Help! Calorie counting, breastfeeding, walking & no weight loss postpartum

[Bigbabyboymomma]

So I gave birth 8 weeks and 5 days a go to my first child, a beautiful baby boy weighing in at a whopping 11lbs! He was delivered via emergency c section (long story short, I was massive when I was pregnant! Community midwives didn’t send me for a growth scan so we didn’t know how big he was. Then community midwives did a sweep even though I told them I thought my waters were broken, therefore increasing the risk of infection. So after 12hours in labour, reaching 9cm dilated, I was whisked away for an emergency C section).
As soon as I came out of hospital I have eaten a clean diet (fruit, veg, lean meats) and lots of water. I weighed myself at 6 weeks postpartum, I was horrified with what I saw on the scales. 14stone and 6lbs!! No excuses, I was STARVING through pregnancy. My craving, babybel cheese. If I didn’t snack, I would feel sick. So I expected to be at least 12stone but 14stone seems excessive.
Since the horrific realisation of how HUGE I am, I have been calorie counting. Eating and drinking around 800-1000 calories a day. I walk at least 5KM a day with the baby in the pram and I am still breastfeeding. (I am aware that cutting calories can effect milk supply, so far no effect but I am willing to formula feed if need be. I only breastfed to lose weight anyway!) I haven’t lost 1lbs. Nothing!
What else can I do to lose weight? I want to go back to the gym but it’s hard to get someone to look after the baby. When I feel stronger, I will walk with the baby in the carrier.
I have pretty bad diastasis recti (4finger ab separation) so still waiting for that to restore before a proper workout.
Please help before I completely give up on food!!

Hi Big i know how you feel! I’ve been trying really hard and making good progress until last week when my baby stopped sleeping! Finding it hard to stay on track.

I’ve been using My Fitness Pal to track calories, but I think it takes a while to start noticing weight loss. Also with breast feeding you can’t really get a reliable weight. I’m tracking it by how clothes feel. Also don’t forget a c section is major surgery and it takes a long time for things to settle down.

I think perhaps you aren't eating enough to lose weight. Exclusive breastfeeding will be using more than half of your current daily calorie intake. I suspect your body is stubbornly holding onto weight because it's in famine mode and protecting stores for feeding.

Famine mode is a myth. I can't quite believe people are still trotting that out. When people have been starved through history they never stayed fat ffs.

Sigh

Op, you're under estimating your calories, it is that simple.

perhaps you aren't eating enough to lose weight
This is rubbish If you eat fewer calories than you burn, you lose weight.

Firstly, OP, congratulations on your baby. And be kind to yourself; he's only 8 weeks old!

That said, if you're not losing weight, chances are you're hugely underestimating the amount you're eating. And three miles a day with the pram (probably around 5-600 steps) isn't much in terms of exercise.

If you're desperate to lose weight, I'd concentrate on moving more and eating less. But I also wouldn't put pressure on yourself while your baby is so young.

Please stop this. 8 weeks is far too early to try and work on weight loss. Enjoy your baby, eat healthily and walk normally. The weight will come off when your body is ready. Just now it needs the reserves to have as a backup for milk production. Nature can do a very good job if you let it. Breast feeding is the answer, give it time

I never lost any weight when breastfeeding. It all came off naturally after I stopped, happened the same way for 3 babies. That's not unusual, bodies are mysterious things.

Cor, @Bluntness100 that really got your goat didn't it?! The OP may wish to accept your clear authority on the subject, or have a look at some other information sources:

kellymom.com/nutrition/mothers-diet/mom-weightloss/

Be kind to yourself!! You're body has done something truly amazing. You're still recovering from major surgery!

You only weighed yourself at 6 weeks pp.
did you weigh yourself before you had the baby?
What did you weigh before pregnancy?
How long do you plan on breast feeding for?

I weighed myself a few days before baby came. I was 89kg. By 6 weeks pp I was down to 76kg. If I'm honest, that hasn't changed much and baby is now 4 months old. I've been working out (buggy fit) once or twice a week and walking a fair bit with baby in pram or sling. My fitness is totally gone. I know it'll take a lot to get back.

Breast feeding burns the most calories between 3&6 months. I don't know how you have any energy eating so little!

Be kind to yourself. It took 9 months to gain the weight, you can't expect to drop it over night.

Same as fafatousis, 2 times.

I would focus on eating healthy food with a wide range of nutrients and up the exercise and see what happens. You’ve got a tiny baby, give yourself a break.

You must be eating more than that if I cut my calories that much I lose around 4 lb a week the not eating enough is a myth the less I eat the more weight I lose .
Anyway I was the same I was 14 stone when I gave birth last time was a c section. I formula fed I didn't diet but ate less but nothing came off I wasnt cutting out enough my son was a year old when I really went for it I was down to 10 stone in 2 months I would dance about the living room every night when DC's were in bed and ate totally clean I kept it off 9 years later I'm pregnant with dc3 have put on 3 stone way too much again as I'm only 20 weeks so I've changed my diet to prepregnancy eating healthy but not restricting I plan to do protein world as soon as I can after the birth as we have a holiday 4 months after the birth I done protein world before and had amazing results and I kept it off for years untill this pregnancy you can still diet and exercise and enjoy your baby good luck op

Stop dieting for heavens sake. I gained 4st with DC1. Lost very gradually while bf. By 18 months I had lost 3.5st of it with no dieting or exercise.

It is completely normal to gain weight during pregnancy. It is completely normal NOT to lose it quickly especially while bf. Your body is focusing on nourishing your baby not what it looks like!

