Is it possible to be unable to lose while BFing?

loyaboya · August 2012

Just wondering - is this physically (or maybe I mean physiologically) possible? Can your body actually refuse to drop weight while you are breastfeeding? Or is it just more difficult? I feel like I have been working out and eating so well and my weight is not changing. I do feel like I look a little bit more toned (my husband commented on it too) but my clothes fit the same and the scale is not budging. I'm trying not to stress it because I will probably try to wean my LO at 1 year (in just about 2 months) but still I'm wondering if I'm just not trying hard enough or if my body really, really wants to hold on to this weight. I'm still about 10 lbs over my pp weight, but I'm about 25-30 lbs overweight in all.

vlagrl29 · August 2012

I never breast fed but have heard that your body can hang onto fat while you breast feed. When I first started working out after I had DD I could not loose a pound to save my life until about the 3rd month. The doc said that you body is still in survival mode for the baby and wants the fat. I decided not to breast feed for personal reasons. Rough pregnancy, so rough that once she was out I didn't want her having anymore of my body and am still glad I made that decision because I have heard more people not being able to loose than those that actually loose during breast feeding. and all the docs were telling me it helps you loose weight so fast, whatever!

jkelly41 · August 2012

YES! I actually gained weight while BFing. Everyone said I would lose so much from it. I ate healthy, but I gained 10 lbs total. I just waited until I was done BFing to try to lose weight.

babyalex124 · August 2012

YES. Your body is holding onto maternal fat so you can supply your baby with the best milk possible. I barely lost any weight at all during the first year, and then it just started melting away. My daughter is 18 months (still nursing), and it's MUCH better. Hang in there! It'll start coming off at 1 year pp.

AmandaP678 · August 2012

Another one who cant lose weight while bf

loyaboya · August 2012

babyalex124:
YES. Your body is holding onto maternal fat so you can supply your baby with the best milk possible. I barely lost any weight at all during the first year, and then it just started melting away. My daughter is 18 months (still nursing), and it's MUCH better. Hang in there! It'll start coming off at 1 year pp.

Ok this is reassuring

I'll hang in there, hopefully it will just be a few more months of this.

a2pfunk · August 2012

One more here!! Nursed DS for 10 months and couldn't lose the last 10 pounds. A month after I weaned him it just magically dropped off--no difference in activity. DD is five months and I see the same thing happening. I eat great, run 20+miles a week and I'm stuck at 10 pounds heavier than I want to be. Just be patient. It stinks, but you'll never get this chance to nurse your baby again.

elizabethe67 · August 2012

ugh!!! thank you thank you thank you!! my dd is jsut over a year and I am still holding on to 10ish lbs! I teach kick ass cardio classes, yoga and pilates and do kettlebell workouts and eat fairlly well and have been sooooooooo down about the belly that won't go away!! my advice is to make sure you are lifting heavy so that when your body is ready to lose the fat your muscle will keep your metabolism up!!

reederah · August 2012

I believe so. I lost a lot of weight while BFing (all my pregnancy weight), but I dropped 5 more pounds in the 3 weeks after I weaned. I thought something was wrong but saw my midwife who said a lot of time your body holds onto fat while BFing because it knows the demand from your metabolism plus BFing.

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