Losing Weight While BFing

I gained 60+ lbs during my pregnancy (I stopped looking and my doctor never told me) and still have about 30 lbs to lose. I've read that some women lose all their baby weight nursing while others can't lose anything until they wean. I'm curious to see how many women have lost weight while nursing twins.

Any suggestions to help me shed this weight are appreciated too!

 

i picked that i was back to my pre-pregnancy weight, although that isn't actually accurate. i'm not sure how much weight i gained all together - i know it was at least 35 lbs but, like you, i stopped being interested in the tally towards the end. in the first month post-partum though i know i dropped down lower than my pre-pregnancy weight but it was NOT a healthy situation. between BFing, having back-to-back bouts of mastitis requiring IV antibiotics & forgetting to eat most of the time because i was so baby-focused i dropped an unhealthy amount of weight, too quickly. as things started to stabilize though and i started eating normally again, i've managed to put 20 lbs or so back on (i'm mostly guessing by how my clothes fit as i haven't actually weighed myself since the girls were born). now, i'm making a consious effort to eat healthier & i've started running again (yeah!) as the girls are almost a year old & i figure i can't really get away with calling it left over pregnancy weight anymore. plus, i want to be sure i'm at a healthy weight before we start TTC baby #3 which will likely be in a year & a half or so (i've always been a big fan of taking weight off slowly - i find it's more likely to stay off that way).

ANYway, what i was really wanting to say is that BFing will help you lose weight as you're often using up a lot of calories making BM BUT you will likely not be able to get completely back to your pre-pregnancy weight until you have weaned because your body likes to keep extra fat stores around when you're nursing just in case you aren't able to get enough food to produce milk. think of it as breast milk over draft protection!

as for tips for losing the extra weight, my only suggestions would be to make healthy food choices (think 4 food groups), watch your portion sizes, and try & get some exercise in (even a 20 minute walk 3 - 4 times a week will help). i'm a firm believer in not using fads, pills or diets - losing weight & keeping it off is about modifying your habits & lifestyle so that they're are conducive to being healthy. it takes time & effort but the effects are much longer lasting. GL!

 

I gained 45 with the twins and lost it all while nursing. Once I was back to my pre-prego weight and still nursing, thats when I found myself starving! Its different for everyone though.

 

I lost weight while nursing my girls. But it was from doing weight watchers. I gained 60 pounds while pregnant. Lost 30 right away. Then when they were 2 months old, I noticed the scale was going up from the weight I came home from the hospital at. I was looking at a package of cookies and instead went to weight watchers. I want to say I lost 40 pounds while nursing my girls. In fact my last time nursing was in a weight watchers meeting room.

You just want to be careful with the weight loss that your milk supply does not drop.

 

It took a little while for me...but yes I did loose all of mine.....get those babies in the stroller (when it is cooler out, not the heat of the day) and WALK !!! oR go to the Mall and push them around, most malls open up the main part early in the morning before the stores are open, and let the "Mall Walkers", walk!

 

I gained 75, lost 85, then put the last 10 back on after we partially weaned and I went back to (sitting on my butt) working part time.

But it did take a while - I wasn't back to my pre-preg weight until at least 4 or 5 months, and then the rest came off slowly - and mostly because I gave up dairy for the first year of nursing.

 

As Lisa said, you really don't want to diet (restict calories) while breastfeeding.

I got within 10 lbs of my pre-pregnancy weight by 8 weeks.

 

With my last two kids, I didn't lose any real weight because I was breastfeeding. With my second, around a year I joined WW because they have a plan that takes into account the extra nutrition that nursing moms need. With that I was able to lose all of the pregnancy weight without seeing any change in my milk supply. This time, I am dropping weight like crazy no matter how much I eat. I have been eating tons of oatmeal and healthy protein to help build my supply but I'm still down 45 lbs in just two weeks.

 

I put that I lost all my weight--although I think I still have a couple pounds to go. I gained around 60 lbs with this pregnancy and lost the bulk of it within the first month--then the weight loss really slowed down, although it is continuing. That being said, I will say that the weight is definitely not in the same place now as it was before I got pregnant. Everything has been shifted around and I think to fit back into some of my old clothes I will need to weigh less than I did--not sure how it works, must be the miracle of being a mom!

 

I said I've lost, but I still have 10 lbs to go to get to my pre-preg weight. In the beginning, I was losing the weight slowly but steadily. But by about 6 months, my weight started creeping back up. I was nursing less, back at work, stressed (a bit) and SNACKING all the time. It was really difficult for me to change my eating habits from pregnancy (when I ate a TON and struggled to gain weight) and the early days of nursing (when I ate a TON and still lost weight). So I think once my metabolism adjusted, but my eating habits didn't, I started to gain again. I stopped snacking on junk food and have started to really watch my portion sizes. And now the weight is slowly (1-2 lbs/ week) coming off. My goal is to be back to my pre-preg weight by their bday (8 more weeks!)

-maria
DS1 4.5
DS2 DS3 10 months

 

I haven't nursed twins yet so we'll see what happens, but I know that I lose about 1/2 my pregnancy weight and keep the remainder on til I'm done nursing - then its gone in about 3-4mths. Not sure why my body needs to keep that much, but it was the same all three times so it must be 'me'. LOL

 

I gained 42 lbs., and lost most of it in the first 6 months, but I CANNOT get rid of the last 10 lbs. I think this is really common; your body wants to keep a buffer while you're breastfeeding. I was also underweight before I got pregnant, so I'm not sure I even WANT to get back to my pre-pregnancy weight. Of course my pants don't fit any more, so I either lose the weight or buy new clothes! :lol: But I'm not expecting any more to come off until I've weaned.

