Can't lose weight breastfeeding!

[Trishagrrl]

Hi,
I was wondering if anyone else has had trouble losing weight while breastfeeding and if they've found anything to help?

With my first son (who is now 4) I gained 25 pounds while breastfeeding and I did maintenance levels of low-carb. It's like I just couldn't stop gaining weight.

With my second son (3 months) I haven't started on any specific program yet because he had belly issues and I've been doing an elimination diet the last 2 months (during which I gained 3 pounds). We've found he has a milk intolerance, so I have to avoid all dairy products. I have been getting to the gym (doing both weight training and cardio) at least 3 days a week since he was 8 weeks old (something I didn't do with my first son) and was hoping that would help stave off the weight gain, but it hasn't yet.

I'm at a loss as to what to do to stop this weight gain! I'd really like to start losing some too since I gained 20 pounds right before I got pregnant (my thyroid was geeked up and I waited several months to go to the doc and get my medication adjusted). Any ideas would be much appreciated! Thanks :-)

Trisha

[cenicienta]

I never lost weight breastfeeding either. In fact, I lost weight after I was finished. Sorry I can't be more help, but maybe you will lose some weight after you are finished breastfeeding. Interesting tidbit, I breastfed my first two kids, but with my third I chose just to do formula. I lost weight like crazy right after having my third child, but held on to the weight for months during breastfeeding my other two.

[Potaty]

I didn't have much luck losing while breastfeeding either. I started losing nicely in November, but then got pregnant again! I am still breastfeeding, but obviously not trying to lose weight anymore.

I've heard many people say that once they stopped, the weight fell off. Just remember, you are doing what is best for your baby right now and you will have plenty of time to lose it later.

[emehalick]

Add me to the "women who could not lose" while bf'ing. I just weaned last month and have dropped 4 lbs since. I have not been on any specific lc plan as I wanted my body to get 1 good month in of trying to get back to normal first.
I never loss while bf'ing any of my 3 kids. Some woman are just that way.

[Tylar_Connar]

this doesnt give me much hope

[dawnyama]

I am sorry to add that I too was unable to lose while breastfeeding. I have had 4 children and have seen that with all 4 of my kids. I am still struggling to get my latest baby weight off. And he just turned 3 last week!! I really do need to get serious about low carbing again. But I have had a checkup just last week to see if my thyroid needs to be tweaked too. So I have hope.

[Trishagrrl]

Wow! That's terribly depressing. I guess I'm happy at least I'm not alone. All of my super-skinny girlfriends seem to drop weight like crazy while they're breastfeeding and a couple of them get smaller than before they were pregnant. I figured I MUST be doing something wrong and I want the secret! I guess I'll keep up at the gym and keep eating well, but it's depressing when nothing happens. Maybe I can at least keep the weight gain at bay.

[budilove]

This is very depressing ANd i have how i used to carry a secret smile convincing myself that it would be a breeze to lose the baby weight plus more becoz am exclusively bfeeding. I mean i see some progress, but but butoh well, i will still stick to owl--hopefuly something will happen

[Texoma]

I gained the first 3 months because I was still eating like a preggo woman. Since just after Christmas I cut processed food and sugar and started to workout a couple times a week. Can't say the weight is melting off but it is slowly coming down. I eat a lot of fruit and nuts. Don't really think about calories and occasionally eat foods that are not good for my body. I think your body wants to hold on to the weight for nursing purposes but if you are eating a sufficient quantity of food/calories I wouldn't think you would hold on to it. Keep making good choices and don't lose hope.

[jbird3]

I know it's depressing to hear all that and I will be another to add that you are not alone. I've had 3 and I'm pregnant with my fourth. I was definitely easier to lose the weight after I stopped breast feeding. I realize there are those girls out there that lose all the weight after pregnancy without even trying but realize there are more like the rest of us that actually have to put in some serious effort and be patient until the baby is done nursing. However just continue to strength train and get cardio in too and when the baby is done it will be that much easier to get back to where you want to be.

good luck!

[heather ny]

I have lost weight while bfing my kids
I have four and have lost my weight with all of them!
it can be done but you need to be diciplined
your body will naturally hold weight in your hips, theighs and lower tummy, this is your bodys nbatural reserve. Think back to cave man style days, your body does not realize you live in the U.S in 2009, so it instinctively holds on to weight so that you will have a reserve for you baby in case you are away from a food source
What you must do is first look up how many calories you are to consume while nursing. I forget how many.
Then you must split your meals up into small portions. No starch, sugar, white flour, or white carbs of any kind

be back later

[budilove]

Thanks for the encouragement heather ny. Thats what i have been doing so far, and although i do not weight, when i look t my body i see a tinny difference, like my tummy is flat and my size 10 geans fit comfortably. I just need to practice patience and maybe soon i will be back to my size 4.

