Bfing at 1 year - still insatiable hunger and can't lose weight - should I stop feeding?

[reastie]

Subject says it all really. I am so down about my weight. I am now potentially 5 stone above my pre preg weight and I really need to lose weight, for my own self esteem and health. I've gone from top end of healthy to really really too big and feel so and have no confidence in myself. I've tried various things over the past year - lots of walking, exercise dvds, slimming world, eating only 'good' stuff, eating only at meal times but I am really struggling with hunger which is my downfall. When dd was a newborn I just ate all the time or I felt really dizzy and sick. I know some people say they lose weight with bfing but think I have the opposite.

I now bf dd twice a day, so I feel like it can't be that much....but whenever I try to reduce what I eat or eat low fat etc stuff it's like my body knows I'm tricking it and I get awful stomach hunger pains and feel awful until I eat something.

I'm desperate to keep bfing up as long as DD wants it within reason (or at least another year once or twice a day) , but sometimes I wonder if I should stop for my own health in hope it will help me lose weight.

Just wondered other peoples perspectives on here and if anyone has done or thought about giving up for similar reasons.

Have you read the stuff on Kellymom on bfing and loosing weight?

I had this the same feelings when bfing DD but they didn't stop when I stopped bfing so now I've stopped I'm putting on more weight as the hunger hasn't stopped.

The only other thing I can think of is have you had a diabetes check recently, just to eliminate if of course.

Yes I've read the kellymom stuff jilted . Funnily enough, I had GD but have done some pin pricks post preg and they have been normal. Might do a few more to make sure though. Interesting you still had the hunger, maybe I'll be the same then - I've always needed regular meals and struggled with hunger albeit to a lesser extent in the past. I think one of my issues is probably just struggling with a 1 yo and work and no time.

Reastie, you've been going a whole year, that's fantastic

Some mothers report a bit of weight loss when they stop BF, some don't. Some put on weight. Don't forget that our bodies change during pregnancy and after childbirth- weaning may not help you to lose weight. Are you keeping well hydrated? Do you find yourself craving sweet things?

This might help you out. I agree that it's worth getting checked out in case there is anything else that is preventing you from losing weight.

How would you feel if you gave up bfing and still didn't lose weight? Are you clutching at reasons why you're not losing weight?

If it is just about how much food you are eating, then I think you would feel dreadful at giving up bfing. I know I gave up bfing at 15 months for a selfish reason and I get the odd pang of guilt about it over a year later.

Get checked out and make sure there are no medical reasons for the weight gain - 5 stone is a heck of a lot of spare weight to be carrying.

Interesting link eau (good to see you btw). Thing is, I know people don't look the same post baby and most people do put on weight - but not this much! I drink alot and don't eat bad stuff, I think I just eat too much of what I do eat and prob too many carbs but chocolate is always nice . I did an NHS weight loss thing which actually really set me back and got me really negative about losing weight due to the lady running the course being really nasty and tough on me which just made me feel more hopeless and tbh I think this has made an impact on not feeling important enough to myself to bother losing weight . I've lost alot of weight in the past by going to the gym all the time but I never get any time to do exercise any more - and when I do try with dd about she just moans so much no matter what i try and distract her with I give up. Bit of a rant there and not so much feeding related

That's interesting that you've been like that before pg and now its worse. I was exactly the same. DC2 didn't affect me much but since getting pg with DC2 I've never stopped eating. She's stopped bfing nearly 2 years ago and I'm still struggling with my appetite, find that I have to eat things like dark chocolate to stop me throughing so much crap in the evenings.

Agree too that it could just be tiredness and often I eat more when I'm tired too.

Interesting jilted . I was thinking if people in my situ had lost hunger and weight when they stopped feeding it would be worth me seriously thinking about stopping feeding, but if I'm like you then there's no point, and I know I would regret stopping if I then didn't lose any weight from stopping bfing.