BF and Weight Loss Please Help

KelMel

So, my baby is nearing 6 months old in a couple of days and I feel like I can't use the "I just had a baby excuse anymore".... 

I am bfing...but not losing any weight.  I have been the same weight for the last 3 months despite my efforts to eat really healthy and jog 3 miles 3-4 times per week.

All of my friends lost the weight so fast and I feel like a loser...did anyone lose weight after weaning...I'm grasping at straws here...

Halo79RN

ds is 2 1/2 and I still blame baby for my weight. lol.  I bf both children over a year.  I lost more with dd.   but I was also out and exercising more.   even with exercise, I had a hard time hitting my target weight ... and after ds (#2), forget it.   I have friends who ate and ate and "couldn't keep the weight on" while bfing... that's just soooo not my reality.  I think those people would have lost the wt pp easily either bf'ing or not.   (I cannot say not bf'ing made me lose weight... I started working night shifts around that time and I've actually gained a bit from that)

don't sweat it.  eat healthy, do what exercise you can to feel healthy.   sometimes your shape and size just changes pp.  embrace it.   

Halo79RN

and I'll add... after dd (#1)... even with working out and watching what I ate and bf'ing her... I did not hit my pre pg weight until she was 7 m/o.   and even then, I was a size bigger than I was pre pg. 

Chrisy-Wyobride

I never lost any significant weight until after I weaned.  I was SO hungry nursing & the whole BF/weight loss thing was just a pipe dream here.  After DD#3 I weaned (7mo) so I could diet...and still did not loose any weight.  She is 10mo now & I just found out that I am have hypothyroidism.  I've only been on meds for 1.5wks & am already seeing weight loss.  I really think after #3 my metabolism came to a screaching hault.   So there are other factors (probably not the case w/ you if you have the energy to run 3 miles--LOL!).  Good luck!

sugarp

I tried breast feeding, but couldn't do it successfully, due to a breast reduction I had several years ago, BUT I can sympathize with you regarding the slow weight loss. I've had 4 kids, and with each pregnancy, I started out weighing about 115-120 lbs. and then gaining 60+ lbs. by my due date. Getting the weight off was REALLY hard and time consuming even though, like you, I was walking/jogging, eating very healthy, and running around little ones all day! The worst part was the fact that all my friends seemed to be back in their pre pregnancy clothes within 6 months of having the baby, and I was still buying X-large, or wearing my old maternity clothes:( My youngest is 2 1/2, so I'm finally at a point where I feel good about my body, but I wanted to give you some encouragement in a world full of moms that bounce right back....

1) Give yourself a break! Yes, it's been 6 months, but your body is still going through changes.

2) Don't give up! You've been eating healthy, excercising, etc. and it WILL pay off. It just might take a little longer. Hey, it took me a good 1 1/2 years to get the baby weight off with EACH pregnancy! 

3) Give yourself encouragement. When you see other moms who have magically lost the weight, just look away and remind yourself that your body is different from theirs and that you just acheived something a lot of women can only dream of doing...Giving birth!

Good luck and you're beautiful!

buffalo_buckeye

I never lost it all until I weaned. I always had 5-7 lbs to go, and every single time I tried I GAINED weight. I mean months of trying and eating healthy with no luck, when normally the weight would fall off as long as I was trying. Once I weaned it took 3-4 months but I was back to pp weight. My body just wanted to store up that extra fat I guess.

JOEBunny

With both my kids, it took 9-12 months. 

 

Angela814

I was back in my pre-pg clothes by 5 months pp, but I held onto an extra 5 lbs indefinitely. She weaned at 3 years, and at that point I had a job that required a lot of travel so too much eating out. What helped take off most of the weight was that DD had a dairy intolerance. Giving up cheese, ice cream, and regular lattes did most of the work for me. Is there anywhere you could clean up your diet? For me just losing a couple slices of cheese a day was enough to lose probably a pound a week.

KelMel

Thanks for all of the encouragement girls!  I really appreciate it!