Blew it on the second day

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mamabear1114
mamabear1114 Posts: 140 Member
in Motivation and Support
I don’t understand myself. I am three weeks postpartum and have been eating like crap because I am too tired and drained to cook. So, last weekend I decided that was enough of that and I needed to get back on track! I actually did really well in my pregnancy and managed to lose twelve pounds, my starting weight before pregnancy was 187 and after baby I am now 175. I’m not really sure how I did that to be honest except that I ate intuitively, tried to make good choices, and exercised for a good part of my pregnancy, but truthfully I didn’t log much or think much about it at all. Since I’ve had baby though, I’m ravenous! I should also mention that I’m breastfeeding so I know I need to eat a little more, but I want to eat EVERYTHING IN SIGHT. So, Monday I decided I would start logging my food and try to tighten down. I think it made it worse??? I’m not sure if this is psychological or what my issue is, but it seems like every time I try to start logging Im suddenly derailed, more hungry, and lacking self control like never before. I ate 4100 calories yesterday! It was unreal! I felt like I couldn’t stop myself. Does anybody have any advice??? I feel like this might be an emotional problem but I’m not sure where to begin on how to correct it. Any insight is appreciated.
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  • kommodevaran
    kommodevaran Posts: 17,890 Member
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    It seems to me that logging in itself stresses you out and makes you want to eat more because you feel restricted. Not the most usual problem - many people do well with more awareness - but it doesn't have to be a problem for you - just don't log. Oh, and breastfeeding tends to make women ravenous, it's not just you or something you're imagining; you need to eat for both of you, you know.
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
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    its been 3 weeks...
  • DomesticKat
    DomesticKat Posts: 565 Member
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    Also, OP, if you don't have a breastfeeding community around you, work on getting one when you recover. Go to La Leche League Meetings or breastfeeding peer support meetings. It will be extremely helpful for you to understand how normal this is and that nothing is wrong with you. It's not healthy to be restricting like this or feel this much anxiety about your weight so early after giving birth.
  • mamabear1114
    mamabear1114 Posts: 140 Member
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    I probably should have mentioned that I am not eating at a huge deficit (1750, then I eat back my bf calories which I guesstimate at 500) I don’t feel like I’m being terribly ambitious or hurting my body. I’m not exercising or anything either. I just feel defeated because I was doing so much better when I was pregnant, while my body was still undergoeing a lot of changes and battling hormones and cravings and whatnot, and I don’t understand what the difference is and why it’s so hard now. Honestly it’s probably the lack of sleep that’s killing me. I am trying to distribute mercy and grace towards myself while still being accountable in a measurable way, but maybe it’s too soon. I just don’t want this to spiral out of control because I worked hard to lose weight while I was pregnant and it doesn’t make sense to gain it back now.
  • DomesticKat
    DomesticKat Posts: 565 Member
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    You are going through MASSIVE hormonal and physical changes right now. Pregnancy and post-partum do not place the same demands on you at all. You did not burn up to 1000 calories a day supporting your pregnancy. Do not try to guesstimate how much breastfeeding is burning right now. It's likely much higher than 500 calories this soon post-partum. Your body is producing much more milk than you will need at this point because it's doing everything possible to keep that baby alive, and it won't fully regulate until 4-6 months post-partum. For some women it may not even regulate until 12 months+. You should not be eating at a deficit. You should be eating enough to maintain your current weight PLUS support your milk supply. And the best gauge for that is your hunger and eating intuitively. If you restrict, you risk hurting your milk supply and depriving yourself and your baby of vital nutrition. If this isn't enough to deter you, you need to speak to a medical professional and tell them everything you said here. You are not being realistic.
  • malibu927
    malibu927 Posts: 17,565 Member
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    mamabear1114 wrote: »
    I probably should have mentioned that I am not eating at a huge deficit (1750, then I eat back my bf calories which I guesstimate at 500) I don’t feel like I’m being terribly ambitious or hurting my body. I’m not exercising or anything either. I just feel defeated because I was doing so much better when I was pregnant, while my body was still undergoeing a lot of changes and battling hormones and cravings and whatnot, and I don’t understand what the difference is and why it’s so hard now. Honestly it’s probably the lack of sleep that’s killing me. I am trying to distribute mercy and grace towards myself while still being accountable in a measurable way, but maybe it’s too soon. I just don’t want this to spiral out of control because I worked hard to lose weight while I was pregnant and it doesn’t make sense to gain it back now.

