Need Advice!(diet, exercise and BF)

[txmommy83]

I x-posted this so please forgive me if this isnt in the right place!

OK, so a little history...I am very overweight (obese actually) and have been since I got pregnant. My baby is almost 11 months old now and eats 3 solid meals a day, but still BFs about 3-4 times a day, and 1 or 2 times during the night. I am not planning on weaning anytime soon, though she does drink less than she used to. So, BFing has basically been my "excuse" to not diet and exercise, because I have heard all this about toxins being released through milk, etc. Well, this is where I'd like advice. I have about 100lbs I'd like to lose, and I need to know if the benefits of that to me and my child (because she will be eating healthier too if I am) outweighs the risk of putting toxins in my milk? I feel like it wouldn't be as big of a deal (though please correct me if I am wrong) now that she is 11 mos and eating solids...I am not really that educated on the subject but I would like people to tell me what they know and have experienced...this is a necessity for me, I really can't afford to wait any longer to get this weight off. I am going to the gym 5x's a week now, doing weights 3 times a week, and eating whole fresh foods now. I can't imagine that would be worse than never going, and eating fast food all the time? Please help educate me if what I am doing is ok!

[betsyj]

Toxins in your milk because of exercise? I have never heard of this. But, it would seem to me that your body is getting rid of toxins every day through sweat and urine and yes I guess breast milk regardless of whether you are a couch commando or road warrior ya know?

I would continue to exercise because it is so good for you mentally and physically. Breast feeding should not discourage you form implementing more healthy choices into your life.

[txmommy83]

I think I got the toxins part from losing weight too fast, that's what the weight watchers lady told me a few months ago...they said i shouldnt lose more than a pound a week also because of that...if i only wanted to lose 1lb a week then im basically wasting my time at this point...i knows i will lose more than that because i have so much to lose.

[MadiMamacita]

there is a good kellymom article about bf and diet/exercise. i dont remember reading anything about toxins though.
http://www.kellymom.com/nutrition/mo...s.html#toofast

wait, i found something about toxins (same site as above) : "According to Breastfeeding and Human Lactation (3rd Edition, Riordan, pp 440), it is noted that fad or rapid weight loss programs should be avoided because fat-soluble environmental contaminants and toxins stored in body fat are released into the milk when caloric intake is severely restricted. I was unable to find a definition of "severely restricted" but I expect that it is significantly under 1500 calories per day (which they called a "modest intake"). I've included information on a study on this subject below. See also the info at this website regarding environmental contaminants and breastfeeding."

moral support to you mama. i'm in the same boat and have also used "but i'm bf" or "i just had a baby" as justification, but i'm thinkin about starting ww too.
theres a ww mdc thread here (its the august thread..):
http://www.mothering.com/discussions....php?t=1118706

[txmommy83]

I'm actually NOT doing WW...because they have me eating 40 points a day, which is basically the same as what I am already eating! I have been losing weight slowly with no effort at all but I am ready to get serious. What you quoted from Kellymom is what I was referring to. The WW for BF moms program goes by that and as a result they make you (or maybe just me?) eat too much. I wasn't even losign a pound a week with their 40 points. It was more like a pound a month maybe. And, I gained most of my weight with my pregnancy...I think from beginning to end I gained about 65lbs...dropped 20 when she came and have slowly been losing the rest since, but it's so slow it's nonexistant almost..I think I am 10lbs lighter than I was when I had her, but 10lbs in almost year isn't really exciting. Didn't help that I was already overweight to begin with. I'm sitting at 235 right now, and hope to be under 200 by Christmas. That's not "rapid" weight loss, is it? Sooo confusing. I guess I could just watch and see what happens? I dunno.