Weight loss & Breastfeeding

[KnottyLDSMama]

Lately I've felt terrible about my weight. :( I lost weight while pregnant, and then gained a bunch in fluid when I got pre-eclampsia. Still, once DS was born, I was 29 pounds LESS that I was when I got pregnant.

DS was 4 months old yesterday, and I'm about 12 pounds away from being the same weight I was when I got pregnant. I'm hungry all the time, and I've tried fruits and vegetables, and they just don't seem to fill me up. When I'm hungry, I don't want to eat because of my weight. But then I feel terrible for not eating, because I keep thinking that if my body is hungry, it obviously needs it to feed DS. So I feel bad if I don't eat, but I feel horrible if I do.

This is such a change for me. I've always been overweight, but I've never ate very much (I apparently have a really slow metabolism). Now I'm wanting to eat all the time, and steadily gaining because of it. :banghead: I don't know what to do, and I break down in tears every time I'm hungry because I just don't want to eat. :cry:

[Christy]

NAK: This is my third baby and it seems to me that I always keep about 10 pounds on until the babes get older (really eating alot of solids). Then I always keep an extra 5 lbs til I'm completely done bf'ing (2 years each time). I'm hungry too. I get really hungry when the baby is doing a growth spurt. Eat up, listen to your body just like you did when you were prego.

Hope this helps and makes sense, I'm a little sleep deprived. :lostit:

[Julesmom23girls]

I was always hungry when I was BF too. More than when I was pregnant. Maybe if the Fruits and veggies are not satisfying you it is because you aren't hungry but thirsty. Many people confuse these two cravings and grab something to eat when they are thirsty, therefore the thirst is not satisfied and they don't feel satisfied. I find myself doing this too. If I keep walking into the kitchen for something to eat I stop and grab something to drink instead. So maybe before you grab a snack you should grab a glass or water or juice to quinch your thirst, then see if you still feel hungry and get a snack. I always find myself very thirsty before dinner, I will drink several glasses or water, milk and juice trying to get satisfied, then I am not very hungry for dinner.

Also remember to get out and get some exercise, even a walk in the morning or evening. It doesn't have to be a complicated routine, anything to get you moving.

Keep up the good work feeding your body and your baby the best you can.

[halyled]

Fruits and vegetables aren't going to be very filling because they're mostly carbohydrates...designed for quick energy and burn off quickly. You might try eating some low-fat protein for staying power. A good one for me is deli turkey or chicken slices. I just roll up a few and eat them as a snack, no bread or anything. Trail mix helps some, too, but you have to be careful...there's about 130 calories in a 1/4 cup.

Yeah, I get ravenous while/after breastfeeding. I agree with the poster who mentioned water...getting 64 oz a day helps, too. I've been using the Spark People website some...they have mealplans that have low-calories snacks included (I added 500 calories onto my caloric intake requirements in order to cover the extra calories needed for breastfeeding. You really do need to eat...I don't know about you, but if I don't eat it just makes it worse because I get so hungry that I overeat. Hang in there!