Trouble losing weight while breastfeeding...

Amber030583
Amber030583 Posts: 490 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hello! Hopefully you can help me out. My daughter is nine weeks old today. Since four weeks i have been working out. It was a slow progression cause I was doing a Postnatal boot camp and they recommend every other day. so that is what I was following until last week. I have been trying to watch what I eat but with nursing I have been listening to my hunger so it doesnt mess with my milk supply. So needless to say I haven't been losing weight. Well I have but i keep bouncing around within a ten pound range.

Anyone else have this issue? My first son (7+ years ago) I dropped weight without even trying. This time not so much.

If you had this issue what did you do to get some sort of loss or did it not happen till you stopped nursing? This is getting very discouraging. I am pretty much at the weight I was at when I was admitted to the hospital.

I was thinking of if I can't lose the weight to possibly doing Chalean Extreme and maybe trying to turn some of this fat into muscle? Anyone take that route.

Any and all input is greatly appreciated....I really want to be able to nurse for at least a couple months but I want to be able to get out of my maternity jeans and into my prepregnancy jeans.

Replies

  • kgeyser
    kgeyser Posts: 22,505 Member
    Weigh, measure, and log your food. Eat your MFP goal plus 300-500 calories for breastfeeding. Drink lots of water. Watch your supply and adjust calories as needed.

    Get some exercise, but don't kill yourself with extreme exercise. You cannot turn fat into muscle, and you can't build muscle in a calorie deficit. Eat back a portion of your exercise calories. Get lots of sleep.

    Be patient, enjoy your new addition to your family, and stop worrying so much about your pants. The weight will come off.

    Signed,

    Nursing mom of an almost 23-month-old who has lost 24 lbs since Thanksgiving….and didn't drop a pants size until she dropped 20 lbs.
  • Divashrink1982
    Divashrink1982 Posts: 8 Member
    Be patient. One of the things that I've heard over and over again from my mommy friends is that it took 9 months to put the weight on - it's okay if it takes 9 months to take it off as well (or longer). I would fear that if you are too drastic, it would mess with your supply, especially as little as your daughter still is. I know that it's frustrating to not fit back into your clothes right away, but you will get there. You may also see your weight drop a little more when your daughter is between 3 and 6 months - I believe that's what I've heard, anyway.

    My story is a little atypical because I was nauseous for much of my pregnancy and I delivered at 36 weeks - so I only gained 20 lbs (I was also in the obese range to start with). I lost almost all of it within the first month, only to gain most of it back once my little guy was a toddler and not eating as much from me. I am still nursing and using MFP to hold myself accountable. I have my weight loss goal set to 0.5 lb a week but have been losing about a lb a week because I haven't been accounting for nursing in my MFP calories. My son is almost 2 now but still nurses several times a day - doing this hasn't impacted my supply that I can tell, and I have lost 7 lbs since Valentine's Day. I know that doesn't sound like a lot, but I had to start somewhere :)

    Good luck! Enjoy your little one, and be patient with yourself.
  • krazzybebe03
    krazzybebe03 Posts: 39 Member
    I feel your pain I've only lost 20 of my 50 lbs and my son is 5 weeks. I too am breastfeeding and I try to make healthy choices however my son has colic and is sensitive to shellfish, dairy, broccoli and raw spinach and anything spicy. That and after eating and drinking a few cups of water I'm still hungry..my appetite is insatiable . And sleep I'm lucky if I get 3 hrs in a row at night. I'm cleared to work out now and will start with walking and jigging..then I am going to join a gym when he's 2 months. I know it took 9 months to put on but with a lack of sleep, choice of food and always feeling hungry, the stress of a newborn and 2 yr old and being a working mom...I'm afraid it's going to take forever to come off
  • One2Run
    One2Run Posts: 63 Member
    Ladies, you can do it !! Breast feeding is hard work, feed your body in order to feed your babies. I bf'd for 13 mos until I went back on meds for my MS. I ate a healthy diet, didn't even pay attention to cals, and walked a lot. With spring coming, I encourage you to have a good nurse, bundle up the baby and head out for a couple of hours, strolling your neighbourhoods, if you can. You will be amazed how the weight comes off.

    You are doing your babes an amazing service for feeding them the best possible nutrition they can get.

    I went to the local thrift store and bought a couple of pairs of jeans and shorts to wear in the interim so I could get out of the maternity clothes. It was a mental thing, but it helped.

    Keep at it and do not hesitate to come back for support if you need it.
  • wingdings1
    wingdings1 Posts: 1
    Well it may sound weird, but how do you manage to stay out of the house for hours with drinking lots of water? I want to go for long walks in the neighborhood but I can't hold more than 40 minutes.
  • rapunzel1029
    rapunzel1029 Posts: 20 Member
    I have 2 kids and I'm currently breastfeeding my 4.5 month old. I am eating healthier and I work out 5-6 days a week for 45min-1hr. I need to lose about 30 more pounds to get to my goal. I never lose weight just by breastfeeding and it's going very slowly, but I'm going to keep doing what I'm doing. Feel free to friend me. ;-)
  • ValerieMartini2Olives
    ValerieMartini2Olives Posts: 3,024 Member
    You have to eat more while breastfeeding and if you work out hard, you have to eat even more.
  • slimmingsky33
    slimmingsky33 Posts: 8 Member
    I'm right there with you! I have a 5 mo who I nurse on demand, and co-sleep with, so the lack of sleep and energy is a struggle! I have 2 other children as well, I'm a SAHM, I'm hungry all the time!!!! I drink tons of water, and I too am Dairy free and limit my gluten intake, so my snacks are limited.. Use to I would grab a yogurt or string cheese, and now I'm like...?
    I need to find a way to workout more, I just have no energy and I won't take anything to give me energy. But I've got to do something, SUMMER IS COMING!!! Lol!

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