Overeating and Breastfeeding

I struggle with "comfort" eating in response to all the changes/sacrifices required with a newborn. I've also read that the hunger urge can sometimes be thirst instead. Make sure you're drinking the appropriate amount of water (super important when breastfeeding). Also, I find myself eating more when I feel low on energy, but I'm actually tired & needing a nap, not food! Hope this helps!

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Breastfeeding helps your body recouperate but is not realy a weight loss plan. It realy takes 2 years for your body to completely heal from the ordeal it has been put through!
Check your diet and compare it to what you should be eating for a breastfeeding mom. here is a good link
http://www.womenshealthguide.net/breastfeeding-diet/
You can also contact your local WIC office or lactation consultant to make sure you are getting the propper nutrition.
How is your activity level compared to pre-pregnancy? You are now a SAHM and while housework can make you sweat, it's not quiet the same as a few laps.
And finaly check your depression level. Is there a possibilty of post-partum depression? That may make you seek comfort foods more.
Hope this helps!

Depending on the weather, you need to add walking to your schedule. For bad weather walk the length of the mall. This would get you and the baby out and about, and away from the food.

You might want to have your thyroid checked. Good luck!

Are you eating ENOUGH?? You burn about 500 calories breastfeeding and "should" be taking in an extra 300 compared to your prepregnancy time... If you are hungry then EAT! Ironically it's not as much overeating that makes us fat as UNDER eating....if you aren't eating enough, when you do eat your body will store more as fat thinking it's in starvation mode. Try to have 5-6 small meals throughout the day with some protien at each meal(I have protien powder and bars to help me with it) and see if it helps...

I feel your pain! I know this is a little late, but I thought I would pass along a good exercise source I found, walking indoors, in place, in my living room! My mother in law passed a video to me, Leslie Sansone. Doesn't matter if it rains or shines, and the funniest thing is my older son wants to do the exercises with me or even by himself!
http://www.lesliesansone.com/store/

Breatfeeding will burn calories, but only if you're not consuming more than you should be. It's perfectly normal to be hungry all the time when you breastfeed and most would recomend eating every two hours. But you want to eat good things that will keep you from being hungry and provide good nutrition without putting on weight. So eat protien as your main food group, nuts, cheese, cottage cheese, tofu, are all excellent sources of protien. Protien will curb your hunger longer than carbs like bread, chips, pasta will and it won't make you gain weight. Hope this helps!!

I also got very hungry while breastfeeding. Do you know how easy it is to eat the 500 calories though? One piece of carrot cake and that's it. That was a drop in the bucket for me. I could easily eat way over my calories that I needed to burn for health and lactating. I, too, gained weight while breastfeeding. My propensity to overeat my whole life + extra hunger from breastfeeding = gaining weight while breastfeeding. It's so worth it though...nurturing your children is so much more important than fitting into pants, I found. But still, I think it's good to work on it. I loved the support group for overeating that I went to. All the best to you and congratulations on your beautiful baby and your choice to give him the best nutrition on the earth.

E. - I just thought I would share -- I did not have cravings until I started nursing. I was very hungry while nursing my boys. So, don't feel badly about that. Your body needs protein and nutrients to feed your little one. And, fyi, it took me a year, both times to lose all the weight. I think when you nurse, initially you do see some weight loss, but the pounds do not shed like one might think. Unless of course you are a super model. :)

Hi E., I was hungry all the time and only started losing weight after my son was 6 months or so. I kept full nalgene bottles near where I nursed so I'd always have them and healthy snacks. I remember eating two dinners sometimes too! I don't think you should ignore your hunger just make sure you're not filling up on empty calories. It was hard for me at first so I had to make sure I had good snacks at the ready to keep me away from ice cream! Good luck and don't beat yourself up about your weight. You just made a life!

Safe weightloss while breast feeding is only 1 lb a week (says my OB/GYN)... so don't get impatient. You only require 300 extra calories for BF, but it should be good calories. Stay hydrated and get lots of protien. If you really are worried about getting the weight off faster while you are BF you should do it under a docs supervision - making sure your babe gets what he/she needs is most important. And be patient.... my weight always makes a big drop when I finish breastfeeding... usually right at a year.

