hunger pains r us! but only lost 1lb :(

[slinkstah]

im embarking on week 4 of my diet. 1st week i lost 6lb, 2nd week i lost nothing and 3rd week i lost 1lb. breakfast is muslie, lunch is granary roll with salad and dinner is small like pasta or veg stew or chicken salad. then an apple or banana or low fat yogurt.
i am bf, shouldn't i be losing more weight than this??? people keep saying it will drop off if your bf- what lies!!!
thinking about diet pills or some herbal something to boost my metabolism which seems to have died!
anyone got any recomendations or advice?

Hi Slinkstah - BF does burn 500 to 700 calories per day, but agree re metabolism sometimes when you're BF the body wants to hold on to some of its fat ... Don't use diet pills or herbs that would be unsafe for your baby through breastmilk ...

Are you exercising? I think between exercise and diet exercise is equally important if not more so. It revs your metabolism not just while exercising, but afterward - also builds muscle which constantly burns more calories than fat.

Pounds aren't important; the way your clothes fit are. Muscle weighs more than fat, but it's denser.

Make sure you're getting at least 1200 cal/day or your body will go into starvation mode and your metabolism will slow in anticipation of leaner days.
Stop eating 2-3 hours before bedtime.
Make breakfast your biggest meal of the day, and have some caffeine with it.
Drink lots of water.
Try your best to get 8 hours sleep/night. Less will temporarily slow your metabolism for the next day.
Go heavy on lean dairy and lean protein, and light on simple carbohydrates. Protein takes more energy to digest.
Again, dairy - calcium will help you lose weight.
If you're feeling hungry, try water first - sometimes body gets thirst and hunger signals mixed.
Remember whatever you're doing today will show up 2 weeks or so later on your body, so be patient.
Hope all of this helps.

If anyone knows any other hints - please spill; I'd like to incorporate them myself!

Forgot to add one more - you shouldn't be feeling hungry. Try eating same amount but more often. Really 6 small meals are better than 3, as your blood sugar will stay level and you're less likely to binge.

No wonder you are so hungry! You need protein and a little fat. I agree with Marls that you need some meat and dairy and that snacks are generally a good thing . If you don't eat between meals you will be too hungry when you get to your meals and may overeat. If you want cereal for breakfast try porridge - it's more filling.

Forgot the most important thing - you're losing weight too quickly; 2 pounds per week is about the maximum to keep your body from reacting against you in the long run; the more you "yo-yo diet" the more stubborn your fat will get each time. I.e. are you eating the way you're wanting to eat for the rest of your life? Could you keep up your current regimen? If not do you really want your body to get used to it? When you fall out of it sad truth is you'll gain weight again. That's why exercise is great - pays you back threefold for the amount of time you spend on it.

Also, found this (fitpregnancy.com) -
(Q)Does breastfeeding help melt away pregnancy pounds?

(A) Not necessarily. In a recent study of 236 women, those who breastfed exclusively or partially for approximately nine months lost weight at the same rate as those who bottle-fed. However, don?t let this news discourage you from nursing, which has many medically proven benefits for mother and baby. ?Instead, it should help you have realistic expectations about what breastfeeding can do for weight loss,? says the study?s lead researcher, Laura N. Haiek, M.D., M.Sc., assistant professor of family medicine at McGill University in Montreal.