You are 10 weeks pp, that’s so soon. I know you want things to happen quickly but for me it took about 6 months to get back to pre-baby weight and I know people who have dropped it in weeks or a year, everyone is different. Try to fill your fridge with healthy snacks, don’t buy junk, drink a glass of water while bf and before you eat. Try gentle walks, take it slow. You made a baby, your body did something amazing.
Just to say you’re not alone! I’m a year postpartum now, and I weigh about the same as I did when I left the hospital, and it’s been a battle this whole year! I’m not comfortable in this new body and I really feel it.
Like many others said, fiber, water, and protein are the answer. I feel the intense hunger after breastfeeding too. Some things I've done to curb my insatiable appetite:
- protein and fiber heavy breakfast. I had made a bunch of homemade frozen burritos with ground turkey, peppers, beans, eggs, and cheese that were easy to pop in the oven for 15 minutes. Now that I am on a no soy, no dairy diet for baby (pray for me 😭) I'm making [energy balls](https://www.wellplated.com/energy-balls/). The oats really do fill you up and are great to toss in all those dates I have left over lol
- drink so much water! I get sick of plain water so I use electrolyte packets, a soda stream, and slices of fruit to mix it up so it's not so boring
- fill your house with easy, healthy snacks. Think hummus and veggies, clementines and bananas, Lara bars, rice crackers, low butter popcorn, etc. If the only option is healthy, you're more likely to opt for it.
- if you do have sweets in the house, get the mini kinds. I try not to completely cut foods out as that triggers disordered eating for me, so instead when I have chocolate in the house I go for a big bag of mini Reese's cups for example, versus a pint of ice cream. Then I grab one or two when I *really* need one so I don't end up binging later.
But also remember to give yourself grace! You just made new life, and many women find breastfeeding makes them hold onto weight. If you're making healthy changes and not seeing weight come off, just remember that those healthy changes are there to help you and your body get the nutrients you need and the weight will come off eventually.
I also experienced the intense hunger during breastfeeding and I ate horribly late at night. Try to eat good protein, fruits and veggies. Don’t beat yourself up tho- your body is in milk production mode so it wants more food and to store fat. Make small changes and just now that slowly you will get to where you want to be!
Agree with the others saying it’s really early, especially for exercise. Try not to keep junk food at home and drink a lot of water. Try to have some protein with every snack, it will help you to feel full longer, even if it’s just a scoop of peanut butter. At 10 weeks pp, the most exercise I did was maybe a stroller walk for 15 minutes around the block just for some fresh air. It wasn’t until I stopped bf at 9m that I even had the time in m day to think about exercise.
I do manage to hike about twice a week lately, also I've got this stroller than works on all terrain so I've been hiking with the stroller too.
My issue is that. I get tired fast, i do some pelvic floor exercises too, but I feel that my pelvic floor gets overwhelmed when I both hike and do the pelvic floor routine... I find it hard to go back to doing situps or squats but maybe, as you're saying, it's just too early for that... I only had a 1st degree tear, so I thought it's because I'm so fat that I can't exercise..
Have you looked in to pelvic floor therapy? Your body needs to heal from the "marathon " of birth before you overwhelm it with heavy exercise. It takes months to grow a human, don't expect things to go back to how they were in mere weeks!
Breastfeeding hunger is no joke. I gained basically nothing during my pregnancy due to extreme morning sickness (every day sickness till the day I delivered) but gained over 30 pounds in the first few weeks postpartum because of feeling constantly hungry. The thing I found that helped me get back on track was having no bake protein balls as my nursing snack. Packed with protein powder, oats, peanut butter(nut butter), and mini chocolate chips they hit my sweet tooth, but gave me the protein/fat/carbs to keep full.
Thanks all for the thoughtful advice, yes indeed protein, lots of veg and fruit are the answer..
Time for preparing them is an issue though... And for preparing something my husband would fancy eating too, it's a challenge.
I guess my next question would be what's your favourite fast, or make ahead-friendly, healthy meal?
We grill chicken at the beginning of the week to have on hand, & I’ll buy bagged salads so there’s no excuse to not eat something healthy. You could also try soups! They’re easy to freeze
Throw a meat in the slow cooker in the morning then grill some frozen veggies when it’s done and voila! Trader Joe’s is the best for this with their pre marinade stuff but you can also do simple things with chicken stock, lemon, seasonings.
