Can't lose while breastfeeding?
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While maintaining and even losing weight is important, just make certain that your baby gets all of the nutrients he or she needs... even if it costs you gaining a few pounds while you nurse.
Playing with your health while nursing is the same as playing with your child's health. Just make certain you don't make any dietary changes that affect your milk production.. and if you do toy with your diet, make certain you keep formula on hand just in case. This hasnt' been my experience, yet... but my mother ceased producing milk properly when she fiddled with her weight.
From being the baby who was actually partly starved because she fiddled with her diet, it has SERIOUS long term consequences if you mess too hard with your diet while nursing.
(As an aside, the doctors believe my metabolism problems from when I was a toddler up to age 18 were directly linked to the fact my mother messed with her diet while nursing me... its something to think about at anyrate.)
Playing with your health while nursing is the same as playing with your child's health. Just make certain you don't make any dietary changes that affect your milk production.. and if you do toy with your diet, make certain you keep formula on hand just in case. This hasnt' been my experience, yet... but my mother ceased producing milk properly when she fiddled with her weight.
From being the baby who was actually partly starved because she fiddled with her diet, it has SERIOUS long term consequences if you mess too hard with your diet while nursing.
(As an aside, the doctors believe my metabolism problems from when I was a toddler up to age 18 were directly linked to the fact my mother messed with her diet while nursing me... its something to think about at anyrate.)
Carmen Martinez
New member
AHi, my name is Carmen. Reading your post I had to do a double take to make sure it wasn't mine lol! I'm in the same boat... I am a recovering anorexic too. I was in therapy for many years (since I was about 18 years old. I'm 35 now and still recovering) anyway, I still have 20 lbs to lose and they are not coming off for the life of me. My baby is 8 months old and nurses 6 times a day and eats solides two time a day. I had the same problem with my first baby (he is now 4 years old) I couldn't lose weight while I was b-feeding. I had to wait until I stopped nursing him at 6 months old (he self- weaninged. I was heartbroken) so I'm doing whatever it takes to keep my little one on the breast for as long a I can, even if it means keeping a few baby lbs 
when I got married I was at 103 at 5'2". After I had my first baby I stayed at a healthy 121 when I got pg this last time I went from a healthy 121 to 160 :0 I'm down to 141. I want to be back at 121. I have cut down on calories and I run 5 times a week for 1 hour uphill on my treadmill and NOTHING comes off! Oh well... I have two beautiful and healthy boys to show for it hang in there. the weight will come off soon enough . Just enjoy nursing that little bundle of joy. You will have enough time to lose weight chasing him/her around the house lol! One day he/she will grow up and you will be left wishing for those extra pounds and the little bundle nursing at your breast. God bless and keep nursing.
A nursing mom that can't lose weight.
when I got married I was at 103 at 5'2". After I had my first baby I stayed at a healthy 121 when I got pg this last time I went from a healthy 121 to 160 :0 I'm down to 141. I want to be back at 121. I have cut down on calories and I run 5 times a week for 1 hour uphill on my treadmill and NOTHING comes off! Oh well... I have two beautiful and healthy boys to show for it hang in there. the weight will come off soon enough . Just enjoy nursing that little bundle of joy. You will have enough time to lose weight chasing him/her around the house lol! One day he/she will grow up and you will be left wishing for those extra pounds and the little bundle nursing at your breast. God bless and keep nursing. A nursing mom that can't lose weight.
Carmen Martinez
New member
AHi, my name is Carmen. Reading your post I had to do a double take to make sure it wasn't mine lol! I'm in the same boat... I am a recovering anorexic too. I was in therapy for many years (since I was about 18 years old. I'm 35 now and still recovering) anyway, I still have 20 lbs to lose and they are not coming off for the life of me. My baby is 8 months old and nurses 6 times a day and eats solides two time a day. I had the same problem with my first baby (he is now 4 years old) I couldn't lose weight while I was b-feeding. I had to wait until I stopped nursing him at 6 months old (he self- weaninged. I was heartbroken) so I'm doing whatever it takes to keep my little one on the breast for as long a I can, even if it means keeping a few baby lbs when I got married I was at 103 at 5'2". After I had my first baby I stayed at a healthy 121 when I got pg this last time I went from a healthy 121 to 160 :0 I'm down to 141. I want to be back at 121. I have cut down on calories and I run 5 times a week for 1 hour uphill on my treadmill and NOTHING comes off! Oh well... I have two beautiful and healthy boys to show for it hang in there. the weight will come off soon enough . Just enjoy nursing that little bundle of joy. You will have enough time to lose weight chasing him/her around the house lol! One day he/she will grow up and you will be left wishing for those extra pounds and the little bundle nursing at your breast. God bless and keep nursing.
