How can I lose weight while nursing?

Sara - posted on 12/30/2009

Get a sling, and go do. Little folks are pretty amenable to being slung and walking, moving... not so much heavy bouncing, but a good brisk walk puts them to sleep. And keeps you in shape, as well. :D

Megan - posted on 12/30/2009

I used the Cinch weight management plan to shed my baby weight. It was the perfect solution to my weight issues. If knowing more is of interest to you do me a favor and e-mail me at megan_richert@yahoo.com.

Jane - posted on 12/20/2009

you don't need to worry about baby fat now - or ever. you're a mom, you're perfect the way you are. she's only two months old. let things fall into place and don't hurry things along.

eat lots and lots and drink plenty of water. healthy food, not junk food. you need to EAT MORE while nursing than when you were pregnant. it will even ou t and you will have a healthy baby.

Stephanie - posted on 12/19/2009

After I gave birth I walked everyday. I found that helped and that I didn't have to eat as much as when I had worked out. It will take some time, but it works. Right now to keep the baby weight off in the winter months I do Yoga, and put on some music and just dance. No one is around (Thank God!) but my daughter like's it to. She listens to the music and sometime's even dances herself. Give it a try and do it everyday or else it won't work as well if at all.

Rebekah - posted on 12/19/2009

Are you on a birth control pill too? When I quit taking that darn mini-pill after my son was born my weight finally fell off. I continued to nurse without the birth control and finally made it into my old pants... THEN I got pregnant again (oops).

Deepti - posted on 12/19/2009

First, stop obsessing about the baby-weight. It will come out on its own. But all u have to do is - Cut the crap and Gorge the good! Oh and yes, workout atleast 20-30 min daily. That should help. Drink lots of water!!

Christina - posted on 12/19/2009

Quoting brittany:

I'm still breastfeeding my 14mos old daughter and I haven't lost a pound (beyond the inital 15lbs you lose after birth). Nothing works, not walking, not eating well, nada. My doctor even checked my thyroid. I know this is kind of a debbie downer response, I'm just letting you know that if all else fails, I'll commiserate with you.

My sister didn't lose any weight until she quit breastfeeding. Not saying you should quit but that you might be one of those people who doesn't lose the weight until after you stop bf.

Zirah - posted on 12/18/2009

You should NOT attempt to lose weight while nursing. You need to consume those extra 300-500 calories because you automatically butn this much more a day while nursing. What happens if you do not consume the extra 300-500 or worse yet go on a lower caloric intake while nursing? Well, you are not giving your baby the nutrients it needs. Please do not attempt this losing weight thing until after nursing. Of course eat right and exercise but do not LOSE weight..there is a reason why you cannot find this information on the internet,,,because you are not supposed to do it!
In order to get more information you can go through the link: http://besthealthcare.blog.com

Katie - posted on 12/18/2009

Eat fat! I know, sounds crazy hey? Well, do NOT cut all fat out of your diet! You need to keep up your fat intake. This is extremely important since you're producing food for your baby. And your baby needs all that fat she(?) can get. The trick is, make sure that the fat you eat is good fat. Things like high fat yogurt (Liberte has some extremely tasty 8% yogurt! mmm), avocado, nuts, etc. Good fats help flush out the bad ones in your body and if you are eating good fats regularly, it lets your body know that it doesn't need to store fat. Pure coconut oil is another good one. A spoonful a day can be really good for you. It also helps boost your immunity.
And of course as others have mentioned, drink LOTS of water. And make sure to stay active too. Put your baby in a carrier and go for a walk. I never went to the gym to get back to my old size. But I did do a lot of walking.
Just keep in mind that it took you 9 months to put it on so expect it to take that long to come off. Some women lose it faster, and others take longer than that. When my doctor said, "9 months to put it on, 9 months to take it off." to me, I was pretty bummed. I didn't want to wait that long. It took me almost exactly 9 months though. And you know what? The time flew by! And I appreciate my body (even though there are a few stretch marks and a little extra skin here and there) more than ever! You'll get there:)

Tanya - posted on 12/18/2009

the breastfeeding itself made me lose weight..FAST. I went back down to normal size about a month or so after having all 4 of mine

Tabitha - posted on 12/18/2009

Don't cut back on your food intake, change it. Eat healthy foods and lots of protein. Only drink water and skim milk. Intake NO sugar! Don't snack on junk, try carrots, that is what I used to munch when i was craving food. Also try to get some cardio in your day. Try exercising with your kids, I don't know their ages, but mine are 2 so we do jumping jacks, stretching and bike peddling *lol* anything to get your blood flowing. Good luck

Nikki - posted on 12/18/2009

It just seemed like the more I nursed- the more weight I'd lose. If you are nursing full time, you burn about 500 extra calories a day-by doing nothing but snuggling with your new baby. Just eat HEALTHY and nurse a lot and you should drop the pounds with little effort.

