How can you lose weight BF'ing when its so sedentary??

[Anonymous]

I gained 10 lbs. breastfeeding DC #1, and I have already gained 3 in the first month with DC #2. I seem to sit on the couch for 8 hours a day nursing, have no time for exercise between feedings, and am home around food all day and wanting to snack (this is a separate big problem for me). Everyone says you shouldn't "diet" while nursing, but seriously I'd have to stick to 1600 calories a day to lose weight, and just barely more than that not to gain, which is very hard when you're so sleep-deprived and not exercising. I just don't want to dig myself into that 10 lb. hole again (and that was on top of the remaining 15 lbs. of baby weight I had to lose). Help - any suggestions?

[Anonymous]

It takes a lot of energy to produce all that milk.

[Anonymous]

BFing burns up to 500/calories extra a day. However, if you are snacking all day, of course you will gain weight. How old is your baby?

The easiest thing to do is change a few small habits. What worked for me:

1) Eliminate "frill" beverage calories - drink water, milk or green iced tea only.

2) No snacks anywhere but the kitchen table.

3) Make your snacks protein - hard-boiled eggs, low-fat cheese, small amount of nuts, turkey jerky, etc.

4) Get off the couch and out of the house. It is cold out, but you can put your baby in a stroller and walk at a mall or something.

[Anonymous]

Gosh, I have to force myself to over-eat in order not to lose too much weight! I wish I was a little bit like you, and you probably wouldn't mind being a little bit like me!

Go for walks, even in the cold. There are baby and me classes, stroller classes at White Flint Mall, or just lift a few weights at home.

[Anonymous]

OP: Baby is not yet 3 weeks old. Of course I wish I had the metabolism of the PP, but that's never been my situation. I have to make more of an effort to either get out more (despite the cold weather, which I hate) or exercise at home (at least I am trying to do Kegels while nursing so I can return to other exercises without peeing my pants!). I only drink water, so will just have to work on eliminating the carbs and go back to really low calorie proteins (egg white snacks - yum). I still feel so bummed every time I have to plop down for another nursing session that I'm tied to the couch for another hour...

[Anonymous]

At 3 weeks I'd really try not to stress about it too much.

What was your experience like with #1? For me, I definitely got less exercise with #2 so think some of the weight hung on a bit longer, but with both kids I had crazy BFing appetite and hung onto ~8-10 lbs until I got my period back. Currently at 8 months with #2, period came back a month ago, and while my weight had been stuck (or down MAYBE a couple lbs since immediately postpartum) I've now dropped 5 lbs in ~6 weeks with no effort on my part and over the holidays to boot. Of course, it also means my menstrual migraines are back. Win some, lose some.

Don't know if your body works the same way, but just bring it up to suggest that you might find losing easier if you can weight a while until the hormones aren't so crazy.

[Anonymous]

wait, not weight.

[Anonymous]

Making the milk burns more calories than are needed in pregnancy! You definitely need more than 1600 at the moment. At 3 weeks I'd just hold on, not change my diet.

[Anonymous]

I wish people understood that NOT ALL BREASTFEEDING MOMS ARE THE BUILT THE SAME.

I CLING and I mean CLING to weight when nursing, I should know, I've nursed 2 babies, each for a year. I stopped nursing #2 in September and am now down 10lbs, I have 10 more to go. My metabolism comes to a screeching halt when nursing and takes a few months for it to go back to normal when I stop, just in the last month, 5 of those pounds have come off, now the weight is dropping fast and I'm getting back to my normal.

For me nursing makes me more round and especially the first 6 months being so sedentary kills me. Also when I nurse, I have no energy left for significant exercise. For me, taking "walks" does not do it. I am an intense exerciser and in order to maintain my 5'10" size 8, I have to work out at least 7.5 hrs a week. It sucks, but it is what I have to to to look the way I want.