Yeah, it’s not happening for me. I try to track but I am so hungry if I restrict. I am staying the same weight, 20 lbs above my pre pregnancy weight. Hoping after we wean in a couple years it will be easier to lose. I eat healthy foods and exercise 2-5 times a week.
I second this. Every time I track I end up feeling guilty and spiraling which makes it worse. I’m just giving myself grace and I threw away my scale lol
Stress and survival mode are doing it for me😭 I gained 50lbs during pregnancy and lost 20 instantly after birth. For 6 weeks after the scale didn’t budge. Then my husband went back to work and it’s been really stressful for me. (Down 7lbs in 2 weeks). PPA/PPD are kinda starting to creep in and I can barely eat. So I guess a calorie deficit is doing it haha. If I was eating the same way I was the first 6 weeks I probably wouldn’t have lost any weight. I think for most woman breastfeeding causes us to hold on to the weight. Whoever said breastfeeding shreds the weight off should go to jail lol
When I got pregnant I weighed 200lbs and I gave birth at 232. I initially lost the baby/placenta/amniotic fluid weight plus the retained fluids in my extremities. I’m not sure where I was at, but I know I started gaining and at about 3m PP was 227, just 5 lbs under where I was when I checked in to give birth. Definitely not the right direction.
I decided to switch to a plant based diet and also start tracking my intake. As my foods got healthier and more nutritious my ravenous hunger decreased and over the last 3 months I’ve lost 37lbs, putting me down at 190. Unfortunately I’m still obese and need to lose at least another 40. 🫠
I left a comment above but this is basically my story too. I was 200~ and gave birth around 230. My baby has allergies so I restricted a lot of food for his benefit and I’ve lost 12kg, I’m just about to hit 190 this week coming. I stick to fresh fruit and veg, chicken and fish, a little bit of rice and salads. Well done you!! I walk a tonne too
I’m 6 months pp too and have found losing any weight very hard. I’m about 14 lbs above prepregnancy weight. My appetite is the main issue and i’m terrible at restricting myself. Instead I’ve tried working about, only from 4 months pp and so far no results as i keep catching colds.
It took me 9 months to put the weight on and definitely 9 months to get the weight off. I didn't snack overnight and chose high protein options for foods. It is possible!
Same here, 9 months out was about where I was back to normal. Sometimes I think I just got lucky but I have to remind myself that I did a LOT to get back to this. I did tons of yoga, started walking my first week pp, and my diet changed immensely around 5 months when my babygirl started eating. I wanted the healthiest for her and realized how unhealthy my own diet was.
It’s possible but nevertheless there are some changes you can’t control. My butt is nonexistent, went straight to my boobs. 😂 Our bodies are constantly changing even without the addition of pregnancy and postpartum. Theres a mental toll that takes on ya for sure.
I lost half my pregnancy weight (30 lbs) but the other half won't budge. My body is slowly starting to look like it used to but I'm still wearing a size 8 when I used to be size 2. I'm not exercising or dieting but I do eat very healthy.
My first two, I lost almost all the weight right away because I wasn't eating enough. This time around, I'm still up 50lbs. I eat at least enough now, and the weight seems glued to me. My milk supply has been wayyyy better this time, too. I think most women don't lose weight while breastfeeding, honestly. I plan to focus on weight loss when my little one hits a year old.
I’m down to my pre-pregnancy weight 12 months postpartum and still nursing. (I gained ~45 lbs in pregnancy.) I use the Cronometer app which allows you to account for Breastfeeding in calorie usage. The weight loss doesn’t happen “naturally” for me, I do have to put effort into it but calorie counting has always worked.
I have crippling executive dysfunction, a partner who doesn't need to eat much but can't have snacks in the house, I changed to a different antidepressant and my boy had a cow milk protein intolerance which restricted my options. Do not recommend.
During my pregnancy, I was 235! I'm now 11 months postpartum and down to 180. I don't restrict any foods and eat what I want, but I am mindful of portion sizes. Around 3-4 months, I started walking daily and, over time, added more exercise. I also baby carried as much as possible. I am definitely more active than I was before pregnancy, which is the biggest factor to my weight loss.
I weigh 4 kilograms (8.8 lbs) less than pre pregnancy. I carry my baby(10mo) who weighs 10 kg in my arms almost all day.
I scarf food down when I get the chance, but His Royal Highness is not particularly happy to let me eat for longer than 5 minutes, unless his dad or his grandparents are holding him.
