Tandem nursing and calories

anglebear2016
anglebear2016 Posts: 28 Member
edited November 15 in Health and Weight Loss
I'm nursing my 6 week old and my 2 year old. I gained 44 lbs during this pregnancy. I lost 30 lbs so far but haven't lost anything this past week.

I have 14 more pounds to lose and I'm struggling to lose it. I thought all of the pregnancy weight would melt off quickly with tandem nursing. Is it possible I can lose 5 lbs in a week? I want to lose 5 lbs a week for the next 3 weeks so that I can quickly get back to my pre pregnancy weight. How can I do this? I try to eat 1200 cals a day but I get so hungry I either binge or get a bad headache.

I should be able to lose weight very fast with tandem nursing but I'm not. With my first pregnancy I gained 42 lbs and only had 8 lbs to lose by 6 weeks. I breast fed. This time I'm 6 weeks and still have 14 lbs to lose. I'm not only feeding my 6 week old but also my 2 year old daughter so why am I losing weight more slowly?

I'm 5'2" and currently 141 lbs. Anyone else tandem nursing and are you able to eat a lot and still lose weight? It seems as if my metabolism is poor with this second pregnancy. Since I'm breastfeeding two I feel as if I should be losing weight very rapidly.
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Replies

  • RunningMom1038
    RunningMom1038 Posts: 144 Member
    edited February 2017
    You should not be aiming for 1200 calories while you are nursing. You get hungry because you need to eat more. You try to eat in too big of a deficit, you get super hungry, so you binge; and you are eating too many calories to lose. I don't know how many calories you need for nursing because I had never paid attention to calories when I nursed. Find out what you need to keep your body (and your children's bodies) sustained. Maybe a nurse, dietician, lactation consultant, etc. could help with that. Then make sure you eat foods that will keep you satisfied.
  • anglebear2016
    anglebear2016 Posts: 28 Member
    I tried a calculator online which said I need 2600 calories a day. I wonder should I add 100 extra more calories to this number since I am breastfeeding my toddler too. I didn't have an issue losing this much weight with my first born and didn't count calories. I've been losing weight every single week until this past week.
  • RunningMom1038
    RunningMom1038 Posts: 144 Member
    That definitely sounds better. I wish I could help you more, but I have no experience with this. Maybe someone will come along that does and can help you more. Just don't be hard on yourself or so strict about your weight. I'm the same height as you, so I know how it feels to be an almost normal weight, but still feel like it's too much. The weight will come off. It just takes longer than we'd like, especially when it's those last few pounds.
  • anglebear2016
    anglebear2016 Posts: 28 Member
    Running Mom, thank you. I have a history of eating disorders. I have been beating myself up and feel so frustrated and angry at myself. I'm very thankful for my babies and the ability to breast feed. This is the first week I didn't lose anything at all since my son's birth. So I felt discouraged too. I'm only 5'2" and am used to my weight being in the 120s.

    I'm trying not to focus too much on my post partum body and enjoy my babies. Tonight I was so hungry after eating only 1100-1200 calories for two days that I ate some gummy bears and drank a glass of chocolate milk. Now my headache is gone and I feel much better but I've had about 2000 calories total for the day after eating and drinking that. If I could just lose 5 pounds and get to 136 lbs I'd feel a bit better I think. "Normal" BMI starts for us 5'2" ladies at 136 lbs I think. I'm frustrated that I can't just hurry up and lose at least 5 measly lbs. I feel like I'm fighting my body. I get so hungry when I cut calories I feel as if I could pass out, my head hurts, and I can't concentrate. I know the breastfeeding is doing this. I'm frustrated with myself.

    Thank you for the reply again.
  • SusanMFindlay
    SusanMFindlay Posts: 1,804 Member
    edited February 2017
    5 pounds a week is not a safe weight loss goal. If you're done dropping the water weight you probably picked up as part of pregnancy, it's completely unreasonable. It's almost a pound a day - which, if you could somehow lose that much fat that fast (nobody actually can) would mean eating 3000!!! fewer calories than you burn.

