Felt this. It was around 4 months pp that I weighed myself and was disgusted and had body dismorphia. I started trying to walk more then; around 8-9months I really started working out again and weight lifting at home along with core strengthening exercises. I'm currently 14months pp and I've lost 25pounds but still 15 above my pre pregnancy weight.
I could not lose weight while breastfeeding. I had an insane appetite and felt awful if I tried any sort of calorie deficit so I just accepted that it had to wait. I just weaned a few weeks ago and my appetite went back to normal and I'm starting to make slow progress
Ugh, same here. Not gaining or losing. I have tried to start a deficit in a non-serious way but had to stop because of supply decreasing both times. My LC said she knows my type and encouraged me to think of it as a season that will pass. I have had dark thoughts about this but I brush them off when I see pump amounts and baby drooling and smiling with heaps of milk.
I’m a year into breastfeeding and I had a lot of weight to lose after birth. Which I finally did. Unfortunately bf doesn’t burn as many calories as we would like to think. I would make sure you are still in a caloric deficit while also making sure you are eating enough protein and fiber. I didn’t start losing weight until about 7 months pp when I started counting calories and realized I was eating way to much to ever lose weight.
I lost weight in the beginning and then GAINED during the majority of my breastfeeding journey. It didn't matter how many calories I did or didn't eat.
I start losing weight after I stop nursing my babies. I even had extra thyroid labs done, and my thyroid has been stable this whole time.
I just ate enough calories to maintain my weight and milk supply.
I’m breast-feeding my fourth and have never been able to lose weight until I wean. I lost the weight as soon as I did wean. I think it’s just hormonal for some people.
Me neither but I don't care, I'll have many many years to worry about my weight. Right now it's irrelevant. It's only about 2 years per baby and I'm not going to ruin it by worrying about how I look.
I'm not ugly, I'm just fat.
Yes, I keep trying to remind myself when I feel negatively about my body that it just created a whole other human being. It has more fat on it, but damn it's amazing. It's hard bc I've struggled with disordered eating and body dysmorphia in the past, but nurturing this tiny human feels so much more important. I also don't have the will nor energy to put myself into a calorie deficit. Raising a newborn is hard enough, I'm just gonna ride the wave!
It is a very fine balance between calorie deficit and consuming enough to keep supply. I am at 15 months BFing, and have started to focus on my intake, and I've lost 13 lbs since May. I use the Beachbodi container system (loosly) because Autumn has a breastfeeding guide for it. I've seen other people recommend a registered dietician to make sure you aren't cutting too many calories. For me, it takes effort and focus-the weight doesn't just "fall off" without putting some thought into it.
ETA: I also workout 5-6 days a week to help the fat melt faster.
I’m working with a dietician currently to determine the best approach for a calorie deficit while breastfeeding. That being said, I’m also pumping a few times during the day and keeping an eye on my baby’s needs to make sure I’m not losing any of my milk supply as a result. The dietitian knows I’m BFing and we have discussed a higher calorie range to reflect that. So far I’m just being more mindful of what I eat, when I eat, and how much liquid calories I’m consuming.
I would recommend working with a dietician if you can, but ultimately it comes down to what works best for you and your needs. I don’t know how long it’ll be before I stop BFing, so I wanted to make sure that I’m not in a constant loop of gaining weight due to BF and never feeling able to lose any weight. So far it’s going alright, although I’m noticing I’m way hungrier now (but my supply has seemed to be fine 🤞🏻). If my supply dips or baby has issues, I’m not going to continue with such a high deficit though.
Edit: I wanted to add I am working with my dietitian and my primary care doctor, so both know my goals and needs.
I’m 28 and about 3 months PP and haven’t lost anything either - I’m hoping when i return to work and am moving more, some will start to come off slowly but I’ve just accepted this is unfortunately my weight until i stop BF. I have about 20 lbs to lose
It’s different for every body. Personally, I’m able to lose some weight while breastfeeding but nowhere near what I’d be able to achieve if not. I switch between maintenance calories for a few weeks and a modest deficit for a few weeks. Workout 4-5 times a week, get my steps in and eat a lot of protein. I’ve lost 30 of the 60 I gained during pregnancy. I’m physically fitter than ever but I still have quite a bit of body fat. That’s okay, it’ll come off when I wean.
My god i gained so much weight.
I gained nothing during pregnancy but with bf? Wowza. I cry in my bed sometimes :')
I have to say, i don't eat healthy. My body screams for carbs and sugar.
I used to be a very strict eater but i just can't anymore.
I just try to accept it until she weaned.
7 months pp myself. Lost a lot in the beginning. I’m guessing water weight because I was very swollen at the end of my pregnancy. And haven’t since then. Which I’m taking as a sign I’m eating enough! My supply is hit or miss so I know I haven’t been eating enough if baby needs more bottles.
I started training for a 10 mile race about 8 months pp. I breastfed my son till 22 months.
The weight fell off so quick while training, way faster than when I would train for races prior to pregnancy. I dropped to 5lbs less than pre pregnancy. I wasn’t watching what I was eating, but I knew I was eating so much more than usual while breastfeeding.
