Struggling with weight loss while nursing

Noradun
Noradun Posts: 19 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hoping for some help. I have struggled with weight for a long time. I do have PCOS which effects my hormones, this causes me to lose weight while pregnant but to gain while nursing. I recently reached my all time highest weight of 285. My Hubby and I have been getting healthy, cutting carbs. I lost 8 lbs but have bounced back and forth since unable to lose. I was eating between 800-1100 calories but then started to notice I wasn't losing and my milk supply dropped. So I have increased to 1100-1500 calories but still my body isn't letting go. Sadly I am watching people around me on a far less strict diet lose a lb a week. So I am feeling very discouraged. Any advice appreciated!

Replies

  • Noradun
    Noradun Posts: 19 Member
    I will also say that two years ago I was able to lose 30 lbs on weight watchers. But I as not nursing, so I am not sure if nursing is what is causing the problem or not. But I extremely discouraged.
  • godlikepoetyes
    godlikepoetyes Posts: 442 Member
    Have you tired following the MFP guidelines? How many calories did MFP give you? I started out at 270. I'm 5'5". I set my goal at a 1 pound per week loss and started out at 1,800 calories. I lost weight steadily by eating my allotted calories. It's very important that you feed your baby well and that you keep yourself well. I understand that you want to lose weight, but my advice is to do this slowly. Your body is concentrating on feeding your little one. It will not respond well to a drastic reduction in calories right now. You probably don't need to restrict your calories lower than MFP's allotment. I read a lot of posts from women who cut their calories drastically and experience the same problems you're having. That said, when others respond they will ask you if you are logging, weighing your food, being honest with yourself. Many will tell you that there's no need to cut carbs, or any other food group. You will get all sorts of advice and much of it will be spot on. My advice is to just follow MFP and give it six weeks. Log every single bite, even when you go over by a LOT. Don't deprive yourself of the foods you love. Be honest with yourself about your goals and your motivation for wanting to lose. And if you can, try to see MFP as a lifestyle change that you will need to stick with forever. This is not a diet. This is the rest of your life.
  • victoria_1024
    victoria_1024 Posts: 915 Member
    Are you weighing your food? How old is your baby?

    Please don't eat below 1000 calories. Especially when nursing. Even 1500 is pretty low. But you need to make sure you are weighing your food, logging accurately, and eat enough protein. Also try to get in a little physical activity if possible, like take walks with your baby.

    I lost 90 lbs while nursing and I ate around 2000 calories a day at first when I was heavier. It can be done.
  • jaedizzle01
    jaedizzle01 Posts: 775 Member
    My dad says that a lbs of fat is roughlt 3,500 calories. So that you have to burn at least that per lbs to loose weight. I am also breast feeding my 3rd child. With my second I lost weight really fast. This go around I was having trouble. I'm slowly loosing weight now, I have started walking 5 miles a day, not all at once though and have increased my water intake a ton!! Not only will drinking lots pf water increase your supply but it will also help you loose some weight. I would say just keep doing what you're doing however add in more cardio.
    Don't cut back your calories though while nursing, because you baby also needs those calories. You could also try eating more often throughout the day, but smaller portions. Increase fruits and veggies. Like half your plate should be fruit or veggies. You got this!
  • CattOfTheGarage
    CattOfTheGarage Posts: 2,745 Member
    edited June 2016
    Cut yourself some slack! Nursing is a really tough time, what with the sleep deprivation, recovery from childbirth, crazy hormones and the production of breast milk changing how everything works. Nothing about your body is normal or predictable right now, and this is not the time to try and grab control via food. It's the time to knuckle down and get through it. Whether you do that by eating at maintenance or at a moderate deficit, either are fine, but you should absolutely not be attempting extreme low calorie approaches.

    Weight loss is never linear, I'm sure you know that - water retention among other effects means the scale will fluctuate even at the best of times. Well, right now you will be taking on and shedding large amounts of water in a very erratic way, meaning the scale is going to fluctuate A Lot. You need to take those numbers with a pinch of salt and give yourself a break.

    If it were me, I would stop weighing myself just now - I would set a moderate deficit like half a pound per week, a pound at most, and I would concentrate on sticking to that *as far as possible*, while going easy on myself when I inevitably eat things I didn't mean to.

    Personally I would not monitor the effect on my weight, I would leave the scale to one side until things have settled down. If you are not comfortable with that, then weigh, but remember the numbers will fluctuate more than normal, and that your top priority right now is taking care of yourself and the baby, not rushing towards fitness goals that can be tackled later on (and which are, in any case, not a race).
  • TnZMom
    TnZMom Posts: 222 Member
    A friend and I both noticed that while other women lost weight nursing, we didn't lose any at all. For me personally, if I cut down on eating, my milk supply would go down rather than my weight. I stopped trying to lose weight after about eight weeks postpartum for the first baby, and just maintained until I was done nursing. Then after weaning I found I could lose weight normally. For the second baby, I didn't even try to lose until I was done nursing.

    It's hard watching other nursing ladies lose weight easily though! But you can keep in mind that your body will change when you're done. Hang in there.

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