    Please settle for a safe and reasonable goal of no more than 1 pound per week. (0.5 pounds/week would be better given how small you are.) You only have 15 pounds to lose, and your baby is only 6 weeks old! It takes us nine months to gain all the pregnancy weight. Expecting it to all drop off in 2 months is unrealistic. If that happened for you the first time, you were very very lucky. Six months to a year is a more common time frame for dropping all the baby weight.

    Particularly note that, since you are breastfeeding, your breasts currently weigh more than they used to. Also, your body has some fat stores that are specifically targeted as "energy to supply breastfeeding". Your pre-pregnancy weight may not be a reasonable goal until you're finished breastfeeding (or at least finished exclusive breastfeeding; once baby's on solids, you don't need as much milk or energy stores to make milk).
  • victoria_1024
    victoria_1024 Posts: 915 Member
    Oh goodness, please don't aim to lose 5 lbs a week! You don't have that much weight to lose and with breastfeeding you don't want to lose more than 1 pound a week or your milk supply will drop quickly. You're only 6 weeks post partum. Take a deep breath and slow down, this isn't a race. If you are so hungry that you feel like you're going to pass out and your head hurts, this is not from breastfeeding. It's because you are not nourishing your body. Listen to what your body is telling you and eat more.

    Also something I discovered when I was losing weight while nursing is that it's really important to get enough protein. I started having all sorts of weird symptoms that I discovered were related to low protein.

    I'm 5'2.5" and started at 212 after my son was born. I wasn't tandem nursing but did nurse him full time. I lost weight eating 2000-2200 calories a day at a rate of 1.5-2 lbs a week at first (when I was obese). Then as I got more into an overweight zone the weight loss slowed to more like 1 lb a week and eventually only a half pound a week. Now I maintain at around 125 lbs. It took me about a year and 3 months to lose the weight. I think it took me close to 6 months to get from the 140s into the 120s.
  • thedafftone
    thedafftone Posts: 13 Member
    Agreed that 1200 calories is far too low. The headaches, faintness etc you are feeling are because you aren't eating/drinking enough. It is recommended that you don't eat less than 1500-1800 while breastfeeding a baby. With a toddler as well you probably want to add another 100-200 depending on how much they feed.

    At just 6 weeks post partum your body is still recovering so don't worry too much about your weight. As baby gets bigger the weight should start to drop off provided you eat reasonably. I lost 1-2 lbs a week eating 2000+ calories a day. There is no reason to starve yourself. Give yourself a break, you've just grown a person!
  • Curlychip
    Curlychip Posts: 292 Member
    edited February 2017
    I don't have much more to add, but have to join in the chorus here...
    5lb a week is a bad idea at most weights and you are pretty light. Where did you get your advice from?
    You have a new baby and they are relying on you taking in enough energy. 1200 calories is nowhere near enough, especially feeding 2! You will lose your supply. Have you added in 500 calories a day for the baby and 200 for the toddler? Of course, the baby will take what it needs but you don't want that to be from your bones and muscle, particularly as they are in the middle of an intense repair at the moment. Id advise increasing your calcium and protein especially, but also carbs. Milk is sweet.
    Do you have a photo shoot in 3 weeks? Why the rush? Be good to your body and feed it (and water it, because making all that milk is pretty dehydrating too).
    Have you seen the eat more to lose more groups? Although I think maintenance would be the healthiest thing for everyone in these early weeks. Also you won't lose the breast weight until you stop breastfeeding.
  • anglebear2016
    anglebear2016 Posts: 28 Member
    edited February 2017
    Thank you Susan, victoria, and thedafftone. I will take it easy for now. I'm going to eat to hunger and stay around 2000 calories (or more if I'm hungry). I guess I had unrealistic expectations with this pregnancy weight loss.