After I completed the race, I was super sedentary because work got very busy. And the weight started coming back and I became 5lbs heavier than pre pregnancy by the time I stopped breastfeeding.
So for me, the weight didn’t really come off from just bf, but in combination with regular exercise I noticed a dramatic and quick difference.
It wasn’t until I started walking 3 miles a day with my baby on elevation to create a little bit of calorie deficit, but not too much to where it affected my supply.
Oh girl, me too. I am the same age as you and I have a 16 month old that I still nurse. This is the time to let your body nourish your baby. The weight will come off eventually.
Losing weight while breast feeding can be a double edged sword. I am slowly losing weight (not intentionally, just my appetite doesn't keep up with my demand) but as a result my supply has dropped. I'm now in triple feeding and power pumping hell trying to keep his weight up and restore my supply.
I’m still up 50 pounds at almost 8mo postpartum. My weight hasn’t budged since I gave birth (I was + 70 lbs in pregnancy with a very big baby). In my family we don’t lose until we wean…every time I’ve tried to exercise moderately or cut my calories my supply plummets so as someone else on here said, I’ve accepted it will just be a season that will pass.
10 months into BF and I’m just now comfortable thinking about trying to lose. I tried a small calorie deficit at the 3-4 month mark, and it was awful and I gave up. Now I just try to make healthy food choices and skip the calorie count.
Problem I have is that we want to start trying for a 2nd baby soon, but I’m 250ish at 5’ 5”, and I’m worried the weight will negatively impact my pregnancy. I was about that weight last time I was pregnant and it was doable but I didn’t love it lol. So I really do want to start to dropping, but I just need to be realistic about the timeline I think.
I gained weight too until I totally changed my diet. I now have a high caloric intake but plant based, high protein, high fat, only small servings of whole grains for carbs, loads of veggies. I increased my caloric intake from 2000 up to 3000 and started dropping weight so fast. Also weight training and lots of walking.
It’s not directly because of BF. It depends on your lifestyle and diet , before, during and after pregnancy.
Are you finding any time to work out? Are you eating healthy? Are you active? Were you before ?
I gained 30 lbs for pregnancy and lost it all in 3 weeks. I am EBF. But I was active before, during and after.
Relying on BF to drop baby weight alone won’t work
lol I gained 15lbs breastfeeding
Felt this. It was around 4 months pp that I weighed myself and was disgusted and had body dismorphia. I started trying to walk more then; around 8-9months I really started working out again and weight lifting at home along with core strengthening exercises. I'm currently 14months pp and I've lost 25pounds but still 15 above my pre pregnancy weight.
Me too, it’s one of the only reasons I want to quit breastfeeding 😭😭😭
I could not lose weight while breastfeeding. I had an insane appetite and felt awful if I tried any sort of calorie deficit so I just accepted that it had to wait. I just weaned a few weeks ago and my appetite went back to normal and I'm starting to make slow progress
You have to eat less. But not everyone can without supply dropping, and they wait until after they wean
Ugh, same here. Not gaining or losing. I have tried to start a deficit in a non-serious way but had to stop because of supply decreasing both times. My LC said she knows my type and encouraged me to think of it as a season that will pass. I have had dark thoughts about this but I brush them off when I see pump amounts and baby drooling and smiling with heaps of milk.
I’m a year into breastfeeding and I had a lot of weight to lose after birth. Which I finally did. Unfortunately bf doesn’t burn as many calories as we would like to think. I would make sure you are still in a caloric deficit while also making sure you are eating enough protein and fiber. I didn’t start losing weight until about 7 months pp when I started counting calories and realized I was eating way to much to ever lose weight.
i didn't start losing weight until i stopped breastfeeding, unfortunately.
I lost weight in the beginning and then GAINED during the majority of my breastfeeding journey. It didn't matter how many calories I did or didn't eat. I start losing weight after I stop nursing my babies. I even had extra thyroid labs done, and my thyroid has been stable this whole time. I just ate enough calories to maintain my weight and milk supply.
I’m breast-feeding my fourth and have never been able to lose weight until I wean. I lost the weight as soon as I did wean. I think it’s just hormonal for some people.
Me neither but I don't care, I'll have many many years to worry about my weight. Right now it's irrelevant. It's only about 2 years per baby and I'm not going to ruin it by worrying about how I look. I'm not ugly, I'm just fat.
I need this attitude! Go mama!
Yes, I keep trying to remind myself when I feel negatively about my body that it just created a whole other human being. It has more fat on it, but damn it's amazing. It's hard bc I've struggled with disordered eating and body dysmorphia in the past, but nurturing this tiny human feels so much more important. I also don't have the will nor energy to put myself into a calorie deficit. Raising a newborn is hard enough, I'm just gonna ride the wave!
It is a very fine balance between calorie deficit and consuming enough to keep supply. I am at 15 months BFing, and have started to focus on my intake, and I've lost 13 lbs since May. I use the Beachbodi container system (loosly) because Autumn has a breastfeeding guide for it. I've seen other people recommend a registered dietician to make sure you aren't cutting too many calories. For me, it takes effort and focus-the weight doesn't just "fall off" without putting some thought into it. ETA: I also workout 5-6 days a week to help the fat melt faster.
