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Weight loss chat

A space to talk openly about weight loss journeys and challenges. Mumsnet hasn't checked the qualifications of anyone posting here. You may wish to speak to a medical professional before starting any diet.

Original poster

Is there any point in trying to lose weight whilst breastfeeding?

39 replies

Mandymoo · 08/07/2006 21:31

I had my second child 9 weeks ago and am breastfeeding. Basically, i HATE the way i look at the moment. I am 2 stone overweight and am still wearing maternity clothes. Nothing makes me look good atm. Other mums with the same aged children are wearing mini skirts and crop tops ffs!!

Can i try and diet whilst bfing? Whats the best and healthiest way of losing this extra weight?

TIA X

OP posts:
babygirl05 · 08/07/2006 22:27

babes, not all mums r out there wearing mini-skirts n skimpy tops, although i sometimes thing like that on a shit day. I went from a size 10 to an 18. I Thought it would drop off but it hasnt, i need to get to the gym, i suppose the only way to do it is to exercise and eat healthy. I just cant get motivated though, always too tierd. I am on Xenical at the moment prescribed by my doctor. i lost a stone in just over 3 weeks, but u have to eat healthy otherwise u cant get off the toilet...lol! Not good!

Hattie05 · 08/07/2006 22:29

Don't diet, just ensure you eat healthily. Excercise is the best way to lose the extra weight - lots of long walks with baby in pram.

Breastfeeding itself can help to lose weight - i got back to original weight within first few months of having dd - sadly two years later i've managed to pile the pounds on and now find myself pg again so no chance of seeing me in minis and crop tops!

babygirl05 · 08/07/2006 22:35

Hi Hattie, congratulations on ur good news. I would love to go walking loads but i just get sooooooo bored just walking about. Im not a person that likes her own company all the time, i prefer to be round people. I have moved from Leeds to Essex, its sooo lonely, i get very home sick

Hattie05 · 08/07/2006 22:37

ikwym babygirl, i go through complete fits and spurts of being motivated. But honestly if you start going out for short walks and build up the length of time you are out, somehow it gets interesting! When i'm in the routine of walking i really enjoy it, but then times - like now - when i've stopped doing it i struggle to get my arse of a chair

babygirl05 · 08/07/2006 22:40

Thats what im like at the minute. I think it also helps to be walking to something, such as going to visit someone.

clairemow · 08/07/2006 22:51

hi Mandymoo - I would say don't diet while you're bf, but eat healthy stuff - I think in fact you need more calories than normal to make sure your body copes with recovery from having a baby and producing milk for the baby. 9 weeks is still really early after your baby was born, and bf really does help it all start to drop off. I know I couldn't get in my jeans after 9 weeks! Def go for walks with your baby, or go for a gentle swim, and try to eat really healthily - so don't gorge on chocolate and cakes! I think it's Vicky Iovine in her "best friends guide to motherhood" (great, funny book if you haven't seen it already) who says 9 months up, 9 months down for the weight you gain in pregnancy.

mustrunmore · 08/07/2006 22:58

Mandymoo... I feel just like that. ds2 is 5 months.

babygirl05... can I ask you a few questions? My Mum is on xenical. Are there any serious risks with it? Also, it seems to me that its the horror of being on the loo that makes you eat right, so why not just do that anyway, without the tablets? Ifthey only get rid of the excess fats, surely thats no better than just eating better ? Or Am I being naive? She has said she'll keep some for me when I stop bf, and I'm really tempted.

babygirl05 · 09/07/2006 14:53

mustrunmore... Hey girl! Well there are no serious risks what i know about and i have looked in to it, but hey im no doctor..lol! They take the fats out of your body and also your foods, every food has some fat in it, i dont think its possible to just live on salad. It also does give you that incentive that if you do eat fatty foods that you will be on the loo for god knows how long, so you dont tend to do it. Obviously any eating healthy plan needs exercise which is where i go wrong, i think im going to try to find myself a walking partner. I hope that has helped you. Anything else then pls feel free to ask!

mustrunmore · 09/07/2006 20:42

I'd be your partner if you lived anywhere near me

babygirl05 · 09/07/2006 20:57

Oh well! maybe we should walk n meet in the middle, this is where you tell me you live 3hours away from me...lol!

crunchie · 09/07/2006 21:09

I joined Slimming world 9 weeks after DD2 was born. I lost 3 stone in about 6 months whilst bf. I had put on about 4stone whilst pg.

