Weaning and weight loss - and a discussion of calorie in calorie out

[Gena 22]

Two questions for those that have BTDT, or have better theories than I do:

I'm one week into eating better, feeling good and down a few pounds. I'm thinking of weaning my twins sometime soon (like right this minute) or at least backing off to nursing morning and night. Weaning is a tricky issue for me. I'm ambivalent, but pumping at work after 2 years at it is getting old.

My concern is that the new weight loss, plus weaning and therefore even greater dietary restrictions will screw up my metabolism and maybe hormones. Would it be better if I wait a few weeks?

And a related question. Just read a link, maybe from here, to a NYT article questioning the calorie in - calorie out theory of weight loss, and questioning the weight loss benefits of exercise. Some of it sounded right to me - exercise is about more than calories burned, which are relatively minimal - and fattening foods are fattening, like beer, pasta, bread, white potatoes, etc. I was planning on using cardio and maybe some weights as exercise to keep my metabolism up. What do you wiser ladies think about all these issues?

Sorry if this is all so general. I just want to keep up the good work and not screw myself with too many changes at once.

[madskye]

I don't know anything about weaning and metabolism...but there was an article in Time or newsweek, I think, about why exercise doesn't work, and personally, I just found it frustrating to read.

I will see if I can dig up the link for the article, but I remember feeling at the time that I read it that it's such a gross oversimplification of the issue. What you eat and how much of it is really important in relation to your weight. Working out or getting in some kind of movement/activity is a big part of a healthy lifestyle. In my opinion, living a healthy lifestyle makes it a lot easy to choose good-for-you foods. The more time I spend on the couch, the more I find myself craving junk food.

Working out alone isn't a magic bullet to weight loss. It helps a lot of people, but if you're eating terrible food in great quantities afterward, you're not going to lose weight. For me, the benefits of working out go way beyond trying to lose weight--when I work out, or even walk regularly, I am calmer and just feel better overall.

ETA--here's the link to the Time article I mentioned:
http://www.time.com/time/health/arti...914857,00.html

And then here's an outraged response from Fitness magazine, too!
http://www.fitnessmagazine.com/worko...-S-48623566022

In short, don't kill yourself exercising and turn it into something that's a chore to get through so you feel the need to reward yourself with donuts after a workout, as he cites in the article. But make your lifestyle active and healthy, find some activities that you actually enjoy--that might help a lot more in the long run than doing some "Body Wedge" class that tortures.

[lotus.blossom]

I think there are two types when it comes to breastfeeding and weight. Those that hang onto weight while nursing and those who burn if off BY nursing. I am the previous...... I hung onto 10 extra pounds the first time around even with exercise and moderate eating. When I weaned and trimmed up my diet at the same time I dropped the 10 lbs FAST. I went back to highschool weight. It was exhilerating!!

I am currently back to square one with my second baby. 10 lbs to ideal weight although I am nearly at pre-preg weight now.

As far as exercise is concerned......losing weight without exercise makes for a shapeless body. To me exercise is the icing on the weightloss cake.

[Gena 22]

Originally Posted by madskye

The more time I spend on the couch, the more I find myself craving junk food.

Me too! Thanks for the links. I'm trying to be more active and know there are lots of good reasons for it, weight loss or not. I just got confused by some of these articles. Yes, it's a complicated issue, but I think generally if I eat a little less than I expend (through life, exercise and nursing) I'll generally lose weight. And if not, after a few weeks I'll look into changing something - more exercise, better foods, etc.

And thanks lotus.blossom. Glad to hear that you weaned and trimmed up your diet successfully! Think I'll begin that process soon!

[ithappened]

I found that no matter what my diet is (veggies only, mcdonalds, whatever) while nursing I hang on to about 5- 10 lbs-- I haven't weaned yet but I can only hope they 'go away' when I stop nursing because exercise and diet dont seem to be working

[bronxmom]

I have similar questions. I haven't gotten far enough down in my weight to know if my body is or will hang on to the "last 5-10 pounds" while nursing but I'm getting there. I've lost 48 pounds out of 63 and my son is almost 15 months. He still nurses a lot. I pump about 6oz when he's at daycare but he nurses around the clock when he's with me. For calories, I've been estimating 15oz/300cals, which seems safe and I seem to be doing fine dropping the weight. But I have similar concerns about weaning, and even reducing, as it would suck to lose those 300 extra calories. However, I'm planning to nurse for 2 years and don't see him cutting back too significantly before I lose the weight (by July hopefully); so my plan, fingers crossed, is to just keep losing the weight and then when he stops breastfeeding and I have lost all my weight that I will just keep eating as I do now (which feels plenty and fine to me) and do okay.

I do think, though, that I am a type to lose weight while nursing. With my daughter (this was 11 years ago), I went down to my lowest adult weight and looked great by the time she was 2 (though it did take about a year and a half - she nursed til almost 3). However, I'm not so sure if that had to do with nursing or with the change in activity level due to her becoming an active toddler. I kind of feel the same way about my son; now that we're into walking, chasing him around, playgrounds, etc, I am sure my activity level is bumped up significantly.

[RosemaryS-F]

I won't wean ds to lose weight, but I can fantasize about it! I support the op in her choice to stop pumping at work for her twins after 2 years. I nurse morning and night and often for nap, but would hate to be pumping at work after 2 years (just personally!)

[pacificbliss]

I lost weight while bfing and got below my pre-pg weight. Of course, my pre-pg weight was still over my ideal weight and I wonder if that is part of the reason why. I quit pumping at work after a year and I was pumping 15 oz in 3 sessions. It had no effect on my weight. After DS weaned the weight started coming back on. Now pg with number 2 I got pg heavier than I was at the beginning of my pg with #1. Since I lost weight easily while nursing I did not exercise much after I had DS. I rationalized that if I started exercising after DS weaned I could more easily maintain the weight loss. That did not work. For me I just feel better when I exercise and make better food choices. I plan to get back in a routine sooner after this baby and not make weight the focus. I do think that the purpose of exercise is more than just the calories burned in the time you are exercising.

By the way, great job pumping for twins for 2 years!!!

[Oka-san]

I also tend to hang on to the last 10 pounds or so while nursing. After DD weaned the rest finally came off. Now with DS at 9 months I’m the same, 10 pounds up from where I’d like to be.

Funny enough, even though I exercise a lot, it seems to have very little effect on my weight. I used to calculate how many calories I worked off vs. how many I ate and slowly realized that it never added up. I lost the 20 pounds I did after DS was born without exercising at ALL. Now that I’m back to the gym my weight loss has stalled. For me my weight all seems to be in how much I eat. The exercising doesn’t make much difference at all (although I keep doing it because I like it and know it’s healthy.)

Good luck mama, and I agree with pacificbliss, kudos for pumping for your twins for 2 years, that’s amazing!

[lolar2]

I've read in several places that exercise has little effect on weight, but a huge (positive) effect on health.

[RosemaryS-F]

Exercise itself doesn't burn that many calories, but it raises your heart rate for a long time after the exercise, so you continue to burn more calories even at rest. It also builds muscle, which burns fat. So it is key to weight loss, imo.