Weight Loss & Breastfeeding

If it's only been 6 weeks since delivery, you have tons of time to lose 20lbs. I didn't get back to my pre-pregnancy weight for at least 18 months, and the last 10 or so took much longer. If you lost a good amount right after birth, more power to you, but you will lose the rest with time.

Good luck and congrats!

Same thing happened to me. only I am on my first child. However, i was sooo hungry all the time and i still am..but i joined weight watchers again and am on the breast feeding plan. i get a ton of extra points...anyway, this just helps me stay on track and not OVER eat...which is easy to do with all the hunger pains. I am only 8 lbs from my pre preg weight now and my son is 2 1/2 mo old. Good luck.

I didn't lose the rest of my baby weight until I got some much needed sleep on a consistent basis. best of luck!

If you have COMCAST (depending on where you live); you can go to FIT TV Ch 222 and they have workouts all the time on that channel. Or go to CH 1 and scroll to Sports and Exercises; find the exercises on there and you will find sessions of 2 minutes to 60 minutes. When your babies are napping or after they go to bed, try doing 15 minutes of exercise - being "active" with your children isn't the same as actually exercising. Plus, starving yourself is worse for your body. You need to be eating fruits and vegetables and if your scale isn't moving - you might be reaching for convenience rather than healthy snacks. Grazing is also better for you than full heavy meals.

Congratulations on your new baby! Just a few years ago doctors would have you come in at six weeks and then approve exercise, I hear they have changed things since then. Give yourself a break!

It took nine months for your body to make and grow this wonderful baby and your body is still working to feed it. Give your body at least nine months to recover.

I did find that I had to exercise on top of the usual running after kids to keep my weight down (never an issue before kids). I recommend pilates. Denise Austen has a few 20 minute workouts that can be done on the floor (I barely had the energy to stand and exercise). After a while I was able to walk on alternate days (though you already do that).

Take your time, and good luck!!

You are only 6 weeks out! It is normal to take your body an entire year to re-regulate itself completely after birth. There is a saying, "It took you 9 mos. to put on the weight..." Be good to yourself. The "star" version of birth, motherhood, and postbaby body makes us "normal" woman feel bad about what is TOTALLY normal! They have specail cooks, personal trainers, nannies, housekeepers, assistants, and many don't breastfeed or only for a short time, all they have to do is focus on their body. You have your hands full with a 21 mos old and a new born (I have the same age difference with mine, it's a LOT of work!!)
I know people say that breastfeeding is such a great way to stay slim, but I was the opposite. I didn't start really losing until I stopped breastfeeding. While I nursed it was very slow with lots of leveling off points. Your body can hold onto the extra weight in case there is an emgerancy and you can't eat (survival instinct)and to lose the weight sometimes mean workouts that will decrease your milk supply. So I nursed and ate right and gave myself to my children knowing that I would get my body back when they didn't need me for that very important breastmilk anymore. Good for you for giving of yourself and breastfeeding!

I was still up 20 lbs at 6 weeks too. Please don't be so hard on yourself! Remember it can easily take several months for your weight to drop back to what it was. I breastfed my son for 20 months and never really paid attention to what I ate (ie I ate when I was hungry and stopped when I was full). I found that my weight loss went in fits and starts. I plateaued for a month or so, then it dropped quickly, then it stopped for a while etc. I was within 10 lbs of my prepregnancy weight by around 4 months postpartum and was back to my original weight around 6 or 7 months.

Give yourself a break. Your body is still doing a lot of adjusting. It will return to its "set point" on its own

J.,

It's only been 6 weeks. I think you need to relax! 6 months is the average time it takes to lose. I'm also the mom of a 6 week old newborn so I understand, but I'm taking it easy. It will come off when I start working out again.

You need to relax about it! It has only been 6 weeks! Stay active and eat healthy and worry about it later. As long as you are living a healthy lifestyle for yourself and children it will come off.

