Hi I'm a lurker, but a new-ish poster. I am breastfeeding my 11 month old daughter and plan to continue until....who knows.
I have had a rough time trying to lose weight while BF'ing because my milk supply tanked unless I ate like a dang horse. Now that she's almost a year, I'm not so freaked out about losing my supply. I've had the summer off from work and have found a happy calorie range that seems to be working for us all.
I started running last April and have worked up to 30 minutes of continuous running. I'm really proud of that since I'm still big...and I bet a lot of people would be surprised that this fat girl can run.
I previously lost 80 lbs back in 2002 and kept it off til I started trying to conceive... Gained a boatload during pregnancy. Sure was fun...
Anyway, I know a whole lot of dieters, but not many breastfeeding dieters. I feel sort of on my own.
I'm a lurker as well, but wanted to wish you good luck. My son self-weaned around 16/17 months back in January/ February so I am no longer nursing currently. I too struggled with dieting and milk supply. I nearly lost my supply twice (fortunately I had enough frozen milk so I managed to bypass using formula while I built back my milk supply) before tossing in the towel and waiting until he weaned.
In retrospect, based on the calories I'm eating now and still losing weight, I cut my calories way too low when trying to diet and breastfeed. I think part of this was due to being oblivious to how many calories I was eating while nursing...
Sorry I don't have any good advice right now, just encouragement to keep going! I wish I had found this forum back then and I might have persevered in dieting while still nursing.
Hey Ladies...I too am breastfeeding my son. He is 15 months so like you i am not as concerned with losing my milk BUT i am not going to make my son give up his contentment and security just to please myself...lol I'm a softy i guess.. My other son did not wean himself...I had to finally wean him around 2 1/2 years...My second lil man i feel is going to end up weaning himself sooner than 2 1/2 years because he is not as dependent on it as my first son, But who knows with these lil munchers huh I know what it is like to want to "try" things out like the new diet trends and such but can't because of breastfeeding. It gets frustrating at times, but you have to remember GOOD THINGS COME TO THOSE WHO WAIT!! Believe me YOU ARE NOT ON YOUR OWN!!!!! If you ever need anything just let me know!!! I am happy to be here for you, to encourage you, or just be the one you can think about that is in the same boat as you...especially when you are down.. ALWAYS KEEP YOUR HEAD LOOKIN UP ^^^^^^ Have a Blessed Night!! Miss Katie
I'm also having a hard time losing weight while breastfeeding. Not because of any supply issues, but because I am TIRED! All. The. Time. I'm still having a hard time getting up at 5:30, which is my little man's wake-up time of choice. If he goes to bed at 10 or at 7, he gets up at 5:30 (so, naturally, he goes to bed at 7!) I did take advantage of his early rising a couple of days ago and go for a run. It was hard to get out the door, but I was glad once I did. I plan on going for early am runs at least 3 times per week to start, working up to 5-6 days.
Bottom line for me is that I am flat out exhausted all the time. People tell me this kind of fatigue will subside once I'm done nursing... I hope they're right! I have a hard time eating well because I don't want to put the energy into it, exercise is an obvious drain. And, unlike before I had him, exercise doesn't wake me up and make me chipper... it makes me more tired. Oh well, I won't be nursing forever. Until then, I'm going to do my best.
You're definitely not alone, breastfeeding is hard work and (IMO) makes everything else hard work, too!
I'm breastfeeding as well & trying to lose. Ds is only 8 months but I hope to breastfeed for awhile. So far I haven't had any problems with my supply but I haven't really tried very hard to restrict calories - I've been focussing more on the working out so far.
I had an insatiable appetite when I was nursing. All those women who said, "Oh, just breastfeed. You will drop all the weight right away!" Ah, no.
I tried to stick to yogurt and nuts for the so-called "extra calories" you need while breastfeeding. I was exercising, too.
Once I stopped nursing, the weight did start to slowly drop without much additional effort (above and beyond what I was already doing while nursing -- eating healthy and doing moderate exercise).
DS weaned himself when I got pg but I couldn't seem to loose much weight while nursing either. I was constantly hungry for the first 18ish months at least. It did start to come off slowly when DS dropped his nursing down to 2-3 times a day instead of a billion times but never enough to make much difference.
Oh thank you all so much for the kind words and encouragement!! Miss Katie you definitely brightened my day. It's nice to know I'm not crazy or dysfunctional. I work w/ a ton of women (in a school) and ALL the women who had babies with me or after me are back to their pre-preg weight. EVERY one of them. But not a single one breastfed. Ugggghhhh!
I start back to work in a few weeks. I'm dreading the pumping ordeal. The first two weeks include lots of meetings,etc. Not easy to find a place/time to pump. I'm only going to pump once a day though this year (last year was 2-3 times) until my supply regulates to allow me to only nurse at night and mornings. I have a friend who does this, and I hope it works for me. I hate pumping.
On a side note, I'm dreading the comments I'm going to get when I walk into work with a breast pump. I am seriously being harrassed to wean her (and she won't even be 1 til later this month!). I work w/ women who think I'm crazy for breastfeeding this long.
Congratulations to all of you who breastfed so long. In so many ways it is easier but it can be very inconvenient and quite a lot of work (especially in the work environment). We are some tough mamas!!
