Breastfeeding and the scale won't budge!

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HBBBLALCLE
HBBBLALCLE Posts: 10
in Health and Weight Loss
OK I need some tips!
Baby is almost 4 months old and since the initial weight loss it I have basically stalled. I have have never had the pleasure of the "nursing makes the weight fall off" but with my other 2 I was also not focused and consistent either.
This time I want it gone, I don't want the last 20 lbs still on when I wean. That would be a year I want that goal hit and moving on to the next!
I don't eat junk and I work out 6 days a week (30 day shred, jogging) but the scale does not move. I will measure myself and try to only focus on that moving down but man I totally want to see the scale move too.
I am afraid that maybe I am eating too little in calories for breastfeeding and it is actually backfiring on me. I find it hard some days to eat back the extra 500 but definitely going to fix that the next time I buy groceries. If I had a couple more healthy snacks here I won't feel bad about it.

So please tell me how you lost weight while breastfeeding?
Is it my calories keeping me from getting that scale to move??

Replies

  • mamahannick
    mamahannick Posts: 322 Member
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    Some women just don't have the weight melt off while breastfeeding, and it sounds like you might be one of them since it didn't happen with your others either. Definitely keep eating plenty of healthy calories if you want to keep your supply up, and also consider accepting that your body is just the type to cling to the weight while breastfeeding.

    I can't really speak from experience since I was only able to partially breastfeed for about 2.5 months and didn't gain a healthy amount of weight to begin with, but this is just what I have heard from other mommas. :)
  • FindingMyPerfection
    FindingMyPerfection Posts: 702 Member
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    Some women just don't have the weight melt off while breastfeeding, and it sounds like you might be one of them since it didn't happen with your others either. Definitely keep eating plenty of healthy calories if you want to keep your supply up, and also consider accepting that your body is just the type to cling to the weight while breastfeeding.

    I can't really speak from experience since I was only able to partially breastfeed for about 2.5 months and didn't gain a healthy amount of weight to begin with, but this is just what I have heard from other mommas. :)
    This! I was unable to lose weight while BF my two boys. Once I stopped I was again able to move the scale.
  • hmg90
    hmg90 Posts: 314 Member
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    My mum lost a lot of weight while breastfeeding me and my sis but she said it was only initially. It was as if the body at first responded a lot to it, then got 'used to' it a few months in. So I think it's natural to have less weight loss after a few months.
  • jayrudq
    jayrudq Posts: 475 Member
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    I didn't lose weight breast-feeding and was pretty conciencious about my eating. It wasn't until I was done and was able to get serious that I lost the weight. Sorry, but you are kind of in that grey place right now. You are responsible for eating for two and that has to be your priority. I think the fact that you are thinking about it and doing what you can is great and will serve you in the long run, even if you aren't losing the pounds now.
    Good luck. It is hard to be a good mom sometimes.
  • jhmomofmany
    jhmomofmany Posts: 571 Member
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    My weight loss stalled between about 3 and 5 months post-partum as well. Just in the last few weeks I have seen the scale go down again.
  • mistyladidah
    mistyladidah Posts: 210 Member
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    Last time it fell off with no exercise. I had gestational diabetes and followed the diet after delivery. So I ate a lot of meat and veggies (like whole bunches of asparagus in one sitting), lots of nuts, crunchy peanut butter and cheese as snacks, sugar only from limited fruit and dairy, no ice cream or baked goods.

    This time I'm eating more carbs and sugar, so I'm going to add in exercise. The scale was actually going the wrong way! Do be sure to eat enough, I found it hard to eat enough calories last time, so I wound up smothering my meat and veggies in butter. It was delicious.

    It will be harder to eat so much when you have all those exercise calories to account for. Have you considered working out a little less and really focusing on your food intake?
  • HBBBLALCLE
    HBBBLALCLE Posts: 10
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    Even when not nursing I have never been able to eat right and not exercise or exercise and eat whatever. I have to do both. Any bit of loss or even maintaining for me has always required lot of work.

    Hope it will start moving again or at the very least the measuring tape will start moving.
  • Holly_Roman_Empire
    Holly_Roman_Empire Posts: 4,440 Member
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    Some women just don't have the weight melt off while breastfeeding, and it sounds like you might be one of them since it didn't happen with your others either. Definitely keep eating plenty of healthy calories if you want to keep your supply up, and also consider accepting that your body is just the type to cling to the weight while breastfeeding.

    I can't really speak from experience since I was only able to partially breastfeed for about 2.5 months and didn't gain a healthy amount of weight to begin with, but this is just what I have heard from other mommas. :)
    This! I was unable to lose weight while BF my two boys. Once I stopped I was again able to move the scale.

    The same was true for me too.
  • Muffiewilmes
    Muffiewilmes Posts: 36 Member
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    I wasn't able to lose weight while Breast feeding either. I had friends who looked like the baby had sucked all the fat out of them but not me. I ate well didn't log but tried to eat things good for the baby and stayed hydrated but never lost until a week after I stopped then it was like I was melting for the first 6 weeks. I dropped 25# the 6 weeks after I stopped.
  • redheadmommy
    redheadmommy Posts: 908 Member
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    Some women just don't have the weight melt off while breastfeeding, and it sounds like you might be one of them since it didn't happen with your others either. Definitely keep eating plenty of healthy calories if you want to keep your supply up, and also consider accepting that your body is just the type to cling to the weight while breastfeeding.
    Yep, same experience here.
    Baby # 1, I gained 75lb , dropped 35 lb in the first 2 months and the additional 40 lb hang there until I weaned when my son was 2 yrs! old. After I weaned I managed to lose 50 lb in a bit more than a year, which point I got pg again

    Baby #2 , I gained 65 lb despite counting calories and eating only maintanance for most of my pregnancy:( I dropped 25 lb in the first 2 months, and again 40 lb was stalling for a looong time. I started to lose again, albeit very slowly , around the time my baby turned 9 months and reduced her feedings to 2-3 times a day. Now my baby is 12.5 months down to 1 nursing a day and I still have 25 lb to go. I am eating less than I did when I was losing nicely between the 2 kids, and still barely any movement on the scale. Sad, but it is really motivates me to try to wean this baby earlier .
  • wdh009
    wdh009 Posts: 3 Member
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    How long have you been dieting/exercising? Perhaps your body has converted a lot of fat to muscle which would accout for some of the resistance. Also, I've read that when breastfeeding, your body will hold onto 10 or so lbs contingency. Another thing you might consider is amping up your workout...try something new that your body isn't used to. :smile:

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