Dieting While Breastfeeding

Hi N.,

If it makes you feel any better, I lost weight very easily while breastfeeding my twins after a c-section a couple years ago. Supposedly it really speeds up the metabolism. I'd never eaten so many high-fat foods while still losing weight! I'm still 9 lbs less than I was when I became pregnant, with little effort. Believe me, that was never the case before!

I hope you experience the same good fortune that I have! It's important that you don't diet while breastfeeding, since the baby needs those calories. If it's only for 6-months that shouldn't be too bad. Plus by then the weather will be nice again and you can start walking, etc.

Best of luck with everything!

B.

Breastfeeding will help you drop some weight, but don't count out exercise. You can bundle up the baby and go walking outside through out the year. As long as they are bundled, the fresh air is great for babies, and often helps them sleep better! You can do it!!

Try using a trampoline with straps and possibly a video. I love mine! I also eat small healthy portions/snacks several times a day instead of meals, so I never go hungry.

I'm 4 1/2 months into breastfeeding and have declared October to be "drop 2 dress sizes" month. Realistically, what this means for me is to cut back on my pitfalls -- sweets -- and replace them with whole grain snacks and carrot sticks with hummus. There really isn't a good way to cut back on calories while breastfeeding; in my experience, it made me hungrier and decreased my milk supply, so the baby didn't eat or sleep as much as he needed. You have to take in your 1500-2000 calories PLUS 500 for baby. But you can choose to make those calories count. I allow myself one small sweet each day (cinnamon grahams dunked in hot apple cider! yum!)

What I have done, though, to see if I can lose some of the baby weight and cellulite, is to decide to get back my muscle tone in abs, glutes, and thighs. I have two videos -- 10 minute pilates and pre-natal 10 minute pilates. It's 5 ten-minute segments, so you can choose what kind of workout you're able to do that day. I decided on a minimum of 10 minutes exercise per day.

As for food, you must get 100% of the nourishment your body needs. After a C-section, it'll be hard to exercise, but maybe a few months in you'll be ready, and that's when you recognize that a healthy mom makes for healthy kids, and you can kick in with the exercise. Muscle tone matters more than number of pounds anyways -- in health and in looks!

Good luck. Don't let anybody beat you up about food and weight issues -- including yourself. Make health a goal, and make it a legitimate priority. 10 minutes a day, once your body is ready!

Hi! I have had ten babies..I know that's a lot. I did breastfeed until about 8 months to 13 months on average. The times I really lost weight as I was breastfeeding was when I included exercise. The first few weeks the weight would peel off as the night feedings were more intense. As I steered my babies into a schedule that included a night feeding my weight would stablize. I always tried to go to bed near ll:00 with a feeding at 2 then a 5:00 am feeding so I was not up at all hours of the night. Anyway, when each one got older and started food at 6 months I would then begin to cut back on my calories and walk. Honestly I never got to my pre-birth weight until after I weaned except for when I was in a wedding at 3 months and I walked 2 miles everyday, and cut back my calories, but the baby was fussy and I think my milk was down because I was trying so hard to lose the weight to fit the dress..I did it, but the day after the wedding I started eating a lot!! After I weaned I lost the final pounds as normal. Women who lose a lot of weight while breastfeeding I think continue for at least a year. It is a balance act to feel good, have enough milk to keep the baby content and lose weight...I am sure a super healthy diet would be perfect, but I always had cravings and was starving after a feeding : )

Hi N.,
If you feel you are overweight because you tend to overeat, remember that while you are exclusively breastfeeding, your body will burn 500 more calories per day. So, instead of dieting, just don't increase your caloric intake. Do make sure you eat enough and drink enough to make breastmilk, and try to make healthy choices. I constantly had a huge glass of water with some cranbury juice mixed in with me while I was breastfeeding. Later, when you start introducing foods to your baby's diet, is when you will need to start adjusting your own - in order to keep the pounds off that will have melted away while breastfeeding.