Wow, there were so many great comments & responses by everyone. I totally agree with Laura, Elizebeth, & Monica.
For me, Breasting makes me even more hungry! I too didn't strt seeing the weight shed, until I stopped nursing completly. When I got got pregnant with my second child, My daughter was about 17months old & I still had about 10lb pregnancy leftover weight still hanging on.

Just eat healthly, drink lots of fluid, excercize if you can, & by the time your child turns 1, you'll see a difference, just be patient with your body!!!

I was unbelievably hungry. I don't think I ever was full until 5 months post-partum.
I had gained 50+ pounds during my pregnancy, though a lot was water. I did nothing in the way of exercise. It took a full 12 weeks for me to heal from the stitches. It also took a full 12 weeks for me to return to my pre-pregnancy weight. I didn't look the same, but I did return, and even eventually went below (which was unhealthy for me).

Now I only walk and ride my bike. Rarely break a sweat, and I am still at my pre-pregnancy weight (16months PP). I wouldn't worry about weight loss too much. All the moms I know have experienced the same thing. They warn that after breastfeeding stops is when it might be hard to shed the pounds.

V.

It took you 9 months to get big & prego - it will take at least 9 months to "reverse it all". Drs usually say one year - the nursing helps too... drink lots of water & it will peel off before you know it.

I don't know who you've been talking to but 6 weeks is not very long to lose post-preggy weight, esp if this isn't your first. You shouldn't be worrying about that for at least 6 months. Your body has been pregnant for almost a year--it needs to recover. Be kind to yourself. And remember this: Losing more than 3lb a month will cause the toxins in your fat to start leaching into your bloodstream and therefore your milk supply.

don't stop eating. you burn approx extra 500 calories producing milk. just make good food choices in what you're eating. healthy fats from nuts, nut butters, avocados and dairy are good. avoid sugars (i know it can be hard, my sugar desires increased while nursing). eat fresh fruits like pineapple, grapes and berries instead of refined sugars. keep up the good work nursing and do it as long as you can! it's the best thing for your baby!

hey girl!
i know this is you! my suggestion is to stop stressing about the weight.... people pack-on and retain weight when they stress out. you are gorgeous and look better than anyone i have ever known, just six weeks after having a baby!
:)
S.
ps- you wrote your name with 3 "n's"

I did a baby mommy swim class so that at least I was in the water moving around and getting in shape but I wasn't not with my son. I also played games on the floor with my son where I would lift him up and tickle him but for me I was doing a crunch and lifting him (he was about 10 lbs) so I was getting a good workout as well as strengh training.

Of course you are going to be hungry. Your body needs to make the food for the new little one. I lost 25 lbs in the first 2 weeks and then it took another month to lose another 5 or 10. I stalled for awhile around 3-5 mths then it started up again without changing anything. I have now lost 65 lbs since my daughter was born 20 mths ago. It has been relatively slow and steady. It can come off. I needed to just lose weight, so I had lost all of my baby weight in the first week (16 lbs), the rest has been the bonus that I was hoping for. Remember that your baby needs you to have enough calories to make milk and so you need to focus on that and not the scale for awhile. You are doing great with 2 little ones! Good for you!

H.

Give it more time, and choose what you eat wisely.........stay active and it will slowly come off, remember a slow weight loss will stay off in the future!

6 weeks is not very long in my mind! I gained 50 (!) pounds when I got pregnant, granted I was very thin to begin with. But I didn't worry about losing the weight. I just ate healthy and breastfed and by the time baby was 1 yr old I was back to normal. Give your body time to re-adjust and don't stress over it. You are burning lots of calories breastfeeding and taking care of baby.

Its hard after watching the scale go down so quickly in the days/couple weeks right after birth to then see it slow down or stop. Generally you will lose about 20 lbs right away (although b/c they pump you full of fluids at the hospital is takes a week or more to lose this). Then about 5 more lbs over the next couple weeks---by the 6 wk checp up you should be down about 20-25 lbs. after that it is much slower, about 5 lbs per month is what I got, BUT I ate like crazy, since I was always starving. If you have a good pump and a little time while your little one is sleeping, stock up your milk supply (and burn some serious calories) by pumping. Also, remember that around 4-6 months old your baby will be nursing such large quantities of milk you will be burning up to 1000 calories a day----some nice calories burning. Keep up the nursing, nothing helps more.

