Does breastfeeding prevent some women from losing weight?

Question

For the past two months I have been exercising 5x a week, taking a 1.5 mile walk 5x a week, and watching what I eat, mostly eating protein high, low carb, very little added sugar except what is naturally in fruit. I would guesstimate I eat under 2,000 calories a day... my Apple Watch estimates I burn about 400 calories from exercise and I am burning at least another 400 from breastfeeding. BUT I CANNOT LOSE A SINGLE POUND. I seriously have not lost one pound in 2 months of this consistency. I cannot figure out why. I can’t restrict calories anymore or I will lose my breastmilk supply and practically tank my metabolism. Is it because I’m breastfeeding that I cannot lose weight? I’m not really massively overweight anyway, I’m 5’7” and weigh 174lbs. I just want to lose about 20lbs. But I can’t seem to! Help?

Answer

I can't lose the last 10 or so pounds until I stop breastfeeding. The hormones make me soft. I don't get the same results from working out which is super disappointing when I'm feeling my least attractive lol After my 2nd I gave myself much more grace and am losing the weight and getting back in shape in the same amount of time as my first with much less work since I waited until I stopped breastfeeding.

Answer

I didn’t lose any weight til after I stopped breastfeeding with my first. Don’t believe the “breastfeeding takes the pounds right off” myth. It does for some women but not all of us. I tried cutting back on calories but it affected my supply and I still barely lost weight.

Answer

I'm in the same boat. I was always thin with an athletic shape. I gained 50 lbs pregnant. After pregnancy it went straight to my hips, butt and thighs. My stomach is pretty flat though. When I first came home the weight fell off. I actually had no appetite for like 2 months. Then weight loss just stopped. It doesn't help that it's freezing here and I can't go for walks like I was. I'm ten months in and I think I'm done bf at the year mark bc I want to workout hard like I used to and restrict my diet.

Answer

Depends on the person I guess. I'm almost 4 months pp and weigh 15 lb less than I did before I got pregnant.  So over all I have lost 35 lb( gained 20 during pregnancy). I exclusively breastfeed and haven't done anything to try to loss weight  it just seemed to "fall off".

Answer

Ya I didn’t lose until I stopped. Within 6 weeks I was below prepregnancy weight.
Everyone always said it would melt off while breastfeeding and it did not

Answer

I tried so hard to lose weight after I had my baby! I was breastfeeding for 10 months. I could not budge anything!!!! Seriously made me so depressed! So many of my friends were like "the weight just fell off" but not for me I put weight on.
Only lost weight when I stopped.

Answer

I held onto about 5lbs (started pregnancy at 115lbs) until I quit BF totally. Then that extra 5lbs fell off in a matter of weeks without changing diet or exercising.

Answer

I didn’t lose weight until I stopped too! And it came off fast tbh after that

Answer

I didn’t lose weight with my son until I quit breastfeeding and started weight watchers. This time all my baby weight fell off immediately but no extra. I just don’t even try. I’ll wait until my baby is weaned.

Does breastfeeding prevent some women from losing weight?

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