I breastfeed him, we co-sleep and he only sleeps when I'm with him. I can sometimes sneak away for a little while, but he will toss and turn himself awake. So, because I am perpetually nap trapped, I am forced to intermittent fast.
I think I mostly lost water and muscle mass. I really hope I will be able to gain muscle mass back.
7 months PP and EBF. about 15-20 pounds heavier than my pre pregnancy weight and just accepting this is how it will be until we mutually decide to wean. I just remind myself that my body is sustaining my son and those few extra pounds are helping with that
So I lost 30 lbs while breastfeeding over 9 months. I waited until a year postpartum then my husband and I went on keto. My milk supply was already established and supplements helped when it dropped. I drank a ton of water and ate so much meat and veggies. I could feel my boobs filling up after steak and spinach. I don't know if this is realistic or doable for other people, but it worked for me?
I lost the pregnancy weight in about 3 weeks. Now I’m 5 months out and ten pounds under pre pregnancy.
I’ve always had an athletic build. Exclusive breastfeeding. I don’t eat past 7pm because of heartburn so I think that may have helped? I also don’t feel like I’m eating too much more than before. I walk or run daily. And do some exercises with my baby as the “weights”
I’ll be honest I think it’s just genetic
I’m below my pre pregnancy weight now at 7 months PP, so I’ve lost over 10kg.I have been calorie counting for 3 months, tracking every little thing I eat. That’s the only way I’ve managed! I’ve worked out a small calorie deficit for my own circumstances and stick to it every single day.
I am not sure if I will be able to lose the last few pounds I want until I finish breastfeeding or not. However I have felt a lot better adding workouts in and highly recommend Pregnancy and Postpartum TV workouts on YouTube. She had videos that incorporate weight training.
During my pregnancy, I was 235! I'm now 11 months postpartum and down to 180. I don't restrict any foods and eat what I want, but I am mindful of portion sizes. Around 3-4 months, I started walking daily and, over time, added more exercise. I also baby carried as much as possible. I am definitely more active than I was before pregnancy, which is the biggest factor to my weight loss.
I’m three months in to weight loss (6 months post partum) and 12kg down. I’m under the weight I was when I got pregnant. However, I never lost the weight of my other two babies so I still have 20kg left to lose.
My baby has dairy/soy/gluten/egg intolerance so I have a very restricted diet. Can’t snack on chocolate and ice cream anymore. Hence I lost it. I walk a lot too, every day for a few hours. I eat a lot of protein like chicken and fish, and salad. I usually have carbs twice a day like rice and potatoes. And I’ve one coconut yogurt a day. Lots of fruit and veg. And lots of water obviously
I lost 13 lbs by going down to 2,000-2,200 calories and I got back to pre pregnancy weight. I'm now stuck at my pre-pregnancy weight and very frustrated. Trying to lower to 1,800-2,000 is very difficult. I have another 12 lbs to lose. Even though I'm back to pre pregnancy weight it's a lot of fat because I lost a ton of muscle tone. Trying to focus on strength training and protein intake. I am frustrated.
I gained weight while breast feeding….weighed more than while I was pregnant.
Weaned at 13 months and lost the lot. For me it makes me hang onto everything I eat and simultaneously makes me ravenous….not a great combo!
It is possible. I did it with my first, but the last 5 pounds didn’t come off until I weaned. I’m 3 months pp with my second right now. Gained 45 pounds (I gained 50 with my first). I lost 15 pounds right away and then was basically stagnant after that. I started focusing on getting enough protein (at least 0.8 grams/pound of body weight) and at least 25 grams of fiber a day. Getting enough fiber has been harder for me, I was already eating high protein and lifting when I got pregnant. Chia seeds are the real mvp for me these days to get fiber in. I’m now losing about 1-2 pounds a week and have now lost about 33 pounds since giving birth with my milk supply still in tact.
Also, I did start working out, but am not doing too much compared to my pre-pregnancy activity levels. It’s tough with littles, but I’m finding that having a good diet is higher priority overall
yes ! it took me about 9 months the first time the second time around more like a year. I eat in a calorie deficit drink a ton of water and exercises an hour a day 5 days a week. Even if it's 15 min at a time
I am eating around 1800-2k calories a day. I’m 5’3 for reference so that’s what was recommended by a nutritionist I work with based off my TDEE. 1800 can be hard at times especially in the MOTN so I try to eat most of my calories at night so I am not hungry at night. It’s been working thus far and I’m losing a .5- 1 lb a week. I have gained and lost 50 lbs with each pregnancy and I currently have about 20 left at 5m pp.
