Did your metabolism change permanently after babies?

[mambera]

Sigh. I didn't have any trouble maintaining a healthy weight throughout my 20s. I ate pretty much whatever I wanted (which wasn't usually junk food but if I wanted it I had it) and didn't exercise on a consistent basis, though I led a pretty active life. I pretty much always weighed 123 lbs no matter what.

I gained 29 lbs in pregnancy without any particular attention to my diet; dropped about half of it immediately postpartum and all but 4 lbs of the rest of it over the next 3 months. I figured I was good.

Then I went UP again! I'm a solid 10+ lbs over my prepregnancy weight and have been there for months. I'm 9 mo pp right now. My mom said it would be '9 months on, 9 months off' so I was hoping for some kind of miracle by now, but no dice.

Is this the way things are gonna be from now on? Am I looking at a lifetime of doing fitness videos and ordering the dressing on the side?

[graceomalley]

I found it very easy to lose weight while I was breastfeeding, but as soon as my sons weaned I started to gain weight (and it was HARD to lose).

OTOH, some people find it hard to lose any weight while they're nursing and it comes off after the baby weans. Good luck!

[sonuptosondown]

I voted yes--easier to gain...
I had my first at 27 and had no problem getting back to almostnormal. Second at 30 and it's gone downhill from there. I think it has more todo with my age, though, not having babies. My metabolism would have changed anyway I think. My eating habits are atrocious and that's why I'm poking around here--looking fordirection and inspiration because I need help!!!!

[columbusmomma]

I voted yes, easier to gain. However I didn't notice this until after having DC number 2. plus I'm getting older so maybe that's it too And I gained less weight with DD and lost it quicker then with DS.

[ambereva]

I thought/told myself it had changed, but in retrospect, when I'm honest with myself, it was my lifestyle that changed. I wasn't moving around as much and I was eating more because I was depressed (probably because I wasn't moving around as much). Once I started moving again (daily exercise that kept my heartrate elevated for 30-60 minutes) I lost weight. I can eat a good 3000 calories a day before I gain weight, so my metabolism is obviously not the problem.

[425lisamarie]

I would agree with ambereva as usual. I'm busy basically 24/7. I may not set out to get my heartrate up every single day at the gym, but I'm constantly active. I used to be very sedentary no matter how much I wanted to believe I wasn't.

I DO think it is harder, but a lot of factors come in to play. It's obviously not as nice to think of working out and dieting while trying to manage a family and small children. To me it's about being healthy. Eating well, moving enough. I was not as fit when i had babies/toddlers. At some point when they grow a little you have more time.

It's much easier to maintain a weight than it is to lose for sure

[laohaire]

I don't know if it was pregnancy or age or lifestyle or what, but yes, I found it easy to gain and impossible to lose after having my baby.

In March 2009 I started eating really healthy, all cooked from scratch, bought a weight bench and USED it, started running, etc. Oh, even quit eating sugar. I should have been losing the pounds left and right.

Today I am 4 pounds heavier than that first weigh-in. I NEVER lost even a pound under that weigh-in (which was 144 in case anyone cares). I NEVER saw 143 even once. I am so frustrated with my complete lack of ability to lose weight, and I feel strongly that it's not a lack of will (my self control is pretty good with only a few rare exceptions).

Before I was pregnant, I could lose weight whenever I put my mind to it. Also, for the record, I was of very good weight during the pregnancy itself (started at 119 and gained 34 pounds, which is on the high end of ok but still ok). But since then, I have found out for myself why it's so hard for so many people.

[laohaire]

Oh, by the way, I'm eating like crap these days and don't exercise at all. I give up. I had an iron will before, exercised 6 days a week, ate great, didn't matter a whit. And in case you think I'm focused on the pounds, no, I did not lose any dress sizes either. I started a size 10 and now I'm a 12. I. Give. Up.

[ambereva]

Originally Posted by laohaire

I don't know if it was pregnancy or age or lifestyle or what, but yes, I found it easy to gain and impossible to lose after having my baby.

In March 2009 I started eating really healthy, all cooked from scratch, bought a weight bench and USED it, started running, etc. Oh, even quit eating sugar. I should have been losing the pounds left and right.

Today I am 4 pounds heavier than that first weigh-in. I NEVER lost even a pound under that weigh-in (which was 144 in case anyone cares). I NEVER saw 143 even once. I am so frustrated with my complete lack of ability to lose weight, and I feel strongly that it's not a lack of will (my self control is pretty good with only a few rare exceptions).

Before I was pregnant, I could lose weight whenever I put my mind to it. Also, for the record, I was of very good weight during the pregnancy itself (started at 119 and gained 34 pounds, which is on the high end of ok but still ok). But since then, I have found out for myself why it's so hard for so many people.

Those things are all great! Good for you! Those things will certainly make you healthier. I do notice one thing you didn't list though, are you tracking your calories? Burning more calories than you consume is the only thing that will make you thinner.

[laohaire]

Originally Posted by ambereva

Those things are all great! Good for you! Those things will certainly make you healthier. I do notice one thing you didn't list though, are you tracking your calories? Burning more calories than you consume is the only thing that will make you thinner.

I'm not so sure about that. Prior to March 2009 I was consistently eating starvation amounts. I tracked for about a week in March and I started at about 900 calories a day (nursing a toddler as well). It was an effort to bring it up to 1200 calories a day, which was the best I could do at the time. I even posted here and the advice was all unanimous that I had to increase my caloric intake to have a prayer of losing weight. Well, I guess I have to admit that didn't work either, but 900 calories a day sure as heck wasn't working. At least once I started eating more (now I eat a lot more than 1200 calories a day, maybe 1800, but not totally sure) I didn't feel like I was going to die all the time.