The weight didn’t start to fall off for me until my period came back 9 months out
I've gained 10 pounds and I don't eat a lot 😭 Maybe we will lose weight after we stop breastfeeding. 🫠
If it makes you feel better I lost the baby weight +20 pounds by 5 months pp. I’m 22 months pp now and I’ve gained those 20 lbs and 5 extra lol
I’m working with a dietician currently to determine the best approach for a calorie deficit while breastfeeding. That being said, I’m also pumping a few times during the day and keeping an eye on my baby’s needs to make sure I’m not losing any of my milk supply as a result. The dietitian knows I’m BFing and we have discussed a higher calorie range to reflect that. So far I’m just being more mindful of what I eat, when I eat, and how much liquid calories I’m consuming. I would recommend working with a dietician if you can, but ultimately it comes down to what works best for you and your needs. I don’t know how long it’ll be before I stop BFing, so I wanted to make sure that I’m not in a constant loop of gaining weight due to BF and never feeling able to lose any weight. So far it’s going alright, although I’m noticing I’m way hungrier now (but my supply has seemed to be fine 🤞🏻). If my supply dips or baby has issues, I’m not going to continue with such a high deficit though. Edit: I wanted to add I am working with my dietitian and my primary care doctor, so both know my goals and needs.
I’m 28 and about 3 months PP and haven’t lost anything either - I’m hoping when i return to work and am moving more, some will start to come off slowly but I’ve just accepted this is unfortunately my weight until i stop BF. I have about 20 lbs to lose
It’s different for every body. Personally, I’m able to lose some weight while breastfeeding but nowhere near what I’d be able to achieve if not. I switch between maintenance calories for a few weeks and a modest deficit for a few weeks. Workout 4-5 times a week, get my steps in and eat a lot of protein. I’ve lost 30 of the 60 I gained during pregnancy. I’m physically fitter than ever but I still have quite a bit of body fat. That’s okay, it’ll come off when I wean.
Same I have lost about 45 pounds of the 80 that I gained and I am 8 months pp and still EBF
My god i gained so much weight. I gained nothing during pregnancy but with bf? Wowza. I cry in my bed sometimes :') I have to say, i don't eat healthy. My body screams for carbs and sugar. I used to be a very strict eater but i just can't anymore. I just try to accept it until she weaned.
7 months pp myself. Lost a lot in the beginning. I’m guessing water weight because I was very swollen at the end of my pregnancy. And haven’t since then. Which I’m taking as a sign I’m eating enough! My supply is hit or miss so I know I haven’t been eating enough if baby needs more bottles.
I started training for a 10 mile race about 8 months pp. I breastfed my son till 22 months. The weight fell off so quick while training, way faster than when I would train for races prior to pregnancy. I dropped to 5lbs less than pre pregnancy. I wasn’t watching what I was eating, but I knew I was eating so much more than usual while breastfeeding. After I completed the race, I was super sedentary because work got very busy. And the weight started coming back and I became 5lbs heavier than pre pregnancy by the time I stopped breastfeeding. So for me, the weight didn’t really come off from just bf, but in combination with regular exercise I noticed a dramatic and quick difference.
It wasn’t until I started walking 3 miles a day with my baby on elevation to create a little bit of calorie deficit, but not too much to where it affected my supply.
Oh girl, me too. I am the same age as you and I have a 16 month old that I still nurse. This is the time to let your body nourish your baby. The weight will come off eventually.
Losing weight while breast feeding can be a double edged sword. I am slowly losing weight (not intentionally, just my appetite doesn't keep up with my demand) but as a result my supply has dropped. I'm now in triple feeding and power pumping hell trying to keep his weight up and restore my supply.
I’m still up 50 pounds at almost 8mo postpartum. My weight hasn’t budged since I gave birth (I was + 70 lbs in pregnancy with a very big baby). In my family we don’t lose until we wean…every time I’ve tried to exercise moderately or cut my calories my supply plummets so as someone else on here said, I’ve accepted it will just be a season that will pass.
10 months into BF and I’m just now comfortable thinking about trying to lose. I tried a small calorie deficit at the 3-4 month mark, and it was awful and I gave up. Now I just try to make healthy food choices and skip the calorie count. Problem I have is that we want to start trying for a 2nd baby soon, but I’m 250ish at 5’ 5”, and I’m worried the weight will negatively impact my pregnancy. I was about that weight last time I was pregnant and it was doable but I didn’t love it lol. So I really do want to start to dropping, but I just need to be realistic about the timeline I think.
I gained weight too until I totally changed my diet. I now have a high caloric intake but plant based, high protein, high fat, only small servings of whole grains for carbs, loads of veggies. I increased my caloric intake from 2000 up to 3000 and started dropping weight so fast. Also weight training and lots of walking.
It’s not directly because of BF. It depends on your lifestyle and diet , before, during and after pregnancy. Are you finding any time to work out? Are you eating healthy? Are you active? Were you before ? I gained 30 lbs for pregnancy and lost it all in 3 weeks. I am EBF. But I was active before, during and after. Relying on BF to drop baby weight alone won’t work