LC and Breast feeding

[Kristy G]

:help:
Hello,
Just wondering if any one out there has any info or experience with lc and breastfeeding?
My baby is 8 mo and is nsg 50% and eating food 50%.
Just concerned about the ketosis stage changing the tast of my milk. I have been on atkins prior to this last pregnancy and had lost 20lbs over a year span of time and had great results, felt better etc. I do not want to end or alter my nsg relation ship with my daugter ( I breastfed 2 others for 16mo and 10mo and they stopped on thier own).
I would like to start today help!!

[Lisa N]

Hi Kristy!

Dr. Atkins does not recommend following low carb at weight loss levels while you're breast feeding. He does say that you can follow it at maintainance levels until you're through breastfeeding, then go to induction levels when you're ready. I don't think it's because ketosis is harmful to your baby or will change the taste of the milk (although many foods can do that, not just low carb ones), but because caloric needs are increased for you when you breast feed and it wouldn't be healthy for you to put more demands on your body at this time than it already has.

[Kristy G]

Thanks Lisa
Darn... just wanting to get into those "skinny"cloths too soon! I guess I have to get rid of my all or nothing attitude of LC-ing. I dont remember how many carbs I was taking in when I was in the induction stage, having trouble remembering what I did yesterday! Any suggestions?

[agonycat]

Kristy,

You only need to post a message once in a single forum. We try to keep all replies to the same question in a single thread for ease of finding answers later.

I have removed your other posts.

Thanks
Janet

[Lisa N]

Kristy...

Maintainance levels differ from person to person, but you could start at between 50 and 60 grams of carb coming from veggies, low glycemic fruits (berries, melons, peaches aren't even too bad), and maybe some small servings of whole grains or brown rice along with adequate amounts of proteins and fats and see how it goes. Since you're breastfeeding, I'd recommend trying to keep your calorie intake at 1,800 or even a bit higher. If I remember correctly (it's been a few years since I had a nursing child), your calorie requirements while breastfeeding are about 500 more than normal.
I know how it is to want to shed that pregnancy weight as quickly as you can (goodness, mine are 7 and 8 and I'm only now getting down to where I was before I got pregnant with my last one!), but honestly the demands of being a new mom should be your first priority right now. Eat healthy for what your body needs now and worry about shedding those twenty pounds when you stop breastfeeding.

[MamaSara6]

Hi Kristy! :wave:

I just found this forum and was wondering the same thing. I'd like to hear the experiences of other nursing moms. My baby is 8 mos. old too and not eating very many solids.

I did Induction the first 2 weeks of August and was in some serious ketosis. I wasn't aware of my milk supply dropping drastically, but it may have dwindled some. I wasn't as strict as Atkins says to be: I didn't count cheese or eggs or anything like that. I just kept to the 2-3 cups of veggies rule. I think I lost about 5 lbs. then, but I don't have a scale anymore.

I'm now down to my pre-pregnancy weight which is near miraculous for me. :D With 6 babies, I never managed to lose the last 10 lbs. gained during each pregnancy. So I finally have hope that I'll lose all my weight, but I just can't wait until this baby is weaned since I plan to nurse for at least 2 years and I'm tired of being "a big woman!"

I have plenty of energy while low-carbing and I switched to Atkins from Somersizing because I wasn't losing anything. Personally, I think it is okay to lose weight while breastfeeding because being fat is stressful for your body too. The important thing is to eat real food, take your vitamins, and not lose too quickly. Just keep an eye on your milk supply!

[Kristy G]

Thanks
I will do the 50-60 gm of carbs and see what happens. Got to go to the store get some vegies!
Congratulations Sara on your pre prego weight! :wiggle: Cant believe you have 6 Kids!!! :eek: 3 is my limit and i question my sanity most of the time.
I am going to the Mainland (colorado) at the end of Oct and all of my winter cloths are way toooo small and I dont have the $ or the need (live in HI) to buy new ones. Good insentive to shed a few, I havent even tried up until this point.

take care

[shaquest]

Hi guys,

Intesting stuff in here.

My son is also 9 months and fedd on solids 2 times a day, fruits once a day and formula the rest of the dayand i only breast feed at night ( 3-5 feeds throughout the night) I plan to breast feed till he stops on his own.

I've been on induction for the past 6 days (with a few major cheats here and there :D and after day 4 i noticed that he was fussy and there was a change in his stool- do you think this could be because of the low carb diet?

I thought so and also took the advice of Suze- one of the nice ladies on the forum - she told me to ignore induction and jump over to maintenance so as not to deny my baby - so that's what i'm trying right now- hope it works cos I really want to whed the pounds but don't want to stress out my fantaststic fun loving boy.


talk to yo guys soon :wave:

[ben&oli]

Hey Shaquest and everyone else,

I, too, am breastfeeding and wanting to eat low-carb. My nursling is only 4 months and only nursing, so I'm nervous about milk supply and losing too fast, etc. I've been trying to stick within the maintenance levels, but I feel frustrated to not have started with the all or nothing Induction levels. I haven't stopped the cravings for sweets and seen the rapid results that come with Induction. I guess I'd just like to hear that I CAN lose weight starting at Maintenance levels without being in ketosis.

Also, with the 50-60 grams of carbs allowed in ketosis, should those only come from fats and proteins or are whole grains, starchy veggies, etc. okay? I'm trying to avoid all refined sugars and white flours. It's harder than the straightforward Induction diet for a newbie, I think!

Thanks for input.

Jami

[JennyK]

Hi Ben&Oli and everyone else. Yes, that is what I was afraid of. I too have been toying with the idea of going low carb. My son is eight months old and still primarily nursing. I read on the boards that it was safe to start with Maintainance levels of carbs, but figured it would be really hard to do without going into ketosis and not having cravings. So, now I just feel stuck. I really want to lose this weight. I'm still about 15 lbs. over my prepregnancy weight and want to lose even more. I've been trying to just cut out breads and potatoes and sugars, but am really struggling. :confused: So, my question is, what would happen if I did just go on Induction and still nurse? Would there be any harmful effects to either me or my baby. I plan to take vitamins, etc. Any info. out there?? Thanks, Jenny

[Kristy G]

hello all,

[ben&oli]

Hey Jenny!

You are struggling with the exact same things that I am! My nursling is only 4 months though and I have a bit more to lose than you. I've been trying to avoid sugars and starches, etc., but am struggling with cravings and can't help but wonder if it wouldn't be better to do the all or nothing way of Induction. But I worry too much for my milk supply and ketones passed through the body. I asked about carb cravings and ketosis starting with Maintenance elsewhere and someone said that they will go away by eating 50-60 g of carbs, it will just take longer for your body to switch over to burning fat. I'm thinking I may just go with Induction and drink lots and lots of water to make sure any toxins are washed out or very diluted if they enter the milk, I take a prenatal vitamin and B Complex vitamin already. And then watch my milk and my babes reaction VERY closely. I have been having trouble keeping to my low carbs when I haven't seen the great initial results of Induction (quick first few pounds lost, more energy, cravings gone). I'd love to hear if you know anything else. My sister once did Induction with a nursling and didn't have problems with supply and her baby didn't seem to think the milk was different. You'd really have to watch your calories too though, it's easy to eat less total this way because you feel more full on proteins and fats. What do you think? Should we give it a go?

Jami (ben&oli) :wave:

[Kristy G]

hello all,
Oops, pressed the wrong button and sent reply with no message in it!
Well, it has been 10 days and I have attempted the 50-60 carb reccomendation and it has been sooo hard. I have gone from really good days to forget it, and give me those girdelli choc. brownies!
I just finished weighing my self and was surprised to see that I have lost 4 lbs. I have not noticed any changes with nursing, my 8m/o Sophia is still nsg at least 5-6x/ day and eating ground up table food about 4-5x/a day.
I find it more difficlult starting on the maint. diet as you need more restraint in choosing your carbs and I have some big time sugar cravings.

The good news is that I really havent been that "good" on the maint. diet and have lost lbs. This is working and it is incouraging enough that I dont want to risk decreasing nutrients to my baby and myself by starting the induction.

[MamaSara6]

Hi guys!

I wouldn't do a strict induction with a baby who is getting breastmilk for his primary nourishment. I did it for 2 weeks with my 6 month old and she was perfectly miserable. :( She didn't seem to dislike the taste of the "ketomilk" but she was so unhappy and hungry that I feel really bad for what I did. I was enjoying induction; it was the best I had ever done on a diet and my cravings were gone and I was energetic, and I was blind to what it was doing to my baby. Once I started adding carbs again after the two weeks she was so much happier! And I couldn't stop adding carbs because I was soooo bored at the end of the two weeks! I didn't add them back slowly!

After two months of trying to be really strict I only lost about 5 lbs. It just wasn't worth it. It was not a balanced diet and I wasn't losing enough. Now I've got The Schwarzbein Principle II and I've decided to switch over to her plan again. It makes the most sense to me and my baby loves it. I'm trying to resign myself to the fact that it will take a while to get back to my old thin self!

But hearing that you're losing on 50-60 g, Kristy is encouraging. Duh! :o I was thinking that I might try that, but my carbs on Schwarzbein add up to the same thing! 15g per meal (45) plus 2 7.5 g snacks is 60 g. Well that gives me more hope! :roll:

Sometimes I wish I had a scale again, but it's better this way in the long run!

[ben&oli]

Thanks Sara for sharing your experience with Induction and nursing. I think I'll keep on the Maintenance levels after all. It is frustrating to not get the quick results at first, but I don't want to hurt my baby or make her think mom's milk tastes yucky! I'll just wait a while and keep counting carbs.

Thank you too Kristy! I'm so glad to hear that this WOL produces results, even when they're initially slower.

Jami

[JennyK]

Hi all, I just got on the computer this morning and was all set to say "I'm goin' for it!" until I read your response, MamaSara6. Thank you! I guess around 50g is the way to go for now. Losing 4 lbs. is great, KristyG! Let's all keep each other posted on our results. Yes? Good luck! Oh yes, one question, are you all limiting types of carbs in addition to the amounts? I know that we'll automatically limit sweets and breads, but are you limiting fruits, nuts, etc.? Jenny

[ben&oli]

I'm with you Jenny! And it would be nice to hear how other BFing moms are doing. Since the weight may come off slowly while we nurse. I'm steering away from fruits for the most part, a little sweet may be hard for me to put down! But not nuts and cheeses. I've also used a little milk and sour cream in my omelets. But I'm avoiding Bread, Pasta and Sugars. Still trying to decide about Sweet Potatoes. What do you think? Too Starchy as a veggie? What about beans? We eat a lot of bean dishes in this house.

Also, what are you doing for exercise? While pushing a big old double stroller is quite a workout, I feel like I need to start doing something more. Especially crunches for that post-baby tummy!

Talk to you later and good luck. :thup:

Jami

[Kristy G]

Oh, its so fun to log on and find replys to past messages!

I have been choosing my carbs from these foods: tomatoes, homemade whole wheat bread, occasional fruit (apples, blueberries, pears) and milk.

I dont limit eggs, cheese, nuts, meats and all other vegies.

I need to drink more water, just seems so hard to keep it full and available.