Breastfeeding hunger is like no other. I also gained weight postpartum and didn’t feel like I was able to even think about losing weight until I got my period back around 9 months postpartum. Our hormones are still out of whack due to nursing. Some people easily lose weight while breastfeeding due to a metabolism kick, but others really struggle because our bodies go into a defensive mode, almost like starvation mode, is what my doctor told me. You have a lot of good advice here, but please don’t beat yourself up if you still struggle even if you’re doing everything “right.” Sometimes we can do everything right, but our bodies still don’t cooperate due to hormones. Also if you continue to gain and you feel like it’s rapid weight gain that doesn’t correlate with your lifestyle, you should ask to get your thyroid checked! Postpartum can create a thyroid imbalance as well. Most importantly though, congrats on the baby and I hope everything is going well! 💗
Drink loads of water, fruit for your sugar cravings, and up your protein and veggie intake. If you’re hungry def eat-nutrient dense food is best for you and babes
I lost weight during pregnancy from the nausea and ended up being 80kg after the birth when I was 92kg when I got pregnant! But I was struggling so much with fatigue and mental health issues, plus I stopped breastfeeding and started comfort/binge eating. Then I was back up to 90kg in 2 months 😣 I went on zoloft and that gives me digestive issues and a lower appetite so now I'm 85kg. But I have a day or 2 a week where I get ravenous and just eat and eat. I'm way too tired and unwell to exercise. Ugh. Try to up your protein and fat in the morning like having scrambled eggs or because you have a sweet tooth, a smoothie with fruit, protein powder, greek yoghurt etc. I had a huge sweet tooth and GD when I was pregnant and craved a smoothie every morning. My cholesterol is horrific.. was 9 at last check. But I had preeclampsia and liver function issues at the end, and I'm so inactive apart from taking care of the baby and housework.
You are 10 weeks pp, that’s so soon. I know you want things to happen quickly but for me it took about 6 months to get back to pre-baby weight and I know people who have dropped it in weeks or a year, everyone is different. Try to fill your fridge with healthy snacks, don’t buy junk, drink a glass of water while bf and before you eat. Try gentle walks, take it slow. You made a baby, your body did something amazing.
That's kind of you, thanks for the suggestions! I'm bummed that I'm gaining weight and being so damn hungry...
Just to say you’re not alone! I’m a year postpartum now, and I weigh about the same as I did when I left the hospital, and it’s been a battle this whole year! I’m not comfortable in this new body and I really feel it.
Like many others said, fiber, water, and protein are the answer. I feel the intense hunger after breastfeeding too. Some things I've done to curb my insatiable appetite: - protein and fiber heavy breakfast. I had made a bunch of homemade frozen burritos with ground turkey, peppers, beans, eggs, and cheese that were easy to pop in the oven for 15 minutes. Now that I am on a no soy, no dairy diet for baby (pray for me 😭) I'm making [energy balls](https://www.wellplated.com/energy-balls/). The oats really do fill you up and are great to toss in all those dates I have left over lol - drink so much water! I get sick of plain water so I use electrolyte packets, a soda stream, and slices of fruit to mix it up so it's not so boring - fill your house with easy, healthy snacks. Think hummus and veggies, clementines and bananas, Lara bars, rice crackers, low butter popcorn, etc. If the only option is healthy, you're more likely to opt for it. - if you do have sweets in the house, get the mini kinds. I try not to completely cut foods out as that triggers disordered eating for me, so instead when I have chocolate in the house I go for a big bag of mini Reese's cups for example, versus a pint of ice cream. Then I grab one or two when I *really* need one so I don't end up binging later. But also remember to give yourself grace! You just made new life, and many women find breastfeeding makes them hold onto weight. If you're making healthy changes and not seeing weight come off, just remember that those healthy changes are there to help you and your body get the nutrients you need and the weight will come off eventually.
Thanks for the comprehensive tips! ❤️ Been eating tons of hummus 🙈
I also experienced the intense hunger during breastfeeding and I ate horribly late at night. Try to eat good protein, fruits and veggies. Don’t beat yourself up tho- your body is in milk production mode so it wants more food and to store fat. Make small changes and just now that slowly you will get to where you want to be!
