Nursing and losing weight

mocosa74
mocosa74 Posts: 42
edited September 21 in Health and Weight Loss
I am having a hard time trying to figure out if I am having problems losing weight..because I am nursing?? I have an 8 mo daughter and only plan to nurse til she is 1..but I am getting so frustrated at going back and forth between 5 lbs!!!
I must admit, I am not the best of eaters..but I do try and incorporate fruts and veggies..and other good things. I am a WW lifetime member trying to get back on track after pregnancy......so I have a good knowledge of what to eat/do...but need some guidance on this subject....

Any ideas????

Replies

  • foxxybrown
    foxxybrown Posts: 838 Member
    Are you exercising? Only saw 99 calories burned for the last week.
  • TerriKim
    TerriKim Posts: 9
    Actually, you burn additional calories when you are nursing. Perhaps using this site and tracking your food intake (monitoring your fat, and sugar, as well as calories) will help.
  • AmandaB4588
    AmandaB4588 Posts: 655
    Are you eating enough to make up for the calories you burn nursing?
  • AmandaB4588
    AmandaB4588 Posts: 655
    Are you eating enough to make up for the calories you burn nursing?
  • cakesmooth
    cakesmooth Posts: 122 Member
    I'm having problems with that last 5 to 10 pounds I gained while nursing. My boy is still nursing at 16 months. I read somewhere that your body keeps an extra 5 pounds on while nursing. I think I read that it has some biological importance linked way back to the beginning when living was much more difficult and food harder to come by.
  • knittygirl52
    knittygirl52 Posts: 432 Member
    You also don't indicate how much you are wanting to lose. I made a big mistake when I had my first child (which, frankly affected my entire adult life until now). I had lost a lot of weight before I got pregnant and had kept it off for a year before I got pregnant. I was very careful during the pregnancy to gain no more than 25 pounds. I was left with 10 pounds that I couldn't shake while nursing, and it demoralized me so much that I threw in the towel. In retrospect, I realize that at least some of that 10 pounds was added breast tissue (yeah -- I really increased cup sizes) and some was probably needed by my body because I started out on the thin side. If I would have told myself that I would accept 5 or 10 pounds of additional weight until I stopped nursing, I probably would not be working on a 100 pound weight loss now.
  • lisawest
    lisawest Posts: 798 Member
    If you know about how many ounces you produce a day, you can enter that in your food diary. It's not in the exercise database, but there is an entry for it in the food database that has a negative caloric value. (It's under "Breastfeeding- Nursing mother.")

    I know that they say nursing a young infant burns about 500 calories a day, and you NEED to eat those calories in order to maintain your supply, but I don't know how much nursing an older infant burns. You may not be eating enough calories to maintain weight loss, but I do need to say that I am not qualified to make that determination.

    Some things you can try would be to 1) eat more calories (preferably of fruits and veggies!) for at least a month and re-evaluate then, or 2) eat fewer calories for at least a month and re-evaluate. Personally, I would go with option 1 first (because I had issues with supply with my first child) and see what happens.

    I hope that helps! Good luck finding something that works!
  • mocosa74
    mocosa74 Posts: 42
    Great advise everyone! I am trying to get rid of 20 extra lbs. I have heard you need to eat anywhere between 300-500 calories extra when nursing..but was not sure what to choose? And yes..I do excersise..sometimes. =) I know that excersise will play a BIG part in my weight loss..when I get the gumption to start. = ) Will be starting interval training on my days off...so am looking forward to that......

    It never occured to me about the extra weight I was carrying around for nursing purposes...I will also keep that in mind. =).

    I am going to try and up the calories, even though I am hesitant to do so....but I am willing to try anything. =) Thanks for all the information, and any other knowledge anyone cares to pass along!

    This also inspired me to start my interval training ...at least for now!!!
  • luvHim
    luvHim Posts: 35 Member
    I am one of those nursing mamas who's struggling also. :( I have tried the low cal thing with eating around 1500.....that made my milk drop way too low and I was lightheaded and shaky. So I've been hanging around 2000 for the last couple months, saw a 1-2lb gain, but I think it's slowly coming back off again. I'm trying to stay around 1900-2000...on days I'm especially hungry I will eat more. Nursing my baby is more important to me than the last 5 pounds....so I'm doing it really slow. I also try to run everyday and that has helped with the toning.

    Hope this helps......my advice would be to make sure you don't go too low. But, like you, my baby is on some solids since he's 6 months now and it helps that he is not totally dependent on me for his nourishment. Takes some of the stress off. :)
  • mocosa74
    mocosa74 Posts: 42
    I am going to have to agree with you on the 'not to worried' comment. I know she is more important right now then my weigjht (snickering), but I am just so frustrated, sometimes that is all I see!!! :happy:
  • mocosa74
    mocosa74 Posts: 42
    I found it!! Thanks so much on the info..i was actually looking for a way to log nursing ounces..and NEVER thought to look under food.
    Granted, I can only do this on days I pump..but still....Thanks again! :smile:
  • mocosa74
    mocosa74 Posts: 42
    I am going to have to agree with you on the 'not to worried' comment. I know she is more important right now then my weigjht (snickering), but I am just so frustrated, sometimes that is all I see!!! :happy:
    [/quote]
  • mocosa74
    mocosa74 Posts: 42
    you know about how many ounces you produce a day, you can enter that in your food diary. It's not in the exercise database, but there is an entry for it in the food database that has a negative caloric value. (It's under "Breastfeeding- Nursing mother



    I found it!! Thanks so much on the info..i was actually looking for a way to log nursing ounces..and NEVER thought to look under food.
    Granted, I can only do this on days I pump..but still....Thanks again! :smile:
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