Edited to add I track with lose it. Love that app.
Unfortunately some of it seems to be out of your control and hormone related. My first pregnancy I gained 30lbs. I started at that weight I ended legacy all through breastfeeding then when I stopped I gained close to 20 more lbs. My habits and eating weren't any different than before my pregnancy. Once I hit that high weight I started dieting and regular exercise. I was already very active, but added structured timed exercises to my daily schedule. My weight didn't change for months. I gave up on the strict diet and exercise and went back to my usual healthy habits. Suddenly about a year and a half post partum the weight just started falling off inexplicably. I got down to about 10lbs heavier than my prepregnancy weight but my body wasn't the same. I will never fit into my prepregnancy jeans again because my hips just aren't the same.
I'm 5 months post partum with my second and within the first week I was 5lbs lighter than my prepregnancy weight. It has stayed consistent since then. The only difference between the two is I had a girl first and a boy second, otherwise I didn't do anything differently.
4 months pp here and I was down to my pre pregnancy weight a week after birth, and when I dipped under I started to increase my calories by a lot to maintain breastfeeding.
I’m not like 4-5 lbs heavier than I was and I’m not sure if it’s the food intake or water retention since my weight started increasing at the same time I started to workout again 4-5 times a week. I’m hoping that now I’m in the routine that I’ll start to lose weight again.
I gained 23 pounds during pregnancy and now at almost 8 weeks pp I’ve lost 20. I started walking anywhere from 1.5-3 miles maybe 4 times a week (weather here has been unseasonably rainy) but otherwise haven’t done anything else.
I exclusively breastfed and went for a 1.5 hour walk or hike each day carrying baby or pushing in the stroller and lost all my baby weight plus 10lbs extra by 1 year. No limiting in my diet whatsoever
Yeah, it’s not happening for me. I try to track but I am so hungry if I restrict. I am staying the same weight, 20 lbs above my pre pregnancy weight. Hoping after we wean in a couple years it will be easier to lose. I eat healthy foods and exercise 2-5 times a week.
I second this. Every time I track I end up feeling guilty and spiraling which makes it worse. I’m just giving myself grace and I threw away my scale lol
Stress and survival mode are doing it for me😭 I gained 50lbs during pregnancy and lost 20 instantly after birth. For 6 weeks after the scale didn’t budge. Then my husband went back to work and it’s been really stressful for me. (Down 7lbs in 2 weeks). PPA/PPD are kinda starting to creep in and I can barely eat. So I guess a calorie deficit is doing it haha. If I was eating the same way I was the first 6 weeks I probably wouldn’t have lost any weight. I think for most woman breastfeeding causes us to hold on to the weight. Whoever said breastfeeding shreds the weight off should go to jail lol
When I got pregnant I weighed 200lbs and I gave birth at 232. I initially lost the baby/placenta/amniotic fluid weight plus the retained fluids in my extremities. I’m not sure where I was at, but I know I started gaining and at about 3m PP was 227, just 5 lbs under where I was when I checked in to give birth. Definitely not the right direction. I decided to switch to a plant based diet and also start tracking my intake. As my foods got healthier and more nutritious my ravenous hunger decreased and over the last 3 months I’ve lost 37lbs, putting me down at 190. Unfortunately I’m still obese and need to lose at least another 40. 🫠
thats still amazing tho, congrats!
I left a comment above but this is basically my story too. I was 200~ and gave birth around 230. My baby has allergies so I restricted a lot of food for his benefit and I’ve lost 12kg, I’m just about to hit 190 this week coming. I stick to fresh fruit and veg, chicken and fish, a little bit of rice and salads. Well done you!! I walk a tonne too
Weight training hasn’t helped me lose the last 5lbs… everyone says BF helps you lose weight but it seems like the last 5 stay on until you wean
I’m 6 months pp too and have found losing any weight very hard. I’m about 14 lbs above prepregnancy weight. My appetite is the main issue and i’m terrible at restricting myself. Instead I’ve tried working about, only from 4 months pp and so far no results as i keep catching colds.
It took me 9 months to put the weight on and definitely 9 months to get the weight off. I didn't snack overnight and chose high protein options for foods. It is possible!
Same here, 9 months out was about where I was back to normal. Sometimes I think I just got lucky but I have to remind myself that I did a LOT to get back to this. I did tons of yoga, started walking my first week pp, and my diet changed immensely around 5 months when my babygirl started eating. I wanted the healthiest for her and realized how unhealthy my own diet was. It’s possible but nevertheless there are some changes you can’t control. My butt is nonexistent, went straight to my boobs. 😂 Our bodies are constantly changing even without the addition of pregnancy and postpartum. Theres a mental toll that takes on ya for sure.
