

Hi,

I'm new to this group, but not to MFP or nursing. I have nursed 5 babies, and work very hard to lose weight after each birth. It seems to me that I get back to my prepregnancy weight when the baby is around 6 months old, but then my progress stalls out. I am totally frustrated since my prepreg weight is 185 and I'd like to be closer to 150. Currently my baby is 9 months old, and almost exclusively nursing. I ran a half-marathon back in June, but even though I run 4x a week, swim 2-3x a week, and eat around 1300 calories (plus workout calories) a day, my scale is barely budging. Gah.

I am also going to see a doctor this week and I hope I have a thyroid issue (how whacked out is that to hope for an illness?!) Of course I don't want to wean her (I typically nurse until 18 months) but I certainly am frustrated.

Hang in there
Jackie

carriej82

Hi,

I'm new to this group, but not to MFP or nursing. I have nursed 5 babies, and work very hard to lose weight after each birth. It seems to me that I get back to my prepregnancy weight when the baby is around 6 months old, but then my progress stalls out. I am totally frustrated since my prepreg weight is 185 and I'd like to be closer to 150. Currently my baby is 9 months old, and almost exclusively nursing. I ran a half-marathon back in June, but even though I run 4x a week, swim 2-3x a week, and eat around 1300 calories (plus workout calories) a day, my scale is barely budging. Gah.

I am also going to see a doctor this week and I hope I have a thyroid issue (how whacked out is that to hope for an illness?!) Of course I don't want to wean her (I typically nurse until 18 months) but I certainly am frustrated.

Hang in there
Jackie

well I feel so much better knowing it isn't me! and that others have some of the same issues too! I just feel like I am doing everything right but no results! good luck at the dr. I am going Monday and I also am hoping for an issue

obiegirl

Jackie,
5 babies nursed for around 18 months each? Just want to say that you're amazing...

Pam

jacquel13

ha! Thanks. I typically get pregnant when the baby is ~14 months old, and then they normally wean themselves by the time I'm 4-5 months pregnant. I really am amazed when I think about the last 10 years of either being pregnant, or nursing, or both. Crazy! And now I sound old, lol.

I'm sure when I eventually have my body "all to myself" I'll be thrilled for a while, and then sad to not have a little one around. Yay for hormones.