How can I lose weight while breastfeeding?

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Forum -> Health & Wellness -> Healthy Lifestyle/ Weight Loss/ Exercise

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lamplighter

Sun, Dec 04 2011, 5:33 pm

I have a lot of weight to lose, my doctor advised me to get back to a healthy weight as soon as I can. I don't fit into any of my clothes (unless you count what I wore when I was 5 months pregnant) and this is downright depressing!
I am having staining issues and would like to get to mikvah at some point so I'm holding off on the exercise but I do try and walk some each day.
I thought about it and the things holding me back are:
- being tired all the time so it's harder to move and harder to prepare healthy foods
- needing to eat more because of breastfeeding I.e. I'm hungry all the time
- craving A LOT, at least as much as when I was pregnant

To be honest I was really careful with what I ate for 3 weeks and when I went to the doctor I had only lost 2 lbs over that amount of time and it just made me throw in the towel.

I need some motivation, some idea of how much is normal to eat and how much craving just needs to be curbed and how to do all this on so little sleep....

I have 26 lbs to lose.

Raisin

Sun, Dec 04 2011, 6:06 pm

2lbs is quite a reasonable amount. Keep it up and you will have lost the weight in 3 or 4 months.

lamplighter

Sun, Dec 04 2011, 6:19 pm

you mean I'll be fat till my baby is 6 months old??

Raisin

Sun, Dec 04 2011, 6:31 pm

lamplighter wrote:

you mean I'll be fat till my baby is 6 months old??

no! You will slowly lose the weight if you can keep up the pace. At 3 months or so you will have lost half the weight.

I still haven't lost my baby weight 3 years later so 6 months is great going.

I wouldn't try any crazy diets. Just eat healthy and cut out junk. You can try ww or similar if you think it will help. ww has a breastfeeding mothers plan.

chocolate moose

Sun, Dec 04 2011, 6:53 pm

Lampy, does your health insurance include a nutritionist? You need to eat healthfully, of course, but in order to give your baby the best milk without shortchanging yourself, except in calories, sounds sort of tricky.

I had a friend who lost 30 lbs in 18 months. Yes, it's very slow, but she didn't have to tweak her diet that much which is a plus. And she didn't have to kill herself with hours in the gym.

The staining doesn't have to be related to exercise. I understand being tired from having a newborn which obviously precludes heavy lifting or cardio. However, it happens that women could stain into the 4th or 5th month anyway. Didn't Motek talk about a woman who stained into her 9th month ?

cookielady

Sun, Dec 04 2011, 6:58 pm

After my third child was born I went on the WW nursing plan. That along with walking everyday, I lost 35 lbs in about five months. I had a ton of energy and it was steady weight loss without being hungry.

Jacoby

Sun, Dec 04 2011, 7:08 pm

Helllo?! Am I the odd one out, or is it only normal to take (at least) 6 months to lose your baby weight?!
Some nursing moms are lucky and the pounds just come rolling off.
However, for people that don't lose while nursing naturally, it definitely makes sense to take 6 months of steady, healthy work.
You don't want to do a crazy crash diet and lose your milk supply...

amother

Sun, Dec 04 2011, 7:12 pm

I did the Start Fresh speedstart program for a year PP. It means eating everyday 5 proteins, 5 fruits, 3 dairy, 3 fats, and unlimited veggies. I also cooked oatmeal for breakfast to enrich my milk.

In addition, from 8 weeks and on I was back at my gym. I was back to my pre pregnancy weight at 6 months.

catonmylap

Mon, Dec 05 2011, 12:59 am

if it takes 9 months to gain the weight, you need at least as much time to lose the weight.

it's normal for it to take a while and go slow...

baba

Mon, Dec 05 2011, 5:46 am

Pesonally, I have a hard time losing while nursing.
Also, I can be really strict with what I eat and only lose a bit.
However, I can eat more or less the same, just cut out the junk and do sport a few times a week and lose easily.
But yes, I agree, you just had a baby, take your time (and I really do understand how depressing it is to not fit in your clothes).

Inspired

Mon, Dec 05 2011, 6:18 am

lamplighter wrote:

you mean I'll be fat till my baby is 6 months old??

Well, if you give up you'll be fat forever.
You choose.
I don't mean to be mean but you are not being logical.
You can loose wheight while nursing. Losing weight altogether must first start with your commitment and not giving up, even when it gets hard, even if it goes slowly.
B'hatzlacha.
BTDT, and still doing it.
26 lbs is really not that much and 6 months is really not a long time. A year isn't either, when you are talking about the rest of your life.
It took me over 14 years to lose the weight that I gained while nursing (don't gain when pregnant only when nursing) my oldest because of a defeatest attitude and giving up. Learn from my mistake don't give up.

Marion

Mon, Dec 05 2011, 8:33 am

And some women don't lose weight as long as they're nursing. At all. I'm usually down to my pre-pregnancy weight by 6 weeks...and then I gain it ALL back, and then some (I only gain about 5kg during pregnancy)...and it stays there until baby stops nursing. Completely.

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