Also, who says a baby can't go outside when it's cold??? You must dress him appropriately and protect his face from frostbite, but the fresh air will do you both good. There are wonderful liners that go in carseats and strollers for the winter, or you could opt for a sling or baby carrier that keeps him close to you for added warmth and get yourself some kind of coat or wrap that will go around you both. Just make sure your baby can breathe when bundled up!

Best wishes for the new addition!

Hi N.!
You have a few things in your favor! First of all, you dropped your "baby fat" easily with your previous two pregnancies. Secondly, you will be breastfeeding for 6 months - if anything burns calories it is nursing!! Finally, your older two children will be in school so you'll have time to rest and exercise indoors while your baby is sleeping. I had my fourth child at age 42 and lost all of the weight during those winter/early spring months while nursing (still have some of the belly though!). Drink tons of water and eat lots of veggie soups. It helped me to buy only lunch-box size bags of snacks for the kids that I was not tempted to overeat. I found lots of tips to lose weight and avoid emotional eating on the website www.lose-weight-for-life.com. The site does not sell anything - it's just advice. The first few months with a new baby are always rough, but after that you will be sleeping more and I am sure you will see how quickly the weight comes off with just nursing and running the family. Best of luck!!

Just an idea about walks in the winter: look into a good baby carrier, and then you can "wear" your baby, zip a maternity coat over both of you, and go for long walks. The extra weight of your baby will even help you get more exercise. This is what I have done with both my children. There is a great store on the Upper East Side (75th and Park) called Metro Minis. They have free "babywearing 101" classes and the largest selection of babycarriers in the City. I know you said money is tight right now, so my suggestion is to find a carrier you like, and then look for it online, gently used. There's an international online community, thebabywearer.com, that has a "FSOT" (For Sale or Trade) board where folks sell the carriers they have outgrown. I've bought most of my carriers there :D

Good luck!

Please do not diet while breastfeeding, because your baby needs all the nutrient they need. You are better off to not rush loosing the wait and concentrate on enjoying your little one. Just eat single servings and exercise. The pounds will automatically roll off.

Hi, I'm sure you know the health of your baby should be the priority, not your weight. You will have plenty of time to get the weight off and probably will just by breast feeding alone. Try not to be so stressed about the weight, it happens.
M.

As good as breastfeeding is at helping to lose extra weight in body fat, it is also a major way a lot of women put on weight after because you have a tendency to eat more. Try to eliminate high calorie foods and foods with empty calories, completely. I know it is hard with the holidays coming shortly, but it takes a lot of strength and determination and you will gain confidence if you do. Instead of watching TV, put the music on and dance with your new little baby. Your other ones will be in school so you don't have other younger children to tend to. It doesn't matter if you know how to dance or not and the motion will put the baby to sleep. I had both of my girls in October, I lost practically all of the weight I gained from pregnancy from this and had a nice fit body to show for it as well as the added bonding between me and my daughters.

congratulations!! but honey you cant diet while nursing. you should maintain a 2000 calorie a day diet. the weight will come off while nursing. eat healthy to keep your strength up...oatmeal for breakfast with fresh fruit, chicken or fish and veggies for lunches/dinners or salads with tuna or grilled chicken in them..when you nurse you are feeding your child every 2-3 hours in the beginning so you will need your rest and energy. dont worry about the weight loss for a few months still, it will come off! order yourself a tae bo kickboxing video to do at home in the winter, it really rips you into shape quickly!! good luck mamma

Breastfeeding burns a LOT of calories. It can be harmful to your baby if you loose too much weight too fast. If you are like me and simply exercise some with the breastfeeding, you will be just fine. Best wishes!