Like every child is different, every woman is. I too am like you. I have seven children and I have always had a struggle with weight and I even breastfed two of them until 19months.

I have two work hard at losing wieght with portion control, low fat and sugar intake, only one cup of my coffee a day with walking and exercise all week. Things have gotten a little better since it was realized that I have hypothyroidism, but it is still a struggle.

Do not feel alone. Just know it will take more work for you than some lucky gals.

J.

You did get some good replies. I wanted to share what we've been doing post partum. I have a 2 yr. old and a 4 month old that I'm breastfeeding.

To help you understand nutrition and the best way to eat for your metabolism, pick up Tosca Reno's new book, The Eat Clean Diet. It's not a diet, and it's not really anything new, but it's an easy read and has helped us a lot. I'd recap, but if you want to know what it's about go to www.eatcleandiet.com.

I also joined www.sparkpeople.com for motivation, support, community, etc. They have everything on there you would need to help you lose weight.

I too gained weight at first when I was breastfeeding and I only lost like 10 lbs. of my 30 pregnancy pounds after delivery. Since 11-25 I've been working out 5-6 days a week and watching what I eat as well as my milk supply. I've lost 12 lbs., at the rate of a pound or two a week.

HTH,

V.

I heard all the same stuff. I think, in my opinion and experience, just like when you are pregnant, your body is holding on to reserves in case of "famine" or "disaster" like in the cave days. Your body's number one concern is the baby. I was voraciously hungry when I was breast feeding, just like during pregnancy. You burn a lot of calories, but you need to eat just as many to replenish and make more milk. No doctor ever confirmed any of this, but when I was done breast feeding, it was a ton easier and I was not "starving" like when I was still feeding. I think all that "the weight will just fly off" stuff is nonsense. You burn calories by breast feeding, buy you have to replace them to make more.

If you feel hungry all the time and you really can not control yourself then watch what you decide to snack on. Instead of snacking on junk or high calorie food snack on carrot sticks, other vegetables or fruit. Also drinking lots of water will both make you feel less hungry and keep you hydrated and producing plenty breast milk. It could also be that you are eating because you are bored or stressed. So maybe looking at that and figuring out if that has something to do with it may help as well. Just to let you know; breast feeding burns 400 calories a day maximum. So if you are eating more than that in extra food it is counter productive.

Nothing is wrong with you! I've gone thru the exact same thing with both of my children. The first time, with my son, I gained back the 20 pounds that I initially lost from having him. The second time, with my daughter, I was prepared to be hungry all the time so I tried to choose my food more wisely and gained less weight back. The best advice I have is to make sure you get some daily exercise and eat as healthy as you can. My daily walks with her in the stroller probably kept off a fair amount of pounds, plus it felt good to get out of the house.

I'm in the same boat. I'm hungry all the time. What has helped me was drinking LOTS of water and eating foods that are high in fiber. This helps to keep you full longer. I've almost completely cut out things that make you have bad cravings like sugar (i use slpenda) and most breads. Good luck and don't be too hard on yourself. You're doing great for your little one.

Most likely absolutely nothing is wrong with you. I didn't lose weight either with my two girls until after I stopped nursing with my 2nd daughter. Keep drinking water and eating good healthy foods. I also found a great whey protein shake that I drank every day that filled me up and quenched my chocolate cravings. Enjoy those nursing moments with your little one. Pretty soon your son will turn four and you'll wonder where all the time has gone!

With the first two kids, I lost the baby weight just fine with breastfeeding. With child number 3, it was just like you describe. I was always hungry and gained weight instead of losing it. I finally decided to diet (eat smaller portions and exercise daily) and the pounds came right off. But that was when my daughter was about 15 months old. Your son is only 3 months old, so if the pounds aren't shedding just yet, I wouldn't fret. If you are gaining, you might want to talk to the doctor about eating healthy while breastfeeding so you have enough calories to have a healthy supply of milk, get exercise (put baby in the stroller and go), and see how things go. Good luck!

