Jzsnow Posted July 6, 2011 Share Posted July 6, 2011 My DS is almost a year old and still nursing around the clock. No complaints from me except that I can't lose an ounce!! I'm 5'2 and 203lbs...so i'm not trying to just lose the vanity 10 pounds here! I only gained about 6lbs while pg with him, and lost those immediately. Now, no matter what I eat or don't eat, exercise or don't exercise, I maintain. I've been on weight watchers since January and have maintained EVERY week regardless of anything I do! I've taken up running, kickboxing, and doing a round of turbo fire now! Any ideas? I'm becoming discouraged and about to throw the towel in all together. But, I know if I do that i'll atleast maintain :lol: jesssica Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DB in NJ Posted July 6, 2011 Share Posted July 6, 2011 I feel your pain! I had a similar experience with my youngest (although that was a long time ago now!). My only advice would be to watch what you're eating. You said you're on WW; is there ANY wiggle room in the food choices you're making? Can you cut out anything (diet sodas, cheese, too much dairy)? Are you eating too much fruit? Is it possible to eat a sandwich with 1 slice of bread instead of two? If the answer is no (which it probably IS since you're on WW), and you're sticking to the program faithfully in addition to increasing your activity, then maybe -- like me -- your body WILL. NOT. LET. GO. until you quit nursing. In that case, just keep up with ALL of those healthy habits, and eventually, the weight will come off. So many people told me that I'd lose weight while nursing. Seems you don't hear about people like us very often, but we exist! :grouphug: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Veritaserum Posted July 6, 2011 Share Posted July 6, 2011 :grouphug: Some mamas lose weight while breastfeeding. Other mamas don't lose weight until after weaning. You might want to have your thyroid checked if you have any other symptoms of hypothyroidism. It's common to be hypo after giving birth. I was diagnosed after my last baby was born. I finally started losing weight once I started thyroid meds. I also felt so much better! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Impish Posted July 6, 2011 Share Posted July 6, 2011 Get your thyroid checked. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jzsnow Posted July 6, 2011 Author Share Posted July 6, 2011 I did cut out all junk. ALL JUNK! I had a picture perfect diet for about a month, then this last week decided to let all heck lose and eat whatever junk i wanted. And wouldn't you know...i maintained. BWAHAHA. I'm eating all my pts, eat more than the pts allowed, eat less than allowed. AND, I have a bodybugg. I'm burning about 2800 calories a day and eating less than that! I should be losing!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twoforjoy Posted July 6, 2011 Share Posted July 6, 2011 I don't lose weight while nursing (at least not with my first two), other than what I lose immediately after delivery. I nursed DS for 26 months and didn't lose a pound. After I weaned him, I dropped almost 30 pounds (all the weight I'd gained during pregnancy that I didn't lose immediately upon delivery) within two months without changing anything about my eating or exercise habits. I didn't lose anything while nursing DD, either. I got pregnant while I was still nursing her, and I didn't lose the 10 pounds I usually lose in the first trimester. I agree that, assuming there's no underlying medical issues, the best idea is just to keep up with healthy habits--regular exercise, balanced diet, plenty of rest--and when you wean, the weight will come off. But even if you don't lose weight right now, the healthy habits will still make you feel better and improve your health. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twoforjoy Posted July 6, 2011 Share Posted July 6, 2011 I did cut out all junk. ALL JUNK! I had a picture perfect diet for about a month, then this last week decided to let all heck lose and eat whatever junk i wanted. And wouldn't you know...i maintained. BWAHAHA. I'm eating all my pts, eat more than the pts allowed, eat less than allowed. AND, I have a bodybugg. I'm burning about 2800 calories a day and eating less than that! I should be losing!! I was taking a nutrition course at the time I was nursing DS. One of the exercises we had to do was calculating our calorie intake and how many calories our bodies were using. According to the calculations, I should have been burning something like 3200 calories a day, and I was eating much less than that (around 1800-2000 calories). My weight still didn't budge, until I weaned. Sometimes weight loss isn't as simple as we like to think it is. It seems to me that some people's bodies will do whatever it takes to hold onto weight when breastfeeding. I seem to be one of those people. You may just need to hang in there, because your child will wean one day and the weight will come off. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FriedClams Posted July 6, 2011 Share Posted July 6, 2011 I can't say enough great things about the new Weight Watchers program. It's awesome. It's so doable and really has helped me to clean up my diet. It's great. They have provisions for nursing moms (you get more points per day) so its worth look in to. Really - it's been great for me!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mom-ninja. Posted July 6, 2011 Share Posted July 6, 2011 At this point you should see a Dr about your thyroid, and see a nutritionist. In the mean time you could read this book. If you want a kick butt exercise plan I highly suggest Tracy Anderson Metamorphosis. It does come with a diet plan, but it's a bit too restrictive for nursing. If you go to a nutritionist you can have it modified to fit your needs. Kellymom.com has good information. I think she says 1200-1500 calories a day is fine for nursing moms. The most important thing is to make sure you drink adequate water. It's a good idea to keep taking prenatal vitamins as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DB in NJ Posted July 6, 2011 Share Posted July 6, 2011 I did cut out all junk. ALL JUNK! I had a picture perfect diet for about a month, then this last week decided to let all heck lose and eat whatever junk i wanted. And wouldn't you know...i maintained. BWAHAHA. I'm eating all my pts, eat more than the pts allowed, eat less than allowed. AND, I have a bodybugg. I'm burning about 2800 calories a day and eating less than that! I should be losing!! Believe me, I understand! :( Try to not lose heart with it -- DO get your thyroid checked, but also try to be consistent. Starting right now, remind yourself that a healthy mom is the best gift you can give your family. REGARDLESS of weight loss, you will make healthy choices -- the food you eat, the water you drink, the activities you do, the rest you get -- eventually, I promise, those healthy habits add up and you WILL see results! And, again, get your thyroid checked! :grouphug: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mom-ninja. Posted July 6, 2011 Share Posted July 6, 2011 I can't say enough great things about the new Weight Watchers program. It's awesome. It's so doable and really has helped me to clean up my diet. It's great. They have provisions for nursing moms (you get more points per day) so its worth look in to. Really - it's been great for me!! She's doing WW and it's not helping. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jzsnow Posted July 6, 2011 Author Share Posted July 6, 2011 I can't say enough great things about the new Weight Watchers program. It's awesome. It's so doable and really has helped me to clean up my diet. It's great. They have provisions for nursing moms (you get more points per day) so its worth look in to. Really - it's been great for me!! Yes, i've been on that program since January. Faithfully following the program. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
*~Tina~* Posted July 6, 2011 Share Posted July 6, 2011 I feel your pain! So many people told me that I'd lose weight while nursing. Seems you don't hear about people like us very often, but we exist! :grouphug: Nursing Mom here and I've nursed my last four with the same weight loss resistance :D I've always heard the nursing/weight loss rumor too and wondered why it never worked for me. :001_huh: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twoforjoy Posted July 6, 2011 Share Posted July 6, 2011 Nursing Mom here and I've nursed my last four with the same weight loss resistance :D I've always heard the nursing/weight loss rumor too and wondered why it never worked for me. :001_huh: I do know people who've dropped weight really, really quickly while nursing. I don't think it's necessarily a myth, but I do think they make it sound like it happens for everybody. That's not the case. I know several women, myself included, who do not lose weight while nursing, then drop it all pretty quickly without any changes in diet/exercise after weaning (so, it's not poor habits that prevent the loss). I assume they don't tell you that can happen because they don't want to discourage women from nursing, but I do think it can lead women who just can't lose while nursing to assume they must be doing something wrong. