[Julia123]

Hi everyone,

I've been lurking on here for a week now and finally decided to join.

I have a bizzare situation. I joined LAWL 2 weeks ago yesterday and have lost 10#s the first 10 days. It's now been 4 days and it looks like I am plateauing at 142#.

I also gave birth in early september to my first child. Breastfeeding but not solely.

Anyway what happened?! Here I am losing all the weight following the blue plan, not working out at all (sole reason why I joined the club) and bang I'm stuck at 142. It would have been nice if the pounds came off gradually.....that way I'd see results everyother day.

I am eating the LA lites and following the plan to a T. Can anyone help? Feels like the 17 #s to go are gonna be extremly hard for me!

[Bajachick3]

welcome that wonderful loss......I lost a bunch right away also then leveled out to about 2 lbs a week...which is great...some of your initial loss could be partially water loss..which is also great!!!!...this forum is such a support..I log on daily on the monthly thread and chat about how our eating plan went for the day..good luck..nance

[MTdebster921]

Welcome Julia,
Read my response to Candace in Candiflip's thread earlier "Plateu?" I'm sorry, but 4 days does not a plateau make.... You have lost 10 lbs. in 10 days, granted it is probably mostly water weight, but that is a lot of weight to lose in that short of time. Your body is adjusting. The weight loss will taper off and get more gradual with more of a loss some weeks and less other weeks. Patience is the best advice I can give you now. Besides if you continually lose at a fast rate, you are more likely to gain the weight back. Slow and steady wins the race.

[aphil]

A plateau is more like when you have been stuck at a certain number for a month or more...

It is normal to lose a lot of weight in the first week-because a lot of it is water weight, and your digestive track being cleaned out (because after a week of eating less, you go to the bathroom but less food is being taken in-make sense? After a week of dieting, there is less stuff in your digestive tract.) After the initial water weight though, weight loss usually slows to only 1/2 to 2 1/2 pounds per week if it is being done at a healthy rate.

If you find that over the next few weeks, your weight loss is 1 pound a week or LESS-my advice would be to start exercising a few days per week-not only will you get a firmer, more fit looking body-but you will be burning calories-so your weight loss might speed up slightly.

[Boo'sMom]

Also, the less you weigh the slower the loss. Think in terms of percentages.

[KrispieD]

Same as all the ladies above. Plateaus aren't something you see after only being on for two weeks and having lost what you did. It would be being stuck at a number for a few weeks when you know you are following the plan 100%. You've done well so I wouldn't worry about it not coming off every day. You should look at a loss for the week not at each weigh in as often times you may not have that.
Hope this helps.

[Julia123]

That's some great advice ladies. Thanks.

I do need patience something that I lack.

And also the fact that I am breastfeeding makes me 1000x hungrier!

[aphil]

I also wanted to let you know that I can completely relate-I am also nursing my baby, born a few weeks before yours. It DOES make you hungrier-but it is because 200-600 calories a day of what you eat is in turn, being made into food for your baby. You are still "eating for two".
I wanted to let you know that there is a part of this forum for nursing mothers as well-and feel free to visit us over there! It is under "Dieting With Obstacles" section of the 3FC Weight Loss Community.
I am nursing quite a bit-but Saber has started a little cereal twice a day, and he gets an occasional bottle of formula if he is hungry while I am teaching class, etc.

Is this your first baby?

[Julia123]

Hi aphil, yes he's my first baby. He's the cutest.

I just got back from that nursing board (thanks). Looks like I'm not the only one plateauing while breastfeeding!

BTW, isn't Saber too young to start on cereal? WHich brand and kind did you buy and how do you feed it to him? My son is 11 weeks old and I formula feed more than breastfeed.......Is he too young?

[aphil]

At 11 weeks, yes, your son is too young. Saber will be 4 months old in less than two weeks. Most peds recommend starting solids between 4-6 months, depending on their individual development.
Saber is a BIG baby-you can see from my siggy that he was over 9 pounds at birth-and right now he is about 16 pounds, give or take. Most babies are around 12-16 pounds when they start solids (some of the readiness signs is doubling their birth weight, holding their head up very well, and the loss of the "tongue thrust reflex" etc.) Saber has already hit most of the milestones-except for the birth weight-this is because he was alreary 1-3 pounds heavier than most newborns. He was nursing CONSTANTLY starting when he turned 3 months-and with all of the other milestones reached-she said it was fine for me to start cereal. Every baby is different, and reaches these milestones at different times.

Also-with this being your first baby, I wanted to add that it will take some time to get back to your prepregnancy weight-if in fact, you do reach it. Some women never get their prepregnancy weight back-they end up staying a couple of pounds over that-no matter what they do-simply because motherhood changes you. A young woman who was 116 may find the lowest she can attain healthfully after a baby might be 120, etc. Also, don't be in too much of a rush. I agree that you have not "plateaued". A plateau lasts much longer than a few days-more like a few weeks, or even a few months.

Give it some time. A common saying is "9 months up, 9 months down" when it comes to pregnancy weight loss. In my case, it usually takes me around a year to a year and a half to get back to "normal". Exercise helps-it really does. If you don't like exercise-then don't do a video or something you don't like. A simple stroll around the mall, or the park in nice weather with the baby in a stroller or carrier is nice-and ANY movement burns calories. Anything is better than nothing.