STM question- losing weight when NOT breastfeeding

Re: STM question- losing weight when NOT breastfeeding

• Telebell member

  November 2015

  I'm in the same place, almost down to the exact numbers as you have. First kid, exclusively formula, the last ten lbs really did take a while, like 9 months! I could have tried harder though. It looks like this time is going to be the same way. Sorry I don't have advice other than to be easy on yourself!

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• maiatene member

  November 2015

  I actually gained weight breastfeeding bc my body needed the extra calories for milk production.
  
  What I did that seemed to help with my son is start a weight watchers diet plan 3 weeks post-partum. I allowed me to get used to smaller portions as well as have a balanced diet. I consulted with the hospital dietitian and a lactation consultant to make sure what was proposed was healthy and they signed off on it.
  
  About 4 weeks post-partum I started doing light yoga to get my body used to exercise since I hadn't looked at a gym in over a year lol. 5 weeks I started walking long distances to prepare for running and every week after I would step it up a notch.
  
  By 12 weeks I was at my pre-pregnancy weight but like you I wanted to lose more so I just added weights, did pilates and swimming in addition to yoga (alternating days). It was a slow process bc i didn't want to kill myself or my supply so I didn't reach my new goal weight (60 lbs) until about 1 year post-partum, which is when I started to wean off of breastfeeding.
  
  Since you aren't breastfeeding the process should go faster bc you don't have to account for the extra calories. My best advice is to take it slow and fully commit to losing the weight. If you need workout inspiration google Massy Arias or the Massy Method on FB and instagram. I've been following her and when I'm ready plan to use her as my "trainer".
  
  Good luck!

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• violetigerlily member

  November 2015

  I'm a lurker from Nov15 getting a sense of what's to come (very soon hopefully).   I just wanted to add that I asked my friends who have had kids a similar question and most of them actually said that they couldn't loose the last 10 lbs or so until after they stopped breastfeeding.  While it does burn a bunch of calories, like PP said, you really often eat a lot more to keep production high. Obviously everyone is different, but I wouldn't worry too much about the lack of ebf-ing affecting your weight loss. It might even make things easier than they would have been otherwise.  

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• saintpaulJess member

  November 2015

  I breastfed my first three LO, but for various reasons, didn't with this one and I found the weight MUCH easier to lose this time around.  LO is seven weeks old and I'm back to my pre-pregnancy weight (a 50 lb loss).  I started using myfitnesspal right away to track what I was eating and started light exercise at 4 weeks and heavier exercise (running and lifting weights) after my six week appointment.  Even though I did these same things when I was breastfeeding my others, the weight was very, very slow to come off with them.

  Good luck!  It's not necessarily harder if you're not breastfeeding.  Eat healthy food and watch portion size and start exercising when you're up to it.

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