A nursing mom that can't lose weight.
when I got married I was at 103 at 5'2". After I had my first baby I stayed at a healthy 121 when I got pg this last time I went from a healthy 121 to 160 :0 I'm down to 141. I want to be back at 121. I have cut down on calories and I run 5 times a week for 1 hour uphill on my treadmill and NOTHING comes off! Oh well... I have two beautiful and healthy boys to show for it hang in there. the weight will come off soon enough . Just enjoy nursing that little bundle of joy. You will have enough time to lose weight chasing him/her around the house lol! One day he/she will grow up and you will be left wishing for those extra pounds and the little bundle nursing at your breast. God bless and keep nursing. A nursing mom that can't lose weight.
When i had my little one I was having a terrible time trying to lose weight. I was worried about staying healthy while losing it because I was breastfeeding. I had a friend who tried some stuff that worked really fast for her, so I tried and started losing too fast so I had to take it easy on it. I guess if you lose weight too fast there are more toxins going into your blood and they go into your milk. Anyway I've been using them for a couple of months now and lost 15 pounds, and they are apparently supposed to be pretty good for you. I feel pretty good. They're called Herbalife, I can give you the e-mail address for the lady i buy them from if you want.
Yeah I definitely agree that anything you put into your body goes directly to your baby. I had a really hard time losing weight while breastfeeding and I was ALWAYS hungry. I ended up using body by vi, but not limiting my calories too much. You dont want to lose weight too fast and it can definitely decrease your milk supply!
Samantha Murphy
New member
I know exactly what most of you are going through. I have never had any issues with my weight until I had my son. I gained 42 lbs and to weight 142 at 4'9 is literally obese! I lost 20 lbs my first two weeks, but didnt lose much after that while I was breast feeding, but it isnt as much of calorie counting as much as it is what you are putting into your bodies. Because you can eat 1500 calories of junk food and that is not the same as 1500 calories of good food, because the good food is what is going to get you to lose weight. It was very hard for me not to work out until the doctor cleared me but once he did I found it more difficult then usual and became very depressed, because not being able to fit into your clothes and being completely exhausted from being up every 3 hrs takes a toll on someone. I managed to get down to 113 lbs by doing a 13 week weight training program, but when I took a before photo and they did a body percent fat test and told me i was 30% body fat which was considered over weight I cried!! I didnt understand how i could have worked so hard and still was considered overweight so I said enough was enough and I completely changed my diet and workout program and am now a very healthy weight. I attached my before and after shot so you can see it! Feel free to find me on facebook... you might find me there more then here, if I can do it everyone can do it!
James Edward
Banned
Keep your head up and continue to eat clean food and drink lots of eater! I am the mommy to a 6 1/2 month old and we are breastfeeding while I try to lose weight as well. It's not easy but set a goal to establish healthy eating habits and make an exercise plan that you can stick with no crazy extremes!
cocoapuffs
New member
AFirst of all, kudos to all the breastfeeding mommies here; we all know firsthand its not always roses!
Please consider my experience. I was 16 when I had my first baby, who was formula fed because I gave him up for adoption. I suppose it may not count as much because of my young age but I lost the 40 lbs. I gained during pregnancy almost immediately.
Baby #2: I was 27 gained around the same. I nursed until he was around 7 mths but did not lose the remaining 20 lbs to pre-pregnancy weight until after I weaned him. And let me just say that my exercise regimen and eating habits would've put jillian michaels to shame! Didn't matter; didn't lose it all until he was weaned.
Baby#3: I was 33, gained again, around 40-45 lbs. Although I intended on breastfeeding, I ended-up stopping around 6 weeks because my daughter was latching onto my nipple, not the aereola, and I just couldn't bare the pain a second longer (note to others, seek help. I had a lot going on so I didn't but looking back, I think she was a little tongue-tied, which is an easily fixed problem by a Dr. snipping baby's frenulum...anywhoo). Again, I had a lot going on so stress could've played a part, but I was down to LESS than pre-pregnancy weight at 8 wks. Yep, 8 weeks! No working out and no specific diet.
