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So many new moms end up asking themselves “Why am I Gaining Weight while Breastfeeding?” Learn why some women gain weight and tips so you can start losing.
Every one’s body works differently…
So you may have heard from one of your friends – “Oh the weight will just melt off if you are breastfeeding”
Or “I could eat anything and lose weight while nursing!”
But what if that’s not happening for you?
Here are Reasons You are Struggling to Lose Weight While Breastfeeding
Hormones
Your body goes through crazy changes when you are pregnant and they don’t stop if you are nursing.
YOUR BODY IS AMAZING!
Just think about what it has done over the past few months… you grew a tiny human and now you are helping it double in size in just a few months.
So first off give yourself a hand.
You aren’t eating enough
I know it sounds counter-intuitive… but your body’s main goal right now is to not run out of food for your baby…
If you aren’t eating enough, it can signal your body to do whatever it takes to hold on the fat stores it already has.
You aren’t drinking enough
Same goes for water… any sort of stress your body is undergoing may lead to a resistance to lose weight.
When you are nursing, you need even more water to keep your milk supply up. So start keeping track and make sure you are drinking enough water each day for your metabolism and milk supply.
You are lacking key vitamins
This one point was honestly the key to me finally starting to drop the weight… I know it sounds like common knowledge – but if you aren’t getting in the daily vitamins you need every single day… your body will hold on to your fat stores even tighter.
Eating the wrong foods
Believe me, I have been there… You think you are eating “healthy” but when you really start to look at your diet… you find
- lots of carbs (even healthy carbs!)
- low fat (not the best plan for weight loss)
- lots of fruits (healthy, but lots of sugar)
Grab My Nursing Moms Meal Plan for Weight Loss
What if you are struggling to lose weight and you are breastfeeding?
What can you do to help lose the weight without messing up your milk supply?
Stay active
I honestly can’t do anything too strenuous or I’ll see a drop in my milk supply or most often I’ll get a clogged duct, (See how to treat mastitis naturally)
But what I do is very simple…
MOVE MORE
I go on walks, I try to get in all my steps that I can in a day. Here are more tips of how to work in exercise as a busy mom.
Give yourself time
I gained about 40 pounds with my last pregnancy (eating right and staying active, that’s just what my body needed to do to grow a baby!)
Eat the right foods
Focus on healthy fats, moderate protein, vegetables… fueling your body the right way!
This is my meal plan for losing weight while nursing:
More Breastfeeding Resources
The Nursing Mama’s Weight loss Plan
3 Tips for Losing Weight While Nursing
I'm on a mission to make healthy living feel like a breeze – because who's got time for complicated recipes?
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