I had the same problem and since I had always been thin, I thought I would loose fast too. The breastfeeding seems to need the food support! It took my body about 8 months before it started to loose the weight. I decided the milk production was more important than me for a while, but I did check with my doctor who gave me some advice about the types of food to avoid like fruit juice with high calories and little nourishment. It also took my boobs about one year to work properly and not leak all over while she fed on one side, yuck! I ended up nursing for two years and it was great! Enjoy!

I love that statement.. and it also did not work for me. I nursed 5 kids, and am still over 200.
But what I did find out is that I have insulin resistance syndrome. So if I eat surger my body does not know what to do with it and stores it around my mid section. When you look at me I look PG, and I so am NOT.
So maybe you are not eating the right things, or you have a sensitivity like I did.
Good luck.
B.

I would do two things:

1. Have your thyroid checked. There is a thyroid condition that develops in some women after delivery that can create a low thyroid.....

2. Start getting out to walk more. Breastfeeding only uses 500 extra calories per day. You can get that in three chocolate chip cookies....so don't overdo it! By exercising, you give yourself a little more room to eat with out gaining weight.

3. OK, one more piece of advice. Don't bring any junk food in the house. If it isn't there, you can't eat it.

Happy Motherhood. I am happy for you that you get to stay home with your baby.

I loved eating also when I was breastfeeding but then the problems came in my weight when I was done at 15 months. I ate the same but wasn't breastfeeding so I gained all my weight back. Here is what I found that worked for me while I was breastfeeding and very hungry all the time. Have LOTS of healthy foods available, so you won't feel bad eating extra. Eat lots of greens, fruits, veggies, nuts, grains, etc. Eat things that are filling; rice, potatoes, etc. These are all things that are good for you and good for the milk you are giving your baby. I found that it was really easy to eat grapes while I fed my son, they were easy to hold and a great source of iron. I also ate more soy products when I was hungry too, soy milk, soy yogurt, etc. and these were products I had never really tried or liked before. Your body does need the extra calories but it also needs exercise to help it metabolize properly. Get out and do some walking, take that stroller for a spin. The fresh air and movement will be great for both of you!

Enjoy your little one as long as you can! Staying home with them is great!

Good luck!

Everyone told me that too, and then when I didn't lose any of the weight, everyone said it would melt off when I stopped nursing. Some people are that lucky, but not most of us. The only way to lose it is sacrifice. Exercise and eating right. My best tip is to load up on more protein. It will keep you full longer than carbs. (ie... meat, not pasta)

When I was nursing I was constantly hungry too... I could eat way more than my husband. It's supposed to be that way! Just as when you were pregnant, you're eating for two. That said, baby doesn't need ice-cream and chips, and neither do you (darn!!). I think so long as you are eating healthy foods, go ahead and feed that hunger, keeping in mind that it will be a big switch in portion size once you stop nursing. I personally didn't lose weight until a year after my first was born, and then it really was like magic, it just melted away. With my second child, it started to melt away again after a year, but I didn't control my eating after I was done nursing and so the weight went back on.

I highly recommend "Outsmarting the Female Fat Cell AFter Pregnancy" by Debra Waterhouse. She explains very well what our brain cells are "thinking" after pregnancy and then how and even more importantly, when, to begin limiting portion sizes and to begin exercising. It was very eye opening.

Good luck.

J.

Hmm . . . I can only go on my own experience since I haven't researched this. So take it or leave it.

I think if your son is only three months old, its maybe a little too early to tell. I think if you lose weight it will take longer than three months. I would just really pay attention to what's going on with your body. Make sure you are drinking quite a bit (you should be doing when you're nursing anyways) and eating foods that are healthy. You should be hungry when you are nursing, so I wouldn't ignore that urge. You need to eat to make milk. But make sure you are eating foods with plenty of nutrients, otherwise your body will keep craving more food to get those nutrients it might be needing.

1. drink water 2. eat nutrient-dense foods 3. try to get some sleep (when your baby is sleeping) 4. and in my opinion (some people wouldn't agree), nurse on demand.

Good Luck and Great Job!