Weight Watchers works great for me and they figure in the amount you should eat while breastfeeding which is great!
I do the online program and it is only $16 a month. I don't have time to attend meetings so this has been really good for me as well.

snack on fruit, vegtables and yogurt. keep your meals small and accompany with vegtables as your main course. in other words. take your plate and divide it in two. 1/2 vegetable and 1/2 starch and protein. you can have as much vegetables as you want! just pair it with 2 tablespoons of fat free or reduced fat dressing. for breakfast keep your cereal portion to 3/4 cup and look for fiber rich foods. eat every 3 to 4 hours ( eating 3 meals and 3 snacks )and drink plenty of water. since you already go on walks i would invest in some hand weights and an exerball. when your baby is fussy bounce on the exerball with him in your arms. my baby loved this! good job breastfeeding! i had the hardest time. i gained 60 lbs with my pregnancy and have taken 40 off. this last 20 has been the hardest yet..... good luck to you.

Listen to your body. Eat healthy, but don't worry. It is so early after your pregnancy, it's just going to take time. And don't feel guilty if you don't have time/energy to work out. Little ones are very hard to care for, especially so close in age. Enjoy this time with them, and don't even let your mind go there. This summer you'll probably be pretty active. It will come in time. Plus your newborn will probably get more demanding during the 6-8 week fussy time. You'llneed your energy for them, not weight loss. But do have healthy snacks on hand, when I don't I grab junk for the ease of it.

I had a hard time with this too, and in my case, the hunger and weight lasted long after we were done breastfeeding (sorry). I think the hunger is sort of a mental thing. If I didn't eat, I felt nauseous when I was pregnant, and I think that hunger just stayed with me mentally. I just had to force myself to cut back. Of course if you have to eat, eating healthier snacks is best. I still have the weight to lose though. I have heard this before, and I definitely think it's true - you just have to work out to lose it if it doesn't fall off within those first few months. I'd suggest a yoga DVD to do with your baby. They have them at Target and they're recommended by Parents Magazine. We now have the one for toddlers, and we do it together all the time. My 20 month old thinks it's hilarious - I think its fun - it doesn't feel like a workout but it totally is. I couldn't find time to work out either, so this is what I had to do, and I am so glad I did because it's so much fun :) Good luck!
K.

Hey,
Well, try to not consume extra calories. Instead, to increase your milk flow try to take fenugreek. This is a natural supplement you can buy at GNC or other health food stores. It is very safe to use, it is what is used to flavor maple syrup! When you take a lot, your sweat will smell like maple syrup, that's it. It is available as capsules to swallow or as tea. I found that it really increased my milk flow alot when I was nursing (I needed it to increase, b/c my daughter was allergic to every formula I tried, so I had to make sure she was only on breast milk. Also, try not to eat after 6pm or 7pm and make sure you drink lots and lots of water. Hope this helps ya, good luck!!

I will need you to tell me the exact same thing I am telling you in a few months- but just relax and enjoy this time- don't worry about your weight right now. There will be a lot of time to fix this situation down the road. At 7 mos I lost almost all of the extra weight I had gained.

6 weeks? That's not enough time to see any weight drop unless you are one of those celebrity moms in Hollywood : ) It took me a year to lose all the weight. I nursed for 16 months.

Once your baby starts solids, you can start to watch your diet. Also, start exercising as soon as you feel up to it. I believe Weight Watchers has a special plan for nursing moms too if you want to check that out.

Just hang in there! I have a 7 month old and a 2yr old and it took 6 mos to lose all my baby weight. I definitely had the scale stand still for many weeks. I'm still nursing and have now started to be able to fit work outs into my life. It is hard when you are sleep deprived, to be motivated to exercise. Taking care of 2 babies is excercise! Just remember to eat healthy because everything you eat goes to your baby and they will benefit from your good choices. Good Luck and Congratulations!

