Any nursing moms trying to lose weight?

iVillage Member
Registered: 11-03-2003
Any nursing moms trying to lose weight?
7
Sun, 07-23-2006 - 1:30pm
I was thinking on going on the PhaseII of the diet as of tomorrow. I thought it'd be great to meet other nursing moms (if there are any) and chat about the diet, see how things go along the way, share experiences, etc. I'm 2,5 weeks post-partum and have 20 lbs (that's the max) or 15 (min) to lose.
iVillage Member
Registered: 07-15-2006
Sun, 07-23-2006 - 1:58pm
Congrats on nursing your baby!! I love to hear that. I'm not nursing anymore. My son weaned when he was 14 months old. he is 26months now. Nursing is almost a diet by itself. It made my weight just about fall off! I started gaining once he weaned.
i was working full time and nursing/pumping on my lunches. Plus we used cloth diapers. It was a tough year but I wouldn't change anything for the world.
I'm sure you know what I mean.
good luck!
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-21-2003
Tue, 07-25-2006 - 1:16pm

I'm here and nursing my 9 month old in the evenings (and all night long…). ;o) I have stopped pumping at work so he gets formula while in day care. I have a lot more to lose than you though (and a lot more than most on the board) with 100lbs + of excess weight. SB just works for me and I think that it can work for nursing mothers really well because it is all about eating whole and healthy foods.

Lets see, since I am nursing I try to drink a lot of milk (though I am out of milk right now so I didn’t have any yesterday!) and I while I watch my fat intake and stick to good fats I’m sure I go over on my portions at times. My mom was put on a medically necessitated low-fat diet while she was nursing my little sister and my sister got really skinny really quick. I figure if I am losing weight at a safe rate then a little extra fat (the good kind) is okay.

Also, I have found that it is important to make sure you eat when you are hungry. Like during pregnancy, a ravenous hunger can over take you quickly when you are nursing and that can make for some bad food choices if you don’t have anything healthy on hand.

I have to say I was quite scared of going straight into Phase 2 without Phase 1 to get rid of my cravings. I did SBD before and had some success before getting pregnant. I was afraid I would fail going straight into Phase 2. I have to say that I have been going strong for over 5 weeks now and it has been great. I think my motivation to lose the weight has been keeping my cravings at bay more than anything else. There are those days though that I really have to work hard at not giving in to temptation and I think that is where us nursing moms have to be careful.

Good luck to you! I can’t wait to hear about all your successes!! :o)






iVillage Member
Registered: 01-14-2004
Wed, 07-26-2006 - 11:12pm

Hi,
I started SBD with my husband about 6 weeks ago. He did a strict phase 1 (I didn't, as a nursing mom) -- I felt great. But then we took a little trip to visit family, had a series of non-dieting houseguests (for a total of 2 weeks worth of visiting time), and I'm TOTALLY off the diet...I don't feel as good as I did, and I find myself snacking on M&M's... and the easiest way to avoid this (don't have them in the house) doesn't work because they are the potty-training treat of choice for our 2.5 y.o. who gets about 10/day based on potty success.

So, I'm back to being strict with myself starting tomorrow. I'll be two days "behind" you, but I'd love to chat for moral support. I'm 3 mos. post-partum, nursing exclusively, and while I can fit into "normal" clothes now, they're a size bigger than I used to wear. I have 10 lbs to lose to hit pre-preg weight (I'd lost about 4, then gained them back), but 15 to lose in my ideal universe.

let's cheer each other on,
Andrea
(feel free to email me through my profile)

iVillage Member
Registered: 04-01-2004
Thu, 07-27-2006 - 7:50am

Andrea,


Welcome back!

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iVillage Member
Registered: 01-14-2004
Thu, 07-27-2006 - 7:40pm

Thanks, Cathy! Although the scale only says 1.5 lbs lighter than 6 wks ago, I've lost enough inches to get back into my one-size-bigger summer shorts and pants, so at least I'm not limited to stretch pants anymore -- and the early-months maternity stuff is definitely too big now. So, that's some progress. And after just one day of truly healthy eating, I do feel better (no sleepy slump today despite a very wakeful childcare night last night...) Here's hoping I stick with it better this time!

Andrea

iVillage Member
Registered: 01-14-2004
Thu, 07-27-2006 - 7:45pm

I also wanted to add that you should take all your measurements now. With my first child, I didn't lose the last 5 pg. pounds till I weaned, but my body slowly reshaped to the point where I could wear most of my old clothes again even with the extra 5 lbs (fitted shirts were the main exception, for obvious reasons). Everyone reacts differently to nursing, but you may feel more encouraged by tracking lost inches than lost pounds...

Andrea

iVillage Member
Registered: 12-19-2002
Fri, 07-28-2006 - 12:21pm

"Although the scale only says 1.5 lbs lighter than 6 wks ago, I've lost enough inches to get back into my one-size-bigger summer shorts and pants"


Congrats!