Breastfeeding and the last 10 lbs

[sahm22kids]

I have read that our bodies hang on to the last 10 lbs of fat while nursing. I dont remember from when i weaned my son if that was the case. Im still breastfeeding my 9 month old and i work out very hard and eat very healthy and i cant seem to get past 138. Its impossible! Is there any truth to this or do i just need to work my butt off even harder?! Was this true for any of you ladies?? Thanks!

[ilovethe80s]

I have the same thing happen with every baby. And once the baby weans, the weight falls off in under a month and I am struggling to gain some back. I don't know what it is from - hormones probably have a lot to do with it. Also, when mine are nursing, they are waking often to eat, so the lack of sleep = increased cortisol = a little extra padding as well. That's my theory anyway. Don't beat yourself up, wait till baby weans and sleeps through the night and THEN start kicking your own butt again

[sonti]

Some women do find that nursing drops the weight quickly but others find there's some extra that won't budge until you wean! Biologically, makes sense. It's probably going to stay until you stop using your supply

[emma2]

I am kind of in the same boat. I'm very curious to see if it's true that the last 10 pounds come off after breastfeeding stops. I have not actually been "baby free" in over 5 years! First I was pregnant, then before my daughter was weaned, I got pregnant again and now he is 2 and still nursing! So, for the last 5 years I have either been pregnant or breastfeeding.
I am sort of looking forward to having my body back to myself and being able to take more control of it. I workout 6days/week, 90 minutes/day, and I still have 10 pounds to go. But it's worth it for baby.

[squeaks77]

I didn't lose the baby fat until after my babies weaned either. My body held on to every last bit, but it came off quickly once I stopped nursing.

[heidismommy]

I've heard many women say this, that it's hard to lose the last 10 lbs while breastfeeding. Breastfeeding increases need for extra calories so I'm sure it stimulates appetite. Plus whacky hormones play a role I'm sure. I actually lost TOO much weight while breastfeeding my first baby. I didn't restrict calories or diet, but I also didn't notice an increase in appetite. I will say, however, that even though I lost a lot of weight while breastfeeding, my body composition was totally different than prior to pregnancy. I got too skinny all over (down to 76 lbs by about 6 months postpartum and then gradually started to gain once I introduced baby to some solids), but still had an extra layer of abdominal fat until after I weaned. And it's strange because I was back up to my pre-pregnancy weight (of about 100 lbs) by a couple months after weaning my first daughter, but my abdominal area got firmer and less squishy. I guess my body was holding on to that as a reserve in order to continue to produce milk.

[birdiefu]

I have been nursing for 6 1/2 years straight (2 babies, but much less volume now, as youngest is 3 1/2) and found that losing weight after the birth was relatively easy. In fact, I called getting pregnant and subsequent nursing the best "weight loss program" as even though I gained 50 lb+ while pregnant, I ended up weighing less than pre-preg weight by about 6 months pp, without consciously "dieting" or starting a new workout program. Granted, I'm pretty sure that body composition differed a lot, as I did not lift over quite a few years time since I got pregnant with my first, but I was very happy with how I looked at least after my 1st pregnancy. My stomach didn't seem to hold extra fat, but my butt/thighs may have.

Now, hormones with a baby about a year or less are probably not the same as with an older nursling, but my cut this past year got me to my leanest yet even while breastfeeding. So, I suppose it's not necessarily true that every woman is going to have a hard time losing weight while nursing.

[discdoggie]

I suppose everyone is different. The both times I nursed, I was left at such levels of ematiation, IV lard would have been helpful.

Again, I truly belive it all comes down to what you're putting in your mouth. Both times, my lifestyle and schedule didn't allow me to know what food or drink tasted like hot. If I got to eat at all. (Trust me, from experience, this does NOT affect milk supply at ALL.)

[sahm22kids]

I suppose everyone is different. The both times I nursed, I was left at such levels of ematiation, IV lard would have been helpful.

Again, I truly belive it all comes down to what you're putting in your mouth. Both times, my lifestyle and schedule didn't allow me to know what food or drink tasted like hot. If I got to eat at all. (Trust me, from experience, this does NOT affect milk supply at ALL.)

Thanks for the responses. Luckily my baby does sleep through the night so i'm getting "enough" rest. I was on bedrest during pregnancy and didnt get back into working out until recently. So far i have been blessed to get a lot of my muscle back even with wacky hormones while nursing. I eat very healthy, almost all organic, nothing processed, a very high protein diet with complex/ high fiber carbohydrates and healthy fats. I weight train hard for about an hour and do cardio 4-5 days a week. I dont doubt that im not eating right or working out enough but i guess i just wondered if kicking it up a few notches would budge some fat. I cant imagine doing more than i am now because im already exhausted with 2 little ones at home. I guess i will have to trust that it will come off when she is weaned because of course my daughters health comes first and foremost before mine.

