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4 weeks post partum



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I had my beautiful baby girl 4 weeks ago and am breastfeeding. I have been watching what I eat but have not lost any weight. I'm not sure what to expect with breastfeeding. I do not want to take in to few calories but I also would like to lose some weight gradually until i can start exercising. Anyone out there had a baby after sleeve and can shed some light or tips on starting weight loss while maintaining calories but breastfeeding?

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You should consult your Dr. It's been years, but I breastfed both of my kids. Your body needs extra calories and nutrition to produce healthly milk for your baby. I personally do not believe that you should diet while breastfeeding.

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You need to eat while nursing, but it's not much more - I was told an extra Calcium rich snack a day is about the difference in calories you need over your typical intake.

You burn approximately 500 calories a day if you exclusively nurse or pump.

I'd start by tracking your intake if you aren't already. Before looking at anything else, see if you let your habits slide while pregnant and if you're eating more than you realize. It happens - the hormones make us want to eat (me, anyway) and without tracking it's easy to miss it or slip into denial.

Were you in loss or maintenance before pregnancy? I was in maintenance. I had to shift into loss again, which is kind of tough, especially while nursing. I only cut my calories down to my pre-pregnancy maintenance levels, or roughly 1,400-1,600 calories a day. That's what worked for me - you have to go back to what was working for you.

If you were in loss and eating very restricted calories I would caution you about returning to that before weaning. You may very well compromise your milk supply and it's very hard to get back.

It takes time to shed the final pounds. How much did you gain? I lost a big portion of my gain in the first few weeks, but have been fighting the last fifteen pounds for nearly four months now. They come off very slowly (I've 7 pounds to go, and have since weaned my daughter) so be patient. Disclaimer: I'm being a total hypocrite here, because I'm not feeling very patient, myself. :) Maybe by reminding you, I'll remind myself, too.

In any case, the most important thing is your supply. The weight is definitely coming off of me and I just have to be sure that I don't slide into poor habits and it keeps coming off (albeit at a poky pace) so as long as you're okay on that front, I wouldn't worry. Even if it's frustrating and we want our bodies back now!

Congrats on your new addition - it goes so fast. I'd forgotten how quickly it flies by as my twins are nearly six, but my daughter is already four and a half months old and it's amazing because I feel like I just had her!

~Cheri

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Idk about the nursing thing but my surgeon told me when I'm ready to lose baby weight go back to my post-op diet & start over & it should fall off!

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    • LeighaTR

      I am new here today... and only two weeks out from my sleeve surgery on the 23rd. I am amazed I have kept my calories down to 467 today so far... that leaves me almost 750 left for dinner and maybe a snack. This is going to be tough for two weeks... but I have to believe I can do it!
      · 0 replies
      1. This update has no replies.
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    • Alisa_S

      On day 4 of the 2 week liquid pre-op diet. Surgery scheduled for June 11th.
      Soooo I am coming to a realization
      of something and I'm not sure what to do about it. For years the only thing I've enjoyed is eating. We rarely do anything or go anywhere and if we do it always includes food. Family comes over? Big family dinner! Go camping? Food! Take a short ride or trip? Food! Holiday? Food! Go out of town for a Dr appointment? Food! When we go to a new town we don't look for any attractions, we look for restaurants we haven't been to. Heck, I look forward to getting off work because that means it's almost supper time. Now that I'm drinking these pre-op shakes for breakfast, lunch, and supper I have nothing to look forward to.  And once I have surgery on June 11th it'll be more of the same shakes. Even after pureed stage, soft food stage, and finally regular food stage, it's going to be a drastic change for the rest of my life. I'm giving up the one thing that really brings me joy. Eating. How do you cope with that? What do you do to fill that void? Wow. Now I'm sad.
      · 1 reply
      1. LeighaTR

        I hope your surgery on Wednesday goes well. You will be able to do all sorts of new things as you find your new normal after surgery. I don't know this from experience yet, but I am seeing a lot of positive things from people who have had it done. Best of luck!

    • Alisa_S

      On day 4 of the 2 week liquid pre-op diet. Surgery scheduled for June 11th.
      Soooo I am coming to a realization
      of something and I'm not sure what to do about it. For years the only thing I've enjoyed is eating. We rarely do anything or go anywhere and if we do it always includes food. Family comes over? Big family dinner! Go camping? Food! Take a short ride or trip? Food! Holiday? Food! Go out of town for a Dr appointment? Food! When we go to a new town we don't look for any attractions, we look for restaurants we haven't been to. Heck, I look forward to getting off work because that means it's almost supper time. Now that I'm drinking these pre-op shakes for breakfast, lunch, and supper I have nothing to look forward to.  And once I have surgery on June 11th it'll be more of the same shakes. Even after pureed stage, soft food stage, and finally regular food stage, it's going to be a drastic change for the rest of my life. I'm giving up the one thing that really brings me joy. Eating. How do you cope with that? What do you do to fill that void? Wow. Now I'm sad.
      · 1 reply
      1. summerseeker

        Life as a big person had limited my life to what I knew I could manage to do each day. That was eat. I hadn't anything else to look forward to. So my eating choices were the best I could dream up. I planned the cooking in managable lots in my head and filled my day with and around it.

        Now I have a whole new big, bigger, biggest, best days ever. I am out there with those skinny people doing stuff i could never have dreamt of. Food is now an after thought. It doesn't consume my day. I still enjoy the good home cooked food but I eat smaller portions. I leave food on my plate when I am full. I can no longer hear my mother's voice saying eat it all up, ther are starving children in Africa who would want that!

        I still cook for family feasts, I love cooking. I still do holidays but I have changed from the All inclusive drinking and eating everything everyday kind to Self catering accommodation. This gives me the choice of cooking or eating out as I choose. I rarely drink anymore as I usually travel alone now and I feel I need to keep aware of my surroundings.

        I don't know at what point my life expanded, was it when I lost 100 pounds? Was it when I left my walking stick at home ? Was it when I said yes to an outing instead of finding an excuse to stay home ? i look back at my last five years and wonder how loosing weight has made such a difference. Be ready to amaze yourself.

        BTW, the liquid diet sucks, one more day and you are over the worst. You can do it.

    • CaseyP1011

      Officially here for a long time, not just a good time💪
      · 0 replies
      1. This update has no replies.
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