What am I doing wrong?

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  • wilsoje74
    wilsoje74 Posts: 1,720 Member
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    Eat more to make sure your child gets the nutrition they need.

    Then afterwards, worry about how you look.

    Like seriously, you have an infant who is dependant upon you for their every need - nut up.

    It's a toddler so their primary nutrition should not be breast milk
  • editorgrrl
    editorgrrl Posts: 7,060 Member
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    Have your thyroid checked out. That maybe the cause.
    The OP has been diagnosed w/ Hashimoto's (autoimmune thyroid disease), sees an endocrinologist, and takes Synthroid (a prescription medication for hypothyroidism, aka low thyroid).
  • jimmmer
    jimmmer Posts: 3,515 Member
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    Eat more to make sure your child gets the nutrition they need.

    Then afterwards, worry about how you look.

    Like seriously, you have an infant who is dependant upon you for their every need - nut up.

    It's a toddler so their primary nutrition should not be breast milk

    MIssed that about the toddler. I retract my harsh blast of criticism in the face of new facts.
  • fushigi1988
    fushigi1988 Posts: 519 Member
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    I have a fitbit and I burn more than 2500calories a day and eat about 1400cals. I don't drop a pound and what's even worse, I'm gaining. What am I doing wrong?

    You are not eating enough, make your gap smaller, I try to make my gap 500 calories max under fitbit.
  • jcorpern
    jcorpern Posts: 96 Member
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    Eating 1400 daily isn't going to affect the quality of the breast milk at all. Numerous studies conducted in third world countries have shown that the mother's diet has very little effect on the quality of the breast milk. The flip side of that is that the body pull's from the mother's stored resources to maintain the quality of the milk, going so far as to scavenge calcium from the bones for example. So if you aren't taking a multivitamin, you risk creating vitamin deficiencies in your own body. As long as you're getting a good amount of protein, a reasonable amount of fat and fiber, and taking a multivitamin, there's no reason you can't continue on a 1400 calorie regime.

    Unfortunately, whilst making milk does use kilojoules, there's no conclusive evidence that breastfeeding contributes to weight loss. I'd say, continue eating a healthy, balanced diet at a calorie deficit, take a multivitamin, and get regular physical activity, even if it's only walking. The weight will eventually come off.
  • kdt8810
    kdt8810 Posts: 38 Member
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    I'm 5'6", 141 pounds , 39 years old with an 11 month old who nurses twice a day. I strength train 3x a week and cardio 3x a week. I eat around 2000 calories a day and I am losing weight - slowly - but it's coming off. We are at a healthy weight for our height. We want to lose those "vanity" pounds. I have been told by a myriad of trainers that when you are at a healthy weight and still nursing those last ten vanity pounds are really hard to lose. They should be easier to shift when you decide to wean (and good for you for nursing that long!) Just keep doing what you're doing - maybe try to find the sweet spot upping your calories - it will come - just may take some time. You can do it momma!
  • rena_may
    rena_may Posts: 1
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    there is a negative food for breastfeeding make sure you are consuming enough or your LO will not be getting what he needs. Also BF and have found this to be working so far. Good luck
  • jcorpern
    jcorpern Posts: 96 Member
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    Again Rena-May, please don't try to scare her. Study after study conducted in thirld world nations where nutrition is far poorer than in any developed nation have proven that the quality of the mother's diet has very little influence over the nutrional quality of her breast milk.

    If you want to plead for her to eat better or more nutrionally, be honest and say that if she doesn't get the right nutrients, it will adversely impact on her health. Don't try to scare her by saying it will affect her "LO" which I take to mean her little one. It won't. If it affects anyone, it will affect her. Thus the necessity of making sure that she takes in enough protein and uses a good multivitamin to make sure that she avoids nutrient specific deficiencies.
  • Smashley1947
    Smashley1947 Posts: 129
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    It looks and sounds to me like you are doing a wonderful job.

    I would add more strength training and look more closely at your body composition. You may not be losing weight but may be inches.
    A woman's body can fluctuate around 10lbs in a month. I wouldn't worry about small changes. If there is a trend (like weight gain in over a few months not days) up then you may have to do some recalculating.

    keep up the good work.
  • AmyG1982
    AmyG1982 Posts: 1,040 Member
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    Believe it or not, there is a chance you are not eating enough.

    Open your diary so we can take a look at it.

    I was at a plateau for weeks at 1200 calories and could not figure what I was doing wrong. I upped my calories and started losing again lost that last 5 pounds I wanted to, and i am in my 40s.

    I gained 18 lbs in India over the the last 5 months doing the whole eat pray love thing. I have set my cals to 1500 per day and eating back my exercise calories and although I have not weighed yet, can tell I am losing by the way my close are fitting.

    You need to eat at least your BMR.

