Help can not lose weight while nursing

[livinlovinlaughin]

I have been nursing for a year and a half and have only lost about 5 pounds since before I gave birth. I am a fitness instructor so obviously I workout and I am a lifetime member of WW so I know how to lose weight. My diet is very good not perfect. I eat mostly whole foods and I have tweaked my calories over the past year and a half. I have roughly 40 lbs of pregnancy weight to lose and I just can not get my weight to budge no matter what I do. Has anyone else had this trouble? I am so sick of this weight it really gets to me. Please help!!

[annettemarie]

Movng out to the general Breastfeeding forum.

[lifeguard]

I'm in the same boat as you down to the number of pounds from my pregnancy I want to lose. Not sure what to say except to commisserate.

I must admit sometimes I really worry about what will happen if we stop nursing. If nursing is supposed to burn a bunch of calories I worry I'll start gaining. Sigh.

[Fuamami]

I couldn't! Good genes for surviving famines, bad genes for today's beauty standards. I was training for a 1/2 marathon when I weaned dd, and even though I was on a plateau week (no mileage/speed increase) I lost 5 pounds and about 3 inches around the waist.

I think some women's bodies just hold onto the weight harder. I wouldn't wean over it, though. As your dc ages, your body will probably start adjusting naturally. Not that I have any scientific proof for this, just anecdotal evidence.

[lkmiscnet]

Apparently some women gain weight while BFing, which surprised me. You might fall into that category.

But, by all means, like the poster above mentioned, don't wean because of that possibility.

[ewe+lamb]

I loose when pregnant and put on when bfing - now that ds is not nursing so much - i'm just starting to loose weight and i do over an hour of aerobics a day - just the way some of us are made - very very frustrating though!!

[sapientia]

add me-during pregnancy I have the hardest time putting on weight...but during nursing-I gain and keep the weight on till they wean, then it just falls off.
I've been like this through five children, I don't worry about it anymore-I just keep nursing and know I'll lose the pounds later.
I have no idea why i do this, but it's nice to see other people do this, too!

[akind1]

The weight is coming off slowly for me. I think part of the key - for me - is to not restrict calories, just move more. It is like my body thinks any "shortage" of calories means it needs to hold onto the weight. At 6 months PP I am 3 lbs less than my pre pregnancy weight. I have a lot more I want to lose though!

[livinlovinlaughin]

It is great to know I am not alone and to find support. When I was pregnant no matter how little or how much I ate I gained 1 lb a week. I thought since I ate good food, worked out all the way until delivery, stayed very strong (even at the end of pregnancy I was wearing out my students and continuing to do advanced moves) and planned to breastfeed that I would have no problem losing the weight.

I wish I knew if I need to eat more or less calories to get things moving. I am slowly lowering my ww points (daily calories) week by week to the amount I would need to eat to lose without breastfeeding. So far my milk supply has not seemed to change. That being said, is it safe to assume I am eating enough for my body to lose since my supply is fine? I should also add that a few years before pregnancy I lost over 80lbs and was a lean healthy weight when I conceived. It was easy to lose all that weight. I can not belive how different it is now. Do we really have to wait until our DC wean until we lose any weight? I know some people hold onto the last 10lbs but all of it? I just wonder if it will be this hard to lose once DS is finished nursing? I have heard it all...that magically it comes off after 3 mos pp, 1 yr pp, after ovulation starts again, after you stop nursing. None have been true for me so I have a hard time understanding why it will be easier when we are finished nursing or why it is so hard now. Ugh!

[smpayne]

Is it possible that your are not eating enough to keep up with your bodies needs? I was told that if I cut too many calories from my diet, that my weight loss can stall because it thinks it needs to start storing, especially when I increase my exercising.

[akind1]

Originally Posted by smpayne

Is it possible that your are not eating enough to keep up with your bodies needs? I was told that if I cut too many calories from my diet, that my weight loss can stall because it thinks it needs to start storing, especially when I increase my exercising.

is my guess. My weight loss always stalls when I'm not eating enough. I think you may be better off sticking with the # points WW gives you for nursing (an exta 10 I think) - I think everything varies from woman to woman, and it has been said that your baby will not be deprived while nursing (except in extreme circumstances), so that might be why your supply hasn't been affected. Most of the women I know that struggle to lose weight whle nursing are those that are really trying - cutting calories, etc.

[livinlovinlaughin]

I am suppossed to eat 30 points a day. I was eating 28 for a long time and some weeks I would lose a little then some weeks I would gain like 2lbs all eating the same things and same amounts. I can not figure out why I gain and lose while eating the same amount with the same exercise routine. I have recently been eating 24 points and thinking about dropping to 22 pts. Do you really think it would make a difference if I ate 30 pts instead of the 28 I was eating for so long? That is roughly a 100 calorie difference. Also do you all think I need to be eating the extra calories since my DS is 19months old? He nurses ate nap and bedtime decently and through the day for comfort. He is kind of a fly by nurser during the day. I started thinking maybe since He does not nurse every 1-2hrs like he did for the first 12months maybe I don't need the extra calories and I could actually lose some weight. I am just lost at his point. I appreciate everyone's insight!

