Started eating better and exercising, have GAINED? Wtf

[Anonymous]

If you’re ten weeks post partum and breastfeeding, you have to just be healthy (which you’re doing) and play the long game. Your body is still super weird and will be until a few months (at least) after you wean. Then it will come back to normal. I wouldn’t even weigh yourself or worry about anything in the near term because everything will be wacky and if you try to force something your body will fight back some how. Too much milk, not enough milk, making fat from water vapor - it will win so just give up.

[Anonymous]

I think you should just give yourself grace and not stress about weight. It is probably completely driven by hormones. I didn’t lose much weight at all for about 2-3 months after both of my kids, then dropped a ton of weight until they were done nursing. Like, I am usually a size 6-8 and was buying size 2 clothes while nursing (then went back to size 6-8 when they were done).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m ten weeks postpartum and breastfeeding, slowly weaning. I eat sensibly all of the time, but over the last three weeks have stepped it up to do the following:

-drink 3-4 liters of water a day
-make smoothie with frozen spinach, bananas, some fruit (frozen berries kr frozen mango), low-fat yogurt, shredded coconut and water - that is breakfast every day
-make salad with lots of veggies and lean protein - that is lunch every day
-walk between 3-5 miles every day
-do yoga a few times a week
-stopped adding cream or sugar to my morning coffee

I am doing what I thought you are supposed to do to lose weight at a reasonable rate, but I have actually gained a few pounds. WTAF?? This is extremely frustrating.

This is probably 100-150g of carbohydrates - basically what should be your daily intake - sipped through a straw. If you are doing additional veggies at lunch and rice/potatoes/starch at dinner, that is another 150g of carbs. You are not going to lose weight that way. Drop the smoothie for hard boiled eggs or replace it with a High Protein recipe. Remove rice potatoes at dinner and replace with cauliflower rice or broccoli.

So you think that every other effort made is mitigated by half a banana and a handful of frozen berries or mango? I’m being serious

Yes! I am saying she is eating too many carbs. A 5 5 woman 160 pounds who wants to lose a pound per week should be eating only 130-180g of carbs per day. Alternatively, To Gain one pound per week, it’s 286g. For the uninformed, that extra 125g is equal to one banana, one yogurt, and one cup of rice. Google is your friend, Look it up. The good news is OP just needs to make small changes to her diet to start realizing the gains.

[Anonymous]

How are you sleeping? It can be such an exhausting time. The hormones are crazy. Even the babies that are supposedly sleeping through the night only make it 6 or so hours and often don’t do it consistently. I think it’s great that you’re getting healthy nutrients and plenty of water. Stay the course. Be kind to yourself. Reevaluate in a few months.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m ten weeks postpartum and breastfeeding, slowly weaning. I eat sensibly all of the time, but over the last three weeks have stepped it up to do the following:

-drink 3-4 liters of water a day
-make smoothie with frozen spinach, bananas, some fruit (frozen berries kr frozen mango), low-fat yogurt, shredded coconut and water - that is breakfast every day
-make salad with lots of veggies and lean protein - that is lunch every day
-walk between 3-5 miles every day
-do yoga a few times a week
-stopped adding cream or sugar to my morning coffee

I am doing what I thought you are supposed to do to lose weight at a reasonable rate, but I have actually gained a few pounds. WTAF?? This is extremely frustrating.

This is probably 100-150g of carbohydrates - basically what should be your daily intake - sipped through a straw. If you are doing additional veggies at lunch and rice/potatoes/starch at dinner, that is another 150g of carbs. You are not going to lose weight that way. Drop the smoothie for hard boiled eggs or replace it with a High Protein recipe. Remove rice potatoes at dinner and replace with cauliflower rice or broccoli.

So you think that every other effort made is mitigated by half a banana and a handful of frozen berries or mango? I’m being serious

3 lbs in 3 weeks is basically maintaining given margin of error.

Your body is trying to maintain and trigger hunger sufficient to make sure that happens. And it’s winning. That’s why so many people will push neurotic calorie counting. Your hunger will overcome a lot of positive changes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:How are you sleeping? It can be such an exhausting time. The hormones are crazy. Even the babies that are supposedly sleeping through the night only make it 6 or so hours and often don’t do it consistently. I think it’s great that you’re getting healthy nutrients and plenty of water. Stay the course. Be kind to yourself. Reevaluate in a few months.

I wanted to add if you’re weaning, even slowly, your body might be gearing up for the first period. Another hormonal trip.

[Anonymous]

It will be better to eat the actual fruits and vegetables in the smoothies rather than drink them

[Anonymous]

This happened to me years ago when I tried to lose weight by eating healthy. It was the healthy carbs that were doing me in. All the yogurt, bananas, fruit juices, etc.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This happened to me years ago when I tried to lose weight by eating healthy. It was the healthy carbs that were doing me in. All the yogurt, bananas, fruit juices, etc.

This is OP. Outside of the breakfast smoothie, I don’t eat yogurt or much fruit (will have some melon or grapefruit occasionally). Drink water except for coffee in the morning and herbal tea. Never any juice! However, I will look more closely at carbs.

[Anonymous]

I could not lose weight while breastfeeding. With my son, I was literally at pre-baby weight two days after birth, then slowly gained several lbs while nursing. With my daughter, I simply couldn’t lose until she weaned. I am very good at calorie counting and I was logging correctly but for whatever reason my body hung onto weight while I was making milk. And I had low supply both times! The worst of both worlds, basically. So just keep in mind not everyone drops weight while nursing and your body may react very differently from someone else’s.

[Anonymous]

P.S. once my kids weaned, I had no trouble losing and was back in shape quite quickly.

[Anonymous]

FWIW even though I exercise daily it usually takes my body 2-3 weeks of consistency to respond to dietary changes. I’ve started doing IF and cutting back calories in April. For the first few weeks, even though I could feel a difference, the scale wouldn’t budge. Only as of the past 2-3 weeks has the scale finally started to move. Now I’ve been steadily losing a lb/week, despite having some cheat days.

Sometimes it just takes a little time to get the metabolism fired up. But in your case since you’re still nursing I would not worry too much.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’m ten weeks postpartum and breastfeeding, slowly weaning. I eat sensibly all of the time, but over the last three weeks have stepped it up to do the following:

-drink 3-4 liters of water a day
-make smoothie with frozen spinach, bananas, some fruit (frozen berries kr frozen mango), low-fat yogurt, shredded coconut and water - that is breakfast every day
-make salad with lots of veggies and lean protein - that is lunch every day
-walk between 3-5 miles every day
-do yoga a few times a week
-stopped adding cream or sugar to my morning coffee

I am doing what I thought you are supposed to do to lose weight at a reasonable rate, but I have actually gained a few pounds. WTAF?? This is extremely frustrating.

All those plants are the problem. Smoothies full of sugar, oxalates, phytates, lectins, and other anti-nutrients.
Lunch with even more of the same.
Good stopping the sugar in your coffee, but you are eating a ton of fructose and carbs without essential fats. Horrible.

[Anonymous]

Agree. I think you are in a mindset that fruit and carbs, like rice, are "healthy foods."

A diet with good fats and protein, and minimal produce and carbs, will help you lose weight. You'll also stay full much longer, so you'll end up eating less often. Avocado, salmon, eggs. Fat and protect are your friends here.

[Anonymous]

*proteins