Hi N.,
I had a difficult time breast feeding all my children but I pumped and they still got it via a bottle. I kept my diet fairly steady and didn't worry too much about loosing weight but had I actually done that, I probably would have cut out more meat or leaner cuts. I have since gone vegetarian and I still get lots of protein so if you could cut the meat altogether, that would be good for you, too. And it does sound dumb, but eat breakfast and if you're going to be home, it's a good idea to eat small meals throughout the day. I usually eat every two to three hours, but I eat healthy things like a fruit bread and coffee, yogurt with wheat germ, and some nuts. I find this slightly easier than the standard three meals a day. Since most babies will want to breast feed every 2 to 3 hours anyway, just snack on something just after you feed. And don't worry about not walking. There are malls that open early so you can walk indoors and it's fairly safe, too.
Good luck!
J. S.

You will lose weight quicker by breastfeeding. You burn about 500 more calories a day just be breastfeeding alone. Watch your portion sizes as well. 3 oz of meat at a meal, 1 c of pasta etc. Try weight watchers. They are great at just learning how to portion your food and eat properly

N., I think you are being hard on yourself and worrying for nothing. It is not good for your baby to feel your stress. I lost all my weight after 3 months with my son. Just give yourself time. If you are caring for your family the way they need you to, you can't help but losebecause you forget to eat! Or you ae too tired or busy to make anything. Just make sure no one brings fatty/sugery foods to you once you deliver the baby and you will be fine. Breast feeding can only help take the weight off. Take in healthy calories to support your milk production. Good luck!

Actually the fact that you are going to be breastfeeding will help you take the weight off because you will burn up to 500 extra calories per day. I had taken off all of my pregnancy weight (26 lbs.) by about 4 or 5 weeks after. Now, I have lost an additional 8 to 10 lbs. without doing anything like dieting or excersize (except for walks with the baby).

Hey N.. That does sound frustrating! As you've probably found from your expeiences dieting...dieting doesn't usually work anyway long-term. I know it never has for me anyway. Make certain you eat the # of calories that your OB says you should to breast feed. You're going to need them & so will your baby. Breast feeding itself will help you lose some of the weight, especially if you do it long enough. Just try to slow down when you're eating, only eat stuff you would want to feed your baby (babies don't need chips or soda, so you don't either) & then do the rest with exercise. I know that sounds impossible with the winter comming, but don't give up. The better shape you're in, the more energy you will have for all 3 of those kiddos!. I am a big fan of Zumba. It's a latin dancing arobic thing that you can get on video tape/DVD. What's neat about it is that it's really sexy & silly. There is no way I can take myself seriously while doing this & it's fun to do alone or w/a another mom. There is something very liberating about getting back in touch with your sexy side after having a baby too. I've lost 14lbs so far, and other than watching how many desserts I eat...it's the only thing I am doing differently. Bonus, my husband gets a kick out of some of the sexy dance moves!

I'm a mom of 2 wonderful little boys (ages 2 & 5) & wife to an awesome hubby & father. L. B.

I have an 8 week old and had a c-section. I read on Babycenter that losing more than 2 lbs a week releases toxins from your muscles into your bloodstream so don't do any drastic diet. I didn't really start to work out until 6 weeks after the birth. Even then I eased myself into it. I understand the gym thing - they are very pricey these days. I'd suggest running! It's free, takes less time and is probably one of the better things you can do. I grew up very athletic but always hated to run. You just need to stick w/ it...eventually you get a runner's high where you want to keep going. Note: you're not supposed to use a running stroller until baby is 6 months. Until you feel good to really work out do little things - take the stairs, when you rock the baby turn it into a work out, get a work out magazine and see the exercises you can do from home, get a video and do it while baby is asleep (you might not get it all done if baby wakes up but at least it's something). Along w/ exercise EAT well! Watch your calories (still get at least 1200) and avoid SUGAR! There are good tasting sugar free cookies out there for when you have cravings!!! Good luck.

Nutrition is hat is most important. You CAN cut out all JUNK FOOD and refined sugar. Keep up on your daily calcium or your tooth health will fail.
Balance with 3 children you are in it for the long haul. Losing weight cannot be your priority. Maintinging energy levels in a positive nutritional mind set will leave you with good health.

You can take classes at a "Y" and not be a member.

Also A TOPS group might help you.