    My sister-in-law also gave birth three weeks ago and between caring for him, taking care of my 3-year-old niece, and recovering from the pregnancy/birth in general weight loss is the last thing on her mind. You have all the time after to do so; right now focus on your little one.
  • DomesticKat
    DomesticKat Posts: 565 Member
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    Also keep in mind that women gain weight during pregnancy that includes not only the weight of their baby, placenta, extra blood and fluid, and breast growth, but fat stores as well. If you lost weight rapidly enough during your pregnancy that even your growing baby's weight was outpaced on the scale, you don't have the extra cushion of fat stores that aid in milk production. It doesn't matter if you're still overweight. This is going to have an impact on you and the amount of calories you need to consume if you're starting out with fewer fat stores.
  • walking2running
    walking2running Posts: 140 Member
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    post partum is such a short and unique period of time in your (and your baby’s) life, Heal, rest, snuggle, enjoy. don’t let weight loss overshadow your experience. bringing a baby home is exhausting and overwhelming and wonderful and excruciating.
  • walking2running
    walking2running Posts: 140 Member
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    Regarding your 4000+ calorie day, it's probably as a response to severe exhaustion and sleep deprivation, maybe even anxiety and stress? Weight loss can be an emotionally taxing experience, and then you factor in all the emotional roller coaster of having a baby, and there you get a perfect recipe for disaster!

    For practical advice for losing weight while breastfeeding, when you're ready, it is recommended that you eat at maintenance, and eat nutrient-dense foods. I pumped exclusively with my first baby, so I had the luxury to track every single ounce of milk that I produced. As a result, I was able to be more precise with my calorie estimates for breast milk, and it was always around 500 - 600 calories per day. We never supplemented with formula, and my baby was quite chunky, so I know that it's probably a decent estimate for an average breastfeeding mom. So, if you eat at maintenance, and don't factor in the breastfeeding, you'll probably lose at a pretty steady rate of 1 pound per week.



  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
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    You didn't "blow it." Instead you had one less than stellar day.

    Weight loss (and the maintenance of that loss) is a lifetime goal. ONE DAY in a lifetime is just a small blip. Strive for "progress, not perfection" (Chris Freytag) is one of my favorite quotes. We don't need to be perfect, we just need to do better......more consistently. Don't try to change it all at once. You've got so much going on already.
  • mamabear1114
    mamabear1114 Posts: 140 Member
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    Thank you everyone for your insight and support! Being a mama is hard for sure. I also have a 2 year old at home but was unable to breastfeed him so this is a new experience for me. I think for now I will just toss all the junk in my house, try to eat intuitively, and record it before bed so I’m not despairing about it all day long. I plan to ask my doctor what she reccomends also. We watched my weight very closely when I was pregnant and she was very happy with my progress. I don’t want to undo all my hard work, but of course I agree my baby is my number one priority and I don’t want to hurt my milk supply.
  • TrinaJ11
    TrinaJ11 Posts: 159 Member
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    I could've wrote this myself...only difference is I'm 13 weeks postpartum. Breastfeeding makes me soooo ravenous! Remember, protein protein protein!

    I do believe you're being too hard on yourself. You're only 3 weeks post and it sounds like you're doing great! I lost weight throughout my pregnancy (not on purpose...I really dont know how as I was eating everything 😂) and at 13 weeks out I've put back on the weight I lost both during pregnancy and after.

    Today I'm making a vow to at least log what I'm eating. I'm not trying to lose weight right now, I just need to get back into the habit of logging it on MFP. I think you should go slow and work on logging everything and give yourself time. You're doing great momma. Society puts too much emphasis on "bouncing back" after baby.
  • VUA21
    VUA21 Posts: 2,072 Member
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    One day of eating in a deficit will not cause one to miraculously lose all the excess fat they wish. One day of eating too much, will not ruin thier progress either.

    Bad days happens, quite often at the beginning. Acknowledge them, log them, and move on.
  • amgreenwell
    amgreenwell Posts: 1,268 Member
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    Three weeks post partum is pretty quick to try to begin eating well and losing weight. You need extra calories to breastfeed, no doubt, plus you need time for your body to recover. That includes getting some much needed nutrition and replacing what you've lost over the course of nine months. Talk to your dr about how many calories you need a day to not only maintain weight but to sustain breastfeeding.
    After that, take it slow. Remember that it takes time to get back to normal. The hormones alone can make us new mamas nuts!!!

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