[Rowyn]

I have the same thing happen with every baby. And once the baby weans, the weight falls off in under a month and I am struggling to gain some back. I don't know what it is from - hormones probably have a lot to do with it. Also, when mine are nursing, they are waking often to eat, so the lack of sleep = increased cortisol = a little extra padding as well. That's my theory anyway. Don't beat yourself up, wait till baby weans and sleeps through the night and THEN start kicking your own butt again

^This^ Certainly you lose a certain amount of weight at first (if you do not overeat) since you are making demands on your body, but for me there was a limit to the weight loss that would not completely shed until I weaned. It clearly makes sense from a biological standpoint that your hormonal influences would predispose you to hold some weight. Many of the people I have known who got skinny fast did not eat very much or stopped nursing and went to dieting.

Me? I was hungry as a horse while nursing, good lordy. At least for the first 6 months when I was exclusively nursing. Once the babies started eating some soild food things got better.

[sonti]

Yes I was surviving off GOMAD, giant avocado, cheese + turkey sandwiches with all the trimmings, I miss my nursing "diet", lol

[heidismommy]

I suppose everyone is different. The both times I nursed, I was left at such levels of ematiation, IV lard would have been helpful.

Again, I truly belive it all comes down to what you're putting in your mouth. Both times, my lifestyle and schedule didn't allow me to know what food or drink tasted like hot. If I got to eat at all. (Trust me, from experience, this does NOT affect milk supply at ALL.)

Losing so much weight didn't affect my supply at all either. I was, in fact, clinically emaciated by 6 months postpartum. My arms and legs were twigs and you could count every rib in my back---yet my tummy was soft, that is the only place I held on to fat. I looked absolutely gross (was thinner than my "before" pics in my progress pics section except for my stomach), but I wasn't trying to lose weight while breastfeeding. I'd venture to guess I was getting in 2000 calories per day, but I was feeding a very large baby (she weighed 9.5 lbs at birth and was consistently in the 90th percentile for the first year). I lost weight pretty fast at first, then it sped up even more when I started exercising again in the postpartum period.

Some women, however, DO notice a drop in supply if they lose too much weight too rapidly. You and I didn't, but that isn't the case for everyone.

[sahm22kids]

Losing so much weight didn't affect my supply at all either. I was, in fact, clinically emaciated by 6 months postpartum. My arms and legs were twigs and you could count every rib in my back---yet my tummy was soft, that is the only place I held on to fat. I looked absolutely gross (was thinner than my "before" pics in my progress pics section except for my stomach), but I wasn't trying to lose weight while breastfeeding. I'd venture to guess I was getting in 2000 calories per day, but I was feeding a very large baby (she weighed 9.5 lbs at birth and was consistently in the 90th percentile for the first year). I lost weight pretty fast at first, then it sped up even more when I started exercising again in the postpartum period.

Some women, however, DO notice a drop in supply if they lose too much weight too rapidly. You and I didn't, but that isn't the case for everyone.

With my son i never noticed a drop in supply but this time i have definitely noticed a difference. Im hardly producing any milk in my left breast anymore.. Weird. My baby of course is on solids and drinks water or almond milk from a sippy so its not a huge deal. She nurses about 6-7 times a day, mainly for comfort. But ever since i started working out i have noticed i dont get as much letdown and the letdown doesnt last as long. So its definitely not true for everyone that working out doesnt affect supply.

[karoline8]

have any of you ladies who have stopped breastfeeding not "dried up"... I ask as I quit breastfeeding my daughter 2 years ago now and I'm still lactating a little. I'll leak just a bit, but enought to know that it's happening, every few days. I read that heavy and excessive excercise can keep progesterone levels up mimicing that of pregnancy. I'm just wondering if this is something that is common with others who workout hard like myself.

[sonti]

have any of you ladies who have stopped breastfeeding not "dried up"... I ask as I quit breastfeeding my daughter 2 years ago now and I'm still lactating a little. I'll leak just a bit, but enought to know that it's happening, every few days. I read that heavy and excessive excercise can keep progesterone levels up mimicing that of pregnancy. I'm just wondering if this is something that is common with others who workout hard like myself.

Oh wow!!! Well, for me it took a few month, but not years! Interesting...

[Sami76]

have any of you ladies who have stopped breastfeeding not "dried up"... I ask as I quit breastfeeding my daughter 2 years ago now and I'm still lactating a little. I'll leak just a bit, but enought to know that it's happening, every few days. I read that heavy and excessive excercise can keep progesterone levels up mimicing that of pregnancy. I'm just wondering if this is something that is common with others who workout hard like myself.

With my first kid, I lactated for nearly 3 years afterward. The most annoying thing was still feeling that "let-down" sensation. Very annoying! I'm bf'ing my second kid and really hope it doesn't take that long to dry up again. I am also really into exercising...never thought of that as being the problem. But if it helps speed up the "drying up" process, then I may have to cut out exercising when it's time to wean.

[karoline8]

It's good to know that I'm not the only one who has had this issue, not that it's a huge deal just feels a bit weird at times Thank you.