slimming world for breastfeeding mums?

[Focusfocus]

Hi all

My baby is 12 weeks old. I have 3 stone to lose, and 12 weeks of breastfeeding has shifted nothing :(

I've joined SW online but frankly don't know where to begin. I've never had a thing more than a stone to lose and I'm just daunted. Yet I know I don't feel comfortable with my body in terms of of usual physical activities and losing weight would help.

Where and how do I begin? Letting in mind I hardly have time looking after this baby! Help please!!

[timelytess]

At twelve weeks your breastfeeding relationship has hardly started. Are you breastfeeding or mixed, or using dummies or a schedule? If you feed exclusively on demand it will help use up calories.

Please don't 'diet'. Use your SW membership as an encouragement to eat healthy food. Lean meats and vegetables, salads, some fruit. Do some gentle walking, baby in sling or buggy, try to do that daily.

At this stage the majority of your energy needs to go into milk production so don't up the exercise too much.

[timelytess]

Returning to say, don't cut out fats altogether. Make sure you have some daily.

[Focusfocus]

Feeding on demand no dummies schedules etc :)

[Focusfocus]

He Feeds on average between 10-14 times daily

[Focusfocus]

Oh and meant to say 12 weeks could be taken as a BF relationship hardly started or nearly halfway through a 6 months BF period :-) depending of course on who BFs for how long :-)

[thatstoast]

The main thing about slimming world is you get allocated more healthy extra. A category, whichever one cheese and milk is in. There should be an explanation on the website. But otherwise, with a 12 week old, don't be too hard on yourself.

[Bolshybookworm]

Its a complete myth that everyone loses weight when they breastfeed. My body hangs onto every gram of fat and is ravenously hungry when I'm exclusively feeding. And by ravenous, I mean all consuming, painful, normal meal is not nearly enough type hunger. After 2 DC I now know that this is just what my body does and dieting before weaning starts is pointless (for me, at least). I found with both DC that the weight came off when weaning started and my appetite went back to normal.

You're only 3 months post partum, don't beat yourself up. Get the baby out for a good long pram walk once a day to increase your fitness and then start the diet post-weaning. It takes a good 12-18 months for your body to recover after pregnancy and birth so youre just at the beginning!

[babyiwantabump]

Slimming world have a plan for breastfeeding mothers - you should be able to find the info on the website - I did it after having DS and will go back again after this one - was fantastic and I could still eat plenty which didn't affect my milk supply

[tabulahrasa]

"Please don't 'diet'. Use your SW membership as an encouragement to eat healthy food. Lean meats and vegetables, salads, some fruit. Do some gentle walking, baby in sling or buggy, try to do that daily."

Um, you have just described the whole ethos of slimming world while telling her not to follow it?...

Focus - while you're EBF it's 6 healthy extras, of which at least 3 (preferably 4) should be A choices.

The rest of the plan is the same, unlimited free foods with a third speed where possible and between 5 and 15 syns.

[littlebearsmummy]

I didn't lose anything while ebf, until she was around 4 months plus and then for a few heavenly months the weight seemed to gradually come off. I only managed w's for 1 month in that time which helped. I ate a lot of cheese (as part of one of my healthy extras) to keep getting calcium. Apparently it's quite common for some weight to shift when the baby is around 4 months. Good luck!

[jbee1979]

Google Superslim Soup. I make a pot every week (half the quantity in the recipe) and eat it for lunch every day. I'm breastfeeding too, didn't loose weight with it either (besides the fluid at the start). I've lost 1st 5lbs in 3 months (I have chinese/chippy/Indian on a Saturday night - cheater!) And I'm really happy with my progress. Got into the 10 Club - didn't even know that existed!

[timelytess]

Um, you have just described the whole ethos of slimming world while telling her not to follow it?...
Bite me.
Check the tone of the opening post. This woman wants to diet. She thinks 12 weeks of bfg should shift her baby-weight. Gentle discouragement from dieting was required. Now, what were you going to say that was actually helpful?

[Focusfocus]

Thanks everyone :-)

I joined slimming world to gently guide me away from the third trimester eating crap and nothing BT towards healthier habits.

