CASH STRAPPED BREAST FEEDER NEEDS TO LOSE WEIGHT...HOW?

[gillythekid]

I plan to feed 7 mo DS until the summer but am still 2.5 heavier than I want to be and am so sick of having only 2 outfits to wear! I have been putting off going to mother and toddler groups since moving up north because I just knew someone would ask me when I was due, and sure enough, it happened today and I was so upset!
I'm awaiting a foot operation so can't do anything high impact and as DH is still trying to find work, I can't afford to join Weight Watchers or similar. I walk for half an hour a day and could fit in a couple of swims as of next week. For the last 2 days I've been using less oil in cooking and choosing healthier lower fat options but my milk supply is suffering. I'd really like to know how to kick start my body into using the layers of blubber I've laid down. Any ideas?

I'm watching this thread, I am usually an 8 but after dc4 (now 14 weeks) I am a good 12-14 and odd lumpy post baby shaped. I'm off to Asia in the summer where I will be gawped at if I remain this huge (I am pretty short).

gilly what you eat (or don't) won't make any difference to your milk. i lost 5kilos by eating less while bfing a 9mo. at 7m you are probably still feeding a lot more though which i found does encourage snacking and general sedentary-ness.

just make sure half your meals are veg or fruit, you will shrink. i have never found exercise made me lose weight and i run 2 hours a week.

Don't worry about milk supply dropping, as fishie says it won't make any difference.

I have lost two stone since my daughter's birth five months ago by cutting out bread and refined sugar. I don't restrict my eating of fruit and veg (except potatoes). I exclusively bfeed her.

Breakfast is a bowl of cornflakes with semi-skimmed milk. Lunch is chicken/veg or soup with rice cakes. Dinner is something like a pork chop with lots of veg. I snack on fruit or rice cakes. The weight has come off easily, although I have had periods where I have lost nothing despite sticking to my healthy eating plan.

Hope this helps.

I did lose a stone overnight after giving birth and another within a month without any effort, I think most of it was water retention! However, nothing much is shifting now, but if I'm honest, I've hardly been trying my hardest. DS isn't sleeping through the night and I'm permanently tired so haven't exercised as much as I'd like. Glad to hear that cutting down on calories won't make a difference to my milk, although it's curious that I haven't been able to express as much.
My main problem is my blood sugar, if it drops, I get a migraine, if I only ate cornflakes for breakfast, I'd be starving an hour later! I need low GI options with a bit of protein but I'm all out of inspiration.

yes i need lots of protein too. eggs and baked beans? cheese, give up cheese it is dreadfully fattening. pizza is gigantic cheese on toast you'd better lay off that too (i make my own)

errm soup is good, it makes you feel full even if it is just boiled veg and it can be lovely at this time of year with root veg.

don't eat anything called 'low fat' it will be fiddled with and may well have loads of sugar in. avoid overprocessed carbs, so sliced white bread, shop bought cakes etc.

OOhh yeah fishie, bought some beans yesterday and am on the Nimble wholegrain bread but it's a little like eating air! Had half the beans on 2 slices but was sooo hungry in under 2 hours! I feel like every time I feed, I get ravenous, I'm drinking loads of water but perhaps I need to get a little more. Oh well, looks like I've managed to shift a couple of pounds this week anyhow. Yipeeee!!