I agree with the appetite being out of control. I'm doing great sticking with 1800 calories but I'm constantly hungry. If I do feel full, it lasts maybe half an hour. I've dieted/watched weight long enough to know which foods are filling and satisfying and that's not my problem. It doesn't seem to matter if I eat the right things or the wrong things--I'm still hungry! Ha!
Ok enough rambling. Thanks again for all your comments!
(((hugs)))
WOW! I'm so impressed that you have all stuck with nursing for so long! My daughter is just under 3 months old and I know I won't make it to her first birthday so kudos to all of you!
I've also had a hard time losing weight while breastfeeding...I have lost the extra weight I gained during my pregnancy but my body is having a hard time letting go of the extra weight it already had. Oh well, all in good time.
I am still nursing on demand my 2 1/2 year old. I went off the low dose BC pills at 2 years. My body was not handling them well & I was bleeding every 2weeks. I have lost about 20 pounds since March when I decided I was done with this excess baby weight. She does not seem to mind & I guess I must still have some sort of supply for her
I am still nursing on demand my 2 1/2 year old. I went off the low dose BC pills at 2 years. My body was not handling them well & I was bleeding every 2weeks. I have lost about 20 pounds since March when I decided I was done with this excess baby weight. She does not seem to mind & I guess I must still have some sort of supply for her
I was on the low dose bc too. I was almost to my pre preg weight at my 6 week appt with DS... they put me on bc and I ballooned to my heaviest ever (225 from 175 6wk pp) and was struggling to loose until I got pg again.
Kperks if you want to make it to a year take it in small steps. Set goals "I will breast feed until 4 months, then I will breast feed until 6 months" etc. It helps! And remember the first few months are really the hardest!
AHHH!!!! I feel the same way. I am going on 6 months of breastfeeding and the weight is just hanging on for dear life. And the hunger issue...I can't seem to beat it. I have to stay away from nuts due to an allergy my daughter's father has, so the whole eating nuts to stay full longer thing is out for me. I am trying as hard as I can to walk every day or so with her. The only time I have found to successfully exercise is at night after I put her to bed. My boyfriend is a great father but is having a hard time learning to share the responsibilities (keep your fingers crossed for me, he is getting better). We are eating healthy as a family and I am at a loss at what else I can do. I think stress may be a factor because I am also a full-time student. I think as my boyfriend gets better and feels more secure on his own with our little one I will have less stress and more time to work on me.
Breastfeeding is totally worth it. Although I thought seeing a happy baby would make me forget all about my extra weight. It did, for about 3 months. Now I am just frustrated and feeling not-so-attractive but I know it will get better. Right? I guess I am just disappointed that all of the women who told me it would "come right off" with breastfeeding were not quite right.
I'm still nursing my 16 month old and I never had a problem losing the pregnancy weight. I think breastfeeding really helped because while nursing I've lost weight easier than ever before in my life. I weigh less than I did when I got pregnant. I also don't do anything special to lose weight, I haven't been on a diet or restricting my food in any way. Only now since I gained 4 lbs am I thinking about going on a healthier diet and trying to lose about a lb a week which I read is healthy for nursing mothers. I'm going to nurse my daughter until she weans herself. The AAP recommends at least 6 months and a year if you can do it and WHO recommends 2 years and beyond. For moms who are lactivists, these numbers don't sound odd at all.
Every bit of time you breastfeed is good for you and for your child. For me there were times when I thought I wouldn't be able to continue but I was determined to make it to 12 months, and after that things just kept going. The hardest part is really those first few months because you're nursing so many times a day but toddlers nurse less so it really is easier and it's still a great relationship to have.
I found it odd that so many here said that breastfeeding is somehow making it harder to lose weight. That wasn't my experience at all and not one I'm familiar with.
I'm still nursing my 16 month old and I never had a problem losing the pregnancy weight. I think breastfeeding really helped because while nursing I've lost weight easier than ever before in my life. I weigh less than I did when I got pregnant. I also don't do anything special to lose weight, I haven't been on a diet or restricting my food in any way.
I found it odd that so many here said that breastfeeding is somehow making it harder to lose weight. That wasn't my experience at all and not one I'm familiar with.
Yes, you're one of the lucky ones. Read the second paragraph of my OP and I think that's the case with many women. I don't think it's odd...I think it's just the way our bodies were designed. Everyone is different. I started off at 2000 calories and within days was pumping 3-5oz less at work. She also seemed frustrated when I nursed.
So I started eating more...milk was fine. I dropped to 2000 again--same scenario. Eventually, I was able to drop it and keep my supply--and even managed it at 1800 calories. But my body won't lose on 1800 calories very quickly. I'm at 1600 now but she only nurses at night and in the mornings. I pump once during the day at work for her to drink while I'm away the next day.
So yeah--the "I'm thinner now than when I started" is something we all hoped for, but didn't happen. Effortless weight loss has never been in my vocabulary. Truth be told--while we are happy for women like you--we also want you to move to the other side of the world while we struggle to lose this weight. lol Kidding. Sort of.
I'm just thankful there are ladies who understand.
Still breastfeeding
My other son did not wean himself...I had to finally wean him around 2 1/2 years...My second lil man i feel is going to end up weaning himself sooner than 2 1/2 years because he is not as dependent on it as my first son, But who knows with these lil munchers huh 
Oh well, I won't be nursing forever. Until then, I'm going to do my best. 
