Breastfeeding and Weight Loss

knfb10
knfb10 Posts: 3 Member
edited December 1 in Health and Weight Loss
I'm not losing and I'm not sure why. I don't expect the baby weight to just drop off but I've been working on it for 2 weeks and not getting anywhere. (I know breastfeeding can cause you to retain weight rather than lose it but this is my third baby and breastfeeding always helps me lose)

I'm 6 weeks post partum. I dont see my dr for 2 weeks so I don't want to push it too hard and hurt myself or screw up my abs before my muscle seperation has time to heal.

I'm 5' 9" and 178lbs. At current I'm eating an average of 1,800-2,000 calories a day (goal is 1300 for me and 500 for breastfeeding). I'm walking about 15 miles a week and doing some light strength training as well as some excercises to strengthen my core. I'm also off milk and dairy because my baby doesn't tolerate it so I eat 90% whole foods because soy is in freaking everything. On top of which I'm a stay at home mom to 3 kids 4 and under so I'm busy most of the day. I know I can be more active but I have a 5 week old and I'm tired so I don't want to over do it and not be able to handle my life.

Anyway, I'm looking for suggestions. Is there anything I could add to my day/routine that may help me see results. I don't usually start weightloss worries until 3months postpartum but I have a wedding in Spetember and I want to be down 17lbs by then. Not to mention its getting nice out and NONE of my clothes fit and I dont want to buy a new wardrobe.

Replies

  • LazSommer
    LazSommer Posts: 1,851 Member
    Do you weigh your food?
  • MultipleHigh5s
    MultipleHigh5s Posts: 49 Member
    Give yourself that full 3 months to heal before worrying too much. You just ripped yourself open and pushed out a human being! Congrats btw!
  • knfb10
    knfb10 Posts: 3 Member
    No I've never weighed my food before. It honestly sounds like a lot of work especially while holding a newborn all the time. Will it really make that much of a difference in the number of calories I'm eating?
  • victoria_1024
    victoria_1024 Posts: 915 Member
    I weighed my food with a newborn plus 3 other kids, not too much work. :) I do believe it makes a difference, especially in those last 20 pounds where you have to be very accurate with intake.
  • Bluepegasus
    Bluepegasus Posts: 333 Member
    2 weeks is no time, I didn't weigh myself for the first month of starting my diet because I knew it would take time to get started and I didn't want to get despondent over it. Also, when I lost weight after my second child 8 years ago, I was breastfeeding and the weight did drop off once it got going, just give yourself a chance.
  • gradchica27
    gradchica27 Posts: 777 Member
    2 weeks? Please don't restrict before your bf'ing is fully established--4-6 weeks. I am 5'4", bf'ing and losing 1-1.5 lbs/week at 1820 cals plus eating my exercise cals.

    I weigh all my food--and have 4 kid 6 and under, so you can do it. Otherwise there is no real way to know exactly what your intake is. Between sleep deprivation and nursing hunger you might be eating way more than you think. And that's okay right now! You need 1500-1800 cals minimum now.

    In my exp, the bf'ing holds on to 2-4 lbs that I lose almost overnight when I wean baby.
  • AmandaOmega
    AmandaOmega Posts: 70 Member
    Oh my, yes it will! Weighing your food can save you hundreds of calories. Before I weighed my food, I thought I was eating maybe 200-300 calories when I had a bowl of cereal. WRONG! My bowl of cereal was more like 400-500. Same thing with steak. It didn't seem like I was eating -that- much, but once I started weighing out it, I was amazed at how small 4-5oz really is. A food scale is a very useful tool to make sure you're eating the correct portion sizes.
  • madhatter2013
    madhatter2013 Posts: 1,547 Member
    knfb10 wrote: »
    No I've never weighed my food before. It honestly sounds like a lot of work especially while holding a newborn all the time. Will it really make that much of a difference in the number of calories I'm eating?

    In short...YES!!! If you're not weighing your food, you're most definitely taking in more calories than you think.
  • knfb10
    knfb10 Posts: 3 Member
    gradchica27 wrote: »
    2 weeks? Please don't restrict before your bf'ing is fully established--4-6 weeks. I am 5'4", bf'ing and losing 1-1.5 lbs/week at 1820 cals plus eating my exercise cals

    I'll be 6 weeks postpartum tomorrow. I just meant I've been watching my in take for 2 weeks :-).

    I'll have to go get a food scale I guess. I don't love the idea of it but I'm sure once i get used to doing it it will be simple
  • DaniCanadian
    DaniCanadian Posts: 261 Member
    knfb10 wrote: »
    gradchica27 wrote: »
    2 weeks? Please don't restrict before your bf'ing is fully established--4-6 weeks. I am 5'4", bf'ing and losing 1-1.5 lbs/week at 1820 cals plus eating my exercise cals

    I'll be 6 weeks postpartum tomorrow. I just meant I've been watching my in take for 2 weeks :-).

    I'll have to go get a food scale I guess. I don't love the idea of it but I'm sure once i get used to doing it it will be simple

    Get a digital scale, it'll make your life so much easier as far as tracking. Mine had a zero out button so say I'm eating peanut butter toast, I'll put the plate and toast on the scale, zero it out. Then I can measure out 30g of peanut butter. It's rediculously easy. And yes it makes a massive difference, before I found the miracle that is a food scale I would log stuff like peanut butter as 1 tbsp when it was actually 3 and a half.

    I'm currently bfing a 2.5 month old. I've lost 10 lbs of actual weight but been holding steady there (20 more to go to get to prepreg weight) cause of cluster feeding hunger/exhaustion. Just take it slow and don't put too much pressure on yourself.
  • am_change
    am_change Posts: 1,010 Member
    Three under 4? Well done! I'm struggling with just the one! I've just set up a postpartum group where we can log weekly weight loss and motivate and encourage each other. Hope to see you there!
    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/group/113945-fit-fabulous-postpartum
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