This crazy weight-EBF & Weight GAIN???

[goodmomma76]

Ok, so my lo will be 6 months old Thursday. She is exclusively breast fed. I have been giving her 'tastes' of whatever she 'steals' from my plate or hand, but no real food. And only doing that for a couple of weeks.

My question is this...Why in the world am I gaining weight?

Yesterday I ate a banana for breakfast. A cup of coffee. About 100 oz of water. a bowl of ham and beans and cornbread for lunch. a snickers bar(fun size). Some ham and scalloped potatoes for dinner.

That's it. Not a million calories (granted not entirely healthy, but...) Not huge portions either.

I am stressed out, could that be it? Today I had a banana, coffee, some noodles with garlic salt, no sauce and 3 cookies. (I have a sweet tooth) and for supper, it will be more ham and beans. Is it too many carbs? I admit to being a carboholic....

Last summer I weighed 138 pounds (A good weight for me and makes me a size 4 or 6.) Now I weigh 178. Exactly what I weighed when I went in to have the baby.

Ideas? BTDT? Help? Commisserate???

[witchygrrl]

good momma, I have the same problem! My problem is that my thyroid, which was borderline pre-pregnancy, basically flatlined after. So now I'm on meds, which weight-wise has only worked so-so. But at least my mind is clearer.

my advice is to have your thyroid tested! HTH! Good luck.

[MomtoNoah]

Originally Posted by goodmomma76

Yesterday I ate a banana for breakfast. A cup of coffee. About 100 oz of water. a bowl of ham and beans and cornbread for lunch. a snickers bar(fun size). Some ham and scalloped potatoes for dinner.

??

maybe you aren't eating enough cal and enough veggies?! i'm ebf and I'm not at all what I weighed when I found out i was pregnant but i'm in a ballpark.

are you in a babllpark of what you want to weigh?

also, you need to eat more when you are breastfeeding to help make the milk. i've heard that it's hard to lose the last ten-ish lbs when bfing

[ShwarmaQueen]

It might be thyroid/metabolic, but it honestly sounds more like what your eating. Carbs are notorious for causing you to pack on pounds and you might just be extra sensitive to them (I am). You might check out a lower carb diet (like South Beach, phase 2 or 3) or Eat to Live, both encourage more veggies, less carbs.

[LadyCatherine185]

I lost all of my pre-preg weight in 2 weeks. Then gained back about 15 lbs from months 6-12, even though DS hasn't really gotten into solids!

Have you gotten AF back yet? I just got mine back last week, and I think maybe the hormones, etc hadn't regulated enough yet and that is why I am holding onto extra weight.

I have also heard from other people that they put on a little extra weight while BF'ing and then lose it within the 2nd year, like their body was trying to store up fat for the second year of BF'ing.

[paulamc]

Originally Posted by LadyCatherine185

I lost all of my pre-preg weight in 2 weeks. Then gained back about 15 lbs from months 6-12, even though DS hasn't really gotten into solids!

Have you gotten AF back yet? I just got mine back last week, and I think maybe the hormones, etc hadn't regulated enough yet and that is why I am holding onto extra weight.

I have also heard from other people that they put on a little extra weight while BF'ing and then lose it within the 2nd year, like their body was trying to store up fat for the second year of BF'ing.

I sure hope so as I have the same problem and am entering the second year right now. However, realistically, less than hormones or thyroid, in my case it's probably the whole foods oatmeal chocolate chip and peanut butter chocolate chip cookies and the mocha milk shakes at the coffee house down the street

[zubeldia]

I would say up the veggies... go for more volume. I am in the ballpark of prepregnancy weight but not losing any more. I'm 3 months PP. I workout like a fiend, too I think my body adjusts to the demands too well
Good luck, mama. you're not alone.

[rightkindofme]

Based on what I have read your body doesn't return to 'baseline' for four years after you have a baby. It's pretty common to carry extra weight while nursing. So if you aren't having the weight loss that you want to have, try not to stress about it in the first couple of years. Your body is still doing massive adjusting. Trying too hard to lose weight isn't good for mama or baby.