    With my first pregnancy I gained 42 lbs and only had 8 lbs to lose by 6 weeks post partum. This pregnancy I gained 44 lbs and still have 14 lbs to lose at 6 weeks post partum. I know every pregnancy is different, but why such a big difference in rate of weight loss this time? I do appear more "squishy" and "fatty" than last time. Thank you for the replies everyone.

    Thedafftone, how tall are you? You said you lost weight on 2000+ calories? I didn't count calories with my first pregnancy so I have no idea how much I was eating. I'm only 5'2".
  • Curlychip
    Curlychip Posts: 292 Member
    edited February 2017
    May be a number of reasons.
    You are a little older this time. Is your baby a different size? Was the pregnancy or birth different? Was your diet or exercise in pregnancy different? You may still have a diastasis recti which may make your tummy seem bigger.
  • anglebear2016
    anglebear2016 Posts: 28 Member
    edited February 2017
    With my first pregnancy I went swimming and walked my dog a lot and didn't have to work. This pregnancy I walked a lot outside, indoors, and on treadmill. I also worked part time. I think my diet was similar to my first.

    Perhaps I got less exercise this time? With my first pregnancy I would spend hours in the pool swimming. I even took water aerobics classes. With my first pregnancy I had lots of free time to go outside and walk my dog multiple times a day. I got more rest too. I didn't work my during my first pregnancy and had no other kids to care for.

    This pregnancy I felt really sick, had a toddler to take care of, and was working so I was really pressed for time and didn't have the opportunity to work out as much. I did wear my Fitbit and tried to get 10000 steps on the days I wasn't feeling as sick. I didn't swim at all.

    With my first pregnancy my baby weighed 6 lbs 13 oz. With this 2nd pregnancy my son weighed 7 lbs 2 oz at birth. Vaginal births for both.
  • Curlychip
    Curlychip Posts: 292 Member
    Think things are different when you have a toddler distracting you! You probably have less time for yourself now than you did last time too.
    I suppose the important thing is working with you now rather than comparing to the 'old you'. You are more accomplished now with 2 kids and a whole new set of management skills :smile:
    Im sure you will get to a happy place with your weight - you seem very motivated - but being more leisurely about it with your increased roles is probably going to be more successful. And you have already lost 30lb which is bloody brilliant! Maybe give your skin some time to catch up.
  • Trishism
    Trishism Posts: 79 Member
    I just have a couple things to say!

    You've been doing really, really well with your weight loss so far and are continuing to do so. It's very normal to plateau for a little while, and even though I know that I'm always super discouraged when it happens so I can definitely understand that. I'm still working on losing my baby weight(mine is 9 months old, and I have a 2 year old as well!). It took me a while to get here for various reasons, but now that I'm here I'm just really trying to focus on enjoying how far I've come. How my clothes are slowly fitting differently. How I feel more energized despite the same amount of sleep(which isn't much lol). With 2 young kids there are so many other stressful things going on already. So maybe try to focus on the positive! You've lost most of it already! Great Work!

    Also just wanted to mention my experience losing weight after my 2 year old was born. I was the biggest I'd ever been and lost 60ish lbs before I returned to work, but when I started I went right to eating no more that 1500 calories a day and it was a mistake. My milk production tanked and I had a hungry/grumpy baby on my hands until I realized I wasn't eating enough. You're also nursing 2 now, as opposed to 1 babe last time, so maybe that's why your body is hanging on a bit longer. Keep around 2000 calories for the day for sure and even though it's super hard, just try to be patient. Your body will get there.

    Congratulations on your little one, and also for tandem nursing. What an accomplishment!
  • thedafftone
    thedafftone Posts: 13 Member
    anglebear2016 wrote: »

    Thedafftone, how tall are you? You said you lost weight on 2000+ calories? I didn't count calories with my first pregnancy so I have no idea how much I was eating. I'm only 5'2".