I went to Jazzersize on monday and am thinking this is a great work out to add into my daily routine.

Has anyone used the carb counter on this sight, it has occured to me that I have not been as accurate in counting as I could be.

tootle-loo!

[JennyK]

Hi Jami and Kristy! I'm so excited about our little "group" we've started! Now I don't feel quite as alone in my journey. I haven't looked up the count for sweet potatoes, but I'd guess they're pretty high - starchy and sweet! (I love 'em too. :) ) I intend to begin actually counting carb grams (on Monday, haha) because I think by eating a higher amount it will be awfully easy to go overboard. I'm thinking of sticking to nuts, cheese, fruits and veggies and cutting all breads, potatoes and sweets. It'll be good practice for when Chris is weaned and I'm able to go on induction.
My plan is to begin walking every morning with the stroller and start some weight training to build muscle. I've been pretty lazy lately. Hubby and I have done Body for Life in the past, and even though we only lasted 8 weeks, I'd never looked better. We intend to get back to serious workouts soon. I think it will go much better with a low carb diet rather than the low fat diet on the BFL plan.
Good luck to you both, can't wait to hear more from you. :baby: Isn't this just the cutest little guy you ever saw??
Jenny

[JennyK]

well gals... i tried the carb counter for sweet potatoes and only got results for babyfood! Bizarre. What am I doing wrong?

[MamaSara6]

Hi girls! It is nice to have a little group going here! :wave:

I guess I'm trying to do a Somersize/Schwarzbein combo plan. I still plan to stay away from certain foods Suzanne calls "funky" like bananas, potatoes and other high glycemic foods. I think they are still triggers for my cravings. TSP has lists of foods in 15g serving sizes, so that is very handy for knowing how much I can eat of something at a meal.

Jenny, glad you're going to do the maintenance plan. Dr. S. says Ketosis is never a good thing, but I don't really understand why 2 drs. can contradict each other so much!

For exercise, I do a FIRM video on M, W, F. I just started these a couple of months ago and they are incredible. Very hard workouts. I'm seeing results that I never saw before. Dh did one with me once and thought it was going to be an easy day for him! :D I also do a cardio workout on T, R, and maybe one weekend day if my "coach" insists.

[ben&oli]

Good morning ladies!

Sara, Thanks for mentioning some of the differences beween low carb plans. I think I'll get my hands on a couple and read up. So far I've only read Atkins.

Can we maybe mention the age of our nurslings again and if we have any other kiddos?

I'm Jami (26) and have Bennett (18 mo) and Olivia (4 mo) (they're close, I know!), so most of my exercise is chasing a VERY active toddler. :daze:

Seriously though, we take walks pretty frequently and pushing a double stroller is no easy feat. But I need to get started on a more serious workout, especially toning. I have a Denise Austin video, just need to get my cozy self out of that bed in the morning before kids are up.

Jenny, I did find a counter that included Sweet Potatoes, I believe they're around 28 g per serving, too high most likely.

I think I'll do some gardening today, that should burn some carbs!

Jami

[JennyK]

Good morning nursing moms!

Yes, again, thank you, Sara. I've read Schwarzbein but it was a couple of years ago. Ketosis is never a good thing? Hmmm.. that is contradictory info. Have never read Somersize. Doesn't she say you can eat carbs as long as you don't mix them with protein? Looks like I need to visit the library again soon!

Have any of you read How I gave Up My Low Fat Diet and Lost Forty Pounds! by Dana Carpender? I just did, and it's really good. She summarizes several types of low carb diets and does a really good job of explaining the science behind low carb theory without getting to "medical".

Oh yeah... Jami, I'm Jenny (26) married to Bobby for 3 years and we have one boy, Chris (8 months). Chris just started crawling, so my life just got a little bit crazier! It's fun, though. Sara, did you say you have SIX kids?! I'm in awe! :cool:

You're both doing so great workout-wise. I really need to get off my rear and start something. If you both can find the time then surely I can too!

Have a great weekend! Jenny

[ben&oli]

I'm just so irritated with myself! Tonight dh and I went out for some frozen custard, even though I know it's not what I should be eating! I just really struggle with giving up those sweet things! And I'm not very good at moderation either. I want a BIG bowl of ice cream, not a 1/2 cup recommended serving size.

Do any of you struggle with stopping the sweets and junk? Can you give me some pointers or help?

I want to not want these things so badly anymore!

Jami

[MamaSara6]

I don't have my nursling in my arms now, so I'll introduce myself quickly! I'm Sara and have, yes, 6 children. It kind of shocks me too when I think of it---it's not something we planned from the beginning. But we kept wanting another one! They are 13, 11, 9, 6, 3 and 8 mos. With a girl at the beginning and at the end! I finally have a built-in babysitter and it is wonderful!

Jenny, I'm from OK originally--Chickasha--and have family there still. My uncle is in OKC. We went to the Cowboy Hall of Fame on our last trip there. Very cool! :cool:

Jami--my family went out for ice cream yesterday and they only had 1 yucky sugar-free flavor so I just sulked. I was such a baby--I felt so left out of the fun. But I usually just get the no-sugar stuff now. Although Dr. S says to stay away from the toxic sugar substitutes because they're toxic and cause carbo cravings. I think she's right, so I try to avoid them altogether. Once you get it out of your system, you won't want it anymore. :)

[ben&oli]

I can't wait till those sweet carby things no longer call my name in such a loud, demanding tone. Like a toddler!

Jami

[shaquest]

Hi Gals,

has the woosh goddess visited any of us lately?? :p

by the way Sara- i'm also in awe though I can relate to you- out here it's no big deal having 6-8 kids! :roll:

Oops- almost forgot the intro- I'm shaquest, live in nairobi, married with an 8 month old son- Mugo- he's crawling and trying to stand up on his own- only problem is once he's up he wants to clap his hands to congratulate himself - :p
and just tumbles down :D

Messed up today- I forgot that coarrots are the worst veggies onLC- ate a cupfull before I checked fitday and almost screamed my head off. :eek:

I'll talk to you all tommorow.

:wave:

when life gives you a lemon, make lemonade!
shaquest

[shaquest]

Jami,

looks like the sweets and bread are also calling out to me- atually shouting ;)


hahaha- have to put on earplugs! :rolleyes:

:wave:

when life gives you a lemon, make lemonade!

shaquest

[JennyK]

Me too! I want a Krispy Kreme donut soooo bad! :p I'm ignoring it though. Good luck gals! Jenny

[MamaSara6]

Just thought I would pop in and say hi! How's it going with everyone? I don't think I'm losing anything these days--I don't even feel like I'm on a diet the way I'm eating. But that could be because I have trouble measuring and keeping a strict eye on my carbs. That's why something like Ssing is easier, because I just leave them out!

I've been on for a while, so I have to go wake up my sleepy children and start our homeschool day. Everyone is sleeping in on this chilly dark a.m.

[ben&oli]

Sorry its been a few days here since I dropped by! Hope you all are doing wonderfully with nursing and eating right.

Sara, I read Sommers latest book and thought there were some good things to consider as far as insulin goes. And her recipes look fabulous! She mentions fat-free cottage cheese as okay with the carb meals, but doesn't mention whole fat cottage cheese anywhere, is it a "funky food" do you think? It's high in protein and fat, but the carbs are pretty low. Still they're there, but it's such a GREAT source of protein and easy to get. I also read Protein Power and calculated my BF % :eek: and it gave me some more ideas about eating LC. I've ALSO read Body-for-Life and am going to start some resistence training tomorrow, but not eat low-fat with carbs, like BFL suggests.

Jenny, have you started BFL? How's it going? What did you decide for eating plans?

My scale looks the same. :mad: But my pants feel looser :) AND my husband agreed to pursuing lasik surgery for my eyes when I reach my goal!

Talk to you later.

Sara, I also saw above that you're homeschooling your little ones. How wonderful! Mine are only 18 mo and 4 mo, but we're planning to teach them at home when we're at that age. I can hardly wait for them to get older to start some days!

Have a wonderful rest of the weekend.

Jami

[JennyK]

Hi ladies! Hope everyone had a great weekend. It was rainy most of the time here -- and I loved it. Those rainy, chilly days make me feel so cozy.

Jami, Yep, we started BFL this week and hoo wee am I sore!! But, it's a good sore, you know? I feel stronger already, (and Bobby said he already thought I looked a bit smaller! :D ) As far as the eating goes, I'm following the book, but I'm trying to choose really unprocessed and low glycemic carbs over bread and such. I figured that with breastfeeding and weight lifting that the carbs wouldn't be too much. I do intend to give up sugar, though. After reading Atkins I KNOW that I'm addicted.

By the way, there's a neat website - radiantrecovery.com that focuses on sugar addiction. They do allow carbs, but some of the principles are interesting.

We're also thinking of homeschooling!! I'd love to hear how you like it, Sara.

Have a successful week, Jenny

[MamaSara6]

I had an interesting morning on Saturday. I woke up and felt "thin." You know that feeling where you just feel like you must have lost weight, though you can't see it? And I don't have a scale, so I can't be sure---but hey! it probably would have said something like, "No, Sara, you gained 2 lbs. overnight!" :rolleyes: But the weird part is that I felt dizzy for a while--until I had my balanced breakfast of eggs and oatmeal w/ cream and butter. Is the dizziness from needing carbs? I don't like the dizziness much, but the thin feeling is great. That, however, is gone now as I made muffins last night to go with chili and ate 3-4 (lost track) :thdown: They were whole wheat, but, oh well.

On the homeschooling side--we've been hs for 8 years now. Since my dd started 1st grade. I have an 8th, 6th, 4th and 1st grader. Hsing is very cool; lots of advantages, but can be extremely difficult at times. I'm totally overworked, but I guess any working mom can say that. Teaching is literally my job from 8-2. Sometimes I have to "work" after school too. But it has soooo many blessings too!

[Aussie Jo]

Hi all,

I have a baby who will be 4 weeks old in a couple of days and I started back into Atkins when she was about a week and a half old. I am currently in Ketosis and am exhibiting moderate Ketone loss. I managed to meet my goal weight previously and held it there successfully for over a year before I fell pregnant, and have great faith in the Low Carb way of life, although I have to confess that I "lost the plot" in the last couple of months of pregnancy ( I should update my profile to reflect my new increased weight status). So when my daugher was born (8th Oct) I decided to give myself a couple of weeks and then get back into induction.

My baby is happy and healthy and exhibiting good weight gains, I feel good ( I have 2 other children aged 4 and 2 1/2) and I can say that I don't feel that eating at induction levels in anyway affected me. In the first week of induction I lost almost 9 pounds, but in the subsequent week and a half, haven't lost a thing and my clothes certainly aren't any bigger on me. This now has me wondering if the inital weight loss in week 1 of induction was just the usual shedding of weight that one generally gets quickly after birth at work, rather than the Atkins diet.

I am intending to stick with the diet, but despite my keto-stix, I don't feel as confident that it is working this time around. Does anyone know if you have less positive results when you go off the diet for a period and then come back onto it?

[MamaSara6]

Congratulations on the new baby, Joanne! They are soooo wonderful. I guess every baby and Mom is different, but if you go back a couple of pages on this thread and read about my experience w/ induction when my baby was 6 months old. Basically, it totally sabotoged my milk supply and she was miserable.