I'm an exercise physiologist specializing in prenatal and postpartum fitness. It is not uncommon to have ebs and flows when it comes to losing the weight, particularly the second and third time around.

Now that you're past the 6 week mark, your body is getting out of it's "recovery phase" and it will be easier to see changes in your weight.

The best thing to do is incorporate exercises into your everyday activities. While you're breast feeding, sit on a big resistance ball (about $20 at Target) with a Boppy or Breast Friend around your waist. Sitting on the ball will keep you from hunching over and is a TERRIFIC ab workout (it will also take the pressure off your back). While you're on your walks, speed up for a little bit and then slow back down. Interval workouts burn he most calories. Try some walking lunges while you're walking for lower body strengthening (this will help boost your metabolism). Do some push-ups or modified push-ups (on your knees) while the baby is doing tummy time or you're playing on the floor.

You're more than welcome to come try out one of our Stroller Fitness classes (we always have a free trial) to get some more ideas. Most of our moms have lost their baby weight and then some. We have classes 6 days a week in Naperville, Plainfield, and Carol Stream/Bloomingdale. Feel free to contact me if you want to come try it out or for any other "helpful hints".

They say that breastfeeding helps with weight loss, but it did not help me at all !!!! I gained 65lbs with the first pregnancy and I'm still working on loosing it...
Nothing worked for me until I went on South Beach diet and started working out after I was done breastfeeding.... now the weight is SLOWLY coming off...

J., I hear you. Weight Watchers has a plan tailored for breastfeeding moms so that you are in a safe calorie range, but at the same time guided toward better choices. You can participate in meetings or online. I think it's nutritionally sensible--I'd like to dump 30. It's so frackin hard. I don't work for WW, by the way, just a longtime member. Hang in there!
Congrats on the baby! Yay!
D.

Breastfeeding has generally helped me lose weight in the beginning, but as time goes by I find myself eating a lot as well. It's not until I stop breastfeeding that I lose most of the rest of the weight. I just stopped breastfeeding my third child and the same thing has happened. I am not as hungry throughout the day and I lost quite a bit of weight as well. Still have a little more to go, but at least I can now wear some of my pre-pregnancy clothes again.

You have to eat. when you don't take in enough calories your body stops buring as much so even though you are burning what you need for breast feeding, if you are not getting food for the rest of you body functions, your metabolism will slow down and stop burning anything extra so if your hungray eat. just make sure you are eating healthy low fat options. that your body will use for fuel and stay away from processed or high fat food and snacks. Good luck.

Don't do this to yourself! Now is not the time to be worrying about losing weight. You only gave birth 6 weeks ago! I know right now that seems like a long time ago, but believe me when I say it's nothing.

I feel like this compulsion we have to get skinny again so soon after childbirth comes from the media's portrayal of celeb moms. Do not compare yourself to people like J-Lo and Nicole Richie, who look like their old selves after 6 weeks of giving birth. These people have round-the-clock nannies, personal chefs to cook all their "fat free" meals, and trainers who stay on top of them - not to mention the that they have the actual time to workout for hours a day because someone else is taking care of their child.

Reality is this - it took 9 months to gain the weight, you should expect it to take the same amount of time to lose it. In the meantime, EAT!!! You need the fuel and more importantly so does your baby. You burn more than 500 calories a day breastfeeding - that's almost twice as much as any workout.

Enjoy this time and don't stress over an 20 extra pounds. The weight will come off - and if it doesn't, at the end of the day, do you really care? You have a beautiful baby to show for it!

As previous posteres have said, do not worry about this weight right now. You really shouldn't even be getting any where near a scale (admittedly, I'm the pot calling the kettle black as I am a certified scale addict!) but you can actually stop milk production if you are not careful about getting enough nutrition.

I did actually lose my preggo weight every quickly. (I define that as 3 months, like you, nothing budged between 3-6 weeks) I loved the book "The New Breastfeeding Diet". It was about eliminating toxins healthily from your body while breast feeding so it doesn't come out via your milk. The bonus to this book was weightloss. If you're focused on the right things, e.g. the right nutrition for your little one, it turns out... it's the right nutrition for you as well. I would not only see a boost in milk supply from following the book, I had more energy, and I lost weight!

now if I can only lose the weight from going back to work and being sedentary...