I just had to chuckle a bit when I read your posting because I pretty much heard the same thing! First of all, there's nothing wrong with you at all--i have had the same conversation with all of my other breastfeeding mamas, and we all agree that your appetite while nursing is ravenous. That is how i was too, and quite honestly, my body didn't make it's real changes back to "normal" til i stopped nursing, but that is just me. I am sure there are some of those freaks of nature ;) with really speedy metabolisms whose boobs didnt even get that humongous while nursing who'll tell you about how fast the weight came off--truthfully, I dont know any of those people! Keep on nursing and realize that all of those calories are going to make some highly nutritious and beneficial breast milk for your little man, and for that he will be forever grateful! Good luck and take care...

Hi E.. I can totally relate. Everyone told me how great it was to breast feed and how the pounds would just fly off. WRONG!!! I was trying to make enough milk to feed my twins and no matter how hard I tried, I just couldn't make enough. I had to make sure that I was eating enough to produce enough milk so I couldn't really worry about losing weight at that point. I think I actually gained weight after my twins were born and I kept that weight on the whole time I breast fed and pumped. I figured that i had plenty of time after I was done breast feeding to lose the weight. I ate really healthy but just ate a lot. I stopped nursing in January 2007 and started to get back to normal eating. I lost 50 pounds last year and I am back to my pre-pregnancy weight. Hang in there. breastfeeding is the best thing you can do for your child and worry about the weight later. The more people I talk to now, I'm finding that I was not alone in this stuggle. There are more people than you think who don't have the "easy weight loss" thing with breastfeeding. I NEVER thought it was possible for my body to return to "normal" but it actually did and I even like the way I look better now after having kids. My husband even says so too.

Breastfeeding definetly makes you hungry!!

I also found out, after putting on a bunch of weight myself, that your metabolism just TANKS after delivery of a baby. Apparently, our metabolism gets going really, really well while we're pregnant, but afterwards, it just slows WAY down. So, sure, you're burning extra calories by nursing....but you're going to need more activity/exercise again to burn the calories that aren't being burned by breastfeeding.

I had it doubly bad, too. The doctor told me I probably had a double-whammy of metabolism slow-down, because you naturally a "loss", or change, in your metabolism at certain ages...so I was slowing down for my age range, and for post-partum. I am now exercising more regularly than I ever have in my life. It is helping, not only to feel better physically, but emotionally and for all my other motivation, too. I feel proud of myself for doing it, and happier, and better physically. It isn't an "overnight" solution, but it's the best one!!

For the eating, I might try the "grazing" idea, of eating smaller "meals", but more often. Like the diet they gave me when they were worried I was at risk for gestional diabetes. (I never really had it, but my #s were "close"...) So, you just eat smaller amounts of healthy food, but every 2 or 3 hours you're eating, so you don't end up feeling "starving" and then eat too much. It might help.

The same thing happened to me with both of my babies, I actually gained 20 pounds from the first one because I was starving all of the time. The only thing you can do is eat the right things and exercise!! I cannot emphasize that enough. Eat though, you are breast feeding, you need it to make milk, just watch WHAT you eat!

There is nothing wrong with you. One of my friends had the exact same problem and wasn't able to drop the baby weight until after she stopped breastfeeding. I don't think its a good reason to stop breastfeeding though. I think you should just focus on eating the right things, and controlling your blood sugar by eating 5 smaller meals per day. If you are interested in trying to lose weight right now you should try sparkpeople.com. Its free, and has a ton of tools to help you lose weight. Just remember to add 500 calories per day to whatever they tell you to eat to account for the breastfeeding. I had the opposite problem when I was breastfeeding a lot I could eat whatever I wanted, and I picked up a lot of bad habits that I would later regret when I started weaning. Anyway, good luck!

Hi - I know exactly what you are going through. I am no longer breastfeeding, but when I was, I did not lose any weight. Everyone tells you that you will lose weight but that is just not true for everyone. I was really hungry too and made the mistake of not eating very well. Be careful what you eat, try to make it healthy foods, low fat and it will help make you feel full with less food. It will be much easier to lose the weight when you are done breastfeeding as well. I have really struggled to lose weight since I have quit breastfeeding. You may also want to have your thyroid checked out by your doctor as well as I have heard that a lot of women that have recently given birth can have issues with their tyroid not working properly.
Know that you are not alone!