I think 4 weeks is a little early to be seriously dieting. For the first couple of months I Somersized. I believe it is a much more wholesome, balanced woe than Atkins. I managed to drop 30 lbs. in that 6 weeks. And I had tons of milk! So much that her weight gain was low because she was getting too much low-fat milk and couldn't eat enough to get to the high-fat milk. This is characterized by an extremely fussy baby who wants to nurse all the time and has green stools. It's so bad that you think you have the opposite problem of not enough milk! With Atkins, I really had no milk! :thdown:

Even in my 2 months on Atkins---only 2 wks at induction levels---I only lost about 5lbs. And that was during induction, but I may have added too many carbs because my milk was so low.

Remember, your body is programmed not to lose weight now to protect your baby. It may come off very slowly--that seems to be what we're all experiencing. It can be depressing, but those little smiles are worth it! Happy mothering!

[Aussie Jo]

Hi Sara,

Thanks for the comments... I haven't heard of Somersizing before... obviously I need to try and do some research when I get the chance. I personally am not having problems at all with my milk, although my daughter is 4 weeks old today, she actually looks bigger and is gaining weight without a problem, which makes me think that milk differs between people or I should have been a cow! She is quite happy and content.

I am eating above induction levels and the scales have suddenly moved downwards by a couple of pounds or so in the past couple of days. ( I have to say that I have to think about reporting pounds as I am to used too kilograms!) So am feeling better again.

If anything I have to say that I have discovered a decadent treat which is low carb and would make most people shudder... if anything it is probably the sort of thing you would associate with a pregnant woman's cravings... I have a cream charger in which I always add some Splenda & Vanilla Essence, and I have been eating this like ice cream in a bowl drizzled with the smallest amount of diet caramel topping. Very addictive!

Thanks for the comments

Joanne

[MamaSara6]

I'm glad it's working out for you, Jo, and your baby is gaining well. Actually, I'm jealous! I would love to have had a roly-poly baby and lose weight myself! But she is like her brother who is as thin as a rail no matter what she eats!

Now that she is well on solids, I'm going to try to get serious again and stay on some sort of plan. I like Schwarzbein, but I seriously want to see the scale move downward soon---okay, I don't have one of those, I forgot! :D I want my clothes to be too big!

[JennyK]

hi gals! just thought i'd check in... welcome Joanne! i haven't been losing any weight recently, just hovering. we have had a couple of really busy weeks though with company and illness, so i haven't been following anything exactly.

sara, so which plan do you follow? i read Schwarzbein and really like the balanced approach, but you mentioned that you're not losing either. do you think it's because of the nursing? i know our bodies like to hold onto some fat; i'm 5-10 lbs. over prepregnancy weight, and i've heard that's the hardest to lose. But, i was overweight before i became pregnant. so there's more than enough to sustain a baby! :(

i too am a little jealous of you joanne. ;) my son's 8 1/2 months old and is just now to the point where he'll eat solids fairly well. he's skinny - 17-18lbs - and tall. last dr. appt. he was 50th percentile for weight and 95th for height! so i can't afford tohave my supply go down either. you are fortunate!!

well, i'll sign off now. i hope everyone is doing well and giving those babies lots of hugs! :bhug: jenny

[MamaSara6]

Originally posted by JennyK
sara, so which plan do you follow? i read Schwarzbein and really like the balanced approach, but you mentioned that you're not losing either. do you think it's because of the nursing? i know our bodies like to hold onto some fat; i'm 5-10 lbs. over prepregnancy weight, and i've heard that's the hardest to lose. But, i was overweight before i became pregnant. so there's more than enough to sustain a baby! :(
[/B]

Jenny,

I may not be losing because I'm no good at sticking to my carb limits! I did so much better on Atkins because it was easy to eat pro/fat all day with just a salad or two. I'm such an addict that I lose control even if it is something like potato, or nuts, or natural peanut butter. These are great healthy foods, but I can't stop at just a little.

I'm right there with you on the "overweight before pregnancy" thin! :p You'd think our bodies would know that there is plenty to support a baby!

I think my solution to this is to find the time to sit down and plan some meals for myself using the proper carb limits and see if I can stick to it. I just can't seem to stick with anything for very long. Except Atkins, and I just don't want to do that again. :rolleyes:

[JennyK]

Sara, Boy, do I hear you!! I've tried just "limiting" carbs and even the moderate ones are hard to stay away from. Sorry for another question, but, out of curiosity, why don't you want to do Atkins again?? Thanks in advance, Jenny

-- I was just rereading the thread... can you believe I've lived here 12 years and have never been to the Cowboy HOF?! Shame on me! I'll have to go check it out. :) --

[Aussie Jo]

Hi again everyone,

Thanks for the comments. In Australia, we don't have access to all of the foods that you have in the US and Canada, although yesterday I found someone who has a limited range of the Da Vinci Sugar Free Syrups. I have picked up 6 flavours... Chocolate, Strawberry, Banana, Vanilla, Irish Cream, and butter rum. If I had only found these earlier!

My decaf coffee will never be the same again! Problem is they taste too good that I am now drinking more decaf than I used to ... so I hope that doesn't have any negative impact on my breastmilk.

If anyone has any good recipes using these flavours I would be appreciative... I checked the Da Vinci Site and there seems to be a lot of stuff which needs flavours we don't have here yet. (Might have to work on the proprieter a bit to import some!)

Will report back as I go and let you know how things progress. I still have about 20 lbs to go to get back to pre-pregnancy weight.

Good luck to everyone!

Joanne

[MamaSara6]

Hi there! :wave:

Jenny, I didn't want to do Atkins again because of the breastmilk issue and because I wasn't eating well at all! And I honestly don't know whether Ketosis is bad for you or not! It's so confusing! :confused:

But----I'm going to try it again anyway because it seems to be the only thing that makes me drop any weight and I can't seem to get the carbs under control since Halloween. Love those Snickers Crunch bars! (as if I needed a new favorite candy!) :rolleyes: I'm going to stick with protein and veggies and stay away from the cream, Atkins shakes and bars. I'm just going to eliminate all starches and not count carb grams. This time I'll keep a closer eye on my breastmilk, but I'm not as worried about it since Meggie is 9.5 mos. now and eating pretty well. I'll keep you posted--you and I seem to be in about the same spot and have the same goal.

We seem to have the same skinny baby too! Mine is way tall and only about 18-19 lbs.

Check out that CHOF some Saturday! It's a lot of fun and my mom says it was just redone a couple of years ago so it's good that you waited!

Aussie Jo--I've been dying to find some exciting DaVinci flavors. I've only been able to find Vanilla, Hazelnut, and something else that I forget. I want more exciting flavors! Some people make "snow cones" with them. I want Peanut Butter to flavor my chocolate pie and have a Reeses Peanut Butter cup!

[JennyK]

Hey Ladies! I thought that maybe this thread had "died", but it was still at the top of the parents page, so I'm just checking in. How's everyone doing?

I ended up starting Atkins this Tues. and was fairly strict at it and by Thurs. morning the scales showed a 5lb. loss! I had to pick myself up off the floor! But, that day the withdrawal symptoms hit really hard. That was something - I've read the book and thought I knew what to expect, but it was awful . I was afraid that I was going to faint I was so shaky and dizzy. So I've upped my carbs just a bit, and the weight has stayed off so far. (Well, I'm only four days in, so I guess that's not as miraculous as it sounds. ;) ) I am loving this! My little guy, now nine months old, is eating food really well, so, like Sara, I'm not quite as concerned about the milk production. Although, there doesn't seem to be any problem so far.

So, ladies, where do they sell these DaVinci syrups I've been hearing about, or have I just been living under a rock?? They sound wonderful and I read about them everywhere.

Keep up all the good work and have a great weekend!! :wave:

Jenny

[JennyK]

No wonder our kids are really similar in their statistics... I was being nosy :o and looked at your profile, and we are very much alike in stature and size!! :roll:

Talk to you later! Jenny

[MamaSara6]

I'm in agony over here! I'm soooo confused about what to do with my stupid diet! :confused: I said I was going to start Atkins again, well, I just started on Tuesday also and then took Meg to the Dr. on Thursday for her 9 mon. checkup. She only gained 10 oz. in the past couple of months (I think her last checkup was at 7 months)---which means that she dropped off her weight curve and is in a lower percentile now. :(

I don't know if this is because of my LC diet, or what. It certainly seems that some people don't have problems producing fat babies while they LC, but I do. And I don't think I've even been that LC lately--just staying away from sugar and white flour. I haven't been counting carbs at all.

I weighed myself at the pediatrician and at Linens 'n Things (LOL!)and I appear to have lost a little weight--I'm down to 180 or just below. Ijust don't know where to go next! Should I SP and keep a steady stream of carbs going or Somersize and just have fat-free carbs at breakfast, but enough to fuel me for the day. I'm really scared to do Atkins again if this "weight loss" in the baby is my fault. The pediatrician isn't worried about her yet, but she does think that Atkins is too strict.

Okay, stop whining now! On to DaVinci Syrups. :daze: They are sold with the coffee at the grocery store. Only some stores carry them. Here, they always seem to be inside that special unit that houses the grinder and the coffee beans. You can also order them from www.Davincigourmet.com . They have a zillion flavors, but I haven't ordered any yet. I want some of the ones that don't sound so "coffee-ish." As I said, peanut butter!

Take care.

[JennyK]

Sara, I'm so sorry! I know how frustrating it is when the wee one doesn't gain enough weight. It's a little ironic, isn't it, that we're worrying about not losing weight ouselves, and at the same time, worried about them notgaining weight! :daze: I take mine in for his 9 mo. appointment next Tues. and am hoping he's made it to 18 lbs. Our pediatrician seemed to want him there at 6 mo.!!

I don't really have any advice, per se, is she still nursing well, or is she acting fussy and frustrated when you try to nurse her? I think that if you can hear her "drinking" (that lovely gulping sound) or see milk (those cute dribbly smiles), that would mean your milk is okay. I know I really have to work at drinking enough water - that will affect supply. I don't want this to turn into a rant, but, I believe some babies are just skinny. Period. Nothing's wrong with them. People push the idea af the chubby baby so much, that we mothers are made to feel guilty (like we need more of that) if our baby doesn't fit that mold. Honestly, I'm glad my baby isn't chubby. He's extremely healthy and has tons of energy and eats like a little horse! Phew. Okay, I'm done... I think it's out of my system now. :p

I wish I had some "diet" advice for you. I guess just listen to your body. I do remember in my breastfeeding class that they told us that even mothers who were starving could still breastfeed, because our bodies give all nutrients to the milk first. It's not good for us if we're deficient, but supposedly the baby would still be fine. Anyway, I thought that was interesting. Keep us posted on what you decide and hang in there. :thup: Jenny

[MamaSara6]

Your reply was very nice. I think you're right; some babies are just skinny! You made a lot of good points---you sound just like a La Leche League Leader! I used to be one and everything you said is right on. My concern isn't about having enough milk, but about the quality. Except for the time I was on induction, I haven't had a problem with my supply; she sucks and swallows plenty. I guess I was just wondering if my milk has enough carbs in it even though I'm not eating many myself.?!