Brittany - posted on 12/17/2009

I'm still breastfeeding my 14mos old daughter and I haven't lost a pound (beyond the inital 15lbs you lose after birth). Nothing works, not walking, not eating well, nada. My doctor even checked my thyroid. I know this is kind of a debbie downer response, I'm just letting you know that if all else fails, I'll commiserate with you.

ASHLEY - posted on 12/17/2009

Quoting Sarah:

Change what you are eating :) Oatmeal is a low fat, healthy thing to eat, PLUS it is known to help build your milk supply. There are also teas at the health food stores to help with lactation as well. I am sure they would help you find one.
Another thing is to do what most others have said and drink lots of water. This will make you feel fuller, the calories are non existant, and it also helps milk supply.
And one other thing is to excersize with your baby. Babies find this fascinating, and it's good for you. I have a 6 month old, and I lay him on the floor, near my face and do push ups over him. He finds it hilarious (and it probably is!). Lay on your back with your knees up and do crunches with baby sitting on your tummy. My son loves this too. I also do "weight lifting" with him. He loves this one as well.
The more you do with him now, he will learn to do it as he grows and learn that it is important :) Good luck!

I never knew that about the oatmeal. Kinda funny I eat that everyday for breakfast good to know it boosts supply :)

Dani - posted on 12/17/2009

ditto on the water. Weight loss when breastfeeding should be careful and slow. Do regular walking, swimming, pilates or yoga. Don't expect too much too soon, it is reasonable to take up to a year to get your pre-baby bod back.

note to April: please consider your baby's health too, don't switch to formula just to get back into your old jeans quicker. With good water intake, mild exercise and a healthy balanced diet (and the odd treat, of course) it will come off, really, it will. Keep at it! :)

Sara - posted on 12/17/2009

Weight Watcher has a breastfeeding track. They allow extra points to account for the extra 500 calories you burn breastfeeding. I used it with my first child and lost all the weight by the time he was one, it wasn't fast, but it did happen. You do have to be careful and make sure to follow the advice of those above and monitor your milk supply and if you start producing less, then you need more calories. Don't worry, you'll lose it!

Stefie - posted on 12/17/2009

Try to keep to a natural diet (lots of veggies, fruits, yogurt, whole grains, lean meats and lots of fish). I eat a lot of food, but don't gain much weight even though I am expecting now and am trying too. The reason is that natural foods with out added fats and sugars are low in calories and use a lot of calories to digest. Fish is awesome for babies because omega fatty acid helps baby's brain develop.
So eat and eat, but be careful what you eat.
Also, feel free to dance for your little girl, it helps her develop a love of music and helps get rid of pounds. You can just dance when you cook, and don't worry about anything as far as moves and so on, just move and get your heart rate up.
Also, you can lift weights or do squats, push ups, sit ups, ect for your little one. You counting will help her develop math skills. Now that my little one is older I do weights and squats while she takes her bath. She counts with me up to 20.

Jennifer - posted on 12/17/2009

Hi Mandy!

Just give it time, and it will come off! I have been breastfeeding my daughter and she will be a year in a couple of weeks. Drink plenty of water, take walks with your baby and eat healthy and it will come off. Good luck and keep smiling!

Jennifer
http://internetceomoms.com/mommys4

Sarah - posted on 12/17/2009

Change what you are eating :) Oatmeal is a low fat, healthy thing to eat, PLUS it is known to help build your milk supply. There are also teas at the health food stores to help with lactation as well. I am sure they would help you find one.
Another thing is to do what most others have said and drink lots of water. This will make you feel fuller, the calories are non existant, and it also helps milk supply.
And one other thing is to excersize with your baby. Babies find this fascinating, and it's good for you. I have a 6 month old, and I lay him on the floor, near my face and do push ups over him. He finds it hilarious (and it probably is!). Lay on your back with your knees up and do crunches with baby sitting on your tummy. My son loves this too. I also do "weight lifting" with him. He loves this one as well.
The more you do with him now, he will learn to do it as he grows and learn that it is important :) Good luck!

April - posted on 12/17/2009

hmm....i know what your going through. I havnt lost a pound and my lil one is 2 1/2 months. Im considering formula if i cant find a solution pronto

Tyiesha - posted on 12/17/2009

i personally didn't nurse but most mothers i know that did said nursing it self helped them to lose weight.

Erika - posted on 12/17/2009

Hi Mandy,
I completely understand how you feel. I'm going through the same thing. Here is what I think has helped me. I drink a lot of water and have cut back of sugars. I used to eat a lot of sweets, but I can't do that anymore. I also used to go for walks with my kids about 3-4 times a week, but it's too cold to do that right now.

Hope this helps a bit!

Erika
http://www.4MyFamilyandMe.com

Krista - posted on 12/17/2009

Don't cut back on food, just cut the crap out and start doing exercises. Drink LOTS of water while working out because dehydration is the leading cause of milk drying up.