    I agree with this... Try eating more for a couple of weeks. seems counter intuitive but it has worked for me and a couple of friends of mine.
  • spintronicus
    spintronicus Posts: 45 Member
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    For the nth time, I don't have an infant and it doesn't rely on my breastmilk for food anymore. He nurses here and there for comfort, which I'm OK with but again, he's 19months old who eats several meals and snack throughout the day.

    Still grateful for the concern though. ;)
  • spintronicus
    spintronicus Posts: 45 Member
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    Eating 1400 daily isn't going to affect the quality of the breast milk at all. Numerous studies conducted in third world countries have shown that the mother's diet has very little effect on the quality of the breast milk. The flip side of that is that the body pull's from the mother's stored resources to maintain the quality of the milk, going so far as to scavenge calcium from the bones for example. So if you aren't taking a multivitamin, you risk creating vitamin deficiencies in your own body. As long as you're getting a good amount of protein, a reasonable amount of fat and fiber, and taking a multivitamin, there's no reason you can't continue on a 1400 calorie regime.

    Unfortunately, whilst making milk does use kilojoules, there's no conclusive evidence that breastfeeding contributes to weight loss. I'd say, continue eating a healthy, balanced diet at a calorie deficit, take a multivitamin, and get regular physical activity, even if it's only walking. The weight will eventually come off.

    As far as remember, one can only change the fat type of the breastmilk, like if you eat more omega rich fat, then the BM becomes omega rich. It decreases my supply though. But I'm not concerned about it at this point. I'll probably let him nurse as much as he wants until he's 2 and try to wean after that if he seems ready.
  • kgeyser
    kgeyser Posts: 22,505 Member
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    So what happened over the last 16 days? You wrote out a plan, results?
  • spintronicus
    spintronicus Posts: 45 Member
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    Now the update:

    I've had another lab done to check my thyroid. Even though, I'm considered in optimal range for TSH (around but slightly higher than 1), a friend told me that my Free T3s and FT4 are both too low in the range. I'll see my endo again to ask a T3 supplement.

    I also increased my net calories to 1800 and stopped exercising almost altogether for a little while to de-stress my body. I increased my daily protein intake to 135mg which is about 30% of 1800cals. The fitbit says I burn around 1900-2100cals a day which I'd say about right since even if it over estimates, it doesn't take BFing or carrying two kids all day long. I went out for a run the other day and HRM said I burned 1000cals while fitbit said 500something. Again it doesn't take the stroller pushing or my heart rate into account. I'll increase my calories a bit more to reach my true TDEE and will start exercising again after I see my endo next week.

    I went steadily down to 140.8 to 142.2 depends on the day. I'm not trying to lose until I reach my true TDEE and show my body that I'm not starving it anymore.
  • spintronicus
    spintronicus Posts: 45 Member
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    So what happened over the last 16 days? You wrote out a plan, results?

    I was slowly typing while feeding my preschooler. He got too frustrated that his chilli and rice got spilled on his tshirt and wanted me to spoonfeed him for this once.
  • siogdearg
    siogdearg Posts: 20 Member
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    I'm 5’ 6”. 145lbs yesterday.

    You are the same height as me so I would say you are in the normal weight band for your height. So that could be a reason why losing anyone is difficult. You also sound really fit so you likely have a good amount of lean muscle - which is healthy. As a mom just finished breast feeding, I would say perhaps try for just maintenance at the moment rather than weight loss - you are already working your body hard feeding your baby. I hope you don't feel this is not respectful of your goals, but I can empathise with trying to lose post baby weight.
  • spintronicus
    spintronicus Posts: 45 Member
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    As another update: I checked my body fat percentage which I was delaying since I thought since I got fatter, it had to go up. It's not a great comparison but before kids and hypothyroidism diagnosis, it was %30.something. Now, I'm at %25-26. But it was one of the handheld devices which may not be good for estimating fat percentage below waist but it's the very same device, so I'm happy with the progress.
  • spintronicus
    spintronicus Posts: 45 Member
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    I'm 5’ 6”. 145lbs yesterday.

    You are the same height as me so I would say you are in the normal weight band for your height. So that could be a reason why losing anyone is difficult. You also sound really fit so you likely have a good amount of lean muscle - which is healthy. As a mom just finished breast feeding, I would say perhaps try for just maintenance at the moment rather than weight loss - you are already working your body hard feeding your baby. I hope you don't feel this is not respectful of your goals, but I can empathise with trying to lose post baby weight.

    Honestly, now I'm OK with not losing much as long as I see some progress with getting leaner. I was unaware of the fact that I was starving my body last time I posted. But then again, I was always told that unless you go below 1200, you should lose. The less the better. I enjoy exercising and now looking for ways to get leaner instead of losing weight. I really can't stand the way I fit into clothes right now and I want to get healthier by losing some fat.

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