First congratulations! For everyone it's different, but for me I dropped the baby weight easily while breastfeeding. You may be a lucky one and drop the weight just by breastfeeding. Just remember to eat healthy and make sure you are getting enough calories to feed the baby and also enough for yourself so you don't run out of energy! Maybe talk to your doctor about what could help loose the weight. As for exercise, maybe try one of the workout video's that include baby in them, or is there a mall you could walk around? Good luck!

Breastfeeding will definitely help you lose weight. Diet is of course important, just make sure you don't cut out the essential nutrients. Reduce/eliminate the starches, especially at night (you use less energy then, so your body is more likely to save that starch as fat rather than convert it into energy). And you might not be able to take long walks outside with your baby, but unless the weather is extreme, 15 minutes walks daily are good for both you and the baby. And there is always to mall for some indoor strolling (just don't bring any money/credit cards to avoid temptation!!).

N.,
My youngest was born on Dec.4th and my oldest was born on Dec. 6th, they are 16 years apart minus 2 days. Anyway I had a baby carrier that I would put on and then put my coat on over that, leaving it open for the baby's head. I used to go for walks as long as it wasn't too cold out or windy. When it was too cold I would do laps around the house, ie. power walking was great. You can also wrap a blanket around you and the baby when you go out for walks to protect him/her. Where we live it gets pretty windy so I understand your concern about walking with the baby and loosing the weight. I was 23 when I had my daughter and 39 when I had my son, I lost just about all the weight. Right now I am only 10 lbs. heavier than I was when we got married. Though I am getting some gray hairs, I still feel like a 23 year old and that is after almost 27 years of marriage and 5 kids.
Hugs,
T.

Hi N.,
Breastfeeding moms tend to take the weight off more rapidly, because breastfeeding burns calories. But you really can't limit your calorie intake because you need those calories to make plenty of milk. When I had my last baby, I gained 42 pounds during the pregnancy and then lost 39 pounds by my 6 week postpartum checkup with my midwife. After that, I started doing a Leslie Sansone walking tape as a workout, took less than a half hour.
Good luck!

Hi N.,
Dieting while breastfeeding is almost impossible. The hunger you feel while pregnant is nothing compared to the hunger you feel while breastfeeding. The reason you are hungry is because your metabolism is quicker and you really are eating for two. You need all the nutrients so that you can give your baby the best. Wait until after you are done breastfeeding and then you can diet all you want, and not feel like you're beating your head against the wall. You are not morbidly obese and the pounds will come off, don't worry. Take time every couple of days (after you heal) to go for a short walk without your newborn just to keep active. You'll be fine. You need to eat all types of food for the baby, including those horrible carbs. Just eat the healthy ones, brown rice, whole wheat bread, etc. Do not eat sugar free foods because the sugar substitutes are not safe, especially for your newborn. Eat healthy, natural foods.

Here's some advice I got from Weight Watchers. When "dieting" while nursing, add an extra ###-###-#### calories per day to a normal, healthy "diet" where you would be losing 1-2 lbs. per week at the most. If you cut out too many calories, your body will hoard the energy and you won't lose any weight anyway. Lots of people say that they naturally lose weight while nursing, but that was never me - I ALWAYS gain weight while nursing unless I count WW points at the same time. I love the ideas the other moms have about baby wearing on a walk. I also pop in a cd and dance with my kids for exercise - the bigger kids love it and baby loves the snuggles. Good luck, but remember that your most important job is being mommy, not Miss Universe.

To be honest, my biggest problem with breastfeeding was keeping the weight on. I nursed two boys (exclusively, no bottles) and ended up eating more while nursing than when I was pregnant just to keep up with their needs. Your baby is going to need A LOT of nutrients from you and will be essentially feeding off of all that baby fat you've accumulated during pregnancy. Try not to stress out about it (easier said than done) as stress can make nursing harder. Enjoy feeding your baby and appreciate all that it is doing for both of you.

Hi N.,

My son was born last November and we went for lots of long
walks all winter long.