    I'm 5'6". It took me 5 months to get back to my pre-pregnancy weight this time, using breastfeeding to create my deficit. My appetite was enormous though, so I allowed myself to eat lots if I wanted to and always ate at least 2000. Remember that the weight you gain in pregnancy is partly there to fuel your body during breastfeeding so it's not meant to fall off instantly. x
  • Curlychip
    Curlychip Posts: 292 Member
    BTW Im 5'4" and currently losing weight on 1900 cal with bf but Im heavier and not exercising much yet. Previously, I was losing weight on 2400 cal with lifting weights, at more or less the same weight (170lb).
  • sardelsa
    sardelsa Posts: 9,812 Member
    edited February 2017
    Congrats on the new baby and for tandem nursing, that is great !

    As others said, it has only been 6 weeks. Take this time to fuel, build your milk supply, rest (if you can) and try not to worry too much about losing the rest of the pregnancy weight right now. Not sure why you have to "hurry up" and lose the baby weight.. it took you 9 months to grow so expecting it to fall off so fast is unrealistic, not to mention you may get to your goal and realize that your body composition has changed significantly. For me, with my second it took me about 7 months to lose the baby weight (I gained 35lbs total) and get back to my pre-pregnancy composition (which to me was actually really fast!).. the last 10lbs took 5 months actually, and I am so glad I took it so slow because I preserved as much muscle as I could and looked way better in the end compared to if I had rushed it.

    Just try to relax, fuel adequately and enjoy this wonderful time with your babies.. the weight will come off in time.
  • anglebear2016
    anglebear2016 Posts: 28 Member
    Thank you for the encouraging words and information, Curlychip. Thank you for the replies Trish and Thedaffone.

    Sardelsa, I guess I'm in a rush because I just want to hurry up and feel like myself again.

    Thank you all again for the replies.
  • anglebear2016
    anglebear2016 Posts: 28 Member
    Curlychip wrote: »
    I don't have much more to add, but have to join in the chorus here...
    5lb a week is a bad idea at most weights and you are pretty light. Where did you get your advice from?
    You have a new baby and they are relying on you taking in enough energy. 1200 calories is nowhere near enough, especially feeding 2! You will lose your supply. Have you added in 500 calories a day for the baby and 200 for the toddler? Of course, the baby will take what it needs but you don't want that to be from your bones and muscle, particularly as they are in the middle of an intense repair at the moment. Id advise increasing your calcium and protein especially, but also carbs. Milk is sweet.
    Do you have a photo shoot in 3 weeks? Why the rush? Be good to your body and feed it (and water it, because making all that milk is pretty dehydrating too).
    Have you seen the eat more to lose more groups? Although I think maintenance would be the healthiest thing for everyone in these early weeks. Also you won't lose the breast weight until you stop breastfeeding.


    I just decided I wanted to lose 5 lbs a week since I'm so close to my goal weight. I wanted to hurry up and get back to normal. I was trying to use mfp's recommended calorie goal of 1200 to lose weight. I was trying not to eat back my breastfeeding calories so that I could rapidly lose weight. No photoshoot, I just wanted to get back to normal quickly.

    I haven't seen the eat more to lose more groups but am interested.
  • anglebear2016
    anglebear2016 Posts: 28 Member
    I used this calorie calculator: http://fittobepregnant.com/pregnancy-breastfeeding-calorie-calculator/

    I chose the activity level as moderate even though I exercise every single day in the form of a brisk walk for at least 30 minutes. I still do house work, baby wear, and cook. I run around and play with my two year old. This calculator gives me a TDEE of 2141 calories. When I add breast feeding I get a daily requirement of 2641 calories. Since I'm also feeding my toddler I guess I could add another 100 calories for a daily maintainence total of 2741 calories.
  • FreyasRebirth
    FreyasRebirth Posts: 514 Member
    You're 6 weeks postpartum. Give it some time. You don't only have stored energy "leftover" from pregnancy but extra blood volume and likely increased breast tissue and still a bit more uterine muscle. Your body isn't going to be the same and your weight isn't going to be the same. That is normal. Your body is hard at work, give it the fuel it needs.