I have never been on a diet in all my life and part of the reason behind joining SW is because I had heard about how it's not a diet but rather an encouragement into healthier life choices.

Much of what you've said concurred with my perception of SW and I'll have a look into it to understand the system a bit.

All best.

[tabulahrasa]

"This woman wants to diet. She thinks 12 weeks of bfg should shift her baby-weight. Gentle discouragement from dieting was required."

If she wants to lose weight she wants to lose weight, slimming world work with the royal college of midwives to make sure it's a safe and healthy way to eat while pregnant and breastfeeding.

It consists of doing things like eating lean meats, vegetables and fruit while gently increasing activity and also making sure the person following it is getting enough calcium while they're breastfeeding.

The fact that focus feels that she should have lost weight so quickly is a completely different thing, but if she wants to lose weigt then slimming world is at least a sensible way of doing it because it is just about eating healthily.

[Focusfocus]

Guys, I just thought I'd have lost a bit it's not like I thought it would magically all melt away! It's early yet and I'm not on a diet never have been! tucks into a late night bowl of soup I do think SW Is the way to lead me back into healthier habits. Thanks all of you :-(

[tabulahrasa]

Sorry, didn't mean to insinuate you might think you'd lose weight magically.

I just more mean, timelytess is right that there shouldn't be a huge rush, it's normal for people not to lose weight until they stop breastfeeding and people do get self conscious about it when actually I do think they could spend a bit of time going...extra weight? Meh, I grew a person, who cares? Lol.

But yes slimming world is all about better habits, cooking healthy ingredients and generally just being healthier.

[Bolshybookworm]

Healthy habits are good! I was just trying to reassure you that it's normal to keep a bit of baby fat whilst you're breast feeding. You probably shouldn't talk to me though, I ate chocolate for breakfast at the 3 month stage 😳

I'm a bit like you though, I have never dieted (I'm veggie so eat a relatively decent diet). I was a bit appalled at the layer of fat I put on when pregnant but have realised after two pregnancies that that's what my body needs to feed a child. Yours may be different! If you can do SW without feeling ravenous then stick with it, it sounds fairly sensible.

[Bolshybookworm]

Totally agree with tabula- with dc2 I thought "you see that fat, happy baby? I made that with my BOOBS". If my mother anyone had any issues with my weight, I basically thought they could go screw themselves. My body did an awesome job!

[maygirl]

Go for it Focus . I can honestly say I felt loads better once I started SW whilst BF. I had so much more energy, and my milk supply felt boosted.
You eat so well with the 6 healthy Extras, free foods and syns you feel really satisfied.

Some ways I found useful to use the additional healthy extras were:

Things quick to grab and go out with like mini babybel light (A), ryvita minis (B) dried apricots (B) 14 cashews in a pot(B).

Quick to cook- the New covent gdn soups that are B choices,
beans (free) with cheese (A) on jacket (free) or toast (B)

Before all night feedathons big bowl of custard using the load of extra milk you can have (A), Birds powder and sweetener served with stewed fruit, baked apple or tinned prunes (all B choices) or bowl free yogurt/fromage frais with the same.
porridge or Weetabix (Bs) and milk (A)

cottage cheese (free) or cheese triangles/philli (A) and ryvita(B)

Get in bagged salad leaves + cherry toms, raw or frozen veg for your third speed. You can get those steam veg packets to microwave one handed if you need too!
Then there's loads of free foods like canned fish, tinned bean salad, hardboiled eggs, rice, pasta, noodles, cous cous, cold meats, bacon, meat, chicken, fish, SW sausages, SW quiche, soups and of course fruit and veg and your syns.

After 6 months and weaning you only get 1 extra healthy extra A ( so 2 A and 1 B) so enjoy having them! I miss those days of so much choice now!!

[Focusfocus]

I've logged on where do you find all this info??? I can only see the free food list!! What's A B etc? Feel foolish now!!

[tabulahrasa]

Are you on the desktop site? Go to my weight loss plan, right next to home at the top of the page.

It'll tell you about steps 1, 2 and 3. Step 2 is the healthy extra a and b choices.

[Focusfocus]

Ahhhh got it!! Now I see! I do see!! Ta muchly!