You know they are supposed to triple their birthweight by one year! That's not going to happen with this one that weighed 9.1 at birth. I think there were a couple of others that didn't triple, especially my 10.2 lb.---after birth, he was always in the the 5th percentile for weight. I guess I'll just have to chill out. She's a skinny, sickly little thing though. She's almost always got some new virus. But she's active and meeting all her milestones, so I'll try to stop worrying!

:wave:

[ben&oli]

Guys!

I am having the EXACT same struggles you are. The weight doesnt' seem to be budging and I'm having SO much trouble watching carbs having skipped induction and just trying to avoid sugar and starches. I feel like I need the strictness of Atkins, but worry about my milk, etc. etc. Just like you all. WHAT TO DO!?!? My nursling is only 5 1/2 months, so not even eating solids yet. But she's roly-poly and getting lots of milk. No 50th percentile for us. We're at the top of the charts. But my ds was that way too, and around 6-8 months as he started crawling he thinned out. I really think that before the holidays I need to do something radical so the cravings don't destroy me!

Jenny, are you still doing BFL for your workouts? How's that going?

I really think I need to hit Atkins in a serious way. And just get my carbs from lots of veggies, even more than 20 g. And just see what happens...if ketosis is yucky for my babe, I'll just add carbs back in till I"m still losing but out of ketosis, that way at least the cravings will be under control. I hope.

Keep in touch, I love to hear that you guys are wrestling with the same stuff. I would just love to see the under side of 200 before Christmas.

Jami

[JennyK]

Hi gals, Glad to hear from you!

Well, we had our Dr. visit today and just as I'd thought, the baby is still skinny!! 17lb. 8oz. and 30 inches. The Dr. isn't worried, but we do have to go back to weigh in again in a month. She said that for his height he sould weigh 26lbs. HA! He's extremely healthy though, so I'm not concerned. He only weighed 7lb. 6oz. at birth so it's possible for him to triple by a year.

I've been following Atkins for aobut a week now, and am down between 5 and 8 lbs. (it's fluctuated). I'm loving it! I saw a thread on the other site, LowcarbFriends.com for nursing Moms and pretty much all of them said that ketosis isn't a problem with nursing. Most of them have "older" babies, 7 mo.+ and have seen Drs. and Lactation Consultants who said it was okay. I haven't counted carb grams, mostly because I hate to count because then it feels like a "diet". I just have tried to stick to the authorized foods and make sure to eat any time I feel even a bit hungry.

I haven't been working out like I'd like to. I think that while doing Atkins it's harder. The first couple of days I felt really light headed and queasy, (almost like morning sickness :eek: ). I intend to start walking with the stroller at least. I also used to love doing The Firm tapes and might dig mine out. I do believe in weights... life just gets in the way with a hubbie and baby!! ;)

whew, long again! Sorry... Talk to you later, Jenny

[engineergirl]

i looked up this article on la leche league's site:

http://www.lalecheleague.org/FAQ/lowcarb.html

it's actually takes a somewhat positive view of low carbing while breastfeeding, with a few key points.

i was eating low carb (protein power) before i got pregnant, then the only foods i could even contemplate keeping down were high carb, starchy foods. i continued eating carbs freely throughout my pregnancy & post partum (my son is 14 wks old). i'm now thinking about going back to a 'liberal' low carb way of eating, but i think i'll wait until i'm finished bfeeding before i completely eliminate refined carbs.

anyone else find it difficult to think about giving up all those refined carbs again now that you've been freely partaking? i'm loving eating pasta, rice, breads again, & i'm happily baking away.......... i've thought about allowing myself to have one or two high carb days a week, because now i don't really want to give up these things again. still undecided, though.

michelle

[Aster]

Hi, i'm new to the forums here and fairly new to LC'ing, but have been bf'ing my son for 14 1/2 months.

I'm glad i dropped in on this thread. The LLL article was really interesting. Hopefully losing all of this fat isnt causing too many pollutants to dump into my breastmilk. A lot of the other things in the article really made sense though--i havent purposefully tried to go into ketosis because it didnt seem like a very good idea for us.

I'm following the Heller's Healthy for Life plan. It's low carb but nowhere near as low as a lot of the plans out there. Carbs are included at 2 meals/day. I usually do 1/2 c yoghurt and 1/2 piece of fruit at breakfast, then at supper i have a small serving of a whole grain type of carb like barley or whole wheat pasta. Even with eating so many carbs the weight is falling off like crazy. Anyways, this eating plan is well within my comfort levels as a nursing mom--i feel like i'm getting everything that ds needs and everything that i need.

Ds is a bit older than many of the other bf'ing babies on this thread, but many days most of his nutritional intake comes from breastmilk. He bf's frequently throughout the day (and night), and we're in no hurry to wean.

(Ya i know--i'm a freak lol).

[JennyK]

Nice to have you join us, Michelle and Aster! I'm a newbie to the LC scene, but am loving it so far. I dropped 10 lb. really quickly, but kinda fell off the wagon at Thanksgiving. I'm working on getting back on track again.

Michelle, thanks for the article. It was interesting to see LC discussed directly.

Aster, I've totally changed my tune regarding breastfeeding older babies. Before mine came along I though I'd wean him right on "schedule" at 12 mo. But, now that it's quickly approaching, I'm really dreading it - it's such a neat experience. I saw a woman in the airport this weekend nursing her 2 yr. old. Before Children (B.C. ;) ) I would have thought it was a little weird, but now I just thought Cool!!

Hope all are well. Happy Holidays and have a Blessed Christmas! Jenny

[Kristy G]

Hello all,

So happy to see you all still chating out there!

I have been on the mainland for 3 weeks visiting my sister in Colorado and various relatives, so my life has been a bit hectic.

Well, I completely went off while I was visiting and ate every thing in sight! So much fun. I even complained when my sisters kids only went to 4 houses for treats on halloween. I didnt even care if it was 20deg. out there, there was chocolate to be had!!

Ok, let me give you the lo-down on myself and my little family:
33 y/o
Married 8 years
3 kids 2 boys & 1 girl (Gabriel 5, Adrian 3 and my sweet little flower Sophia 10 mo)

Previously lost 20lbs on atk and then I unexpectedly "fell" pregnant (I just love that expression, thanks Aussie jo!)

My Sophia is ALSO a very lean and long baby!! She was 7lbs 4 oz at birth and now She is approx 16.5lbs at 10mo and eats tons of freshly ground baby food that we fatten up with olive oil. She nurses approx. 3 to 5x a day and is very active. She is this wt with me eating freely.
I am not worried as she was continuing to grow in her own nicely rounded curve. One of my other children, Adrian was also the same long and lean and he still is. Not worried, just wish I had the same metabolism.

I have started eating at maint. levels again so I can fit into some of my cloths for upcomming christmas parties. After I lost that 20 lbs, I literally got rid of all my pre atkins cloths! I went crazy rewarding myself with "skinny cloths" and now I am stuck with size 6 cloths!!!!!! :mad: I refuse to buy larger than a 10 and I am squeezing my motherly curves into two pairs of pants. By the way I am sick of these pants!

My hubby is also going on atk, but he is doing the full on induction. Not so sure this is a good idea, we both tend to get a bit crabby without sugar. :D

Oops just realized ive been rambling...
Please excuse the mispelled words, its not a strong point Im lost with out spell check!

Take care

[Kristy G]

It has occoured to me that maybe your little one is sick frequently because she has 5 older siblings "sharing" germs with her. Once my oldest started socializing with other kids we got all sorts of lovely germs that would pass thru our household.

[MamaSara6]

Hi guys! I'm glad to see everyone has returned for a little chat!

EngineerGirl, thanks for posting the LLL link. I had read that already, but it's good for others to see.

Aster, welcome to the club. I'm right there with ya in the "freak" department! My babies nurse for an average of 2 years. Actually, if I really averaged it, it would be closer to 2.5 years. Toddlers love to nurse!

We're just getting over another round of viruses. I agree with you Kristy, that dd is sick all the time because of her siblings, but she'll probably have the strongest immune system of all of them if she survives this first year! ;-)

I'm trying to get back to LC after Thanksgiving. I'm just giving in to little cheats now, not real sugary stuff, but I'm having lots of cravings for carbs.

Gotta run!
Stay in touch!

[Kristy G]

:sunny:
Good morning!:sunny:
:sunny:



Does anyone know what this little black man with the tape measure, located under our member information symbolizes?

Is it the overall achieved % of your total wt loss goal?

What is the easiest way to measure body fat from home?

[doreen T]

Originally posted by Kristy G
Does anyone know what this little black man with the tape measure, located under our member information symbolizes?

Is it the overall achieved % of your total wt loss goal? hi Kristy,

Yes, that's right. When you change your stats in your profile to show your new weight as you go along, the % toward goal will also change. :) Congrats to you on your loss so far.
What is the easiest way to measure body fat from home?There are a number of online body fat % calculators .. with varying degrees of accuracy. Natrushka has posted some that she's found useful, you might have a look at these: Lean & Strong BF % calculator (http://216.97.116.55/calc.html)
RustyIron's BF % calculators (http://www.rustyiron.net/bodyfat.htm) .. includes using calipers, and also gives skinfold technique using your fingers
Linear-software calculators (http://www.linear-software.com/online.html) .. includes calculations with calipers and tape measurehth,

Doreen

[MamaSara6]

Okay girls! Since this thread is so inactive, I can only assume that some of you have fallen off the wagon like me! :o

I'm starting Induction today to repair some of the damage done by Thanksgiving (and the week before, and the weeks since! :rolleyes: ). That gives me 10 days before I go visiting family for Christmas. And being so strict is the only way I think I can survive the next couple of weeks without completely losing control and gaining more weight.

Dh was going to take me shopping for Christmas, but now I don't want to because I'm a little bigger than I was when we made that deal. :( If I do Induction, it could be worthwhile. Any takers?

Later, I'll try to post a couple of recipes that will help me deal with this during cookie season! Looking forward to lots of support here! ;)

[Kristy G]

Sara
Yes, your assumtion is correct for me, my little one started nursing less and spitting up after nursing:Puke:. She didnt do this prior to the low carbing so I thought it was the culprit. Then shortly after that we all got a round of colds that we are all still dealing with. This could have also been the reason, any how I laid off and am just trying to get everyone well with lots of fresh vitamin C foods.

Went to a couple of christmas partys and felt pretty junky after eating carbs so keep that in mind while your sticking to protien and vegie foods.

Maybe your dh could take you out shopping after the new year and you can cash in on all of those after christmas bargans!

Ok here is my mantra when invisioning myself trying on new cloths "nothing tastes as good as skinny feels":cheer:


Keep the faith

[JennyK]

Yes, ladies, I too fell off the lowcarb wagon after Thanksgiving. Sadly, I've been indulging every whim that goes through my head also. I was down to 188, but am now back up to 193. I actually was planning to start induction again tomorrow anyway, but it will be even better knowing I'm not alone! :D

I'm looking forward to those recipes, Sara!

