After four weeks of following the Weight Watchers program for nursing moms, I haven’t made much progress. I’m wondering if it has something to do with my frequent consumption of Grandma Betty’s yummy blueberry coffee cake.
Seriously though, the blueberry coffee cake shouldn’t matter, if I’m calculating it correctly (which could be the problem). The terrific thing about Weight Watchers is that you can eat whatever you want, it just has to fit into the calorie budget.
The first week I was on the program, I lost five pounds. Whoopee! This is a pretty typical loss for starting Weight Watchers — it is really just water weight, but it feels good to lose it. Since then, I’ve totally plateaued, and I’m frustrated. I thought that nursing would make the pounds “melt away,” but I really do not feel like I’m melting. Especially since I just purchased two pairs of capri pants that are fully three sizes bigger than my pre-pregnancy clothes, and one size bigger than my fat pants.
So, I’m feeling a bit discouraged, but I’m going to give it another month. In addition to counting points, I plan to get disciplined about having some kind of exercise every day in an attempt to boost my metabolism a bit more. I’m especially hopeful about taking walks with Lucy, as she seems to be enjoying them more than before (i.e. not hollering). If I’m still at the same weight at the end of a month, then I’m calling it quits — at least until I’m not the sole source of nutrition for Lucy anymore, at which point I can follow the non-nursing Weight Watchers program. I feel pretty confident that these pounds will fall off eventually, but I’d like to encourage the process if I can!
My encouragement to you would be to just be patient. I know that’s hard to do, but I didn’t fit back into my pre-pregnancy clothes until Benjamin was at least 3 months old – even after I was back to my pre-pregnancy weight my pre-pregnancy clothes didn’t fit for a while. It’s also not uncommon to carry some extra weight until you are done nursing.
I found it helpful when nursing to keep a good stock of fresh fruits and veggies on hand for when I really wanted to snack – I know a peach is nothing like a brownie, but at least it’s juicy and sweet! Since it seems that Lucy likes to be in the Baby Bjorn use that as a good way to burn some extra calories – strap her on while cooking, cleaning, walking, shopping, etc!
Good luck as you continue the post-pregnancy journey, if you feel discouraged about slow progress, just take a good look at beautiful little Lucy and I’m sure you’ll feel much better!
I wasn’t back into my normal clothes until about 6 months after Gabriel was born – and then joined Curves to firm stuff up. After Uriel, it was still about 3 months – and of course I didn’t gain nearly as much with him. Looks like I am on track to get to about 175 again this time… I hear your frustration and know that you will accomplish your goals in good time. Be good to yourself… your body had a big job!
I have to say I had this wonderful blessing of loosing alot of weight when I walked out the hospital door…..but then nothing melted off like I thought it would. Unfortunately, I started much heavier with Naomi…..so the baby weight is gone….I hope that WW will help maximize my nursing.
After Charles was born my mid wife told me to give myself a year to loose the baby weight. I started WeighDown in mid sept of that year. I was so anal about stopping when I was full I was barely eating anything. charles was on solids but I was still nursing. I spent an entire day in bed sick and I am sure it was due to lack of food. I had not even told Andy I was doing Weigh Down…I was just desparate to loose weight. I learned through that experience that the Lord truly loves me at any weight. Again I needed to root my identity in Him and not worry about the clothes that my mom gave me that were way too small and I would probably never wear.
I would say Weight Watchers is sensible. Be patient with yourself. Your body will probably never look exactly the way it did before Lucy….even when your weight is gone. I am learning to be content with where things are now and continue to make healthy choices.
Just one little note of reality here: When Ann says she hasn’t lost any weight, she means she’s only lost 28 pounds since Lucy was born! :) Literally.
Yeah, I did lose about 25 pounds in the first two weeks, so I shouldn\’t complain too much. I just haven\’t lost much since then.
I was encouraged by something I read in a magazine today: most women tend to lose more weight in months 3-6 postpartum than in the first 3 months. So, I\’m trying to cut myself some slack!
Aside from the initial baby-weight lose (you know, the weight you lose fairly immediately such as the baby, the placenta, the amniotic fluid, etc.) I would agree that I lost the most weight during months 3 – 6 postpartum.
I think I lost more weight after I stopped pumping with Miriam- after 6 months. That also was due to the fact that I just had more time then to exercise. Definitely give yourself a year. It feels like a long time, but there’s just so much else going on for you right now! I remember our birthing class teacher say that most nursing moms hit a plateau, but that if you nurse for a year the rest will come off. Who knows? I think I’d just say Amen to God loving us at any size!
Take heart and remember 9 months on, 9 months off. It was very difficult for me to lose weight after Kaia was born, and she was about 9 months old before things fit again. I’m just lucky that it’s easier this time. I think that it has something to do with having nursed before, or maybe having a big eater this time around.
It will come off eventually, and just keep at eating healthy and getting in fitness. Even if the weight doesn’t come off with those two, you know that you are setting a good example for Lucy and taking good care of yourself.
I lost all plus some in the first three months and am now stuck. Although I am less than I started, I am not at what I want….please just 10 more!! but what I really want in the groooosss belly flab to be gone (praise God for no strech marks, but really does it have to be flab?). I hall Maddy every where, but just my arms are getting fit! I guess it is called being a mom and not a sexy wife! I hear your cry for your old body, I too have the morning screem for a little less me. I just want it all back to “normal” before number two… that is my goal. So I guess I have at least a year if not two.