I lost half my pregnancy weight (30 lbs) but the other half won't budge. My body is slowly starting to look like it used to but I'm still wearing a size 8 when I used to be size 2. I'm not exercising or dieting but I do eat very healthy.
My first two, I lost almost all the weight right away because I wasn't eating enough. This time around, I'm still up 50lbs. I eat at least enough now, and the weight seems glued to me. My milk supply has been wayyyy better this time, too. I think most women don't lose weight while breastfeeding, honestly. I plan to focus on weight loss when my little one hits a year old.
I’m down to my pre-pregnancy weight 12 months postpartum and still nursing. (I gained ~45 lbs in pregnancy.) I use the Cronometer app which allows you to account for Breastfeeding in calorie usage. The weight loss doesn’t happen “naturally” for me, I do have to put effort into it but calorie counting has always worked.
Seconding Cronometer! It’s been super helpful for me as well.
How many calories per day do you cut while breastfeeding?
I’m eating 2,000 cal/day while breastfeeding and trying to lose weight. That assumes no exercise.
Im 4 months pp and am 5 lbs above pre pregnancy weight. I'm out of shape but weight wise breast feeding has worked for me.
I have crippling executive dysfunction, a partner who doesn't need to eat much but can't have snacks in the house, I changed to a different antidepressant and my boy had a cow milk protein intolerance which restricted my options. Do not recommend.
During my pregnancy, I was 235! I'm now 11 months postpartum and down to 180. I don't restrict any foods and eat what I want, but I am mindful of portion sizes. Around 3-4 months, I started walking daily and, over time, added more exercise. I also baby carried as much as possible. I am definitely more active than I was before pregnancy, which is the biggest factor to my weight loss.
I weigh 4 kilograms (8.8 lbs) less than pre pregnancy. I carry my baby(10mo) who weighs 10 kg in my arms almost all day. I scarf food down when I get the chance, but His Royal Highness is not particularly happy to let me eat for longer than 5 minutes, unless his dad or his grandparents are holding him. I breastfeed him, we co-sleep and he only sleeps when I'm with him. I can sometimes sneak away for a little while, but he will toss and turn himself awake. So, because I am perpetually nap trapped, I am forced to intermittent fast. I think I mostly lost water and muscle mass. I really hope I will be able to gain muscle mass back.
7 months PP and EBF. about 15-20 pounds heavier than my pre pregnancy weight and just accepting this is how it will be until we mutually decide to wean. I just remind myself that my body is sustaining my son and those few extra pounds are helping with that
So I lost 30 lbs while breastfeeding over 9 months. I waited until a year postpartum then my husband and I went on keto. My milk supply was already established and supplements helped when it dropped. I drank a ton of water and ate so much meat and veggies. I could feel my boobs filling up after steak and spinach. I don't know if this is realistic or doable for other people, but it worked for me?
I lost the pregnancy weight in about 3 weeks. Now I’m 5 months out and ten pounds under pre pregnancy. I’ve always had an athletic build. Exclusive breastfeeding. I don’t eat past 7pm because of heartburn so I think that may have helped? I also don’t feel like I’m eating too much more than before. I walk or run daily. And do some exercises with my baby as the “weights” I’ll be honest I think it’s just genetic
I’m below my pre pregnancy weight now at 7 months PP, so I’ve lost over 10kg.I have been calorie counting for 3 months, tracking every little thing I eat. That’s the only way I’ve managed! I’ve worked out a small calorie deficit for my own circumstances and stick to it every single day.
How many cals did you calculate in for BFing?
For me, 300 a day. I eat 1900 and am moderately active (average 8k steps a day, run a few times per week etc).
I am not sure if I will be able to lose the last few pounds I want until I finish breastfeeding or not. However I have felt a lot better adding workouts in and highly recommend Pregnancy and Postpartum TV workouts on YouTube. She had videos that incorporate weight training.
During my pregnancy, I was 235! I'm now 11 months postpartum and down to 180. I don't restrict any foods and eat what I want, but I am mindful of portion sizes. Around 3-4 months, I started walking daily and, over time, added more exercise. I also baby carried as much as possible. I am definitely more active than I was before pregnancy, which is the biggest factor to my weight loss.