I re-join the gym today, hope to start seeing some toning up soon, and yes i still stick to low carb in the owl ladder

[momof9]

i always gain weight when i breast feed. i am willing to do it because it is so good for baby in a number of ways. i lose 30lbs at first (about 5 weeks) then i gain 30+ back. i am hungry really hungry all of the time. i can handle cravings well but there is something about nursing hunger and cravings. i gain about 20 during the pregnancy. i am done breast feeding my 6 mon old. she weaned herself...didn't want to eat on my left side at all...so now i am low carbing and it is going slow...i hope to excersise now so we will see. now i am mom of 10 with emma montgomery...

[teenbabe90]

Hello, I breastfed my first daughter who is now 3, i lost 20 lbs right off the bat, but the remaining 20 didn't come off until i stoped breastfeeding. I am now breastfeeding my second kid who is now 10 months. I have 15 lbs left to lose and i know i wont lose it until i either start my period or stop breastfeeding. Your body has a survival technique to hold on the the last 10 lbs you have incase you were to go with out food, your baby would have somthing to rely one. The up side is, your baby is only little once, even though you feel like its never ending, it is. And you will lose the weight. But just look at it this way. Your doing something for your baby hardly anyone else does. So if you see those girls that are soo skinny after they have their baby. Just think to yourself, "Your doing more than they ever have, regardless of your weight." Keep your head up

[ChickenJr]

Don't be depressed ladies! I dropped five pants sizes in 4 months when I started Somersizing! I've been breastfeeding for 14 months and am now a size three!! I dropped right back down to nothing after I gave birth but the weight started to creep back on after I started getting the Depo shot. I was 154 lbs when I started this WOE which was only two lbs less than I weighed right before I went into labor!! Don't resign yourselves to being chubby 'Food bags', lol. There is hope!!

[GennieF]

Wondering if anyone is currently lc and breastfeeding? I never had problems with losing weight and breastfeeding, baby number 4 nursing at 8 months and it is time now to redo, so just wondering who is here and doing it at the moment

[LunaAshling]

My luck losing each time while bf'ing has been pretty miserable.

[emehalick]

Hey ladies. Just wanted to post an update here. I stopped bf'ing my 3rd in December and have lost over 20 lbs since with no dieting. I'm now at the weight I was when I got pg each time. I NEVER lose while bf'ing not even a pound, nor do I gain, so I guess it works out. lol. I've also gotten pg at the exact same weight each time and went home at the same weight regardless of how much I gained during pg. weird, but true. I'm now going to start a meat/egg diet to lose another 10-15 lbs.
Only advice I have for you ladies is to enjoy the time bf'ing and the weight will eventually come off.

[FireflyRainy]

I am currently BF'ing my third baby. I delivered on 6/25/2009 and immediatey lost 25 lbs of pregnancy weight/fluid. I started Atkins on 7/20/2009 and in one week I've lost 6 lbs! I will just continue and pray that I don't stall out anytime soon.

[Georgia'sMommY]

I'm also breastfeeding and not losing a pound! She was born April 22nd ..I've been trying to eat healthier and get to the gym as much as possible....The scale still won't budge.. I thought it wasn't safe to LC while breastfeeding? I need to lose 40 lbs to get to my pre baby weight..LC worked for me before the baby...I just don't know if it's safe to do while nursing?

[GennieF]

Sorry to hear not everyone loses weight while feeding their babies. I've been doing pretty well, over 30 lbs down so far. Georgia, it's safe to nurse while breastfeeding, you may want to keep the carbs up a bit higher than normal. I usually eat a lot of drained yogurt, though haven't been lately, and haven't had a problem with my milk supply but YMMV.

[Sarah W]

I think it's different for everyone. I BFed and lost almost all of the weight in about a month. I started to wean and put on 25lbs in a month. I think it's one of those "YMMV" things. When I stopped BFing, it totally threw my metabolism out of whack.

[jijane21]

I don't gain or lose bfing! You hear of all these people losing weight doing it and it sucks that I don't!

[clutterbug]

Just wanted to throw my 2 cents in the ring:

I have been nursing children for almost 7 years straight now, as I don't wean my toddler before my next baby is born. So it used to drive me crazy when I was researching weight loss while bfing and people would tell me to not even try, that I should just enjoy this time with my baby. I'm like, if I gain 20 lbs. extra every baby and can't lose that, what the heck am I going to look like at the end of my childbearing years? So I determined last year when my 3rd baby was 10 months old to start Atkins Induction. I lost 35 lbs. over 6 months or so and she breastfed great the whole time. Now my fourth baby is a couple months old and I'm trying to lose this weight again. Time shall tell how it goes this time.