For some people the weight does fly off, for others that is simply not true. Your body needs at least 500 extra calories a day to breast feed, more if you had a child like mine who went from 8lbs to 20lbs in a matter of 6 months so don't worry about being hungry all the time you need it to fuel your body. I began seeing a nutritionist between my first child and my second one and after I had my second one she told me to expect not to lose any weight in the first 6-8 months because my body was holding on to my fat stores for the breast feeding. I was working out 3-5 days a week and eating healthy the whole time and my body still wouldn't let go of the weight. Sure enough at 6 months I lost 10lbs in about 7 weeks. Just FYI I gained 70lbs with the first one and 55 lbs with the second one and had a grand total of 50lbs to lose after I had the second one. I didn't drop any weight between the first one and the second. If you ever feel the need to work with a nutritionist the one I see is Emily Edison and her website is momentum4nutrition.com. She has been a Godsend.

I don't know what the answer is but I am having the same problem. My daughter is 3 months old and I am breastfeeding, and have not been able to take off any weight. I've decided to start thinking about food only for it's nutritive value, calculating my meals for nutrients and calories...making eating more of a chore...then maybe I won't want to do it so much!

Not a thing!!! Your body is working overtime to produce food for your little one. I don't know the exact numbers, but you need something like 20-25% more calories per day to lactate. Make sure you are getting plenty to drink (at least 2-liters of water per day - or more) and make healthy choices when choosing food. The weight will come off, and breastfeeding will help.

I've breastfed two babies now, and neither time has the weight 'flown off'. I think there are many factors to whether or not that is true for each individual. However, I never gained weight while breastfeeding. Some of it could have to do with your food choices. For me, it wasn't necessarily that I was hungry 24/7, but that I just wouldn't produce enough milk unless I ate. You could also have your doctor do a blood test for a thyroid issue. I know several people who have developed them during pregnancy, and especially after birth - which could cause you to gain or lose weight at a faster rate. Good luck with your new little one! Enjoy!

You sound like me!
I was so worried but when I finally stopped nursing our second (I got pregnant with the second before I stopped nursing the first) I lost 15 pounds in 3 weeks and it was the week of Thanksgiving and Christmas parties. Didn't work this time though cause I got pregnant again before I stopped nursing my third! Hang in there it will come off!

Don't worry about the weight... seriously. With my first, it took 9 months to come off. With my second, only 5 months, but I attribute that to the fact I was running after my 4 year old all the time! haha Your body is hungry because it NEEDS these extra calories to make nice, fatty, nutrient rich milk for your baby. So eat away! But make sure you're eating healthy snacks. Stock your kitchen with apples, veggies (mini carrots, sliced up celery with peanut butter on top), oranges (any fruit, actually), healthy cheese with crackers, tuna fish on ritz...any little, easy to snack on foods. Otherwise, going to the chips and cookies is quick and easy and not good on your hips. Try smoothies for a mid morning snack - buy frozen fruit to keep in the fridge for these. Make sure you have healthy meals and little healthy snacks in between, and you'll do fine. Just think of the goal of giving your baby the best nutrients you can, and that will help your dietary choices. And hopefully if it stays dry out there for a while, getting some walks in with the stroller will be a lot easier.
But give yourself a break, okay? You JUST had a beautiful baby and losing baby weight happens on its own time (if doing it healthfully). Trust me, I completely know the feeling of looking in the mirror and being SO OVER that flippin' fat that's hanging on you! But it will happen. Have faith. You're doing great!

Please-Please-Please don't be frustrated yet. He is only three months old and your body is still figuring out how to deal with giving 3,000 calories away everyday to breast milk. Make sure you are giving your body the nutrients it needs to survive (protein, vitamins, minerals). If it is lacking any vital nutrient you will constantly be having cravings and urges to eat trying to get what you need out of the food. I've had two kids and with both gained over 50lbs each and it took 9-12 months to get most of it off. You have to remember the breasts will retain some weight as long as you are breastfeeding. Good Luck!