[calebsmommy25]

Add me to the group. My DS is a pretty active nurser at 2. Right after I had him I lost 15-20 pounds within the first month or so and have about 10-15 that I'd still like to lose. I have had trouble ever since. I know I eat well, whole foods, from scratch, very little processesed foods, etc. I'm active running around with my DS and another little one all the time. Fit in some crunches here, push ups there, arm drills here and there. I lost a couple of pounds a month or so ago when I elminated a big portion of grains, but for me that just isn't a reality to stick too. It is very frustrating. I know it isn't worth weaning over, but it really upsets me.

[kittywitty]

Have you had your thyroid checked?

[livinlovinlaughin]

I had my thyroid checked almost right after I gave birth and Dr said it was normal. I wonder if it is worth having it checked again?

[akind1]

can't hurt. as your LO isn't nursing as often, it is possible you really don't need as many calories, and he is getting plenty elsewhere. But everyone's body chemistry is different - there is usually a "range" of calories they say you need while nursing, and I don't know a good way to figure out where in that range you fall, perhaps you need 28-30 points worth, maybe you would be ok with 20-22? You might just have to experiment. also maybe try mixing up the sort of work out you are doing?

my house is a sauna the last couple days. I feel as if I have sweated a few pounds off. (alas, I have not, well only 1 I think). We have a PP weight loss thread down in fitness in weight management that might be helpful also -

[treeoflife3]

I gained weight... I didn't at first. I lost all the weight within a couple of weeks (JUST by breastfeeding) and life was good.. but now i'm at my biggest and still nursing.. I started gaining after about 2 months so it wasn't an immediate problem.

It's my thyroid.

[livinlovinlaughin]

Originally Posted by ewe+lamb

I loose when pregnant and put on when bfing - now that ds is not nursing so much - i'm just starting to loose weight and i do over an hour of aerobics a day - just the way some of us are made - very very frustrating though!!

Are you still eating the same number of calories as before? (when he was nursing more)

Once again I am wondering if I might not be eating enough. I read that you can gain weight by not eating enough. Maybe that is my problem? In the past no matter how many or how little calories per day I ate, each week I would lose a little tiny amount (up to 0.5lbs) then the next few weeks (eating the same number) I would gain large amounts (a couple/few pounds). I never have eaten the full 30pts weight watchers reccomends. I did 28, 26, and now 24. Right now I am eating 24 pts (I should eat 23pts if not breastfeeding and trying to lose). My son is still nursing so I think my milk supply is ok. Does this mean I should be eating this many or should I try eating more again (say the whole 30pts). I do think my breast size has gone down since dropping my calories. DS is 19 months and nurses in the morning, before bed and periodically over night and during the day. I know it's a lot of info. I am so confused. I am dying to get at least some of this weight off. It is ridiculous that I have lost nothing in a year and a half while busting my butt the whole time!

[ACsMom]

Originally Posted by livinlovinlaughin

I had my thyroid checked almost right after I gave birth and Dr said it was normal. I wonder if it is worth having it checked again?

Sometimes doctors only do the most basic thyroid screen, which tests your levels of T3 only. T3 can come out "normal" in a screening and you can still have a thyroid imbalance. You might consider asking your doctor to perform a more thorough test, which takes into account the other thyroid hormones as well.

Or....it could be that your body is still recovering, hormonally, from the pregnancy and birth - sometimes it can take quite a while. Sometimes there are permanent changes to your body as a result of a pregnancy. You still might be able to tweak your diet to help your body out and balance your adrenal system, whether you have an actual thyroid "problem" or not. It sounds like you eat pretty healthy already, but you could try some version of the paleo-diet - eliminating sugar and wheat completely (including pasta and bread, whole wheat or no) and just concentrating on fresh, whole fruits and veggies, nuts, seeds, legumes, low mercury fish, maybe some rice. Do that for a month (without limiting calories, just eating until you're full) and see what happens. One word of caution though - I've heard that "de-toxing" while nursing can be harmful to the babe, so you don't want to limit calories or protein or fat too much while nursing. Nuts, seeds, and fish will give you the "good" fats that will actually help you lose weight. And sugar in any form is the enemy to weight loss, no matter how few calories you are eating.

[Pookietooth]

A friend of mine was having that problem, then she started to increase her fat intake (going more traditional foods), and she suddenly started dropping weight quickly. She's lost over 50 pounds that way.