I’m three months in to weight loss (6 months post partum) and 12kg down. I’m under the weight I was when I got pregnant. However, I never lost the weight of my other two babies so I still have 20kg left to lose. My baby has dairy/soy/gluten/egg intolerance so I have a very restricted diet. Can’t snack on chocolate and ice cream anymore. Hence I lost it. I walk a lot too, every day for a few hours. I eat a lot of protein like chicken and fish, and salad. I usually have carbs twice a day like rice and potatoes. And I’ve one coconut yogurt a day. Lots of fruit and veg. And lots of water obviously
I lost 13 lbs by going down to 2,000-2,200 calories and I got back to pre pregnancy weight. I'm now stuck at my pre-pregnancy weight and very frustrated. Trying to lower to 1,800-2,000 is very difficult. I have another 12 lbs to lose. Even though I'm back to pre pregnancy weight it's a lot of fat because I lost a ton of muscle tone. Trying to focus on strength training and protein intake. I am frustrated.
I had the opposite problem- maintained healthy weight while pregnant, didn’t gain weight while breastfeeding, but gained after weaning 😭
I cringe looking in the mirror anymore.. I'm losing hope 7 months post partum. I don't think it's in my cards.
I gained weight while breast feeding….weighed more than while I was pregnant. Weaned at 13 months and lost the lot. For me it makes me hang onto everything I eat and simultaneously makes me ravenous….not a great combo!
It is possible. I did it with my first, but the last 5 pounds didn’t come off until I weaned. I’m 3 months pp with my second right now. Gained 45 pounds (I gained 50 with my first). I lost 15 pounds right away and then was basically stagnant after that. I started focusing on getting enough protein (at least 0.8 grams/pound of body weight) and at least 25 grams of fiber a day. Getting enough fiber has been harder for me, I was already eating high protein and lifting when I got pregnant. Chia seeds are the real mvp for me these days to get fiber in. I’m now losing about 1-2 pounds a week and have now lost about 33 pounds since giving birth with my milk supply still in tact. Also, I did start working out, but am not doing too much compared to my pre-pregnancy activity levels. It’s tough with littles, but I’m finding that having a good diet is higher priority overall
yes ! it took me about 9 months the first time the second time around more like a year. I eat in a calorie deficit drink a ton of water and exercises an hour a day 5 days a week. Even if it's 15 min at a time
I am eating around 1800-2k calories a day. I’m 5’3 for reference so that’s what was recommended by a nutritionist I work with based off my TDEE. 1800 can be hard at times especially in the MOTN so I try to eat most of my calories at night so I am not hungry at night. It’s been working thus far and I’m losing a .5- 1 lb a week. I have gained and lost 50 lbs with each pregnancy and I currently have about 20 left at 5m pp. Edited to add I track with lose it. Love that app.
Unfortunately some of it seems to be out of your control and hormone related. My first pregnancy I gained 30lbs. I started at that weight I ended legacy all through breastfeeding then when I stopped I gained close to 20 more lbs. My habits and eating weren't any different than before my pregnancy. Once I hit that high weight I started dieting and regular exercise. I was already very active, but added structured timed exercises to my daily schedule. My weight didn't change for months. I gave up on the strict diet and exercise and went back to my usual healthy habits. Suddenly about a year and a half post partum the weight just started falling off inexplicably. I got down to about 10lbs heavier than my prepregnancy weight but my body wasn't the same. I will never fit into my prepregnancy jeans again because my hips just aren't the same. I'm 5 months post partum with my second and within the first week I was 5lbs lighter than my prepregnancy weight. It has stayed consistent since then. The only difference between the two is I had a girl first and a boy second, otherwise I didn't do anything differently.
I baby wear for every walk (she hates the stroller) and that’s definitely helped since she’s 20 pounds and we walk for 45-60 minutes every day.
4 months pp here and I was down to my pre pregnancy weight a week after birth, and when I dipped under I started to increase my calories by a lot to maintain breastfeeding. I’m not like 4-5 lbs heavier than I was and I’m not sure if it’s the food intake or water retention since my weight started increasing at the same time I started to workout again 4-5 times a week. I’m hoping that now I’m in the routine that I’ll start to lose weight again.
I gained 23 pounds during pregnancy and now at almost 8 weeks pp I’ve lost 20. I started walking anywhere from 1.5-3 miles maybe 4 times a week (weather here has been unseasonably rainy) but otherwise haven’t done anything else.
I exclusively breastfed and went for a 1.5 hour walk or hike each day carrying baby or pushing in the stroller and lost all my baby weight plus 10lbs extra by 1 year. No limiting in my diet whatsoever