Please please stop thinking about this and just enjoy your baby. Get some new clothes that fit right on your body as it is now and just accept your body as it is for now. Be amazed by how your body has grown and is feeding an entire human being!

There is loads of time ahead when you can do dieting if you want. Now is not the time. Please discuss with the midwife if you think this is spiralling into anxiety or a MH issue.

I put on more than four stone in my second pregnancy , getting up to 13st 7 on my due date. Only a stone came off when DD was born, so I had three more to lose.

Getting straight back into exercise was what worked for me, but only because I was fit anyway, and ran right up until giving birth. At 8 weeks I was back running half marathons, and by six months I'd lost all the weight and more, getting down to 8st 10. I ate well, avoided cake, drank lots of water, and filled up on fruit and veg. The last stone was tough, but the rest came off fairly easily, due to exercise.

That said - being kind to yourself and focusing on the important stuff (feeding your DS, getting enough rest, staying well) is what you need to do right now.
If you're not used to strenuous exercise then this isn't the time to start. And as pps have said, for many people weight comes off when you stop bfing.

Op, can you post a normal days food and drink consumption, an accurate realistic one?

Bottom line is if you're maintaining at 14 and a half stone, then you're eating enough to maintain that, inc the calories required to breast feed.

If you were averaging 800-1000 a day you'd be drastically loosing weight.

However you need to look at it over an average of a week. Because you can eat sensibly for five days, then remove all the good work on a sat night by stuffing down a dominoes etc.

Also remember all snacks count, inc picking at things, and drinks.

Thank you for all the support and advice guys!
I’ve actually started weighing my food as well as counting calories and watching my macros. So now I have 154g of turkey breast, 80g of wholemeal rice, 50g avocado and a handful of tomatoes and green peppers 3 times a day.
I went to see the GP about my weight post pregnancy and his advice was, “The best way to lose weight is to not put it on in the first place” and “maybe you are meant to be this big”. Not helpful!
Finally, my mom knows a physio who specialises in women’s health, particularly looking after women who have had hysterectomies. She gave me some exercises to do to help heal the diastasis recti focusing on my pelvic floor and she suggested I downloaded the “couch to 5K” app. Instead of running when it tells you to run, she said to power walk. All high intensity workouts are banned until at least 14weeks as the incision site kept opening post c section.
I would like to point out I have been very dedicated to this routine but still haven’t lost a lbs. I am going to wait until I am 14weeks post op and if I have t lost 1lbs by then I will be asking the GP for a blood test to check my thyroid function.
Just thought I’d keep you all informed :) thanks again for all the advice.

That's it? That's all you eat or drink every day seven days a week? Are you sure?

How long have you only been eating this for?

sounds like the dullest diet ever.

Do you have a history of eating issues? Because if you don’t then that diet along with your original post are definitely red flags for a bad relationship with food.

In my experience the only way I’ve been able to lose weight and keep it off was by giving up dieting and educating myself on what nutrient dense foods and healthy portion sizes were. Not depriving myself of treats on the way.

Hi @Bluntness100 and @significantudder
I only started this clean diet 2 weeks ago so I’m not expecting miracles. I actually found it helpful as I’ve prepped all the food in containers ready for the week so now I don’t have to faff around preparing food, it’s already done for me! Also means there’s no excuses for eating unhealthy as the food is already prepared.
No, not had any history of eating issues apart from clearly eating too much during pregnancy 😂

Ok. So you weighed your self two weeks ago, were 14.6, started this diet, and you've not lost any weight? When do you weigh yourself, and when did you start weighing your food?

And is there a reason you're eating the exact same thing, three times a day, Seven days a week?

I mean this in a nice way but please do be careful. You sound so down about yourself right now.

I’ve had a long history of eating issues which started with a strict calorie controlled diet to lose a few stone. It’s a slippery slope!

I understand 100% how awful it is to be massively unhappy with your body (tbh losing weight never really helped much with this for me anyway) and I’m a big advocate now of education rather than dieting. If you can educate yourself how to eat sensibly within the parameters of normal life (I.e treats and meals out) then it is so much easier in the long term to maintain a healthy weight. Anything you do needs to be sustainable.

Good luck 😁

@bluntness100
Yes I weighed myself 2 weeks ago and I was 14lbs 6. I weigh myself first thing every morning, totally starkers so that I know the true measurement and clothes don’t interfere. I also log the measurement on MyFitnessPal.
I started weighing the food 2 weeks ago. The reason I have the same thing everyday is so it’s easy to prepare in bulk and easy to track the calories/macros.

@Significantudder thank you for your support! ❤️

Big please double check the high intensity thing as I was told to wait 6 months after a c section and I had no problems with my incision.

Thanks @puds11 I shall. The physio is going to check me over at 14 weeks before o get the all clear.

OP you sound a bit too het up with this, don't lose sight of it being a special time with a tiny baby! It took 9 months to get this way, you can't expect your body to change that fast. Give it a year of eating healthily but not obsessing.

Your DC will learn about food from you, your current diet will not set a good example. Just ditch the scales and eat plenty of fruit, veg and whole grains.

It's really really really early days. I put on four stone with DS1 and lost every pound (and a couple of bonus ones) without anywhere near the effort you are putting in, but it took about a year. It's far too early to be expecting massive changes, it took you nine months to put the weight on, you're not going to lose it in just two weeks.

No idea of the breastfeeding impact because I didn't do it.

I would suggest you chill out a bit and stop obsessing about weighing both your food and yourself. Eat the way you did before pregnancy (presuming that was healthy) and give it time.