Is there anyone out there that has had trouble losing the weight while breastfeeding? I can gain very easily while breastfeeding, but losing seems impossible. I even gained 15 lbs very quickly after giving birth (I only gained 20 over the pregnancy). I have managed to stop the weight gain, but still not loss. I have a hunch my problem is most likely metabolic since I also develop classic hypothyroid symptoms postpartum, but my doc says my metabolism is healthy. I have had quite a few babies and I seem to remember that life does feel more normal after I wean, but my baby is only 6 months and I don't want to wean him just to see if the breastfeeding is throwing my hormones off. It seems so hopeless right now. Can anyone relate or know why some people's bodies are determined to hold on to the fat?

I just read yesterday that women will often at least hold onto their weight during nursing but they will then be able to lose again once the child is weaned. The body holds onto fat in pregnant women for two reasons, to have enough nutrients for the developing fetus, and to have enough nutrients to provide milk until they're weaned. Once these two "purposes" are finished, then there's no need to hold on to the extra weight.

In other words, from what I read, it's common to keep if not gain weight during nursing.

Plane Crazy
Just a guy, but one who reads a lot.

I gained 60lbs breast feeding. Lost 90 (with LC) after I weaned. Praying I don't repeat that this pgcy!

Wow 60 lb weight gain makes my 15 seem pretty small. That must have been very frustrating for you. I think every pregnant woman is looking forward to losing the weight very soon after delivery. My sister also gained quite a bit after her baby, but she gave up on breastfeeding pretty quickly and continued to gain alot. I always assumed that it was because she ate crap. She still eats crap but has lost alot of the weight. It's encouraging to know that someone else also had the gaining problem while breastfeeding, but was able to lose it. Maybe there is hope for me yet.

I have had particular trouble losing weight while BFing!! I started low-fat, low-cal dieting right after the 6 week postpartum check, and that gave me NOTHING in the line of weight loss (gained 5 lb). I then started exercising, nothing there either!! Very frustrating!

I started doing Atkins on March 31, 2004, without induction due to my 2 yo still BFing. I have lost 30 lb since then, very very slow loss, but it is moving! I don't think I would've lost anything without the low-carbing and I'm so grateful. I still have 10-15 lb to lose and hopefully will get there. My little guy will be 3 on January 2 but I am committed to letting him self-wean, so who knows how long we will BF still.

Good Luck!! You are doing so much good for your little one - I think your weight loss will come in time. My midwife keeps telling me to be patient.

I will attempt induction once he is 100% weaned (if this is necessary at that point).

I am one of those who gain while breastfeeding Of couse, last time I let myself believe I could eat whatever, since I was nursing! This time, with my baby at 5 months, I am slowly gaining, even while watching the junk (although not this past week, thank you christmas cookies!). I would like to lose weight, although if I can just avoid gaining any more I will be happy. My last baby weaned at age 2, and I was able to quickly lose the extra weight with lofat and exercise, so I know I can do it again. However, I don't want to wait that long this time around!

I have 4! I also gained after he was born. I usually can't lose when nursing but this time around it was worse. I gained about 8lbs. I have 25 to lose. I am done nursing now. He is going to be one next month. I hope I start loosing soon. Good luck to all of you.

Paysthebil, please let us know if you have any changes now that you have quit nursing. I suppose there may be something to this inability to lose weight no matter what while breastfeeding. I am hoping that it will all start to come off once I wean, but I'm having doubts. I've been really trying to live a healthier life style for the past 3 years or so and have an extra 30 pounds to show for it. Very frustrating .

This is an interesting and frightening thread.
With my first pregnancy I very quickly lost all of the baby weight gain + and additional five pounds (190 to 150). I attributed it to the breastfeeding mobilizing the pregnancy fat stores and helping things return to normal. Three months post partum I was actually a size smaller than I had been before the pregnancy.

Now you guys have me scared I am going to hold on to the baby weight this time around. I was hoping to be at least into the 160's at my 6 week check and wearing size 10's by the summer.

Hey TTC,

I wouldn't be too worried.........if your body allowed you to lose once while bf'ing, you'll probably be able to do the same this time around, too.

With my first baby, I didn't exercise, I ate whatever I wanted (which was alot of crap, really) while bf'ing, and quickly gained. This time, while I wasn't eating crap, I was eating waaaay too many carbs and calories. Now that I am watching it all, exercising, and using FitDay, I am slowly losing. I am eating basically the same stuff now as I was newly postpartum, but no sugar, limited starches. I was just thinking about this the other day.......I am eating, say, 2000 calories now, and before it would have been this plus several T of sugar in my coffee, 3+c milk, big bowls of oatmeal w/sugar, honey bread, rice, potatoes, dessert. No wonder I was gaining!

With my first, I delievered at 153lbs and was 131lbs when she was 3 weeks and I weighed 142lbs by the time she was 4 months. I slowly went back down to 131lbs. I weaned at 7 months and AF returned at 9 months. A couple days before she showed, I dropped 6lbs without changing anything. This time, I delivered at 159lbs and weighed 133lbs at 3 weeks and crept back in to the 140's by the time he was a few months old. I got down to 129 and my weight crepped up to an all time non-pregnant high of 147lbs, only 6lbs under what I delivered my DD at. I hold on to weight while nursing forsure. Of course, there's my sister in law who was 11lbs under her already under weight prepregnancy weigh at 2 months postpartum. She is beyond skinny.

YES! Thank God someone posted this. I thought it was just me! I've been steadily gaining the weight I lost after my son was born. He is now 3 months old. Everyone told me that breastfeeding burns calories, but I've also read that the metabolism slows down in order to account for this -- hence, the body tries to hold onto the reserves for milk production. It's so, so frustrating.

However, I have not been doing a LC diet. I've been eating all the same foods I ate before & during pregnancy.

Maybe it's time for me to try the LC thing!!

My metabolism is only 1205!!!! I'm weaning my 16 m.o. , so hopefully it'll go up soon.

Someone asked if I am loosing now that i weaned. Well it as been about 1 month now and i lost about 2-3lbs. I was hoping for more but i will take what i can get. I have been lc but not induction all the time. I am finding it very hard to get to ketosis. Good luck to all

PAysthebill- Has AF returend, I didn't lose a lot of weight until right before AF returned, 2 months after I weaned.