Why does Breastfeeding make it harder to lose preggo weight?

[Anonymous]

Not sure I agree with PP re: you're not running a deficit, just need a new equation.

If you are burning 1800 calories a day and taking in 1800 calories a day and in perfect weight equilibrium, no gain, no loss, but then go on medication and begin to GAIN weight, even if calories get cut but you've otherwise maintained same activity level, how does that work?

Same deal with nursing. For me, when nursing, I could eat substantially less than my non-nursing calorie norm and not be able to shed the last 5-10 pounds, but the WEEK I stopped nursing I started losing 2-3 pounds/week with absolutely no change in diet or exercise - and no calorie use in the form of milk production. Was I just being a lazy, self-deluding slob, and suddenly it all changed (and I instantly became better at calorie recordation math) the day I stopped nursing?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Not sure I agree with PP re: you're not running a deficit, just need a new equation.

If you are burning 1800 calories a day and taking in 1800 calories a day and in perfect weight equilibrium, no gain, no loss, but then go on medication and begin to GAIN weight, even if calories get cut but you've otherwise maintained same activity level, how does that work?

Same deal with nursing. For me, when nursing, I could eat substantially less than my non-nursing calorie norm and not be able to shed the last 5-10 pounds, but the WEEK I stopped nursing I started losing 2-3 pounds/week with absolutely no change in diet or exercise - and no calorie use in the form of milk production. Was I just being a lazy, self-deluding slob, and suddenly it all changed (and I instantly became better at calorie recordation math) the day I stopped nursing?

If you go on medication (or are nursing) and you begin to gain weight, (barring any other changes) the change in your metabolism means you are no longer burning 1800 calories per day. That's what I mean by needing a new equation. Your metabolism has changed, so you burn calories at a different rate, whether resting or exercising.

I'm not trying to say you're lazy, at all! It's possible that as you reduce your calorie intake or increase your activity level while nursing, your body continually adjusts your metabolism so that you burn less and CAN'T lose those pounds your body feels are necessary to maintain supply. Or as other women noticed, you do lose the weight but you also lose the supply.

(I should add that I don't know how one would get a new, more accurate equation for rate of calorie burn, only that if the numbers aren't adding up with your old equation, it is no longer accurate. I think that many of the calculations offered at various websites are only averages, and cannot take into account individual situations--unfortunately!)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Not sure I agree with PP re: you're not running a deficit, just need a new equation.

If you are burning 1800 calories a day and taking in 1800 calories a day and in perfect weight equilibrium, no gain, no loss, but then go on medication and begin to GAIN weight, even if calories get cut but you've otherwise maintained same activity level, how does that work?

Same deal with nursing. For me, when nursing, I could eat substantially less than my non-nursing calorie norm and not be able to shed the last 5-10 pounds, but the WEEK I stopped nursing I started losing 2-3 pounds/week with absolutely no change in diet or exercise - and no calorie use in the form of milk production. Was I just being a lazy, self-deluding slob, and suddenly it all changed (and I instantly became better at calorie recordation math) the day I stopped nursing?

If you go on medication (or are nursing) and you begin to gain weight, (barring any other changes) the change in your metabolism means you are no longer burning 1800 calories per day. That's what I mean by needing a new equation. Your metabolism has changed, so you burn calories at a different rate, whether resting or exercising.

I'm not trying to say you're lazy, at all! It's possible that as you reduce your calorie intake or increase your activity level while nursing, your body continually adjusts your metabolism so that you burn less and CAN'T lose those pounds your body feels are necessary to maintain supply. Or as other women noticed, you do lose the weight but you also lose the supply.

(I should add that I don't know how one would get a new, more accurate equation for rate of calorie burn, only that if the numbers aren't adding up with your old equation, it is no longer accurate. I think that many of the calculations offered at various websites are only averages, and cannot take into account individual situations--unfortunately!)

Yes, but PP, your original comment was: "It doesn't. If you consume more calories than you burn, you will gain weight. If you burn more calories than you consume, you will lose weight. It is really this simple." and you are now admitting that it isn't that simple. And your first sentence, "It doesn't" could be considered wrong. For some women, breastfeeding or medicine or dieting too hard/eating too few calories or whatever may drastically lower their metabolism for one reason or another, like holding on to fat stores to adequately feed baby or not starve, or whatever. Just saying, yes, you are correct, but you've come along way from your original comment which came across as a bit bitchy to be honest.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Not sure I agree with PP re: you're not running a deficit, just need a new equation.