[MamaSara6]

Glad you're joining me, Jenny! You are too, Kristy, aren't you???? Yesterday was a success and I feel so much better already. I've really been noticing lately how yucky I feel after just a little carby, white-flour stuff. Even a handful of pretzels makes me feel gross.

Here is my favorite Mock Coconut Cream Pie recipe. Sorry I don't know who the inventor is!

2C cooked spaghetti squash
1 1/2 c. cream
4 eggs
3 Tble. melted butter, cooled
2 T Sweet Balance (or equivalent sweetner)
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp coconut extract
1/4 tsp baking powder.

Process everything in food processor. Pour into greased pie plate (10") and bake at 350 degrees for 50 min. to 1 hour or until a knife comes out clean. let stand 1 hour. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

I eat this for breakfast with cream over it. Yummy! I'll post some chocolate later! :wave:

[JennyK]

That sounds really interesting! I'll have to try it! Thanks, Sara

[MamaSara6]

This is another favorite. Great for those chocolate cravings!

3 squares unsweetened chocolate, melted and cooled completely
3/4 c butter, softened
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
3 eggs (I use egg beaters since this recipe isn't cooked)
1 cup splenda (or equivalent sweetener)

Cream butter and sweetener until fluffy. Add chocolate and vanilla a mix well. Then add eggs one at a time. Pour into a buttered pie plate and chill.

If you rush it and don't have everything at room temp it turns out lumpy and gross-looking. I also add up to a cup of cream to it sometimes to make it more like mousse. Ymm! :yum:


Yesterday wasn't quite as good as the first day---I had too many nuts and whole milk yogurt. Probably about 60 carbs---but that is still good considering I'm nursing! How do you guys do?

[JennyK]

Hi Sara, Thanks again for what sounds to be a wonderful recipe! I'm a chocoholic, so I'll put the newest one to the test soon!

So far so good with me... I started again Monday, so this is day 2. I've been chowing down on eggs, cheese, bacon, burgers sans bun, pecans, salad and veggies! I don't count grams strictly; I know nuts aren't legal yet, but I justify them with the nursing. I ate this way last time and 10 lbs. fell off. It still amazes me that this is a diet. My Mom saw me after I'd done induction for 2 weeks and was very impressed. Well, I'm happy to say that she's not even through 2 weeks yet, and is down 9 lbs.!! :D

Anyone else joining us?? Keep us posted on your progress!

Everyone have a very Merry Christmas and a Joyful New Year! :wave: Jenny

[MamaSara6]

Well, I blew it yesterday. Baked 12 dozen cookies for a cookie exchange today and I couldn't stay out of them. :thdown:

I'm so mad at myself! They tasted kind of like sawdust to me! And I ate them anyway---compulsively! It's sick, really. A real addiction. Dh just doesn't understand why I would eat something that doesn't taste good.

I should get off the computer and go make my chocolate pie because the cravings are going to be terrible today!

Stay strong! It's not worth it!

[JennyK]

I did the same thing. I'd gotten down to 188, (5 lbs. in 3 days wow! I know it's water, but 5 lbs is 5 lbs.) Yesterday I ate pizza, crust and all, and even worse, Krispy Kreme donuts. I swear, they're like sirens calling me. "Oh Jenny, come eat me..." I felt so sick and bloated and gross. :Puke: Today I'm back on full force. I've had scrambled eggs so far.

Update: in 2 weeks my Mom lost 11 lbs. I'm so proud! :clap:

We can do this!! Jenny

[Kristy G]

HI girls,

[Kristy G]

Hi Girls,
I have decided to hold off LC during the holidays, its just too difficult for me. Way too many christmas partys and birthdays:Party: (my Dh and all three kids have birthdays from Dec 30th to Feb 11th). For birthdays I make and decorate all of the cakes, not a good hobby for my motherly bum but I just love to do it.

I do find myself tasting a bite of sweets and throwing out things that "just are not worth the carbs" but will seriously resume later.

Good luck to you all, during the holidays and have a blessed Christmas.
:daizy:

[suzbuff]

Wow! am i ever glad I stumbled upon this thread! I am not quite at the breats feeding stage yet..only 10 weeks pregnant with my first. I was wondering though if any of you can share your experiences with me with lc and pregnancy..thanks a bunch!
suz:)

[Woobie1]

I have been going through th same thing, and I am getting major flack from people about being in ketosis and breastfeeding. I initially lost 4 lbs and then nothing for a month and a half on induction. Ketone stix are purple and everything. It seems the only explanation I can get agreement n is that my body is fighting me for the calories for the baby because its in starvation mode. Im going to start maintance and see if that balances things out because since needs are so high when breastfeeding 50-60 carbs is like 20 for non breastfeededs. I could be full of it but this is what im hearing. Thanks!

[ravengal]

Hello Woobie,

If you are concerned about the effect of ketosis on your baby, I would recommend eating a moderate level of high-quality carbs and unprocessed food. I don't eat the Atkins bars, pork rinds, or other processed low-carb products if I can help it. With a carb intake of 25-90 grams, I cycle in and out of ketosis. I can tell I'm in ketosis by the taste in my mouth. My ketosticks never turned purple because I drink so much water, I think.


My 13mo dd takes in about 60% breastmilk/40% tablefood. She's never constipated and seems to love nursing as much as ever. And, I'm happy with a 25lb. weight loss in 11 weeks.

[rapmap]

It sounds like there is nothing sound on nursing and doing very low carb counts. Our little girl is just two months old and I'm thinking about going to lower carb counts and wondered if the ketosis stage would either change the taste of the milk supply and/or diminish it in any way. It doesn't sound like that's as much of an issue as getting an adequate supply of calorie needs. Another post on here mentioned doing approximately 50 carbs per day. I think that was Kristy G? How are you doing with that amount? I only gained 26 lbs during pregn. and have lost that plus another 4. But am still pretty overweight. I think it's helped to also have a 3 year old at home while I was on maternity leave as I never sat still! My husband started the Atkins program back in June (my last trimester) and he lost 65 lbs and is still loosing. He looks awesome. I know men tend to loose faster and I'm trying to take it easy so I don't set myself up for failure before I get started. Nursing is going very well so far so I will keep that benefit going for our baby as long as it all works out. With my son it dimished on it's own due to stress/job, etc.

[MamaSara6]

Hi girls---I'm not nursing anymore, but I thought I'd pop in when I saw your message. Doing Atkins induction was not a good thing for my baby. I had very little milk and she was pretty thin. I started Atkins at about 8 mos.; I had been somersizing since she was born and Atkins just made it all worse. To top it off, I only lost about 8-10 lb. in 3 months on Atkins and gained it back over the holidays. I weaned my babe around 14 months and she started gaining weight. sob!

Anyway, I would definitely keep the carbs up around 50-60----maybe drop them 5 g at a time (reverse OWL)---to see how it affects your milk supply. Nursing is wonderful--don't give it up just to lose weight. Speaking from experience: it doesn't always work that way!

[p_rosie]

I agree w/ Sara, I found that around 60g carb a day everything was fine but have since dropped to about 45-50g over last two months, without any ill effects to Dd. I am LCing for other health reasons than weight, altho' I can stand to lose some, still I have lost <1# a week, which is fine w/ me. Just remind yourself that the loses will be very slow but you can still BF and LC. The best of both worlds.

[Janne]

I'm so confused. I'm nursing a 5 month old (my 8th). I do have milk supply issues, but I did with my last two as well (and I wasn't dieting). I take fenugreek three times a day (about 5 carbs total) to boast milk production. I also take a good whole foods vitamin and extra calcium + magnesium.

This is my second week on induction. I haven't noticed any significant change in Natalie's eating habits. She is on cereal, so not bf exclusively.

So is induction a bad thing then?
Will I still lose weight if I up my carbs to 50g?
Could I just stay basically with induction but add a bowl of oatmeal w/cottage cheese, nuts, and a fruit for breakfast? (Or would that start my cravings all over again?)

I am now completely over my carb cravings and have caffeine completely out of my system. I don't want to stall my weight loss, but I don't want to hurt Natalie.

What do I do?

[MamaSara6]

Janne, congratulations on baby number 8! Babies are wonderful and I love your Mother Teresa quote!

The Schwarzbein Principle is basically a 60g diet, but weight loss is slower. Everyone is different, but I think the carbs are important for milk production. Try the oatmeal for breakfast, just be alert for the cravings. I'd be afraid to eat fruit; that would probably start mine.

[p_rosie]

Hi Janne,
Something else to consider...being so close to your goal weight can slow your progress too. You have very little to lose on the scheme of things.
I started LCing when my Dd was four months. I did so with trepidation, I was determined to be successful (BFing)but gained 10 pounds after birth due to some medications I was on. I decided to try maintenance levels and as I've said have lost about <1 pound a week* which has been a satisfying amount of progress for me. It might be a good idea to go slowly down and just see how you and your daughter feel. I'm sure you are an old pro at breast feeding and you will know if she is not satisfied, and you can adjust your diet from there.

*except for the fact I put on 5 pounds over xmas which I have just now gotten rid of!

[mommy23]

Hello, I am new here and I hope this is still going. I am a bfing mommy and need some support with lcing. I have 15-20 to go and am going to do Protein Power until I wean. My baby is 15 months old and I am looking to wean within the next month or two. I hope to hear from someone on here. Thanks!!

[Paleomama]

I'm new here too and nursing an almost 5 month old. I have been eating a lower carb diet for years (NT style) but before I got pregnant with this last baby I went on a raw vegan stint for 3 months and went from my normal thin weight of 105 to 115.
Stayed lower carb throughout pregnancy (70 grams a day average
but have weight to lose. I recently cut out fruit ( I have celiac so I don't eat grains) but don't notice any supply problems. I've been nursing for the last 13 years and my last three lower carb babies have been my largest and healthiest.

I wonder about ketosis though (never tested myself).

[tigersue]

I'm a very new breasting feeding mom. My little one is 3 weeks old, so we are still trying to get the hang of things. I think she has some lactose intolerance so I'm cutting out all milk and dairy at the moment, except for cream and butter. I'm having horrible carb cravings, I usually do TSP, and have considered going at 30gms per meal, and adding the snacks in if needed.
If I feel like I can cut down I will. I'm still very tired, so fixing the right food for me to eat is a huge challenge at the moment. Most days I would rather sleep than get breakfast, and same with lunch, fixing dinner is almost harder because I have to feed the rest of my family.
I'm trying to keep salads around, and I do have some tuna and a few cans of salmon. I need to make more hard cooked eggs since they are easy to grab. I'll see if I get around here more often, right now computer time is not too often. :)
Tanya

[JoyfulOne]

Hello laides!

Can I join you all? I delivered a beautiful baby boy Aril 5th. He's two months now. I'm looking for support while nursing and LCing. I was a frequent member of this site back in June of last year and lost 20lbs. Then became pregnant in August.

Look forward to getting to know you all!

