Question about losing weight and nursing - please help!

[mattysmom]

A little background:
I am nursing my 6-month-old ds#2 2-3x/day (he gets formula the rest of the time). I have been doing WW since July and have lost about 12.5 lb and have 3 lb to get to my 10% goal. When I reach this I will be within about 5 lb of my "ideal" weight/size. I've been running pretty regularly and even going to a trainer 1-2x/week for 1 1/2 months. I'm staying within my points (almost all of the time).

But the weight isn't really coming off anymore! I feel like I'm "fighting" my body to lose these last 5+ lb - as if b/c I'm nursing, my body wants to hold onto the fat stores. Maybe the answer is just to kick up the cardio, but I'm wondering if anyone had this same experience?

Thanks so much for any advice!

[psophia17]

No matter how hard I tried while BF, I didn't lose anything. Once DS was good and weaned, the baby weight started to come off much faster, and now I'm working on virgin fat that was there before I got PG in the first place.

I think some women just luck out (ha!) and hang on to the extra weight while BF. Which isn't to say that it'll be easy to lose after weaning, but it'll at least not be as stubborn, and when you hit a plateau you don't have to worry that your supply will suffer.

[Piglet]

Wow! I can write your post!! I am also nursing DS2 about 3-4 times a day and have taken up running. I totally watch what I eat and am still 5 lbs above my goal weight. I remember that I held onto the last 5 lbs with DS1 until he was fully weaned as well. It is as though my body knew it had to hold a reserve fat store just in case, LOL. The other thing to remember is that muscle weighs more than fat, so all the exercise is helping you convert fat to muscle, but your weight won't show any change. Your clothes will probably fit better with time, but your weight may take a LONG time to go down all the way to your goal if you are getting more muscular.

Good luck!

[mattysmom]

Thanks for your replies. I went out last night about bought some new jeans, so I'm not feeling quite as bad about myself (granted, they are still tight in the mid-section) - but just getting used to being this size for now...

But, I think what I'll do is make my WW goal the 140 (which I think I can reach, even while nursing - 3 lb to go). Then, when I stop nursing, I can make it lower. I want to be a lifetime member, but don't want to just linger at this weight forever and get frustrated when it just might not be in the cards for me to lose that extra 5 lb. while I'm nursing.

[JulieL]

My first go around I kept on 5lbs that wouldn't come off too, until I had weaned my son. It's normal for a BFing mom to keep fat stores from 5-10 lbs until they wean their baby. Just remember it's for a good cause, your baby's health AND yours!

[JulieL]

dp

[mattysmom]

Thank you again for all of your advice. I weighed in a WW on friday and weighed the EXACT same for the 3rd week in a row. So, I sat through most of the meeting thinking about what I should do.

Toward the end I spoke with one of the check-in women (who are pretty knowledgable at my center) and showed her my weigh-in booklet. We talked for a while, and to make a long story short, I decided to go onto maintenance... So now I will try to stay at my current weight for 6 weeks and then I can become a lifetime member. And, when I decide to stop nursing, then I can lower my goal weight and try to lose these last 5+ lb.

So, we'll see how it goes!