Losing weight while BFing

[Anonymous]

I've lost the baby weight but have about 20 more pounds I want to lose. My DS is 12m and still nursing a lot. I've been trying to stick to 3 meals a day and only have a snack if I'm hungry. But every time I try this, after about two days my blood sugar starts crashing and I almost faint. Has anyone else dealt with this? Any tips for cutting calories without this result? Right now I'm stuck at 155lb. I'm 5'5.5".

[Anonymous]

Due to the hormones involved this really won't work until you wean. Wean first then work on your weight.

[Anonymous]

If he is 12 months I’d start to give whole milk during the day with meals and just nurse maybe first thing in morning and sleep time. Go ahead and diet and if you lose your supply, that’s fine. Nursing is more for comfort than nutrition at this point.

[Anonymous]

Of course you can lose weight while breastfeeding. I trained for a marathon and ran it when my DD was 15 months old and still nursing. I had lost all baby weight when she was 4 months old and nursing all the time.

Staying hydrated is really important. I focused on eating tons of vegetables, salad greens, high fiber fruits, lean meats, seafood, nuts, cheese, and yogurt. I cut out sugar and flour. I watched calorie intake but made sure everything I ate was nutrient dense. Had no problem with milk supply.

[Anonymous]

My one tip - borne out of doing the wrong thing for a while.
I needed supply and/or my hunger was huge. I’d be running a bit low if I had been eating healthier / veggies etc. So I’d top off with a milkshake or donut often.
I had a chunky baby

But, I realize now that I wasn’t hydrating extra before attempting all those calories.

Anyway, I was my fittest between him and the next baby. I eventually lost the weight even after all those milkshakes.

My takeaway is hydrate!! That may be part of loss but keeping your supply up.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Of course you can lose weight while breastfeeding. I trained for a marathon and ran it when my DD was 15 months old and still nursing. I had lost all baby weight when she was 4 months old and nursing all the time.

Staying hydrated is really important. I focused on eating tons of vegetables, salad greens, high fiber fruits, lean meats, seafood, nuts, cheese, and yogurt. I cut out sugar and flour. I watched calorie intake but made sure everything I ate was nutrient dense. Had no problem with milk supply.

As you hopefully know, hormones affect people in different ways. It is well known that what OP experiencing is normal. Congrats on losing weight, you definitely aren't the norm.

[Anonymous]

But don’t over hydrate like that lady in the news recently (RIP). Electrolytes. Listen to your body. Don’t go overboard.

[Anonymous]

I hung onto 10 lbs until I weaned completely. After my very last nursing session, the rest of the weight came off pretty quickly.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I hung onto 10 lbs until I weaned completely. After my very last nursing session, the rest of the weight came off pretty quickly.

It’s common. Prolactin is a beast for many people.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Of course you can lose weight while breastfeeding. I trained for a marathon and ran it when my DD was 15 months old and still nursing. I had lost all baby weight when she was 4 months old and nursing all the time.

Staying hydrated is really important. I focused on eating tons of vegetables, salad greens, high fiber fruits, lean meats, seafood, nuts, cheese, and yogurt. I cut out sugar and flour. I watched calorie intake but made sure everything I ate was nutrient dense. Had no problem with milk supply.

You’re obnoxious, so maybe focus on that for a bit? Sounds like it’s been tough for you. OP, yes, focus on all the water. But honestly, you sound like you’re really just starting so wait to get in a good groove. WW has a program for BFing, it’s really good. It’s pretty much what the poster above said with less smug, and it’s easy to follow.

[Anonymous]

You lose ten pretty quickly soon after you wean. I would either wean now and start dieting or just be patient and wait till bf is done. Fighting your body while bf ing is really going to be frustrating. It will hold onto every fat it can.

[Anonymous]

I lost all the baby weight while breastfeeding.

[Anonymous]

OP, women need more calories while breastfeeding than when not. If your blood sugar is crashing, then perhaps you need to focus more on macronutrients and balancing your diet to accomplish your goal.

I lost weight naturally while nursing but I also ate all foods and drank all the teas that helped increase milk supply. I was just so nervous about doing anything that would decrease milk!

My diet was very basic and easy to prepare, which helped me stay in a good routine.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If he is 12 months I’d start to give whole milk during the day with meals and just nurse maybe first thing in morning and sleep time. Go ahead and diet and if you lose your supply, that’s fine. Nursing is more for comfort than nutrition at this point.

This answers a question that wasn't asked.