[mokey4]

Is that really all you ate? That doesn't sound like enough. Was the food processed or home-cooked? That makes a difference, prepared foods have more sodium, and will make you hang onto more weight. Do you exercise? Personally I think you could eat more healthful, low glycemic index foods (read the South Beach Diet book, even if you don't intend to follow the diet exactly, i never did), and make sure you get some exercise in every day. A banana for breakfast doesn't cut it- it's a healthy food but it's too high in sugar you need some complex carbs and protein with that!

here's what I eat, on a pretty good healthy day:
breakfast- healthy, no-sugar added cereal (grapenuts) mixed with a little fruit or raisins for a little sweetness, with 2% milk.
snack- a little fruit or cheese
lunch- a healthy-ish sandwich on whole wheat bread (usually some combo of meat & cheese & veggies)
afternoon snack if needed- plain yogurt or cottage cheese
dinner- always a protein (a bit of chicken or fish, sometimes red meat, sometimes tofu), a grain (usually brown rice or barley), and a green veggie. sometimes some winter squash or potato. but potato isn't all that healthy, it's ok once in a while.
dessert- a few graham crackers, if i'm still hungry i take it with milk. sometimes something more yummy and less healthy, like cookies or some ice cream.

I have a 7 1/2 month old and she's still exclusively breast fed, because we do baby-led weaning and she doesn't ingest food except by accident. I also exercise probably more than average... but not nearly as much as I did pre-pregnancy, and I'm below my pre-pregnancy weight. I think it's because I cut out soda entirely from my diet, and I'm a lot more aware of what I eat. Cutting out the coffee, if possible, wouldn't be a bad idea. Tea is better for you. I drink tea when i need caffeine.

[goodmomma76]

ok, let's see if I can respond to everyone...lol

I have had my thyroid checked annually for a while, for other health issues, but not in over a year this time, so maybe that's it, I will have to ask about that next month at my appointment. Thanks.

I eat very little dairy, as it seems to give her gas, she has reflux and I try to keep from eating anything that will upset her tummy, I know if I eat lots of dairy or tomato or broccolli she will have gas.

I have had one thing I thought was AF around 8 weeks PP, but nothing since, so who knows!

I love the sweets, so I am trying to cut them out...I usually drink more tea than coffee, but needed a pick me up that day, as I had been up since 3 am with someone...not naming any names....lol

I try to eat veggies for lunch (except on Mondays the little place across the street makes homemade ham n beans all winter long, and I love them, I don't eat them every Monday, but I do a lot) And I bring my lunch to work with me a lot. I don't eat a lot of processed foods, I prefer to make stuff homemade, but I do have my weaknesses...

I am no where near where I would like to be weight wise. I think losing 20-30 pounds would be good for me. I exercise 3-4 times per week, walking, or doing the wii fit, something along those lines, but I am not one of those people who can exercise alot, I just never seem to have time to fit it in.

I will try to stay away from the carbs...I was afraid you'd say that!! LOL We'll see what happens. I was telling myself this morning that a size 12 is not bad and I can deal with that. But when I went from and 18 to a 4, then back to a 12, it makes me nervous...KWIM???

[goodmomma76]

Crud, I knew I would forget something...

Yes, that's really what I ate...

[rivkah]

Could it be age-related?

I have heard from multiple women that their metabolism seems to do a massive slow-down every ten years or so. I know when I turned about 31, all of the sudden I was not as hungry and was simultaneously packing on the some pounds. I found that I need to eat a LOT less than I thought (and wish I could eat), and even now, as I nurse a 4 1/2 month old, I can very comfortably get by on about 1200 calories (no I am not super-skinny or short, just have an "efficient" metabolism and an average build).

[lifeguard]

From talking with other women & my own experience it's just not true that bfing is a magic weightloss solution. I have been actively trying to lose weight & ds still bf's a LOT. Haven't lost a single pound. Totally frustrating but obviously every body is different.

[kayleesmom]

subbing to this thread

[goodmomma76]

I am 33 now, so it's possible that it's age related...I know at some point in their lives most people gain some weight. And I am telling myself I will be happy with my body at this weight (but I want to stay here and not continue to gain) but really I would like to lose the 20-30 pounds. That still makes me about 10 pounds over where I was, but I think I can deal with that!