I did weight watchers on line while nursing. It took me about 8 months to loose 40 lbs. I lost all my weight from my second one, plus, all the remaining weight from my first one, and a little more. No exercise involved. Now three years later, as the metabolism is slowing down, I've got to get up and move!

You will lose it as time goes on. Since you are breastfeeding your child you do need that energy. Walk, walk, walk and eventually you will be surprised. Get it out of your head that you have to get down the twenty pounds right now. Celebrate being a mom by eating healthy. We put the scale in the garbage for a few years. It felt good not worrying about how much I weighed. Life goes by fast and if you just take care of yourself and your children in a good healthy manner you will see what happens. Just hug those babies! They will grow up, move on and you can do all sorts of things.If you have the money go to a program that has babysitting when babies are older. And do not try to be like someone else who has an incredibly easy time losing weight. WE are all different and some people have different life circumnstances or they have more free time, more family who help take care of he children or completely different bodies. So just enjoy you and those little creatures you made and you will love life!

In Girlfriend's Guide to Pregnancy (?) she says, based on an unscientific poll of her friends, it takes 9 months to get to PP weight. That was true for me and many people I know.

There are three factors that go into place when trying to lose postpartum weight. 60% is nutrition, 20% is exercise and 20% is a full nights sleep! The scale didn't budge for me until I started sleeping through the night after 6m. Yes, I even gained 4lbs from b-feeding too b/c your body is constantly working to produce milk 24/7 and it is quite a process for your body. If you can aim to eat 5-6 small meals per day, drink 2-3L water per day, or half of your weight in ounces, aim to walk with your babies 20-30min/ day, you are off to a great start. When you are b-feeding, you need to establish your milk supply first, then worry about weight loss, it takes about 4-6 months to establish and do not lose no more than 1lb per week when b-feeding, anything more, your supply will decrease. I specialize in pre and postnatal fitness, gained 45lbs and have my last 10lbs to get back to pre-pregnancy weight before my daughter turns one in 7wks, so don't fret too much. Let me know if you have any questions. Enjoy it, stress will not help with weight loss either. :)

J. W. MPH
National Program Director
Healthy Moms (R) Fitness
www.healthymomsfitness.com

If you're hungry, then eat! You need to take care of yourself and your little one right now & not focus on the scale. Chances are, it'll all come off without you even worrying about it. I had gained 60 lbs & then breastfed, and I kept track of the weight loss at first, and it went like this, for me:

-20 lbs after 1 week
-35 at 2 weeks
-40 at 6 weeks
-45 at 8 weeks...

And then I must've stopped writing it down. The whole 60 lbs did come off (before a year?), but those last 15 lbs were much slower to come off than the first 45.

Good luck!

keep breast feeding- it will begin to fall off!

Hi J.,
Two weeks is not long enough, especially since you are breast feeding. You still have pregnancy hormones in your body. Be kind to yourself, it will come. As far as exercise, I recommend to my clients, I am a weight loss coach, to exercise for 15 minutes, just 15 minutes everyday. Brisk walk, dance, something simple yet cardio.
Send my your diet diary for three days and I will evaluate it. see what you are doing right and what you could do better. P. RN PBS Coach

I joined weight watchers...they have a plan for nursing moms. It worked great for me!

I've breast-fed both my kids for at least a year, so can say with conviction that it's way too soon to worry about your weight after only 6 weeks. I was shocked when I left the hospital with my first child--still looking pregnant! No one told me that I would still need to wear maternity when I left the hospital. Anyway, if you give yourself 10 months, you will be pleasantly surprised. I know it sounds like a lot, but be patient. You need to stay healthy for your baby. After both kids were 9 month, I realized that I had gotten back to my pre-pregnancy weight. A couple months later, I was about 5 pounds lighter than my pre-pregancy weight. All my friends who breast-fed for at least 10 months had the same experience, but those who didn't, didn't lose the weight any faster and still had about 5 pounds to lose from their pre-pregnancy weight. Good luck, but don't worry. You'll see gradual changes over the next few months.