I got one of these carrier covers:
http://www.amazon.com/Kiddopotamus-Poshpouch%C2%AE-Premiu...

With a little hat, warm jammies, the carrier cover and
the stoller shade, he stayed plenty warm. In fact, he
always fell asleep. I think the fresh air was good for him.

Also, you may want to check out a stroller strides class.
I live in CT and the Northern Fairfield Stoller Strides
group is listed in www.meetup.com.
I think it's $5/class. An exercise class in the mall before
stores open, where your baby is part of the workout.

Hi N. -
Don't worry breastfeeding will help a lot. I had too had a c-section and with my baby born in mid-January exercising outdoors was out of the question. I went into my pregnancy at 185lbs (25 lbs more than I should be) went up to abou 216 and now 8 1/2 months after my daughter was born I weigh 160.

Just keep a healthy diet, breast feed and try to exercise when you feel up to it. After you recover from your C-section there are a lot of ways to exercise while playing with your baby. And just rocking her in your arms exercises those pesky abs. Later you can bounce her on your legs, do leg lift rides, and lying on your back, lift her above your head and straigten your arms - this will help your arms nd your back... just be creative.

Good luck!!

I had a c-section too and I was worried about losing weight but it just fell off slowly. You just have to be more patient. My son is 8 months old and it took me about 6 or 7 months before I got back to my original weight, and my stomach is still a little bigger than it used to be, but I a still slowly losing. Breastfeeding helps so much! Just make sure you are eating healthy- lots of fresh fruits & veggies, lean meats, skim milk & fat free yogurt, whole grains, olive oil instead of butter or margarine. Don't keep lots of sweets in the house. Make it a family affair so that you are not tempted to eat bad foods that you bought for the kids. Make sure you keep taking your prenatal vitamins and take in enough calcium, vitamin D and iron, which the baby gets from your breast milk. If you don't take in enough calcium, it gets extracted from your teeth and bones to give to the baby, so it's very important to get enough. Just be patient and don't expect miracles. Work on losing 1-2 pounds per week, no more. This is a slow pace that will ensure that you won't gain it right back. You can go to the mall during the day (maybe early before it opens) to walk and get some exercise. The other thing you can do is buy a dvd for a postpartum workout. Another thing is that most cable companies have an "on demand" exercise channel with lots of workouts at many fitness levels. Some of them are only 10 minutes long. You can certainly fit them in during the baby's nap. Just take it easy and slow in the beginning and don't start until your doctor gives you the OK. You need to eat enough in order to have the strength to breastfeed, so you can't restrict your calorie intake too much. Breastfeeding burns about 500 calories a day anyway, so you will lose weight as long as you are eating healthy. You especially have to drink a lot of water all day long. Definitely buy The Breastfeeding Book by Dr. Sears. This is a great book that helped me so much!! They believe in cosleeping, but even if you don't (I didn't), the rest of the advice in the book is wonderful and extremely helpful. another great resource is http://www.kellymom.com. This also helped me a lot with breastfeeding, and many other things too. You don't necessarily have to stop breastfeeding when you go back to work either. Even if you don't pump at work, you can still just breastfeed early in the morning before work and in the evening before the baby goes to sleep. Your body will make the milk and continue to burn the calories. At that point you can also start doing more outdoor exercise too, so that will help. Good luck and congratulations!

Congratulations with the new baby & good luck to both of you! Breast feeding should take off the pregnancy weight pretty fast, but even if it doesn't it's okay. I just wanted to share with you a DVD I discovered on amazon.com that I have no connection to (aside from buying it) that I found helped me exercise at home & bond with my baby at the same time: it's called "Mambo Moms". It has simple latin dances, stretching and floor exercising designed to do WITH your baby, at home, in small spaces. So no babysitter needed, no regards to the weather, etc... but you can not use it with the baby until they are at least 4 weeks old (with a preemie that would be week 44 GA, not their actual 4th week). Be well :)

Congratulations!

