[nuumite]

I did great with my pregnancy weight gain...gained 17 and was back to pre-pregnancy weight (153) the day i left the hospital. Now that i have been a stay at home mom (with my daughter who is almost 7 months old) i have started to gain weight! I just got on the scale...161! I was exerciseing more when i was pregnant because it seemed like i had so much more time. Anyone else going through this? any tips? I am nursing and walking about 30 minutes most days.

[MindiV]

I'm having the same issue, but mine may be hormone related. Before I got pregnant I was off the pill for eight months and slowly gained weight, even though I never backed off my exercise and still ate right, until I got pregnant. I gained 40 pounds during pregnancy (again, even though I was eating really well and never missed a workout). I lost some when I had the baby of course, but now I'm creeping up again.

[thundahthighs]

Do you record every single bite you eat?

This can be eye-opening.

[TiffNeedsChange]

It could be your food choices but another thing to consider is that we lose a LOT of water during delivery and after our bodies recuperate we gain some of that fluid back. Try keeping a food log and do some research as to how much you actually neex to be eating while breastfeeding. I was overeating and not very active while breastfeeding and gained weight.

[sacha]

Ah, I remember the most shocking scale moment of my life. Giving birth a +9lb baby and gaining 2lbs immediately following delivery (walked into hospital at 163, left at 165!!)

Not a good feeling when you assume you'll just naturally drop weight?? LOL.

I would say the majority of this issue is from:
- Not consistently counting calories (and nibbling baby's food)
- Increased appetite from nursing
- Increased calorie intake as you are awake more often
- Hormone disruption from some really nasty sleep deprivation (!!! this was a big one for me !!!)
- Inability to work out as efficiently as before (sure we can all work out but doing it alone and doing it while you have to stop and deal with a kid is a lot different)

Some women find the weight melts with nursing, other find it to be quite stubborn. I second the recommendation to do some serious calorie counting and take a long look at how much you are truly consuming - but also consider a lack of sleep and nursing to be something that just needs to be 'accepted' in the meantime.

When you walk 30 minutes, I recommend getting a good quality back carrier (I use an Ergo sling) - walking 30 minutes is good, walking 30 minutes with a 20lb 'weighted vest' is a good addition

[nuumite]

Thanks guys...so frustrating. I used to weigh 300 pounds so i am freaked out about gaining it all back. God...it's so easy to gain 8 pounds...takes so much work to lose it! I know i have been lax on eating. I vow to stay healthy!

[mandalinn82]

Ugh, right there with you. I'm having milk supply issues, so not only am I taking a med that increases appetite along with milk production, but I'm also finding that if I eat enough to keep my supply steady, I actually gain.

I am still under where I was going into the hospital, but only by about 10 lbs.

[MindiV]

I was able to get it under control, possibly. So far. I was slacking on my water consumption, and finally picked my workouts back up. I'm not able to work out as long as I used to, or as frequently, just due to having a baby and a job and being busy. But I'm getting at least 20 minutes in 5 days a week.

[butterflymama]

I have insatiable hunger while nursing. Also my body just holds on to weight when I am nursing. When DS weaned I dropped 10 lbs without even trying. Also with me I get down and a bit stressed and well i turn to food. Last week I said I was going to get serious again and started the week out well by recording my food intake, making healthy choices, walking but unfortunately I had some extended family issues and got thrown off track(which was not hard to do)

I ended up gaining 20 lbs during my pregnancy (all put on in the last 10 weeks or so of pg) which I was ok with and it was my goal to not gain more then 20. When I weighed myself a week after having my DD I was down 10 lbs and now 7 weeks later I am back up 5