[tigersue]

Hi Kelly,
I will try to come around at least once a week, with this new baby, she isn't giving me much time. :)
I'm pretty sure she is lactose intolerant, so on we go.
Tanya

[paysthebil]

Hi my name is Charlene. I am nursing a almost 4 month old baby. I have been trying to get back to lc but keep cheating. Yesterday went well and today is hard but I'm sticking to it. I would like to lose 20lbs. I lc aug 2002 and lost 10lbs in no time but I am finding that I need to cut back even farther on the carbs this time to get going. I have 3 other children. Two girls 8 and 6 and two boys 3 and the baby. I'm a bit worried about the milk supply. He is sleeping through the night but starting to wake earlier every day. It can't be the lc cause I just started yesterday so maybe he is ready for some cereal. I will see in a day or 2. I would love to have a buddy if anyone is interested let me know.undefined

[Elsah]

I had a friend that had a lot of trouble with having enough milk and she said that she used http://www.tealand.com/MothersMilk.aspx this tea and that it was a very noticable difference for her. Maybe it's worth looking into. :)

Jenn

[Cindij]

Don't know if anyone is still hanging around being the last post was June 8th. My 2nd baby is 9 weeks now and I started LC 3 weeks ago. I am checking my urine for Ketones as I've been told they pass through the breastmilk and are toxic to the baby. Has anyone else heard this? I'm not losing any weight but I'm maintaining which is good for me while nursing. I gained 25 pounds while nursing my first in 8 months. I lost them all in 2 months on LC after she weaned, but I don't want to go that route again. I only gained 22 pounds during this pregnancy - I was sick (nauseous) the whole time. I ended up 5 pounds over my pre-preg weight by 2 weeks post partum but now I'm up to 9 and holding. I agree it's hard to find time to fix the food. I eat 2 pieces of breakfast sausage and one egg every morning for breakfast, salad with some chicken most days for lunch and whatever meat I'm fixing for the family and veggie and salad at dinner. I also let myself have 1/2 cup of Carb Smart ice cream every night. YUM! Maybe I should cut that out but I doubt those 4 carbs are killing me. The worst part for me is since I didn't do an induction my cravings haven't gone away like they did last time. Lots of luck to my nursing friends out there! ~ Cindi

[AndreaBash]

Hi there!

I'm in a bit of a different situation than most here, but still trying to find the right place for my situation. :)

I'm currently nursing my 22 month old son. He has severe food allergies, so he still nurses for a lot of his nutrition. However, I'm definitely not responsible for sustaining his life through nursing.

It leaves me wondering where I should be on the induction vs. maintenence scale. Right now, I'm trying induction. If it pushes him toward more solids, that would be totally fine with me. :)

I'm not really sure what my point is except that I'm not really sure where I fit in. :)

[Cindij]

Food allergies - yikes! So far we've not had that problem. I'm sure you are SO glad you are nursing to help him through that. I hope he outgrows them for the most part.

I've had to stop trying low carb. My milk supply definitely suffered even on 80-100 grams a day. I tend towards a low supply anyway. I've put on 5 pounds again and I'm trying to hold for now. I will do Atkins again when I wean or perhaps when he starts solids to see if I can manage something then.

You have the advantage of already having your son on solids so I would think, as you said, it would just increase his need for solids if your milk isn't right. Either way - good luck! Keeps up the good work :)

Cindi

[ettababy]

Hey - I'm nursing my 4 month old and having the same problem you had (re too much milk and low weight gain b/c couldn't eat enough to get to the fat milk) Just wondering what you did about it? I'm Somersizing, too.

Thanks!


Congratulations on the new baby, Joanne! They are soooo wonderful. I guess every baby and Mom is different, but if you go back a couple of pages on this thread and read about my experience w/ induction when my baby was 6 months old. Basically, it totally sabotoged my milk supply and she was miserable.

I think 4 weeks is a little early to be seriously dieting. For the first couple of months I Somersized. I believe it is a much more wholesome, balanced woe than Atkins. I managed to drop 30 lbs. in that 6 weeks. And I had tons of milk! So much that her weight gain was low because she was getting too much low-fat milk and couldn't eat enough to get to the high-fat milk. This is characterized by an extremely fussy baby who wants to nurse all the time and has green stools. It's so bad that you think you have the opposite problem of not enough milk! With Atkins, I really had no milk! :thdown:

Even in my 2 months on Atkins---only 2 wks at induction levels---I only lost about 5lbs. And that was during induction, but I may have added too many carbs because my milk was so low.

Remember, your body is programmed not to lose weight now to protect your baby. It may come off very slowly--that seems to be what we're all experiencing. It can be depressing, but those little smiles are worth it! Happy mothering!

[Karenemt]

Hi! I am nursing my 2-1/2 year old and LCing. Obviously he isn't getting a lot of nutrition for me, but my supply is still fine and I'm around 30-40 carbs daily. I never did induction though.

My son would tell me if my milk tasted funny or something, but he has not. I've lost about 20 lb now - I started in March so it's been a pretty slow loss, but I look and feel great.

I'm going to let him self-wean and then do induction if I feel I need to at that point.

It's great to see so many nursing moms here.

P.S. For low supply, try the herb fenugreek and/or Mother's milk tea. Eating oatmeal helps some moms. Also, make sure to drink enough water - I personally need 100 oz a day while nursing, even more when I work out a lot.

[twinmomma]

Still nursing.......
I have been getting pretty frustrated. I seem to lose and get back down to 135 and then up I go again to 137. My ultimate goal is 120, so I have 20ish lbs to lose. Skyler is 5 months and eating baby food 2x a day about 1.5 jars and some cereal. I can't believe how much bigger she is compared to my older boys! I do think LC makes for larger babies.
I guess I am looking to see what everyone else is eating. I would like to find someone who is nursing a younger baby like me.
I have been eating eggs every day and then a salad with some sort ofr meat in it-dinner-tacos' or something else. I have found though that I have been snacking a lot on fruit-ie-grapes and honeydew melon or strawberries. I llove my melon! Has anyone found that will stall on too much fruit? I also have started to eat the morining start bars-My older boys are going back to school and I just don't have too much time to cook in the AM. Has anyone found that the bars also stall them at all? I have found these tropucana swirls bar-LC and yummy! Only 60 cals and 10 carbs( i think) I do generally treat myself to one at night.
Thanks for any help-:)

[JoyfulOne]

Whitney, I'm nursing a 4-month old. I keep going up and down also. I can't seem to lose more than 5lbs before I regain it. Only because I'm not staying consistant. Now I'm SERIOUS about this because I got to see what I really look like last week while vacationing in Santa Barbara. I was so depressed our entire trip :( My hubby feels so bad for me - so he took me yesterday and bought me a StairMaster for my birthday. I'm so excited, I can't wait for it to be delivered :hyper:

I re-started the diet yesterday and I plan on sticking to it this time for sure. I'd like to keep in touch with you so that we can be a support to one another. Let me know and I'll give you my email address.

[arnoldmj]

:bday: I am new here and was looking for other moms in the same station in life as myself. My daughter, Ashley, turns 1 on Wednesday. I started in the induction phase of Atkins on 9/10/04. I read all the info about breastfeeding and Atkins I could and deceided it was time regardless of when she weaned. I am tired of being overweight. My husband says he doesn't care about how I look but the sad fact is he does and is to polite to say anything. My six year old son isn't so polite. We taught him to tell the truth and boy did he ever. While school shopping for him, I took him to the mall (a rare occurance for me). When we got home later that day he asked why my butt was FAT! I could have died, MY SON, said that to me!!! I told him it was because I had his sister, which caused me to gain the weight(BIG FAT LIE, which he saw through). Imagine how I felt when he said, "but mom Ashley is almost one how come your STILL FAT". I was angry, sad and hurt all at the same time caused by the words of a child which were all true. I didn't know what to say to him so I put my educated mind to work that night. I am going to loose my "FAT BUTT"!
My friends are shocked I have a weight problem, because I always ate healthly "low-fat" whole foods. Heck, I was shocked the weight didn't melt off after the second baby. All my friends lost huge amounts of weight after successive children(piggy-backed kiddies (18-30months apart)). My weight never lowered and if anything it climbed to an all time high. I had every test done possible to figure out why the weight wouldn't go away with "proper diet and exercise". I had scheduled an appt. with a doctor to discuss the Lap-Band, when a good friend said I had nothing to loose (but the weight) by trying Atkins, even while breastfeeding.
So, 2 days later I started Atkins. I am doing great so far no cravings (passed the first two days), feeling more alert (even when Ashley is up all night), acne on face seems to be getting better (even before period) and my clothes are loose.
My son is funny, he says mom after school I want to go to McDonald's for a snack, I say sorry McDonald's makes my butt fat I can't go then he says Ok, for your butt we won't go(mom smiles in car).
But, now that I am doing this I worry sometimes about my daughter and the extra toxins she is consuming. I am in ketosis, heavy duty according to the LTS's. She is not ready to wean as she nurses 6-10 times a day(and night). I am not ready to wean her, as this is my last baby due to severe complications with my pregnancy with her. I want to nurse as long as we are both willing even into the third year. So, I guess I just need to put my heart at ease that this is okay for her. She does eat normal table foods in fact she demands it. But, she drinks only breastmilk and water. All other liquids have been refused.
Thanks for the shoulder to vent a concern.
M;)

[Cindij]

I wish I had some advice for you but I don't. I didn't do LC until I weaned my first. I tried it with my new guy (now 5M) when he was 2M and my milk supply dwindled so I decided to hold off until at least solids.

I can tell you I lost 30 pounds easily doing LC after my first and I struggled with every other type of diet with no success. Once I got past the cravings (and you say you have none) I loved doing LC. I lost consistently and it only took about 6M to lose that much weight.

If I were in your shoes I'd just be watching Ashley closely for fussiness or any reaction to the toxins and I'd be drinking TONS of water to help wash them out. I wish they knew more about breastfeeding and LC since it's natural to want to lose weight after pregnancy and not have to wean our babies to do so!

Cindi :)

[arnoldmj]

:agree: Thanks, Ashley is my key to this thing. Purchased Mother's Milk Tea today and Fenugreek capsules to help is the supply department. She's not complaining or asking to be at the breat all day, I can feel the let down still :) but my breasts don't feel as full as they used to. Strange. When I self express there is milk so not sure if this is just my body changing to feeding a 1 year old or if it is the Atkins starting to change things. I drink about a gallon of water a day as well as other herbal tea(caff. free). So I know I am doing everything I can to encourage milk supply.
Good news is I feel great and I am gonna keep going. I did some measurements and I half lost about 1/2 inch around my waist, thighs, arms, and hips :D sad part is I lost 2 inches in my bust :( but I knew that was going to happen. Good luck wth the newest baby, they are gifts from Heaven.

M ;)

[arnoldmj]

:D Things are going great so far. Ashley is nursing well. The battle is slowing being won over the weight. Lost another 9lbs. this week :thup: !!! I am losing around the arms, bust, chest, wait and hips but my thighs have remained the same. Need to find good exercise for thighs and tummy "jelly" as my son calls it. The fat around my lower waist that is below my belly button. Gotta find something to help that. Well, just checking in with all hope your all well and fighting a good fight. See you all next week.

