Dieting and BF an 8 week old - I'm being ridiculous to consider it, aren't I <glum>

[MamaG]

I really really want to get rid of the flab! Can I diet, pleeeeeeeeeeease, without it affecting the bm?

You need to keep your calories up don't you, if you're breastfeeding?

Could you not just make sure that you are eating a really healthy diet - lots of fruit and veg - and only natural ingredients? Nothing artificial or processed.

How much do you want to lose? And what's your plan for the length of time you're going to feed?

Yes, but you will be exhausted if you do. If you up your fluids and avoid sugar/fried foods the weight will bugger off anyway. I used the Paul McKenna CDs when breastfeeding and lost a ton of weight very quickly while DD accelerated through the percentiles (upwards).

Exercise is more effective than anything though.

breastfeeding itself should help you lose weight, no? Just eat loads of lean meat and decent carbs [fruit, veg, rice,] and loads of yoghurt and cheese [unless dairy allergy in the babe] And chocolate of course

Dieting wont affect your breastfeeding in the least - there is no need to keep the calories up from the point of view of bf, but it is normal to feel a little hungrier when bf, and this is prob nature's way of protecting you, rather than the baby.

You don't need to change how much you eat - just change the quality of what you eat . Common sense stuff like fresh fruit snacks instead of biscuits .
You will feel better and look better and your weight will adjust gradually.

You can eat healthier foods and cut out junk/cakes/sweets/booze etc and this will really help shift some pounds.
I found breastfeeding itself a good way of loosing most of my baby weight (without giving up too many goodies), that and a bracing half an hour walk with the baby in a pram every day.

I ate everything in sight when I was pg, as soon as I came out of hospital I lost my appetite and went to eating very little, although I did make sure I had a proper meal in the evening. I also started going out for walks a lot. I weighed myself 4w after DD was born and dropped a stone and a half in 8 weeks. I haven't felt knackered, ill or that my milk was effected. I'd say go for it, get out in the fresh air and do some exercise and just eat healthy.

I lost 10lbs before Christmas just by cutting out bread and sugar - am bf too.

I tried but my milk dried up. Just eat healthily.

Just don't do what I did and eat entire packets of biscuits (every day for weeks). Thankfully I've got a nice big DS who must have sucked all those biscuit calories straight from me, so I just maintained my previous weight.

I agree with everyone else - eat when you're hungry, just not junk, and get some exercise with your baby - they'll love it

(My new exercise regime is to walk an hour a day with my 23lb DS in his sling for one of his naps )

I know what you feel though MamaG, I have to lose this extra weight. It makes me really miserable. Dieting has not affected my breastmilk at all, in fact I am losing weight quite quickly. Or I would be if Christmas had not intervened...

You can diet safely. I gained 4 stone, and had lost most of it by 9 months, at which point DS was still almost exclusively bf as he was reluctant to take to solids.
I exercised and did the Slimming World diet, which was great for BF as you can have 4 more healthy extras, e.g. wholegrain cereal/bread/nuts/ milk & cheese, in addition to the 3-4 usually get on their normal diet and you don't have to do much weighing of foods e.g. unlimited rice/pasta/potatoes if follow the Green Plan, & weigh lean meat. Or unlimited lean meat if follow the Original/Red plan, & weigh the baked potato/wholemeal pasta. Unlimited fruit veg and eggs on both plans.

They also advise eating all the syns allocation which can be used for treats whilst you are BF.

I felt great, had loads of energy once I got going on it as was eating so healthily. As they get older and start weaning, you cut down the healthy extras until you are on the normal plan.

As he weaned late I got to keep going with the extra portions for longer than the book advised!

Still BF now at 2.4 and dieting again (on my own this time) to shift the last few pounds!
I intend to follow their pregancy plan with next DC to prevent getting so big again!

I did. Got a wii fit board, and watched what i ate. Am now pre-pg weight, was at 5 months PN

push the pram farther and faster...

Don't worry about the weight!

I was hyper about wanting to lose the weight (2 babies in 20 months) and got a program from a personal trainer. I started to lose tons of weight and then there was a drop in DS weight which he hadn't done before... It turned out that I was on an inappropriate program (for a breastfeeding mother).

Am now on a sensible exercise program... But still have a dreadful chocolate habit

There is no problem dieting when bf as long as you eat healthily and a well balanced diet, not some sort of crash diet of course!

After DD2 I started doing Weight Watchers at 6 weeks (while exclusively bf). I didn't actually go to meetings, but followed the plan which I had done after DD1 (WW gives you an extra points allowance for bf). The weight just dropped off, but it had no effect on my supply. By the time DD2 was 3 months I was completely back to previous weight which was great.

There's a lovely thread MamaG where we all eat lovely vegetubbles and are lovely. I lost a stone over the course of last year, thanks in no small part to the lovely veggers.

In all seriousness, try not to worry about it at this stage. I lost a shitload of weight whilst BF but not until dd was about 3mo. The problem was keeping it off once I stopped [sigh]

Slimming World is great for bfing mums. No weighing food and you can eat loads...it's just a heathy eating plan really. You get extra healthy extras and also naughties for bfing. I lost over 3 stones whilst bfing but have put 2 stones back on - whilst still bfing.

I started back at SW tonight and scoffed the last chocs just now!

For me though it was going to the meetings that made me lose the weight...you can easily take your baby along and bfeed away!

problem is, you don't see many skinny dairy cows...

i put on weight when bf, but lost it ALL when i stopped at around 7 months. it's hard but i think your body just NEEDS food... just try to eat healthily and go on some long walks i think...

As a dairy farmer's daughter I would argue that most dairy cows are skinny! They are bony with a big belly....I've just got the big belly and no boniness.

darn it, that was my excuse!

Thanks all

Good to know from tiktok that dieting won't affect my BM -= I'm just so flippin hungry all the time!

I did follow SW before I got pg and lost loads of weight, but still wanted to lose more. STopped dieting when pg but ate more or less healthily. Ish. OK, not at all . Am now about a stone over pre pg but wnat to lose more.

I think I will go back on SW plan, as it worked so well before. Am i right that its 4 more HEs and no more syns?

I have no plan about length of time for bf, as long as we're both happy, I'll continue.

Thanks all for the replies