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Question: How can I lose weight while I’m nursing?

I have gained weight since my baby was born. I believe it is because I have always worked and if I felt I had a weight problem in the past I would go to the gym, stop eating so much, or work extra hours. I cannot do any of this now because I stay at home. My son keeps me home a lot with naps, feedings, and worry about the weather. Housework, though it seems to suffer, sometimes keeps me from doing anything for myself. How do I find the motivation to work out? I feel hungry all the time. I don't want to crash diet like I used to do. Where do I find an easy menu plan that will keep me from going to the market and cooking constantly? I want to be healthy and I don't eat meat. But the weight seems to just jump on. I am starting to feel depressed and take an "I don't care attitude."

Answer:

It sounds like part of your problem is depression (I don't necessarily mean the "clinical" kind, but the kind that accompanies the massive life changes that accompany having a new baby). Maybe when the weather gets warmer and you can get outside more, you will feel more positive about the whole situation. If the depression continues or worsens to the point where you feel that you just can’t deal with it anymore, then talk to your doctor. There are many anti-depressant medications that can be safely taken by nursing mothers, and sometimes they can make a huge difference in your whole outlook on life.

In general, it is easier to lose weight while you are nursing than when you are formula feeding. A new study shows that during the first three months, nursing mothers don't necessarily lose weight faster, but between months three and six, there is significantly better weight reduction when the mothers continue nursing. By the end of the first year, nursing mothers lost an average of 2kg more than formula feeding mothers who took in the same number of calories.

There is an article on my website called "Nutrition, Weight Loss and Exercise While Breastfeeding" that might be helpful. You can diet while you are nursing, but you should avoid crash diets. Your diet doesn't have as much to do with the quantity or the quality of your breastmilk as you might think. You can still produce plenty of nutritious milk for your baby while following a sensible diet program.  Weight Watchers has a diet for nursing mothers if you want to go that route.

I used to do all my cooking from scratch in the old days when I had fewer children and more time and energy. (My house was clean all the time and my sheets got changed every week, too. Now they get changed if someone throws up or pees on them). I would like to spend more time cooking and planning nutritious meals, but it's one of the compromises I've had to make as my family has grown. There is such a wide variety of convenience food these days that I do think it's possible to eat a pretty healthy diet without spending a lot of time in the kitchen. Remember that you're in the "survival mode" with your baby, and do whatever you have to do to stay sane during these early months of motherhood.

I wish you luck in your desire to lose weight, and hope that it gets easier with time. I'm so glad that you're nursing, and can promise you that it's worth whatever sacrifices you have to make!

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