If you are burning 1800 calories a day and taking in 1800 calories a day and in perfect weight equilibrium, no gain, no loss, but then go on medication and begin to GAIN weight, even if calories get cut but you've otherwise maintained same activity level, how does that work?

Same deal with nursing. For me, when nursing, I could eat substantially less than my non-nursing calorie norm and not be able to shed the last 5-10 pounds, but the WEEK I stopped nursing I started losing 2-3 pounds/week with absolutely no change in diet or exercise - and no calorie use in the form of milk production. Was I just being a lazy, self-deluding slob, and suddenly it all changed (and I instantly became better at calorie recordation math) the day I stopped nursing?

If you go on medication (or are nursing) and you begin to gain weight, (barring any other changes) the change in your metabolism means you are no longer burning 1800 calories per day. That's what I mean by needing a new equation. Your metabolism has changed, so you burn calories at a different rate, whether resting or exercising.

I'm not trying to say you're lazy, at all! It's possible that as you reduce your calorie intake or increase your activity level while nursing, your body continually adjusts your metabolism so that you burn less and CAN'T lose those pounds your body feels are necessary to maintain supply. Or as other women noticed, you do lose the weight but you also lose the supply.

(I should add that I don't know how one would get a new, more accurate equation for rate of calorie burn, only that if the numbers aren't adding up with your old equation, it is no longer accurate. I think that many of the calculations offered at various websites are only averages, and cannot take into account individual situations--unfortunately!)

Yes, but PP, your original comment was: "It doesn't. If you consume more calories than you burn, you will gain weight. If you burn more calories than you consume, you will lose weight. It is really this simple." and you are now admitting that it isn't that simple. And your first sentence, "It doesn't" could be considered wrong. For some women, breastfeeding or medicine or dieting too hard/eating too few calories or whatever may drastically lower their metabolism for one reason or another, like holding on to fat stores to adequately feed baby or not starve, or whatever. Just saying, yes, you are correct, but you've come along way from your original comment which came across as a bit bitchy to be honest.

This is 15:36 and 12:49, but not the original commenter to whom you are referring (who said "it doesnt".) I do agree that the original comment was off-putting and could be misleading. Breastfeeding CAN change your metabolism and thus the rate at which you burn calories, making it harder to gain or lose weight depending on your body's needs. I believe that initially breastfeeding will increase your calorie burn, but over the long term you are likely to hit a plateau at which point your body doesn't want to lose any more weight and so it slows your metabolism down. I hope I've helped clarify the issue!

[Anonymous]

I'm the gal who was working out two hours a day whole breastfeeding. I burned at least 800 calories that way, in addition to whatever my daily metabolic burn was, let's say 1500 calories, plus breastfeeding, your quote of 500 calories. That's 2800 calories and I was taking in 1200-1500 calories and nothing happened.

[Anonymous]

BUMP TO THE LAZIES!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It doesn't. If you consume more calories than you burn, you will gain weight. If you burn more calories than you consume, you will lose weight. It is really this simple.

actually it's not that simple - I tracked my calories in and out and even with a deficit I couldn't move the last 5lbs. My body refused to let me drop below a certain weight while I was bfing, no matter what I did.

If you were actually running a calorie deficit, you would have lost weight. The laws of physics and thermodynamics apply to you. This is truly not meant to sound mean, but I get so tired of seeing people I care about lie to themselves about what they're eating and why they weigh what they weigh. Not for my sake, because I could care less, but because they are unhappy.

Actually, creating a deficit can be harder than you think. It seems like you're lucky enough to have never struggled with your weight - congrats! But not everyone has a specific amount that she burns every day. Metabolic rates shift significantly (sometimes due to changes in food consumption) so creating a deficit isn't as easy for some people as it is for others. The laws of physics and thermodynamics apply to everyone, and so do principles of metabolism and endocrinology. I suppose you can be certain of running a deficit if you follow an extremely low calorie diet, but that doesn't really seem healthy for anyone, let alone a breastfeeding mother.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:For me, breastfeeding impeded weight loss. I found that the second I dieted, e.g., weight watchers, etc., or exercised a lot, my supply fell. I wasn't able to lose those last 15 pounds while nursing, and had to wait until DD was weaned at 11 months. I guess everyone has different reactions! To me, it was worth staying a little chubby to nurse.

me too. I'm on my 3rd and will wean at a year and go back to my normal weight - yea!!!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It doesn't. If you consume more calories than you burn, you will gain weight. If you burn more calories than you consume, you will lose weight. It is really this simple.

actually it's not that simple - I tracked my calories in and out and even with a deficit I couldn't move the last 5lbs. My body refused to let me drop below a certain weight while I was bfing, no matter what I did.