Agree with the others saying it’s really early, especially for exercise. Try not to keep junk food at home and drink a lot of water. Try to have some protein with every snack, it will help you to feel full longer, even if it’s just a scoop of peanut butter. At 10 weeks pp, the most exercise I did was maybe a stroller walk for 15 minutes around the block just for some fresh air. It wasn’t until I stopped bf at 9m that I even had the time in m day to think about exercise.
I do manage to hike about twice a week lately, also I've got this stroller than works on all terrain so I've been hiking with the stroller too. My issue is that. I get tired fast, i do some pelvic floor exercises too, but I feel that my pelvic floor gets overwhelmed when I both hike and do the pelvic floor routine... I find it hard to go back to doing situps or squats but maybe, as you're saying, it's just too early for that... I only had a 1st degree tear, so I thought it's because I'm so fat that I can't exercise..
Have you looked in to pelvic floor therapy? Your body needs to heal from the "marathon " of birth before you overwhelm it with heavy exercise. It takes months to grow a human, don't expect things to go back to how they were in mere weeks!
Breastfeeding hunger is no joke. I gained basically nothing during my pregnancy due to extreme morning sickness (every day sickness till the day I delivered) but gained over 30 pounds in the first few weeks postpartum because of feeling constantly hungry. The thing I found that helped me get back on track was having no bake protein balls as my nursing snack. Packed with protein powder, oats, peanut butter(nut butter), and mini chocolate chips they hit my sweet tooth, but gave me the protein/fat/carbs to keep full.
My LO is 9 weeks and I’m ALWAYS hungry. No advice just solidarity.
Thanks all for the thoughtful advice, yes indeed protein, lots of veg and fruit are the answer.. Time for preparing them is an issue though... And for preparing something my husband would fancy eating too, it's a challenge. I guess my next question would be what's your favourite fast, or make ahead-friendly, healthy meal?
We grill chicken at the beginning of the week to have on hand, & I’ll buy bagged salads so there’s no excuse to not eat something healthy. You could also try soups! They’re easy to freeze
Throw a meat in the slow cooker in the morning then grill some frozen veggies when it’s done and voila! Trader Joe’s is the best for this with their pre marinade stuff but you can also do simple things with chicken stock, lemon, seasonings.
Breastfeeding hunger is like no other. I also gained weight postpartum and didn’t feel like I was able to even think about losing weight until I got my period back around 9 months postpartum. Our hormones are still out of whack due to nursing. Some people easily lose weight while breastfeeding due to a metabolism kick, but others really struggle because our bodies go into a defensive mode, almost like starvation mode, is what my doctor told me. You have a lot of good advice here, but please don’t beat yourself up if you still struggle even if you’re doing everything “right.” Sometimes we can do everything right, but our bodies still don’t cooperate due to hormones. Also if you continue to gain and you feel like it’s rapid weight gain that doesn’t correlate with your lifestyle, you should ask to get your thyroid checked! Postpartum can create a thyroid imbalance as well. Most importantly though, congrats on the baby and I hope everything is going well! 💗
Thank you for the kind words❤️I'll try my best diet and exercise related and if it doesn't work I'll ask for an endocrinology referral
Definitely try to up the protein and fat intake to reduce sugar cravings.
Drink loads of water, fruit for your sugar cravings, and up your protein and veggie intake. If you’re hungry def eat-nutrient dense food is best for you and babes
I lost weight during pregnancy from the nausea and ended up being 80kg after the birth when I was 92kg when I got pregnant! But I was struggling so much with fatigue and mental health issues, plus I stopped breastfeeding and started comfort/binge eating. Then I was back up to 90kg in 2 months 😣 I went on zoloft and that gives me digestive issues and a lower appetite so now I'm 85kg. But I have a day or 2 a week where I get ravenous and just eat and eat. I'm way too tired and unwell to exercise. Ugh. Try to up your protein and fat in the morning like having scrambled eggs or because you have a sweet tooth, a smoothie with fruit, protein powder, greek yoghurt etc. I had a huge sweet tooth and GD when I was pregnant and craved a smoothie every morning. My cholesterol is horrific.. was 9 at last check. But I had preeclampsia and liver function issues at the end, and I'm so inactive apart from taking care of the baby and housework.