Also Gary Taubes meta-analyses have kind of disproven the calorie theory.

[ambereva]

Originally Posted by laohaire

I'm not so sure about that. Prior to March 2009 I was consistently eating starvation amounts. I tracked for about a week in March and I started at about 900 calories a day (nursing a toddler as well). It was an effort to bring it up to 1200 calories a day, which was the best I could do at the time. I even posted here and the advice was all unanimous that I had to increase my caloric intake to have a prayer of losing weight. Well, I guess I have to admit that didn't work either, but 900 calories a day sure as heck wasn't working. At least once I started eating more (now I eat a lot more than 1200 calories a day, maybe 1800, but not totally sure) I didn't feel like I was going to die all the time.

Also Gary Taubes meta-analyses have kind of disproven the calorie theory.

OK, I see you have your mind made up. I do hope for your long term health that you keep eating more than 1200 calories a day, though! There's just no way a person can meet their nutritional requirements on 1200 calories a day, it's not possible. Good luck.

[Panserbjorne]

Originally Posted by laohaire

I'm not so sure about that. Prior to March 2009 I was consistently eating starvation amounts. I tracked for about a week in March and I started at about 900 calories a day (nursing a toddler as well). It was an effort to bring it up to 1200 calories a day, which was the best I could do at the time. I even posted here and the advice was all unanimous that I had to increase my caloric intake to have a prayer of losing weight. Well, I guess I have to admit that didn't work either, but 900 calories a day sure as heck wasn't working. At least once I started eating more (now I eat a lot more than 1200 calories a day, maybe 1800, but not totally sure) I didn't feel like I was going to die all the time.

Also Gary Taubes meta-analyses have kind of disproven the calorie theory.

You are absolutely correct. Calories in vs calories out was disproven before Gary Taubes though! It's easy to say if it works for YOU but since, for so many it doesn't we need to take a good, hard look at that.

There are a few possibilities here. One is that you developed sensitivities during pregnancy. This is very common and will absolutely affect your ability to maintain your optimal weight. Some lose, some gain, but rarely do people stay the same weight. It may be something that is not even noticeable while you are consuming it, but identifying these things take the burden off your endocrine system and allow it to normalize.

The other things that is a possibility is that you have a new "set point." This involves the HPA axis which sets your metabolism. After stressful events (which can take many forms-pregnancy being a biggie) your metabolism can become downregulated. In that case your body is processing things differently and where you used to eat what you want and remain 120, now regardless of what you do it's hard to stay below 140. Dieting and exercise may help, but once you are off the plan you will return to your set point.

Some doctors report being able to assist patients in resetting the hypothalamus. I can't comment on that, but there is a ton of information out there.

Depending also on the amount of weight we are talking it's possible that your body is also doing what it can to protect you. Since toxins are stored in fat, if you can't lose fat one of the things that may be happening is that the body is in protection mode. It won't release those toxins it's sequestered which results in an extra 10 or so pounds for you.

Anyway, I hope that things shift for you. I know how frustrating this can be!

[crunchy_mama]

Well, I am kind of ambivalent. I had dormant food intolerances come back that it took me a while figure out- ie gluten and dairy intolerance which made it more challenging at times. However, after all 3 babys I have went back to working out by 6 weeks and have kept a healthy diet through pregnancy and immediately aftewards(well I did allow myself 1 week of going carb crazy after #3 but it was Thanksgiving week). I have also figureeed out that I need to be low carb to lose weight and grainfree or very low amounts of whole gluten free grains. I probably eat close to 2000 calories a day. I am a few days from 4 months pp right now and am in my pre-preg clothes but they are a bit tight in the hip area. With #1 and #2 I lost the weight by 4 months and got back down to size by 6-7 months. My belly has went down faster this time though.

[ambereva]

I just want to follow the Taubes tangent for a minute, lol.

Disclaimer: I haven't read Good Calories Bad Calories, but I've read many articles and interviews with Taubes, so if his argument and evidence in GCBC is different than in his articles and interviews I'll defer to whomever has read the book if it presents different/additional information.

I agree with him. Surprised? I absolutely agree (based on all the reading I've done and my own experience) that the culprit behind our obesity epidemic is refined carbohydrates. And I've lost 80+ pounds on what almost everyone would consider a high fat, high calorie diet (3000+ calories a day, 35% fat).

However, NOWHERE in any of the articles I've read have I seen Taubes claim that calories in vs. calories out has been disproven. Misrepresented, yes, but not disproven. He argues that certain kinds of calories can affect the endocrine system and lead to weight gain. He presents evidence that exercise has minimal effect on weight. He presents evidence that fat isn't the culprit behind heart disease. I agree with him on all these points. I'm not seeing him claim anywhere that a person can eat an unlimited amount of calories and lose weight, though.

My wonderfully high fat and high calorie whole foods diet has helped me lose a substantial amount of weight. The key, however, is that I am burning more calories than I am consuming. If I eat more or exercise less, my weight loss stops or even reverses. I do seem to be able to eat more calories from nutrient dense whole foods than I would be able to eat in refined, nutrient poor foods (Taubes definitely seems to be right on this point!) and still maintain my weight/weight loss, but there is a limit to that phenomenon. All too often I'm seeing Taubes work misrepresented and used as an excuse not to exercise and to eat unlimited amounts of food (not on MDC specifically), which, as far as I can tell, is not at all what Taubes is advocating.

So all that said, I just ordered GCBC on Amazon. Will it have some new revelations for me?

[Panserbjorne]

I think it will. Have fun!

[Panserbjorne]

here's some reading:
http://nymag.com/news/sports/38001/

there is a lot more out there and we can certainly talk more...it's a fun subject.