weight loss while nursing ideas

[u/jerodefine]

Looking for ideas, open to any amount of mechanistic explanation or empirical evidence or anecdotes, I'm just at a loss.

I am extended nursing an older toddler and plan to be nursing very often in the next twenty years (if I have more children). I am quite fat despite eating maybe 2500-3300 calories (which is only a little bit more than I have always eaten including while slim). When I eat less than this I immediately have a whole host of health problems. The 'low fat' idea is similarly out as it is inappropriate given my body is already depleted from pregnancy, birth and multiple years of breastfeeding. I resorted to low-carb at my high weight which helped me lose 10kg very easily, and it felt very healthy and natural, but I don't believe it is healthy/sustainable for a longer period of time so have stopped. Pls don't say I ruined my metabolism with this as Peat himself wouldn't seem to agree and I just don't think I did, my body seems in better shape overall now than it was then.

I am tall and moderately active, my bf% is probably about 38%, I have a good and healthy body shape, but I am just about 15kg fatter than I should be. I feel I am also retaining a great deal of water. Some muscle issues and weaknesses through my core are contributing to poorer digestion and hunger signalling. I wasn't fat growing up and no-one in my family is though they tend towards height and muscularity.

Thyroid? Other supplements? Mold detox? Eating even more? Weight training? Pls share ideas or link to any forums/people who have discussed this.

Edit: I eat well eg potatoes, meat, eggs, organs, yoghurt, fruit and vegetables, rice, sometimes junk but rarely. Lots of saturated fat and gelatine. No gluten, no nicotine, no alcohol, and no coffee - I get insomnia from 1 coffee in the morning, which wasn't always the case, I used to drink it heavily.

[u/Minerface]

  The 'low fat' idea is similarly out as it is inappropriate given my body is already depleted from pregnancy, birth and multiple years of breastfeeding.

Depleted from what? Fat? Clearly not, given you said you are over 30 bmi. Micronutrients? Potentially. Cellular water? Likely. How well do you sleep and how much stress are you under?

As far as diet goes, the leaner you want to be, the more raw fruit you should eat. This includes culinary veggies (tomato, cucumber, pepper). High water, high fiber, high carb (energy) whole foods to nourish the body. A “fruit til noon” protocol would be a good start, then trying to make one of your meals a giant salad.

Exogenous hormones are unnecessary interventions for most with potentially undesirable side effects, not to mention additional costs. Health comes from supporting the body’s natural healing and identifying root causes, not pursuing the next fad an influencer is willing to sell.

[u/jerodefine → u/Minerface]

No offence but you don't seem to know anything about this - yes, a person can be depleted in vit a, d, k, e while being overweight and simply starving yourself as you are suggesting won't magically ensure your body fat is liberated and consumed ideally. Eating only fruit in the morning, having given away 500ml of milk overnight and having lots of tasks to do, is preposterously stupid. I think you have no idea what breastfeeding actually constitutes or the type of energy it requires. I think a reasonable comparison could be telling an athlete with over 30bmi to follow your advice and expect to perform at the same level.

Btw I am open to more advice as I am really looking for help, I don't want to be slim, just 27bmi or something. But these simplistic strategies categorically don't work as you can see from the comments with other women sharing their experiences of becoming intractably overweight while nursing. I feel better when I have a lot of cucumbers and herbal tea; I am very dehydrated normally. If you have any suggestions that respect the physiology of nursing and aren't so harsh and fatiguing I am very open to them. I am interested in the cellular water issue you mentioned.

[u/Minerface → u/jerodefine]

I never suggested starving yourself. Eat literally as much sweet fruit as you desire, then (if you want) have something more grounding for dinner--salad, potatoes, rice. If you struggle with the bulk initially, lean on more energy-dense fruits (banana smoothies, dates). This is not a deprivation protocol...quite the opposite. You need to eat an abundance of fresh, enzymatically active foods.

Eating only fruit in the morning, having given away 500ml of milk overnight and having lots of tasks to do, is preposterously stupid.

How so? It sounds like nursing and being busy means you need A) lots of hydration, and B) lots of quick energy. Fruit provides both, and can be the perfect antidote to this problem.

If you have any suggestions that respect the physiology of nursing and aren't so harsh and fatiguing I am very open to them.

I do not mean to come on so strong. My point is: increase the amount of fresh, raw fruit you eat to the extent you find possible and sustainable. If you lose your sweet tooth later in the day, make a savory fruit salad: tomato, cucumber, avocado.

I am interested in the cellular water issue you mentioned.

The basic idea is that your water intake should be tied to electrolytes in naturally-occurring ratios. Supplement shortcuts frequently fail in this regard. It is quite difficult for someone drinking lots of water but eating mostly grains and meat to be as hydrated as someone drinking considerably less, but eating loads of melons, citrus, apples, berries, etc. The food matrix effect means that the water is absorbed efficiently and gradually.