6 weeks.. that's it.. give yourself a break. Your body still needs to hold on to some of that maternal weight. Remember 9 mos. up.. 9-18 mos. down.
Talk to your doctor she may even scold you for trying to lose weight so soon.

I'm not going to read your other responses (there are a million!) but I didn't lose my baby weight til my baby was about 7 months. After that, I lost past my prepregnancy weight by about 7 pounds. Hang in there...you'll get there! Give yourself some time before you freak out though, 6 weeks? C'mon girl!

FYI, I'm a long term nursing mom and noticed a real weight loss at about 1 year. I did nothing different - no diet, no exercise - it just dropped! Even others noticed. Not sure why it happened. The initial weight does come off slowly for sure. Try not to stress about it. I had 20 lbs to lose too at your point. It will come off eventually. :)

my first suggestion is to stop worrying about your weight! i try to think about it like this: babies prefer to snuggle with a teddy bear than a barbie! the other thing i try to keep in mind is that anything that's extra pre-pregnancy will more than likely be sucked off at the growth spurts (6 weeks, 3 mos, 6 mos, 8-9 mos). if you're pre-pregnancy weight at those points, it can hurt your milk supply or make you exhausted when baby starts to grow.
otherwise, your milk production is just now hitting a point where it is regulating based on you (diet and sleep) and baby's needs. dieting in the first few months is not really recommended because of this self-regulation. once you hit about 3 months, though, "Eat Well, Lose Weight While Breastfeeding" is a really great guide if you need to lose a few pounds.

I am an EBF mom and I managed to get rid of post-baby weight through a home remedy naming mummy magic weight loss tea. I didn't affect my breast milk production.

J.,

I agree - it's too early to worry about your weight. Also, while some women lose all of their weight really quickly while breastfeeding, some, like me, hold on to those last 10-20 pounds while nursing. I plateaued as well with losing weight and it has stayed the same while I've been nursing. I have several friends with a similar situation who talked about how when they stopped nursing, the weight came off much easier. It takes a while for your body to get back to normal. I know it is frustrating! Keep being active and exercising and eating well and it'll come off eventually. Don't push it - you could end up losing your milk supply. Good luck!!

I just had my 3rd baby 3 weeks ago. I have lost 6 inches and 3 1/2 lbs in 10 days by doing a couple of things.

I don't have a ton of time for exercise -but I DO recommend doing the Tupler Technique exercises for the "mummy tummy" where your stomach muscles split from pregnancy (happens in 98% of women). They are exercises you can do while nursing or in the car, and can fuse your stomach muscles together and shrink your waistline by bringing the split rectus abdominus together and keeping the transverse muscle in.

I am a personal trainer and I Tupler Technique certified - one of only two people in the entire Chicagoland area- I teach the technique in Orland Park Park District and the Homewood Flossmoor Park District. Its listed under "Mommy Tummy" class.

As for eating, I do an Herbalife Soy Shake (and nutrition supplements) in the morning, and a protein bar for a snack. Then I have SMART lunches and SMART dinners - where I have LOTS and LOTS of veggies and a good protein source.

I omit the FIVE WHITES - white flour, white rice, white sugar, white pasta and white bread.

I have only small amounts of the whole grain versions above.

I can still have my cheat of the day - a small 70% cocoa chocolate bar from Aldi's (Mosser Roth).

Doing the Tupler technique and eating like this after baby #2 I went from a 32 inch waist to a 25 inch waist in 5 months. I nursed for 1 year - my milk supply was very nutritious and plentiful.
And I have fruit or a cooked egg as snacks throughout the day and LOTS of water.