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jzsnow Posted July 6, 2011 Author Share Posted July 6, 2011 I have thought to check my thyroid, but i am not having any other symptoms of a problem. I'm not gaining. Not losing. I'm not depressed, overly fatigued (and my day starts at 5am and doesn't end till 9:30!), not losing hair...nothing that relates to thyroid. I know i'm building good habits, but to be totally honest, without seeing a reward so to speak, I'd prefer to drink mtn dews and eat donuts instead of water and apples. I'll check the thyroid once I wean if I still haven't lose the weight. I'm considering doing south beach diet to shake things up. ANy thoughts? Jessica Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Veritaserum Posted July 6, 2011 Share Posted July 6, 2011 I have thought to check my thyroid, but i am not having any other symptoms of a problem. I'm not gaining. Not losing. I'm not depressed, overly fatigued (and my day starts at 5am and doesn't end till 9:30!), not losing hair...nothing that relates to thyroid. I know i'm building good habits, but to be totally honest, without seeing a reward so to speak, I'd prefer to drink mtn dews and eat donuts instead of water and apples. I'll check the thyroid once I wean if I still haven't lose the weight. I'm considering doing south beach diet to shake things up. ANy thoughts? Jessica I was in denial about my symptoms and chalked them up to having a baby. My thyroid problems were found when I had an MRI due to a sudden increase in migraine frequency (which was triggered by my thyroid). Usually people find out with a simple blood test. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Britomart Posted July 6, 2011 Share Posted July 6, 2011 I'm considering doing south beach diet to shake things up. ANy thoughts? South Beach is pretty well-balanced, healthy stuff. It's the way I personally like to eat. But, I just wanted to say, do you know about how many calories the Weight Watchers plan has you on? It's been my experience that a lot of diets don't think about long-term nursing. They seem to assume that you're just talking about the early phase of nursing, when your baby is getting all her calories from you, and you really do need to be extra careful about your food intake. But by the time you're nursing a toddler (and I'm totally pro nursing toddlers - I nursed my twins past 20 months), your child isn't getting all her nutrients from you, not by a long stretch, and I found I could - and had to be - a lot stricter with my calorie intake than nursing diets indicated, if I wanted to lose weight. So, just a thought. I know different metabolisms work differently, but I personally had to food journal and/or count calories and the experiment with dropping my food intake till I found the sweet spot where I could lose weight. I think once your kid is eating solid foods too it's pretty safe, as long as you're still eating nutrient-dense stuff. (But I'm not a doctor and this isn't medical advice! :D ) Anyway, I hope you find what works for you. You sound really disciplined and I'm sorry you're having such a frustrating experience! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gailmegan Posted July 6, 2011 Share Posted July 6, 2011 I have the same issue. With all three of mine. My body refuses to drop any weight until they wean. No matter what I eat or what I do with exercise. and my thyroid is fine - I have it checked periodically because my mom has thyroid problems. But when my babies wean the weight does come off. It's just the way my body responds to nursing. I have learned to accept it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
In The Great White North Posted July 6, 2011 Share Posted July 6, 2011 I didn't lose any weight while nursing either. I gained weight during childbirth (could someone explain how I could weigh 3lbs more after the birth than when I was admitted when the dc weighed 7 lbs all by himself? I didn't have an IV or drink anything, so it wasn't water weight.) Dc nursed about a year, then most of the weight came off. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LaxMom Posted July 6, 2011 Share Posted July 6, 2011 Yeah, all those delightful side effects of nursing - weight loss, suppressed fertility, etc - skipped me. Well, except when nursing twins. My weight at their fist birthday was the least I've weighed between their birth (9/2004) and now. With their older sister, I lost a single pound between her birth and first birthday. I developed thyroid issues, though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caraway Posted July 6, 2011 Share Posted July 6, 2011 Check out The Primal Blueprint. Here is the author's webpage, which includes a very active forum: http://www.marksdailyapple.com/ As a nursing mom I feel your pain. :grouphug: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WeeBeaks Posted July 6, 2011 Share Posted July 6, 2011 I don't lose weight nursing either. I drop to within 5-10 pounds of prepregnancy weight within 6 weeks postpartum and stay there no matter what I do until I'm done nursing, then drop quickly back to my "normal." I'm currently at 11 months of breastfeeding my 4th child, same story. I log my food faithfully, tally up calorie counts, wear a pedometer, etc., etc. I even had my thyroid checked and it's fine. My body has declared it is keeping these pounds for nursing apparently and that is that. :001_huh: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jenangelcat Posted July 6, 2011 Share Posted July 6, 2011 Some people lose while breastfeeding some people don't. I don't lose much of anything until around the time they wean (18 months-2years) then I drop down to less than before. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mommymilkies Posted July 6, 2011 Share Posted July 6, 2011 I always lose weight and usually end up underweight while bf. Until this time. I'm 20+ lbs over and can't lose it. This is the same thing that happened last time my thyroid messed up, so I need to get some bloodwork done. I highly recommend you have yours checked. Many people have no symptoms but it's so common. And I wouldn't assume 10 lbs is vanity. Some people can't afford a new wardrobe, and there are others like myself who hurt with even 5 extra lbs. My arthritis in my knees hurts worse with every added pound. :( Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sunshine_librarian Posted July 6, 2011 Share Posted July 6, 2011 I have thought to check my thyroid, but i am not having any other symptoms of a problem. I'm not gaining. Not losing. I'm not depressed, overly fatigued (and my day starts at 5am and doesn't end till 9:30!), not losing hair...nothing that relates to thyroid. I know i'm building good habits, but to be totally honest, without seeing a reward so to speak, I'd prefer to drink mtn dews and eat donuts instead of water and apples. I'll check the thyroid once I wean if I still haven't lose the weight. I'm considering doing south beach diet to shake things up. ANy thoughts? Jessica Have you considered that you may not be eating enough? If you take in less than 10 calories per lb. that you actually weigh your body can go into starvation mode (and then nothing will budge). Also remember to throw in that extra 400 calories a day for nursing. For your weight of 205 that would put you around 2450 a day, just to make sure you get enough. I would recommend filling in those extra calories with fresh fruits, veggies with dips, and maybe even some nuts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jzsnow Posted July 7, 2011 Author Share Posted July 7, 2011 South Beach is pretty well-balanced, healthy stuff. It's the way I personally like to eat. But, I just wanted to say, do you know about how many calories the Weight Watchers plan has you on? It's been my experience that a lot of diets don't think about long-term nursing. They seem to assume that you're just talking about the early phase of nursing, when your baby is getting all her calories from you, and you really do need to be extra careful about your food intake. But by the time you're nursing a toddler (and I'm totally pro nursing toddlers - I nursed my twins past 20 months), your child isn't getting all her nutrients from you, not by a long stretch, and I found I could - and had to be - a lot stricter with my calorie intake than nursing diets indicated, if I wanted to lose weight. So, just a thought. I know different metabolisms work differently, but I personally had to food journal and/or count calories and the experiment with dropping my food intake till I found the sweet spot where I could lose weight. I think once your kid is eating solid foods too it's pretty safe, as long as you're still eating nutrient-dense stuff. (But I'm not a doctor and this isn't medical advice! :D ) Anyway, I hope you find what works for you. You sound really disciplined and I'm sorry you're having such a frustrating experience! WW has be at 37 points and each point is roughly 40 calories. So, with my extra points and exercise points i'm averaging 1800 calories a day. But, my bodybugg tells me i'm burning 2800 calories a day when I run/kickbox, and only 2200 calories a day just sitting and doing normal daily stuff. Jessica Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jzsnow Posted July 7, 2011 Author Share Posted July 7, 2011 Have you considered that you may not be eating enough? If you take in less than 10 calories per lb. that you actually weigh your body can go into starvation mode (and then nothing will budge). Also remember to throw in that extra 400 calories a day for nursing. For your weight of 205 that would put you around 2450 a day, just to make sure you get enough. I would recommend filling in those extra calories with fresh fruits, veggies with dips, and maybe even some nuts. I have thought of that because the bodybugg doesn't show calories burned from nursing. But, I'm wondering how many calories it takes to nurse an 11 month old? He's eating real food, too, but still nurses throughout the day and night! I'm going to up the calories to 2400, keep my exercise the same and report back here in a week :) Glad to see i'm not crazy and alone! Jessica Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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