Slimming world is good because there is loads of free food you can eat, so you can have jkt potato and beans as a snack, or a banana. So although you are dieting, what you are really doing is cutting out all the crap.

I would HIGHLY recommend this, I lost weight, safely and easily. I used to treat myself to a McDonalds or pizza every week too and never felt deprived. I knew I was eating healithly so I wasn't worried about the milk production. I just didn't eat biscuits when hungry I ate bananas or often planned 4 meals a day. Breakfast of weetabix and milk, lunch of salad and something, dinner of pasta and sauce and supper of jkt potato and beans

mustrunmore · 09/07/2006 21:52

Is slimming world like weightwatchers in that you have meetings etc? Because I couldn't go regularly due to dh's shifts.Your weight loss is very impressive though!
I know I can do it, as I did it before ds1, but that was because I was running 5 times a week, and there's no way I have time now. And bf means ds2 is attached like a limpet alot!

babygirl05... I'm in North London.

ja9 · 09/07/2006 21:56

second what crunchie says re SW.

i ate a lot of cakes etc when bf ds and amintained the same weight for a year - the longest i've ever maintained. i reckon if i had of been followinf SW i could have lost heaps. SW is just a healthy eating plan, i think it's fab.

Original poster
Mandymoo · 09/07/2006 21:56

crunchie - that sounds exactly what i need - could you give me some more info on SW please????!!

OP posts:
mustrunmore · 09/07/2006 22:01

And can you follow it easily whilst also doing a meal for a toddler and a newly weaned baby? I dont want to end up doing 3 different meals every day like alot of my friends do.

crunchie · 09/07/2006 22:16

mm, yes it is like ww with the meetings. But there are daytime ones and you'll be able to take the baby.

Also the meals can be eaten happily by the whole family, my kids eat mine with no ill effects!!! I would hugely recommend a class, look on slimming world online here for a class near you. There is also a load of threads inthe big/slim threads.

5 years down the track I have put the weight on and lost it again!! But that is ober eating not the plan

babygirl05 · 09/07/2006 22:29

The weight watchers sounds good, i always have good intentions just need to motivate myself and stick to it. I also put around 4 stone on been pregnant, i have only lost just over 1 stone. Want to lose another 3-4. I think i will look in my area!

mustrunmore · 09/07/2006 22:31

Hmmm. Just put in my postcode, and... I could a)go every other week in the evening, and take baby with me to feed him b)go to one very far away with both kids or c)sacrifice one of ds1's playgroup mornings, and go with both kids

Original poster
Mandymoo · 09/07/2006 22:31

Thanks Crunchie - have looked at website and going to join class this Tuesday. Was wondering whether i would be able to take my baby - if i could that would be so so convenient as the class is at 10am when my dd is at pre-school.

Feeling motivated all of a sudden - thanks loads X

OP posts:
crunchie · 09/07/2006 22:39

Well you can take babies to the ones in the daytime, so I wouldn't worry there. ALso sometimes I go and just weigh in if dh isn't around. Also lots in one area are run by the same person, so you can weigh in at different classes in different weeks IYKWIM.

MM I would go to the tuesday class, MRM does the playgroup mornings mean you have to be thee with your ds?? Can you leave him and go to class?? If not I would call and chat to the local consultant and ask her advice. Toddlers are hard as it means you cannot concentrate, BUT it is still better than nothing, perhaps you could go and only stay every other week or something. I certainly took my baby to start with, and often took the toddler too if I had to. Even now they love coming to class, they are 7 and 5 as our village has a new class and their friends mummies go too, so they all play outside the village hall together for an hour!!

Original poster
Mandymoo · 09/07/2006 22:41

Crunchie - what happens during the class?

OP posts:
mustrunmore · 09/07/2006 22:45

I couldn't take the stress of taking ds1 in his current phase. Plus we're potty training this week, to add to his unsociability for the next few weeks Playgroups are accompanied. He is due to start church nursery one morning a week, to prepare him for proper nursery in January, so I can keep fingers crossed that the morning he gets his place would fit in with a class.
How much does it all cost? ds1 is only getting one morning due to cost, so I can hardly justify spending money on myself; I'd rather give him an extra day a week.

Original poster
Mandymoo · 09/07/2006 22:48

I think its £10 to join and then £5 weekly

OP posts:
Original poster
Mandymoo · 09/07/2006 22:48

BUT if you join by August its £5 to join and £4.25 weekly!!

OP posts:
mustrunmore · 09/07/2006 22:49

So, ds1 could have another half a session per week!