Baby #4: 35, gained 40-50lbs. I've been breastfeeding, doing moderate exercise, and if I'm being totally honest, have not been consistently eating well. But, just as with baby #2, I'm holding on to around 15-20 lbs.( I'm 9mths out). Only this time, I'm not exercising like a fiend.
Ladies, I know what they say about losing the weight faster while breastfeeding bcz your body is burning more calories. But for me, it just hasn't been the case. I don't doubt that I'm burning more caliries bcz most days, I feel like I could eat the house. But I really think your body holds onto more when its in bfeeding mode.
Don't be discouraged! There's a time and season for everything. I know I've probably spent way more time obsessing over it than I need to; time I could've been blissfully lost in, who will be my last, baby's eyes. Enjoy this time and dont be too hard on yourself.
You will have plenty of time to obsess about your weight after your baby is weaned.
Please consider my experience. I was 16 when I had my first baby, who was formula fed because I gave him up for adoption. I suppose it may not count as much because of my young age but I lost the 40 lbs. I gained during pregnancy almost immediately.
Baby #2: I was 27 gained around the same. I nursed until he was around 7 mths but did not lose the remaining 20 lbs to pre-pregnancy weight until after I weaned him. And let me just say that my exercise regimen and eating habits would've put jillian michaels to shame! Didn't matter; didn't lose it all until he was weaned.
Baby#3: I was 33, gained again, around 40-45 lbs. Although I intended on breastfeeding, I ended-up stopping around 6 weeks because my daughter was latching onto my nipple, not the aereola, and I just couldn't bare the pain a second longer (note to others, seek help. I had a lot going on so I didn't but looking back, I think she was a little tongue-tied, which is an easily fixed problem by a Dr. snipping baby's frenulum...anywhoo). Again, I had a lot going on so stress could've played a part, but I was down to LESS than pre-pregnancy weight at 8 wks. Yep, 8 weeks! No working out and no specific diet.
Baby #4: 35, gained 40-50lbs. I've been breastfeeding, doing moderate exercise, and if I'm being totally honest, have not been consistently eating well. But, just as with baby #2, I'm holding on to around 15-20 lbs.( I'm 9mths out). Only this time, I'm not exercising like a fiend.
Ladies, I know what they say about losing the weight faster while breastfeeding bcz your body is burning more calories. But for me, it just hasn't been the case. I don't doubt that I'm burning more caliries bcz most days, I feel like I could eat the house. But I really think your body holds onto more when its in bfeeding mode.
Don't be discouraged! There's a time and season for everything. I know I've probably spent way more time obsessing over it than I need to; time I could've been blissfully lost in, who will be my last, baby's eyes. Enjoy this time and dont be too hard on yourself.
You will have plenty of time to obsess about your weight after your baby is weaned.
For me, I tried to set a realistic goal of losing the baby weight in 9 months (9 on, 9 off, right?) I eat similar to your suggestions and exercise three times a week. I love to exercise for "me time" and to strengthen my back and posture muscles that get worked from breastfeeding and holding baby. I think the hardest part of exercise post baby is finding the time. During my maternity leave I did mom and baby yoga and mom and baby pilates. Once I went back to work at 4 mos pp, I made 1-2 bar method classes a part of my schedule. I work out before going to work, maximizing the time I have childcare. My husband also "lets" me go once during the weekend. Now that I'm approaching one year and still , I'm actually struggling to keep weight on.
I'm also excited about drinking Raspberry Leaf tea again! Even after returning to prepregnancy weight around 8-9 mos pp, I still noticed my lower tummy being flabby. Since Raspberry Leaf is a uterine toner and helped my third trimester, I tried it again this summer, and I really believe it helped flatten my stomach!
I'm also excited about drinking Raspberry Leaf tea again! Even after returning to prepregnancy weight around 8-9 mos pp, I still noticed my lower tummy being flabby. Since Raspberry Leaf is a uterine toner and helped my third trimester, I tried it again this summer, and I really believe it helped flatten my stomach!
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