As other moms have responded, breast feeding is a great way to loose the weight. It's naturally designed to be that way. My pre-pregnancy weight was 127. I gained about 20 lbs. while pregnant. 13 months after giving birth I weigh 117. And I'm still nursing, so more weight is going to come off. I'm pretty much hungry all the time. I eat 3 meals a day and lots of snacks. So, I am one of those who has a hard time keeping the weight on. The only exercise I get is walking with the baby, which I did several times a week.

Some people don't loose weight even though they breastfeed. I don't know why. Maybe they are giving formula, as well. Maybe they eat bad diets. Maybe they don't exercise.

You need to be sure to eat and drink enough of nutritious, healthy food, though, because you need the fuel and water to create the milk for your baby.

Don't ever take diet pills -- they are bad for you and especially bad for your baby (whatever you take in passes through your milk to your baby). You say you are an obsessive dieter, but still overweight when not pregnant. This makes me wonder about, in general. Are you the kind of person who chooses to take the stairs over the elevator? Do you drive around and around trying to find a parking spot up close, or do you take a spot that might be a little farther from the door. Little choices reflect our attitudes about being active and add up. Do you eat a lot of refined, processed foods? For instance, do you eat white rice? If so, switch to brown rice. Do you eat a lot of quick foods or do you prepare meals more from scratch? Some people like to limit fats, meats, dairy, carbs, and other things from their diets and have various results. I think you can't eat too many fruits or vegetables. Some people have had great luck with raw food diets.

After giving birth, women's thyroid glands can get out of whack, so if you are concerned about not enough or too much weight gain after birth, talk to your doctor. Also, some researchers say that postpartum depression can be link to off balance thyroid levels.

Winters here are long, cold, and discouraging. I think the worst thing is staying inside and letting it get to you. Bundle yourself and the baby up and go for walks outside when you can. Also, you can walk at the mall. The main doors open long before the stores do and lots of people are in there walking. You can window shop while you do it. Maybe you can meet up with some other moms and walk together.

Borrow exercise videos/DVDs from the public library; as long as you return them on time, they are free. Look for them at yard sales. Borrow them from friends. You can do sit ups, push ups, jumping jacks, jumping rope, squats, stretches, aerobics, yoga, pilates, and other exercises at home. Even if you do 10 minutes several times a day (e.g., push-ups in morning, some stretching a lunch, sit-ups with the baby sleeps in the afternoon, etc.), it adds up.

In general, be sure to get out of the house -- museums, libraries, malls, parks, La Leche League meetings, grocery store -- otherwise it can be a bit isolating having a new baby, especially when you are stuck inside so much during the winter. You know that already, though.

Good luck!

N.,

I breast fed my daughter for only 3 months and that helps a lot with the weight coming off. Before my daughter, I used to go to the gym 5 or 6 days a week. So I too was worried about getting the weight off. Plus I didn't do anything for 6 weeks right after she was born, and she was born in january (no walks) You will loose the weight, and having 2 kids before I am sure you know that it takes time. At least it will be cold out so can bundle up in big sweaters and comfy pants. Good luck!!!

congratulations on your new addidtion!! N., don't even worry about that, first off i'm sure you're perfect! next, like some other moms have said, just eat healty and balenced,lots of water and you won't have to worry about dieting.... in fact, when i started nursing i actually had to more or less eat more!!!! i burned and still do (i still nurse my 12 month old religiously!!...) the baby takes so much from you and you still burn it off... i know this will sound crazy but and i believe it is from nursing, i dropped 2 sizes below my prepreg size and now i'm trying to gain some weight... don't worry, just enjoy your baby, and the rest will fit into place.. just be happy ! good luck, M.

i wouldn't diet, watch waht you eat, yes, but don't go on a full fledge diet while nursing...the baby needs the fat and the nutrients.
what did you do with your other children?

Hi, N..