    There's some research showing the best pregnancy outcomes are when there is a 18+ month gap between pregnancies (end to beginning). Yes, your body isn't fully back to normal for more than a year. Hormonally, nutritionally, organs and muscles back in their proper places, ect. It takes time.
  • annacole94
    annacole94 Posts: 994 Member
    Take some time, girl. I ended up losing all my baby weight + 10 lb tandem nursing. It all came off, with no real effort for me, by the time the baby was 6 months old.
  • VeryKatie
    VeryKatie Posts: 5,961 Member
    edited March 2017
    If you eat less than ~2100 calories (NET) you are risking losing your milk supply entirely. That's a big deal for your youngest.

    ETA: Oops I see you decided to eat more! Never mind then.
  • anglebear2016
    anglebear2016 Posts: 28 Member
    annacole94 wrote: »
    Take some time, girl. I ended up losing all my baby weight + 10 lb tandem nursing. It all came off, with no real effort for me, by the time the baby was 6 months old.

    That's cool that you lost all of the weight in 6 months. I don't know why I was freaking out and rushing things last month. I was totally torturing myself.
  • annacole94
    annacole94 Posts: 994 Member
    Hormones can get the better of any of us! It's so great to see your update. You're doing great. :)
  • hesn92
    hesn92 Posts: 5,966 Member
    If nursing is important to you, you should not aim for 5lbs a week. First of all unless you are very obese, that is extremely unrealistic. Plus you need plenty of calories to nurse your little ones. When I was nursing I ate at maintenance (according to mfp) and with the calories burned by nursing alone, I lost weight.
  • anglebear2016
    anglebear2016 Posts: 28 Member
    hesn92 wrote: »
    If nursing is important to you, you should not aim for 5lbs a week. First of all unless you are very obese, that is extremely unrealistic. Plus you need plenty of calories to nurse your little ones. When I was nursing I ate at maintenance (according to mfp) and with the calories burned by nursing alone, I lost weight.

    My updates are above. I have been losing about 1 lb a week on average. You're right, trying to lose 5 lbs a week is bad. I've been taking advantage of the calorie deficit that breastfeeding creates to lose. :)
  • annacole94
    annacole94 Posts: 994 Member
    Congrats on your success! Once you hit your target weight, you might increase your calories to maintain. And then comes the hard part: when you start bf-ing less, you have to cut it back or you end up like me (gaining post-weaning, and then having to work waaaay harder to lose it later). Enjoy the cookies for now! I miss my little calorie suckers. ;)
  • anglebear2016
    anglebear2016 Posts: 28 Member
    annacole94 wrote: »
    Congrats on your success! Once you hit your target weight, you might increase your calories to maintain. And then comes the hard part: when you start bf-ing less, you have to cut it back or you end up like me (gaining post-weaning, and then having to work waaaay harder to lose it later). Enjoy the cookies for now! I miss my little calorie suckers. ;)

    Thank you. I am enjoying my daily calorie allowance of around 2700 cal to maintain and around 2000-2200 cals for weight loss lol. How long did you breast feed?

    I have been breast feeding since my daughter was born in October 2014. During my pregnancy last year with my son, my breast milk dried up during the middle of my second trimester but my daughter continued confort nursing and was able to get colostrum at times. She never stopped. She was so surprised to get milk again shortly after I had my son, lol.

    I have been breast feeding for 2 years and 7 months now. Any tips on curbing appetite after breastfeeding is done or does the appetite just automatically decrease after breastfeeding?

    I'm trying to focus on eating fruits and vegetables now since they are low and calories, nutritious, and filling. I plan on starting food with my son next month since he will be 6 months.
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