Michelle ;)

[arnoldmj]

Hiya,

Wanted to give small update. It's 10/20 and I am down to 237 from my starting 282. WOW...I still cant believe that this works and I feel great. Still nursing Ashley and I found that if I dont drink enough water she wants to nurse all day long. I have introduced a sippy cup to her but she will only take water out of it, when I put in Breast milk, cows milk or formula she completely refuses it. Getting pressure from in-laws to wean, but I just ignore that they said anything and keep nursing my baby. I had to go buy a pair of new jeans yesterday, I have always hated shopping because of my weight. I was pleasantly suprised be be able to wear a size 18 (normal was a tight 24). Instead of the normal frustration and depression I went home happy and proud of my progress. Started walking today, got up a 5:00am and walked for a whole hour, dog was not happy about such a long walk. I am going to walk every day. It felt great to not hurt after such a walk...Hope everyone is doing great too.

[JoyfulOne]

I'm so glad to see you're losing without a fight! My body is still refusing to drop an ounce! :lol: I've been LCing consistently for about 4-months and finally I've been able to stay below 160lbs. My body was hovering around 164lbs for the longest. Today I'm 158.5lbs. I keep telling myself any day now and my body will stop holding on to the weight and I'll start to drop weight more quickly. But it hasn't happened.

But congrats to use - this encourages me to hang in there.

[Hezz]

Hi Ladies~
It was encouraging to hear from some l/c nursing mom's losing weight! I just had #6 and she's 7mo. and mainly nursing BUT I have GOT to lose this weight! Hubby is not too happy I just know and NEITHER am I! I wish I could STRICTLY L/C but my milk supply utterly dwindled w/#5 and I too would like to nurse for a while ~ as this seems to be it and I had a VERY hard pg.
Any clue's on where to start? How is everyone else doing l/c and milk supply wise??
Thanks for any input! :wave:

[arnoldmj]

Hiya Hezz,

Well, congrats on baby. I can only tell you what I choose to do and what my Doctor said. My daughter was almost a year old and mainly nursing (she would flat refuse everything but blueberries and breastmilk from mom...not even via a sippy cup would work) when I started Atkins. I started right in with hard core induction and I am still on induction (week 6, lost to date 47lbs.). I know what the book says about nursing and L/C but after talking to my doctor and several friends, I deceided to do it anyhow. I got to much conflicting information from friends and my doctor had no real advice other than my current weight wasn't healthy for me and my family and there was no real research regarding L/C and nursing. He told me to listen to my baby and my gutt feeling. So, I read everything, I polled friends and finally after the last straw emotionally, I did it. My milk supply seemed to lessen, however I am not sure if what I did helped or my body just needed time to adjust. I noticed in the first week that my daughter wanted to be latched on all day and night. At first this really concerned me, so I went to the nature store and purchased Mother's Milk Tea and Fenugeek capsuals. I started them on week two and they seemed to work... I used them for only about a week and now things are going great. What I noticed most of all is that if I don't drink about a gallon of water a day my milk suppy is lessed the next. My daughter complains that she's not getting enough which reminds me to drink my water again. I even went to her peditritian (excuse spelling) and he said that "doing" L/C after baby isn't an issue. If you think about it starts to make sense.
Most woman in US really pack on the pounds during pregnancy. After baby, your body will want to shed that weight so any toxins (which is the concern with breastfeeding and L/C) that were stored into your excess fat would normally be released into urine and possibly breastmilk. Now we are christians and so is our doctor so please do not take offense by his quote. He said that God was smart enough to make sure that the toxins released during wieght loss would end up in greater concentrations in the urine and that the breastmilk might have some but no more that what my baby is already exposed to daily. From a scientific point of veiw I saw this as also highly possible. When the toxins are rereleased in the body, they are in the blood which is cleaned and purified by the kidneys and liver, which deposit the toxins into the urine for elimination. Only, if you have non active fat stores will the body try to store the toxin into the fat in our bodies which is how it got there in the first place. But by doing L/C, you are using those fat stores and forcing the body to eliminate the toxins through the urine. Just keep drinking that wonderful water to help flush them away and keep your supply at max for baby.
I also had to remember that as my daughter gets older, she will demand more or less milk based on her growth. Which is why the human body can adapt so quickly to a growth spurt and then a slowing in growth. As your baby needs more milk your body will produce it if it has the fluids to make milk, meaning more water, millk and juice intake by mom.
Now, not everyone has the weight to loose that I do. But I have choosen to stay on induction until I am within 15lbs. to my goal. My doctor is okay with this so long I get my blood work done every 3 months to make sure that bloodpressure, liver function, and cholestrol are all great. So far he thinks that Adkins has been great for me. And was glad I gave this a try before having stomache surgery which was in the planning process. I was going to have it done on my daughters 1st birthday. But, I thought I should give this a go, seeing I had tried everything else to loose the weight and nothing worked. I really thought that stomache surgery was my only choice...WOW, was I ever wrong. I canceled my surgery appt. and have put it off...seeing that I am loosing weight and feeling great about my self, a first since my son was born 6 years ago when I really packed on the pounds(120 to be exact and they never melted away like I thought). I have about 72 more pounds to go then I will be at high goal of 165 and I will ease off of induction into OWL and at 150 will go into lifetime managment. Being 5'10", 150lbs will be my college weight and stunning to my hubby again. That was a weight I thought I would never see again, but now I know it can be done...

Good Luck and take care of you little piece of heaven,
arnoldmj :angel:

[JoyfulOne]

Was my post somehow missed! Anyway. . .

Hezz, my milk supply also went down, but then it picked back up a couple of days later. I think water is the key. That and eating every couple of hours seems to do the trick for me.

My body is finally starting to shift in the right direction. For whatever reason I'm finally starting to go down in weight (instead of maintaining 160-164lbs). Today I weighed myself and for the first time I was 156lbs!!!!!!!!!!! That's huge for me :D So now I'm really motivated to continue eating right and working out.

Cindi, how's your progress coming along? Hope things are going well now that your little one is 6months (like my little guy ;) )

[twinmomma]

Hi all-
I figured I would jump back in here!!
How is everyone? Kelly!!! :) I am still working at llcing of course I have been having some issues sticking with it while I am nursing. I feel guilty somedays. Granted I am only nursing 3 x a day with Skyler taking solids 3x a day and eating snacks.
She is now 9mths now. I plan to nurse her till she is over a year. I nursed the boys intill they were only 7mths and then started atkins and lost all most all of my weight!!
I was wondering how many carbs are all of you eating? I found that I was having waaayyyyy to much fruit. I have cut down on the fruit and started to w/o more. I love doing the firm tapes!! I try to go and do weights 2x a week at the gym. Phew I am tired!
Any help would be great!!!

[Cindij]

I decided when Eric was 7M I really needed to start. Like you, I took off all my weight from my first doing LC AFTER I stopped nursing. I just couldn't take the weight anymore! I was so tired and getting sick all the time, too, so I decided to go for it. I've lost 10 pounds in the first few weeks and I'm dragging a little now with the holidays coming. Hopefully I'll get back with it after the New Year more seriously and lose the next 10. I feel a ton better already, though, and am back in some of my old cloths, which is nice. It didn't seem to effect the baby much, either. He was also on 3 full solid meals a day and nursing 3-4 times a day when I started. I don't eat any fruit right now - I'm estimating 40-50 carbs a day when I'm doing good. Hang in there! For me, the increased energy alone makes this worth it with a baby and a preschooler to keep up with!

Cindi

[twinmomma]

How is everyone doing?
Well i got back up to 144.5!! YIKESso needless to say I am back. I am trying to eat as clean as I can today.
How many ppl out there are still nursing? Skyler is now 10 months and starting to wean a bit. She had a cold and she started to bite so I slowed down on nursing. Though I am still nursing her 2x a day.
I am thinking about going back to induction levels. Is anyone else doing that?
Hope everyone had a good holiday!

[paysthebil]

I stopped nursing this week. Caden is 10.5 m. Can't believe he will be one next month. I have not lost anything. Anytime I tried LC my milk supply would go down. I am hopping to stay on track now. I would like to lose 25lb. I have a wedding to go to in the spring and hope to have some of it gone by then.
Good luck to all.

[JoyfulOne]

Well, Caleb stopped nursing about 11 days ago. I promised myself after he was done nursing I would start the Fat Fast for a couple of days and then do induction. I'm on my 3rd day of the Fat Fast and have lost 3.5lbs so far. Something I've been unable to do up until now. BFing stalled my weight loss. No matter how hard I worked out and watched what I ate my body was not ready to part with the extra pounds.

Good luck everyone!

Whitney, thanks for visiting my journal!

[arnoldmj]

Hiya all,

Well I took the holidays off from LC just from the Sunday before Christmas to the day after New Years and I gained 4.2lbs. :nono: I learned a great lesson. First I can't control myself off the LC lifestyle and second it does really work against cravings. The first thing I noticed after "going off" was that I nibbled on sweets all day long. I just couldn't stay away from the cookies and candies. How sad. Now that I am back on "induction" the cravings are completely gone again. I am still BF my daughter Ashley who is now 16 months old. However she is starting to wean herself abit she only nurses now before and after bedtimes and naps. So thats still like 4-6 times a day depending if she takes a morning nap and an afternoon nap. The biggest thing is remembering to drink lots of water. I started leaving a 1/2 gallon pitcher of water on the table to remind myself to take a drink everytime i pass by. Thats about how much we should all be drinking. :) Well hope all is well with you all, and that you all had a great holiday season.
Michelle

[janiebee]

Hi everyone! I'd like to introduce myself. I'm Janie and I've just begun a LC diet and I am currently breastfeeding my 5 month old baby boy. I hope everyone is doing great on their lc diets!! I just began mine about a week ago and everything was going pretty well...the cravings were getting better everyday and I was beginning to see some results...HOWEVER, all day today I noticed that my milk supply was dwindling and by 4pm I didn't even have enough to feed my baby. I basically panicked and went and binged on just about everything in the kitchen... :help: Has this happened to anyone else? Is there any way to keep my milk supply up while still low carbing...I would love to hear how you other ladies are doing it. Maybe I was just eating too low of carbs. (I was trying to keep it around 30-40/day). If anyone could share some insight, I would greatly appreciate it! Thanks and good luck with your diets :yum:

[dane]

Hi Janiebee,

I am nursing a 5mo boy, too! I am in my 2nd week of lowcarbing, and doing pretty good. I have lost about 4lbs so far, mostly water, I'm sure, but I'll take it! I feel great, have lots of energy and am able to exercise, and I have plenty of milk. That really stinks about your milk supply. I believe that the best way to keep your milk up is to get lots of protein, lots of water, and nurse as much as possible. Try to stay away from bottles of formula and supplemental water. I have been keeping my net carbs between 45-60g, incl a cup of whole milk daily, as well as 3-4oz cheese. Lots of veggies, too. I can't believe that white bread, sugar, pasta, potatoes, are necessary for an abundant milk supply. Quality calories are what you need! BTW, I am not restricting my calories, but I am watching them with FitDay, and so far they are between 1600-2200 (with the exception of a 3000 day due to ckn wings! :eek: )

Here's a thread I started, with a few other currently nursing moms participating. Feel free to stop by! Or you can pop by my journal, if you want. Good luck to you! http://forum.lowcarber.org/showthread.php?t=225123

[janiebee]

Hi Dane,
Thanks for your reply and congrats on your success! I am doing all those things you mentioned though...lots of protein, water, and breastfeeding every 3 hrs. I haven't given him a single supplemental bottle. It's really important to me that I continue to breastfeed and I will give up dieting before I give that up. However, I do feel better and healthier now and I really don't know why this is happening...I'm eating much healthier now than I was pre-diet. Maybe I should try a cup of milk everyday like you...Thanks for the suggestion. If anyone else has any more suggestions, I'm listening with open ears!! :)

Be well everyone,
Janie

[iluvgavman]

Hi there,

I am 9 months preggo and due any day now, and already beginning to research how I can somewhat LC and nurse and be successful at both. When BFing DS #1, my milk supply began to dwindle when I began the mini pill, so my doc recommended an herb called Fenugreek. Well, it worked wonders!!! I think trying this herb along with drinking water like it's going out of style should help. I don't know about you, but if I squeeze lemon into my water it makes me LOVE drinking it...otherwise, I would not be able to drink even 20 ounces a day of just plain water.

