Ask:
How am I ever supposed to lose weight after having my baby if I can't stop eating??
I am nursing my three month old pretty much on demand, and I am starving all the time. My food cravings seem a lot worse than anything I experienced while I was pregnant. I need to have sugar all the time- a few weeks ago I stood over a bowl of cake batter and ate 1/2 of it before it even went in the oven! I am even shocking my hubby by out-eating him at almost every meal, and he's a pretty big guy. ]
Is this normal? I think *gasp* I may have put on more weight after I had the baby.
Answer:
Um, yeah, the hunger gets worse while you're nursing! Just try to eat healthy foods that will sustain you better in the long run, protein and healthy carbs, etc. If you're eating healthy, and staying active, you'll lose the weight. Your body may never be the same, but you'll lose the weight!
Answer:
Yes.. it's normal to be 'extra' hungry and you should eat about 500 more calories a day (on top of your regular calorie allotment, about 2000 cals). I'd stay away from 'junk' though... perhaps instead of sugary stuff have fruit salad, whole fruits instead.
The weight *will* come off.. nursing burns a lot of extra calories!
Answer:
yes! when she was first born I ate snacks every time I was up at night. Now (6 weeks old) I am too tired. It's hard to eat healthy when I have to take care of her all day. I try to put together salads I can eat from the container at night while my husband is watching her... Of course I ate today's salad at 10AM! I crave sweets a lot, so I try not to keep tthem in the house.
Answer:
I am the same way. I can't get enough chocolate! I thought that once I wasn't pregnant anymore, I wouldn't be as hungry - WRONG. My husband is a big boy and I am outeating him We will finish a meal and I will still be hungry while he is full! My hunger has decreased a little and I have lost weight a little weight as my milk has changed.
Answer:
I feel like I've been extra hungry for years!! I do notice being considerably more hungry pre-menstrual every month which always freaks me out a little thinking ut oh am I preg?
Answer:
My daughter's only about 5 weeks old but... actually since having her. I pretty much have no appetite. It's only when I haven't eaten for a LONG period of time that my stomach will start hurting cause I'm hungry. Other than that... I just don't feel hungry.
After getting pregnant I didn't feel hungrier than normal really either. I actually had to really pay attention and make sure that I ate, and was getting enough since I was pregnant. Gonna have to do the same thing now too. Especially if it continues this way.
Answer:
Make sure your drinking plenty of liquids. Maybe your mistaking your hunger pains and they are really thirst pains. Try drinking a glass of water before you reach for the food. Even if you are still hungry after the water you might eat less having the liquid in your stomach.
Answer:
I was reading somewhere online that you have to watch how much complex carbs you get, because your body needs a lot of them while you're nursing. If you don't get enough, it could signal cravings for sugar to start. So, I guess I need to stock up on that stuff.
Also, does anyone notice severe hunger pangs after baby has a long feeding jag? My little guy nursed for almost two hours straight in the morning right before I had that "breakdown" yesterday. I knew I had reached a new low when I was cleaning off my counters from the night before and found a little piece of (unidentified) food and almost picked it up and put it into my mouth! I almost ate garbage, !
Answer:
YES! Totally normal. Post partum, I always lose all but 10-15 pounds which I hold onto until I finish nursing. The week (literally) that I weaned dd1 I lost 10 pounds. As I mentioned, I just weaned my 16 month old and I have noticed a HUGE decrease in appetite already.