loosing weight but I don't think I'm trying to. Is this bf, hormones shifting about, or something terrifying (never google unexplained weight loss)

[OmniDroid]

Has anyone else found their weight dropping without effort as they come to the end of their baby's first year?

I don't know if anyone can help me - it feels like a bit of a non-problem, but it's worrying me. Google unexplained weight loss and you just get cancer and AIDS as explanations.

I've not lost huge amounts, but my weight has been steadily dropping (from 10stone 2 about 3 months ago down to 9st 6 this morning).

This is over a couple of months, so not dramatic or anything, but I'm still eating chocolate, proper meals etc etc. I'm certainly not dieting, and do stuff all exercise.

Pre pregnancy I was 10 stone. In my skinny youth I was under 8 stone, but have been over 9 stone for 15 years or more (am nearly 39 now).

This is my second child - after the first I never lost much of the weight, so haven't experienced this before.

By far the most common reason for losing weight is eating less than you need to maintain your weight. You could be more active in the past and, unless you actually monitor your calorie intake, you could very easily be eating less than you think.

An active adult woman, under 40 and 9st 6... let's say you're average height... needs about 2000-2200 cals a day to maintain her weight typically. If you keep an accurate food diary for a week or two, measure the portions and count the calories of everything you eat and drink you should quickly be able to see if you are getting that amount. If not, you know to raise it.

If it turns out you're getting 2000-2200 cals a day and you're still losing weight it could be that you're more active than you think... quite easily done if you have a toddler to run around after.... in which case you'd need to add more to your intake and see if that helps.

And finally... if you end up on 3000+ cals a day and you're still losing weight then that's the time to see your GP. Cancer and AIDS are not the only medical reasons someone might lose weight. Overactive thyroid is another and there are many more. However, if you go to your GP now they'll probably just say 'eat more'. Hence why you need to keep the food diary.

So start by getting a better idea of how much you're actually eating... increase it... and then you & your doctor are better placed to judge. Good luck

You can get free trials at nutracheck I think. I pay because I am trying to lose weight, but I think you can try for a month for free.

You put in all the food and amounts and it adds up the calories and fat for you www.nutracheck.co.uk. you can also put in your weight on diffferent dates.

You may be surprised, even if you're eating chocolate you could be below 2000 calories a day and you wouldn't need to be much below to steadily lose weight.

Are you breastfeeding?

Just reread the thread title and you mention bf. If you're breastfeeding then that uses up some cals.

I put a lot of weight on in the 3 months AFTER I had my dd, as I couldnt eat when pregnant, and more than made up for it when she came out.

I tried to shift the weight at 6 months but found it really slow going to come off. When DD was 10/11months, I dropped a stone out of nowhere, no dieting, or exercising. My sister found the same after her 2 dc.

thank you all (sorry not back earlier, work got busy), great idea to keep a food diary. I'm just worrying as the chocolates and buttery toast go in, but quite possibly I'm skipping real food, kind of compensating. And the DCs and I have started going swimming recently - that's got to burn some energy. And I do still bf the little one.

Right, food diary it is. And MrsWill, thank you - I think that is what is happening to me, so it's good to hear your experience.