Hope to chat with you ladies soon!

Lisa :)
DUE 1-24-05 with DS #2, Logan Robert!!!

[dane]

Hi Janie and Iluv/aka Lisa :lol: :wave:

Janie, Lisa had a great suggestion w/the fenugreek....I forgot about herbal supps. :doah: I have read alot about this herb, and Mother's Milk tea....over here I have Lacto-Tea, which has anise and I think fenugreek, too. I drink it occasionally...it certainly won't hurt to try it! And I was told somewhere, sometime..."it takes milk to make milk." Works for me! I hope you can figure something out, but I'm with you......do whatever you need to do to keep your milk. I think bf'ing is soooooo important for both, well, I'm sure you know the reasons!

Lisa, congratulations on the pending arrival of Logan! Don't ya hate the last few weeks? Anticipaaaaaaation!

[janiebee]

Dane and Lisa,
Thanks for the suggestions! I tried starting out today again lowcarb...plus I was drinking a TON of water along with two glasses of milk, which seemed to help some, but my milk supply is still nothing compared to what it was. I will have to try some of the tea/herbs. As far as the fenugreek...is that like a vitamin pill? Can I get it in a health store or where should I look?
And Congrats to you Lisa on the upcoming bundle of joy!
Thanks so much to both of you for your help...Take care and hope to chat again soon!
Janie

[arnoldmj]

Hiya,

It's so good to be BF'ing and LC'ing. For low milk supply try fenugreek capsules, Mother's Milk tea and at least half your weight in water (150lbs. mom drinks 75oz. minimum in water)every day. I started in September (daughter was almost 1) and so far I have lost 70 lbs. I had decreased milk supply for about two weeks then eveything was fine after starting the supplements. Go to your Natural Food Store and the owner/clerk can show you fenugreek and special tea. I have held firm to 20 carbs or less a day and my daugther still nurses 4-7 times daily. She eats table foods but nurses before and after naps and bedtimes. She nursed abit longer when my supply was low but that helped kick my body into a heavier production. Just keep to it. If I can do it you can to! My daughter is almost 16 months now and still shows no sign of wanting to wean. :) I am so pleased that she doesn't mind my diet change and that my supply is good for her. Added bonus is that mom is becoming healthier for family and baby Ashley is better for it too. Keep up the good work and healthy food choices.

Michelle

[dane]

Michelle,

That is so awesome that you have managed to lose 70lbs!!!!! Congrats...you should be so proud of yourself! And to still nurse your little one, too! I took my first to 2 years, and plan to do the same with this one. I was a forum lurker when you first started posting in here, and I am pleased to see you back, and doing so well!

[iluvgavman]

Hi Janie and Dane, :wave:

Janie: Go ahead and check at your local vitamin/health store. I am almost positive that it would be at most pharmacies but I am not 100% sure on that. Also, the water alone did not help increase my supply...it was the day I took Fenugreek that suddenly it came pouring out!!! :)

Janie & Dane: Yes, I am not loving the last few days of being pregnant but at the same time I am cherishing each full night's sleep I've been getting. I normally sleep 7-8 hours a night and only get up to pee once or twice. I am also enjoying being with my 1st son Gavin, who just turned 3 years old. He is at the age where everything he says and does cracks me up.

Have you guys and anyone else read the other thread about women GAINING weight while breastfeeding? Those posts kind of freaked me out. When I breastfed my 1st son, I lost at a steady pace for the 1st 6 weeks postpartum (I lost 30 of the 50 I gained) and then was stuck with 20 extra pounds, so I counted my calories (had 1600-1800 a day for about 2 months) and took walks to the park, and was able to those 20 and maybe 5 more. This time around I plan to do a combo plan of watching calories and staying lower carb...though I can't imagine doing Induction while breastfeeding and managing to keep my milk supply up.

Talk to you guys soon...I am looking forward to keeping in touch with other BFing moms!

Lisa

[dane]

Hey Lisa,

Yeah, I've been participating in that other thread about gaining. I just had a light bulb moment, though :idea: ........ I gained postpartum, but eating high carb! So I'm not surprised I gained. Also wasn't watching calories, and I'm sure they were sky high. This time, I'm watching calories (they're around 2400), keeping carbs between 30-60, and exercising, and I'm losing. 4lbs so far, in a little over 2 weeks. I feel great, plenty of milk, etc. I'm sure you won't have any trouble.

[iluvgavman]

Hi Dane,

Thanks for the reply. I just realized that you are from Hungary...wow, how cool is it that I've met someone from there!!!

So, you think you gained postpartum because of high carb? I am just so afraid that this weight is not going to come off like it did with the first, but I guess it's up to me. (as I sit here and eat vanilla ice cream with mashed M&M's in it...probably one of my last desserts before I become a 2nd time mom...any day now).

Take care and hope to hear from you and other breastfeeding LCer's soon!

Janie...did you try the fenugreek yet?

Lisa :)
Due with #2 any day now

[dane]

I just realized that you are from Hungary...wow, how cool is it that I've met someone from there!!!
I've been living here for the past 4 years, married to a Hun, but I am a FL girl at heart. :)

So, you think you gained postpartum because of high carb?
Now that I've been playing with FitDay and the progress tracker here, I am convinced of it. I was eating TONS of calories along with those high carbs.

(as I sit here and eat vanilla ice cream with mashed M&M's in it.....)
:lol: :lol: :lol:
Tell you what.......whatever it takes to get you through these last few days, and then the first month or so pp!!

:wave:

[jillyreedy]

Greetings everyone,
I see it has been over two years since the last posting and I'm just wondering if anyone has heard any current information on the effects of ketosis on breastmilk. My situation is very similar to those posted. I am still nursing my 9 month old, but mostly at night. He has taken very well to table food and I really want to try the induction phase of atkins. This is my fifth child and I had done really well on atkins prior to this pregnancy. I know it won't take too long to get back to my goal and I miss the energy :agree: I had from doing atkins. I think he would be fine with his nutrition, etc. as long as there is nothing harmful passing thru the milk. I'm trying to be patient, and probably will continue to be, if there is no hard evidence in favor.
Any information will be appreciated. :help:
Thanks,
Jill :wave:

Well, I apologize, I am new to any type of forum and just realized when I posted that there were 8 pages to this thread!! :o I just fininshed reading every posting and I am really happy with all the info especially, arnoldmj's information from her doctor about the possible toxins, etc. THANK YOU!!
I have been talking with people about this for months and finally found this site :) yeah! I think I will start up tomorrow, and keep a close eye on how my guy reacts. Thanks, so, so much.

Congratulations to all :thup: , I feel like I've just met so many people with very similar situations and feelings on motherhood, children, etc. I see there have been no postings for almost a month, but I would be happy to talk to anyone out there who wants to.

[dane]

Hi Jilly,

Check out the Parenting Forum in general.... there are several threads from us nursing mommies. When I started LC in late Dec/early Jan, I was eating around 35g carbs or so, and I was in ketosis with that. My baby nursed just as much as ever, so he didn't mind the taste change, if there was any. As my :baby: is now 6.5 months old, I'm not worried about keto-milk, and I eat more towards 60-70g carbs now. Once he's eating mostly solids, and nursing only early morning/late night, I'm going to drop carbs back again to lose a bit faster. My only concern about ketosis is you will lose fat faster the lower carb you go (IMO), and I think that combined with nursing, might be a bit too stressful on the old bod! (Plus the fact I do strenuous exercise). Welcome to the forum!
Lisa

[arnoldmj]

Hiya Girls,
:wave: Well, I am so glad that you are all doing well and you have all started the new yer on a great start. Jilly thanks for all the thanks but really I was super motivated to loose weight and still nurse my daughter. Ashley is almost 17 months now, I have been L/C since alittle before her first birthday. I have lost about 80lbs. so far and still want to loose about another 40. She still nurses :yum: quite abit, 6 times aday. She hasn't minded the L/C diet and I am still on induction due to the amount of weight I want to loose. As I get closer to my goal I will slowly increase my carb level. My doctor has been super supportive of the diet and Ashley's doctor thinks she is doing great. My biggest peice os advice is watch your babies ques. He/She will tell you if there is a problem and drink lots of water so your supply doesn't decrease ( it will return after a few days). Good luck and let us know how you are doing.

Michelle :)

[fatnewmom]

Hi Janie and Dane, :wave:

Janie: Go ahead and check at your local vitamin/health store. I am almost positive that it would be at most pharmacies but I am not 100% sure on that. Also, the water alone did not help increase my supply...it was the day I took Fenugreek that suddenly it came pouring out!!! :)

Janie & Dane: Yes, I am not loving the last few days of being pregnant but at the same time I am cherishing each full night's sleep I've been getting. I normally sleep 7-8 hours a night and only get up to pee once or twice. I am also enjoying being with my 1st son Gavin, who just turned 3 years old. He is at the age where everything he says and does cracks me up.

Have you guys and anyone else read the other thread about women GAINING weight while breastfeeding? Those posts kind of freaked me out. When I breastfed my 1st son, I lost at a steady pace for the 1st 6 weeks postpartum (I lost 30 of the 50 I gained) and then was stuck with 20 extra pounds, so I counted my calories (had 1600-1800 a day for about 2 months) and took walks to the park, and was able to those 20 and maybe 5 more. This time around I plan to do a combo plan of watching calories and staying lower carb...though I can't imagine doing Induction while breastfeeding and managing to keep my milk supply up.

Talk to you guys soon...I am looking forward to keeping in touch with other BFing moms!

Lisa


I'm one of those moms who gained while breastfeeding. It really took me off guard, for I thought that breastfeeding women used several calories per week just to make milk. Yet, I've gained close to 10 pounds AFTER the delivery of my child. That is why I'm on Atkins now.

[ttc#2]

Hey ladies-

Just wanted to say that my weight is coming off despite (or because of) the breast feeding. I am down nearly 30 pounds. Unfortunately I gained nearly 40 pounds while pregnant. With 4 weeks to go before my post partum check-up I am hoping to lose another 5 pounds or so. If I could see the 140's I would be ecstatic. If I can fit my size 12's I will at least be able to get dressed most days of the week. :)

To the other breastfeeding mom's out there... feel free to visit my journal I would love to "meet" you.