EBF and Weightloss

[konayossie]

Ok, don't throw anything at me, but I am trying to figure out why I am losing weight. Here's my weight stats:

Prepregnancy weight: low 140s (heaviest I've been as an adult), size 10 with some 12s.

Preg weight gained: almost 20 lbs, lost 15 by the time I got home from the hossy.; was in size 12s full time

Post pregnancy weight for about 10 months: 145ish

Around 10 months PP, got really sick for a couple weeks and afterwards I fit into my old 10ish pants.

Since then, I have continued to slowly and steadily lose weight (or at least inches). I'm still in the upper 130s, but I know I am more muscular in my arms than I was previously, and I am now down to a size 8--back to my smallest adult size. My bra band size went from a 40 immediately PP to a 32.

I don't mean to look a gift horse in the mouth, but I am a little weirded out that I have continued losing inches when I wasn't trying. I was recently diagnosed with slight hypothyroidism (now treated and in normal range) and with low Vitamin D (but not deficient; it was a 30). I'm trying to figure out if extended breastfeeding is causing my weight loss (if so, yah!) or if there's something else going on that might not be good.

My diet has gotten healthier overall since having DS, but I would think my overall caloric intake is pretty much the same. I like to eat.

Anyone have continued weightloss with EBF after not losing much the first year?

[zoe77]

Sounds great to me!!  My son is 28 months old and I recently night-weaned.  The drastic reduction in nursing is definitely causing me to gain some weight (I haven't changed anything else about my diet/lifestyle, if anything I am actually working out more, and no it's not muscle because I can feel it in my waistline).  Take advantage of this time.  It seems like everyones body reacts differently to breastfeeding as far as weight loss is concerned.  Some people lose a ton, some none at all, some gain.  So if you are loosing and happy with it, enjoy it!!  Unless you feel you are loosing too much and approaching an unhealthy weight, I wouldn't worry about it.

[CheriK]

You mention hypothyroidism.  Typically, weight gain would be seen with this, but I had the same experience with weight loss (Was about 130, lost 10# w/ hyperemesis, gave birth to twins at 210#, lost 40# in 2 weeks - clearly that was "baby" weight, then over the next 4 months dropped to 113, which was way too skinny for me, and way too fast of weight loss).  My FP doc told me I wasn't eating enough while EBF twins, so I did a meal log for a week and discovered I was eating at least 4000 calories a day, and wasn't incredibly physically active at that point.  Did blood work at my insistence, and was diagnosed hypothyroid.  What were your most recent TSH levels?  It's accepted by endocrinologists that treated levels should be between 1-2, but many GPs will consider anything under 5 "normal".  My weight loss didn't stop until my hypothyroidism was well controlled; my FP only had me on enough supplement to get my TSH down to high normal, but the endocrinologist I saw increased my dose until I was closer to a TSH of 1.  I then had to struggle to put weight back on, which was another challenge.

[etsdtm99]

i started about the same as you, but i gain 45-50lbs with my pregnancies.. i always lose most of my weight in the first 6-9 months and then after about 15-18 months i start to lose again - since i gain so much, this left me right around or below pre pg weight by 20ish months (or a little over that with my 1st because i got pg again at 17 mo)  i eat a lot and do not do anything extra to lose weight other than bfing and chasing kids ..

guess i'm saying from what you said i wouldn't be worried.. BFing burns a lot of calories, plus healthier eating could very easily explain this..

[konayossie]

Thanks for the replies (I had forgotten about this thread!)

Quote:

Originally Posted by CheriK  What were your most recent TSH levels?  It's accepted by endocrinologists that treated levels should be between 1-2, but many GPs will consider anything under 5 "normal".  My weight loss didn't stop until my hypothyroidism was well controlled; my FP only had me on enough supplement to get my TSH down to high normal, but the endocrinologist I saw increased my dose until I was closer to a TSH of 1.  I then had to struggle to put weight back on, which was another challenge.

I believe my most recent level was 2.75. I would like to try to see it between 1-2 because DH & I are TTC (or will be again in a couple months); that's why I had it tested in the first place--I am having severe LPD, and I wanted to rule out everything else that could be contributing besides BF. Maybe I can get the dr. to up my dosage if it doesn't come down a bit further. I know of another person who was severely hypothryoid, and she had extreme weight loss, so it's interesting to hear of others out there.... My weightloss has not been extreme or unhealthy, so I don't want to gain mine back. :-)
 

Originally Posted by etsdtm99 

guess i'm saying from what you said i wouldn't be worried.. BFing burns a lot of calories, plus healthier eating could very easily explain this..

Now that I've had a couple months to look back at it, I am thinking that it's probably just the healthier eating and BF that is doing it for me, too. Who knew cutting out all that processed junk could have such good results?

[LizzieRed]

How old is your baby?  I lost my pregnancy weight (30 lbs) without trying at all within 6 to 9 months and at the one year mark was a few pounds lighter than when I got pregnant - but I figured it was loss of muscle since I was a crazy gym rat before having my DD and didn't find much time to exercise that first year.  Then months 12 - 18 I was still nursing a ton (and eating a ton) and I started exercising again (like 2X a week) and the weight just started to slide off.  I'd lose 1-2 pounds a week and when my daughter was around 20 months I noticed I weighed less than I had 10 years earlier at my wedding!  My daughter is 2 now and we aren't nursing for nutrition anymore, mainly for comfort, and I've gained a few pounds back and my weight has settled about 5 pounds below where I was when I got pregnant.  I really think nursing between 9 and 18 months are the ones that give you the biggest boost to weight loss.

My breasts are a full cup size smaller than they were before getting pregnant though, bummer!

[konayossie]

Originally Posted by LizzieRed 

How old is your baby?  . . .   I really think nursing between 9 and 18 months are the ones that give you the biggest boost to weight loss.

 It looks like that has been the case for me. I had given up on ever losing the last few pounds while I was bfing (decided I was going to be one who lost it after weaning). I started noticing the weightloss when he was around 17 months, and he's 21 mo now.