Does breastfeeding honestly help with weight loss?

[whatdoyouthank]

Am I going to turn into a slim goddess over night or is it a myth?

I put on a huge amount of weight when breastfeeding and it took years to lose it again. It was the combination of bring permanently ravenous and also moving very little (spent almost all the day and night sitting feeding).

At first I gained weight from the sitting and eating cake (plus HG had made me pretty light) once she started moving 6-15 months I could eat ALL the cake. Unfortunately she cut down and I didn't, so I'm now less skinny and I've stopped feeding entirely (Just turned 2) but not stopped eating cake!

It fell off me despite me diet being not great (eating super noodles with my free hand for example!). Did I manage to keep it off...did I hell-it’s slowly crept back on!

No. I put a stone on! Needed sugar to get through the sleep deprivation and bfing made me ravenous.

No quite the opposite. The far retention helps with feeding I believe. I felt like a whale but as soon as I stopped with both babies (12 and 18 months) I was skeletal again :-(

For first and second I lost weight very quickly, with the first I lost loads and after a year or so was way less than before pregnancy. I ate normally and did less exercise due to having a baby. But I just kept shrinking until I got pregnant with the second. Again bf and weight fell off. She didn't really feed much and self weaned around 1 but still lost weight despite eating normally. My third though, he is bigger and feeds more but this time the weight isn't really shifting. I eat the same and everything is pretty much the same and I know my body and what I need to eat to lose/maintain. Weight still not going. Now he is 18 months and I'm wondering if when he stops/I stop I'll lose the last stone-half stone that should definitely be gone. Wonder if its hormones, my age, or some other reason.

Not for me but I love food

I lost weight breastfeeding, it was pretty uncontrollable actually. I ate a lot but really lacked energy in the early weeks.

I stopped at 18 months each time and gained weight then.

It didn’t for me, in fact I gained more... it makes you hungry and requires a lot of sitting down.

Breastfeeding, on average, takes around an extra 300-500 calories per day.

It did for me, I was never above a size 10 anyway really but I was back in my size 8's after about a month (for about seven seconds until I realised I missed my pj's)

I gained weight when BF twins. It gave me an insatiable appetite. I actually didn't gain weight during pregnancy, just BF.

it's just calorie maths. if you're making up for what it burns by eating more, then no it wont help

I got to my lowest-ever adult weight when breastfeeding, and I wasn't particularly watching what I ate or doing a lot of exercise other than walking to get places. I'm about 4-5kg heavier now.

Didn’t for me. Think everyone is different in this regard.

Did for me! I ended up 15kg lighter than pre-pregnancy after a year of breastfeeding DD1, and I'm currently a year into breastfeeding DD2 and am 10kg lighter (my sweet tooth has been killer this time round ).

It happened for me, I was losing weight before I got pregnant (low carb and lots of exercise) got down to 10 and a half st. Ate normally again during pregnancy - apart from living off crackers stage! Did a little exercise. I'm now 9st 5, and apart from a weekly mummy fit class for working out, I eat normally still, so can only put it down to BF. 9st 5 now puts me in a healthy bmi range, so I'll have to be wary of putting it back on when I stop!

For me it did. It made me more thirsty than hungry.

If you try filling yourself up with water before you eat, you will most likely lose weight.

It's not overnight though... took me like 9-12 months to get back to my pre-baby weight?

I also made a concerted effort (after the first 3 months) to eat healthily. Lots of good nutrients for baby in the form of oily fish, lean meat and good veggies.

Not for me. After the initial 2 weeks weight loss after giving birth I didn’t lose a single lb until after I stopped feeding (with both DC), then it just fell off.

Oh I also used the 21 day fix tubs... they were great for portion sizes. I've never had the mltovation to measure out my portions so that did it nicely.

Look it up - it's awesome

Mine did. Dropped off really quickly within weeks. Shocked both times. But it's back on now - nothing to do with anything other than wine/crisps/chocolate!

Ha, ha.

That'd be a "no" from me. I fed DS until 16 months, but I've been overweight nearly my entire life. Never, ever have I experienced weight "falling off" me in any way, shape or form.

I know somebody who was told by the doctor to eat lots of steaks and chocolates (and other yummy fattening stuff) while breast feeding as they had lost so much weight when doing it.

With ds1 I only bf for 3 months and I lost some weight but not loads.

With ds2 I bf for 3 years - first couple of weeks, lost enough weight to be almost back to pre-baby weight, another week and I would have been if things continued as they were. Then had a dvt, had to take warfarin for 10 months and the weight just piled on. I asked if it was a known side effect and was told it wasn't, but googling it, it seems that anecdotally it was reported by a lot of people that took it. Even looking at a lettuce leaf it seemed I could gain a pound.

Would have loved to have been someone that 1) lost lots of weight bf, especially doing it for so long if the weight loss continued as I could have done with it and 2) would love to have been able to eat lots of steak and chocolate and say it was doctors orders

Fingers crossed you are one of those people it works for!