I thought at first that I could eat anything I wanted since I was BF, but realized quickly that I had to be sensible. I was hungry ALL THE TIME, but I had to eat smaller portions more often, and eat lots of protein to keep my energy up. I also had to forcefully break my chocolate chip cookie addiction; I threw away a half-eaten package and never looked back!

I think one really easy way to eat better is to never drink anything with calories. A lot of us drink beverages that have a lot of calories (pop, smoothies, etc.) and that really adds up. Drink only water; it's better for you anyway!

 

I gained 40ish pounds with my twins and lost it all plus another 15 pounds while breastfeeding. One of my daughters has a milk allergy, so I couldn't eat any milk, butter, ice cream, etc. I ate everything else I could get my hands on, but the pounds just melted away. By the time I stopped breastfeeding I was the thinnest I've been as an adult. Healthy, but thin. Unfortunately, I put those 15 pounds right back on once I returned to my normal eating and no breastfeeding.

 

I lost about 25 lbs the first six weeks (most of that the day of delivery, obviously!) but then was stuck for the next eleven months. I eat very healthy, but a LOT. But if I don't eat I'm too crabby to function, so I've not yet tried to limit eating seriously. I would love to exercise, but can't take all four kids out and maintain a consistent pace, and can only get someone to watch them sporadically (DH is usually home too late for me to exercise.) Lately I think I'm starting to lose a bit again--I seem to finally be able to eat less as they are consuming more solids. I hope the rest of it goes away once I wean or can get out more or something.

 

I have also fought with weight problems recently and tried a lot of diets. Did research on the Internet and found some very nice diet tips on Dieting Delilah and tried serval diet recipes there. This site has some really good recommendations. I ate more healthy food and did sports (jogging, aerobic) and managed to lose 20lbs in 3 months which was a nice success.

 

after my other babies i never really lost while nursing...this time i'm still losing and i'm about 5 weeks pp...i've lost a total of 40 pounds since the babies were born, i only gained 22 pounds while i was pg...i'm actually to my pre pg weight from izzy, which was 2005 when i became pg with him...

 

I didn't respond because my girls haven't been nursing for over a year, but I did want to just share my experience since that's what you're looking for. I gained 50 lbs with my pregnancy and lost 70 by 5 months PP. I ate whatever I wanted and did not diet. I made sure to give my body the fuel it needed to make good milk for the babies (whole food, organic, lot's of it). When I stopped nursing I gained 10 lbs back and seem to hover here (give or take 5 lbs.).

The best thing about nursing twins and weight for me has been that it was sort-of a "reset button" for my metabolism. I had been struggling a bit with my metabolism before I was pregnant and it seems to be back to the way it was in my 20's. It's like it reminded my body that it is supposed to burn the calories instead of make fat out of them and place it squarely on my hips.

Happy nursing!

 

I voted that I lost all and then some, but I feel the need to qualify that for the first 7 months of bfing I was on an extreme low fat diet while waiting to have my gall bladder out.

 

I'd gained 52 pounds, and lost most all of that within 3 months... I lost probably another 5 pounds by 11 months, and then I got my period... I think I immediately gained 5 pounds, so I'm back at my prepregnancy weight... though there's a nice few inches on the belly that I'd like to get rid of.

I tried a few weeks ago to limit snacks and inadvertantly went overboard, and I think my supply diminished a bit, so now I'm just holding ... probably should just exercise - but who has time for that?!

good luck.

 

I gained 45lbs before delivering my healthy twin girls at 36 weeks. I was back in my pre-pregnancy clothes within 2 weeks, which I was not expecting at all, & by my 6 week check-up I was at my pre-pregnancy weight. I eat healthily, but I eat tonnes of food - pretty much every time my husband sees me I am chewing. I am starving ALL the time. My girls are 10 months old now & my weight loss has stabilized, but I still cannot exercise much beyond walking because I cannot keep the weight on. I am currently nursing 3/day & pumping once before bed. I'm planning on weaning by 12 months old though, because I'm exhausted. I was pretty fit before I became pregnant, & have always been a fairly thin build. At the moment, I am about 15lbs below my pre-pregnancy weight.

 

With my singleton, I gained 40 pounds and lost 20 with the delivery, etc. Didn't lose anything more by breastfeeding. Didn't lose anything by stopping breastfeeding. Finally went on South Beach and lost 10 more pounds when he was about a year old. It will be interesting to see if it's any different with twins.

 

I'm one of the lucky ones, I guess! I gained a total of about 35 pounds and am back in my pre-pregnancy clothes already. I've got another 2 1/2 pounds to lose to be at my pre-pregnancy weight - probably won't take me long to lose that. I still have a little belly - will be interesting to see what happens with that!

 

I put that I can't lose a pound, but that's not entirely accurate. I gained 50lbs, and lost 40 without trying, but I can't seem to lose that last 10 lbs. I've been watching what I eat more, although I'm not dieting, and was exersizing for awhile, but it didn't make any difference. In the past, if I want to lose weight, I have to cut back to 1000 cal. and exersize too. I don't have a problem maintaining my weight, but it's hard to lose. I will probably have to wait til I'm done nursing, and then go on a strict diet for a while.

 

I am terribly lucky. I gained somewhere between 36-39lbs with my twins, and had lost it all by my 6 week postpartum visit. I'm now down another 12ish pounds from my pre-pregnancy weight, and I eat just about everything in sight. I joke I'm going to have to wean myself from all the food when I wean the babies!