I don't recommend that you diet while you are breastfeeding. Did you know that your body burns 500 calories a day by producing breastmilk. If you are not eating a proper diet, your body will continue make adjustments to make sure that the baby gets the proper nutrition, leaving you without the valuable nutrition that you need. This will lead to long term problems that will plague you for some time to come. A good diet consists of 2000 calories a day and 100 grams of protein for the average female. When your breastfeeding, you need to increase your calorie and protein intake to make up for what the baby is taking from you.

Good luck with the new baby.

S.

N., Chcek out this website: it should answer all your questions...

http://www.kellymom.com/nutrition/mom/mom-weightloss.html

First of all, congratulatons. Now, let's talk. The first 3 letters of the word diet is D-I-E! While I understand your need to be at a healthy weight, you need to be very careful and do it in such a way that it becomes a lifestyle. A 44 weight gain is not bad contrary to what the "beauty" experts may think. I appreciate your need to lose the weight but let's be very careful and do it right.

Breast feeding means your child gets what you eat and you need to eat in order to be healthy enough to breast feed.
So forget about dieting, let's call it healthy eating.

Here is my suggestion..............Stay off junk food and avoid eating a heavy meal after 7:30 pm. Cook with healthy products. Avoid too much salt, bake instead of always frying, do a lot of veggies. While the winter is not the best time for walks, etc. Get some simple dvds. Or look at the local Y. It is not as expensive as the gym. Also, some gyms offer discounts at the beginning of the year.Keep your eyes open.

Get the whole family involved. Bundle everyone up and you all take a walk in the evening. The cool air will do a lot of good. During the weekends do more, go to the park and shoot hoops with the kids. If you have a friend around, you two could do creative stuff during the day.

I really understandyour journey but I am cautioning you about dieting. If we look at it as healthy eating and a new lifestyle then we can make it a part of our everyday living. But if we look at it as a diet, then it is all about dropping numbers and one does not see the postive impact a healthy lifestyle can have on you and the whole family.

Congratulations again and all will be well. It is okay to stress about the weight, but don't let it overpower you and discorage you even when you are trying the best you can with a very busy life (kids, husband and new baby). You can beat it. You may not lose it in 2 weeks, but you will. Take your time, do it right and it will be a life style and not a "number dropping project."

God bless you!!

Hi there,
I totally understand! I was almost the same way. I'm always on a diet, and concerned about my weight. I was 9 lbs overweight when I got pregnant with my daughter. I gained 48 lbs. I was horrified. But, within a week, I had lost 25 lbs. Across the next 3 months, I lost another 15. The last 8 came off slowly, but it did. I did little more than watch what I ate.

You CAN bring the baby out for walks. Put him in a bjorn (or carrier you like) and bundle both of you up and head out. I had my daughter on 10.31.08. It was cold and I dealt with snow storms, but we did it. I got out for a walk almost every single day. You burn 20-30% more calories pushing a stroller. Also, you will burn more calories carrying your baby around.

While you breastfeed, it's important to get enough water and calories. If you don't, you could have trouble breastfeeding. I'd encourage you to hold off on "dieting" until you establish your breastmilk, and your baby has established skill at breastfeeding. So, my advice is to hold off at least 4 weeks and up to 8. After 6-8 weeks, your baby will reach more of a plateau with breastfeeding. Up until then, he's still getting your supply up with constantly needing more. Plus, your body is still healing and hormones are adjusting.

That is another important point, your post pregnancy hormones. If you're like me, no matter what I did, nothing happened until my hormones evened out. Some women loose a lot of weight breastfeeding. I did not, I was the other type of woman who hung onto to the last 10lbs and it came slowly off. When I stopped breastfeeding, it fell off very easily.

Also, don't put too much on your plate as a new mom. Just be a new mom and feel confident you will get your weight off in time. You'll be tired, working out breastfeeding, figuring out your child, etc. Just eat well, and try to sleep as much as you can. Be good to yourself. You WILL do it!!

I got a book called Body after Baby by Jackie Keller (you can get on Amazon). It seemed to work and also gives you some great exercises you can do at home!

Why can't you eat smaller portions and do an exercise routine in the house????