If you were actually running a calorie deficit, you would have lost weight. The laws of physics and thermodynamics apply to you. This is truly not meant to sound mean, but I get so tired of seeing people I care about lie to themselves about what they're eating and why they weigh what they weigh. Not for my sake, because I could care less, but because they are unhappy.

and I'm telling you I was running a deficit. At first a small one because I didn't want to mess up my supply and then I added more and more exercise (up to 2 hours a day - running 1 hour, walking neighborhood hills 1 hour) so that there was a significant deficit but the last 5 lbs would not move. When I'm not breastfeeding I do simply monitor calories in and out and as long as there is a deficit I lose weight. It just did not happen when I was breastfeeding. FWIW, this also happened to me when I was on Zoloft. While maintaining a deficit works most of the time, for most people, there are circumstances where your body says no.

I AGREE! I have a hormone syndrome and if my hormones get into a funk NOTHING will make me lose weight! Same diet and activity level with different hormone balance and I have no problem losing weight. It is more complecated than calorie in and calorie out!! If you dont experiance yourself, I can see how it would be difficult for you to comprehend. I am currently bf and cannot lose weight OR gain weight(not that I'm trying)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I gained 20 pounds during pregnancy, lost 6 in the first week (even though baby alone was over 7) and the rest plus 7 pounds in the second week. So, atm, I am 7 pounds lighter than my pre-pregnancy weight (3rd w postpartum).

Same here (but with baby #3 and 5 weeks post partum). Plus, Bfing shrinks your uterus super fast and constricts the blood vessels so the post partum bleeding doesn't last so long or so heavy.

How much preg. weight are you gaining OP? It won't seem so "a lot" when it comes time to shed it post partum. Bfing helps - you burn 500 calories easily (just make sure you drink water to help with supply), but that doesn't mean it's a Free Pass to eating everything in sight.
Some women hold on to 5lbs or so as a survival mechanism. It's not truly "weight" but more water retention, swollen breasts, the extra blood volume, milk, etc. It's not really "fat" like you think of when you talk about weight.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:For me, breastfeeding impeded weight loss. I found that the second I dieted, e.g., weight watchers, etc., or exercised a lot, my supply fell. I wasn't able to lose those last 15 pounds while nursing, and had to wait until DD was weaned at 11 months. I guess everyone has different reactions! To me, it was worth staying a little chubby to nurse.

BINGO! My problem exactly.

My appetite is MONSTEROUS. However when I exercise or reduce my calories, my supply plummets. For me as well, it is/was worth it for my babies. I wish I were one of those women for which BF made skinny, but for me it makes me rounder

Me too!! To me, milk supply is more important than the weight loss and I'm pretty vain about my appearance!

[Anonymous]

"in my experience, i dropped the pounds fast while breastfeeding and ended up 5 pounds under my pre-pregnancy weight, which i didn't gain back until after I stopped."

This was my experience, except that it wasn't fast. I held on to my weight/shape for a good seven or eight months. By nine months however, I was back to my pre-pregnancy weight, and after that I dropped below it until weaning fully at sixteen months. I was ravenous the whole time I was BFing. My supply was great. (I didn't ever try to reduce calories, so I don't know what might have happened if I had tried.)

[Anonymous]

BFing also made it harder for m to find time to workout. After I stopped BFing I increased my 5 mile runs. BFing burns calories, but I don't think it burns as many as running 20 miles a week!!

[Anonymous]

Breastfeeding helped me lose weight. I looked pretty great five or six months after breastfeeding and wasn't working out a ton or being all that careful about what I ate. However, around 9 or 10 months postpartum, as I started nursing less and less, and didn't shift my workout and eating habits, I gained.

I'm pg again and eager for the breastfeeding weight loss plan, but I will be much more careful about my habits as I start to wean.

Personally, I think everyone is different in terms of whether or not BF helps you lose or impedes weight loss. IMO, after talking to friends, it seems anecdotally that if you have a few extra pounds (as I did, probably five or ten pounds above my ideal weight) when you get pregnant, BF helps you shed down to where you were pre-pregnancy easily and maybe even lose a few more. If you're slender and don't have an extra pounds, I think BF keeps an extra few pounds on you. Agian, not scientific, just an anecdotal observation.

[Anonymous]

I lost a ton with my first DS. Now, 9 weeks in, I'm 7 pounds over my pre-prego weight and am frustrated!

With no. 1 I ate like a pig. I was starving. With no. 2 I'm not as hungry but am still overweight.