Here is the website I refer my personal trainer and mommy tummy clients to:

www.herbal-nutrition.com/bonniewayne/

i have 3 kids 4,2 and 1. also i did breastfeed all my kids until they were about a year old.i dont have much time to exersise either.i am 36 and only 5'1. it took me 1 full year to get back in my pre-prg clothes. i only gained 35 to 40 lbs w/ each pregnacy. i wouldnt strss out just yet your body is still in healing process.plus baby needs you to eat if you are breast feeding.my girl friend was back in her skinny jeans in a week we hate her of course.i got some pilates dvds and take the kids on walks when ever i can.i have a set of wieghts that i use occationaly and walk w/ friends while my husband has kids for 2 hours then he goes golfing later.good trade.

I totally hear you. When i was breastfeeding both my boys I couldn't get enough food!!! Unfortunately, you don't want to do anything drastic while your breastfeeding because your little one needs you to keep a healthy diet...as long as you're making good food choices and staying active, don't be too concerned about the scale ( I know it sucks...it may sound vain but i was so anxious to drop my baby weight!). Eat healthy, stay active, and remember that weight isn't the only indicator that you are getting back in shape...I've heard that muscle weighs more than fat so if you are toning muscles while losing fat, the number on the scale may not go down like you want it to...

I wished that someone had told me that you don't drop weight breastfeeding the second child like you do the first! Almost 2 years after having my second I found myself with 35 pounds left to lose. I did Weight Watchers and lost 45 pounds in 9 months. Looking back, had I known how effective it was, I would have started it a couple months after having the baby following the WW breastfeeding plan.

Congratulations on your continued success with breastfeeding! It is true that breastfeeding helps you shed your pregnancy pounds. What you must watch, though, is where the calories are coming from. Obviously you still need extra calories while breastfeeding. If you eat a candy bar for the extra calories, then you're getting most of them from sugar! A big bowl of mac & cheese may fill you up, but it's loaded with saturated fat- not conducive to weight-loss.

According to the Physicians Committee For Responsible Medicine (from the book Healthy Eating For Life For Kids), you can get all of the necessary calories from a diet consisting of the New Four Food Groups: vegetables (fresh or frozen), fresh fruit, legumes (beans, peas, or lentils), and whole grains. There is no need to eat fatty, sugary and refined packaged foods, or fish, meat, eggs, and dairy products.

Calcium-fortified foods are orange and apple juice, tofu, soy milk, and cereals. Beans, peas, and lentils also contain calcium and other minerals, vitamins, fiber, protein, and small amounts of healthy fats.

Nuts are a good source of protein- and while high in fat, these are the good fats you hear about! A handful of nuts each day is not a problem- and it's much better than a handful of cookies.

A diet consisting of these foods would definitely help you lose the baby weight. I've done it with my last two pregnancies, and during pregnancy as well. I've always returned to my pre-pregnancy weight (or lower!) within a few months. (I gained about 30 pounds with each pregnancy)

Another book that you may find useful is Disease Proof Your Child, by Dr. Joel Fuhrman. It offers a lot of information on breastfeeding and a healthy diet.

Good luck with your little one, and be healthy- you'll lose that weight in no time! It's all about what you're putting into your body. The exercise is secondary.

Check out: www.pcrm.org for more information and menu/recipe ideas.

The other women are right, it's early yet. It takes a while to get the weight off. I'm finally at my pre-pregnancy weight after 6 months on the plan. I was ravenous at first, too. After about two months, I joined Weight Watchers. They have a plan for nursing moms, making sure you take in enough calories to sustain your breastfeeding. I've used it after three (out of five) pregnancies and gotten back to my pre-pregnancy weight.

Be patient with yourself.

I understand the urge to lose that baby belly but hun, it's only been 6 weeks. Your body is still recovering and now is the time to ensure you're getting those extra calories to help produce nutritional breastmilk.

Give yourself some time!! 6 weeks just isn't enough. I found that it took a couple weeks for the scales to move much and there were times when it slowed down. I was back to a normal weight for me around 3-4 months after delivery. I'm not a very active person normally, so this was without gym trips, etc. I'm still a little over where I'd like to be 8 1/2 months post delivery, but if I'd put any effort into it I could be.