it wont go away.....

Question
hi...I'm completely over weight and i'm starting to feel like i will never be normal...i'm 5'4" and just over 200 lbs.. i had a baby 10 months ago and since then i've been walking for at least an hour a day, and eating healthy, lots of raw and steamed veggies. i even cut out cookies and ice cream.. and i've still only lost about 10 lbs.. after i had my older child, who is now 8 it took me more than five years to lose the weight... i'm starting to feel like all this diet and excercise is pointless and i am doomed to live my life in a big marshmallow shaped body... is there any thing else i should be doing, or any supplements or diet pills that are safe and effective that i can use after my son is weened?  this is very frustrating..

Answer
Hello Krissy,

Let me start by saying YOU CAN DO IT!  I don't believe you are doomed to live with your current body shape.  As long as one is willing to put forth effort and desire in the right direction ANYTHING is possible!

I commend you on breastfeeding.  I believe it is the best source of nutrition for newborns and babies.  If you continue to breastfeed, you will likely drop overall weight slightly faster than a mom who is not breastfeeding.  This is partially due to the increase in caloric requirements (approximately 500 extra calories per day).  However, when breastfeeding, the extra abdominal fat tends to be the last to go and may not disappear completely until you wean.  Abdominal fat stores are the most easily accessible fat stores on a woman's body.  Nature had this in mind so that nursing mothers would have an easy store of energy to be quickly converted to milk for their babies.  You may notice that you will lose fat in other "problem" areas (thighs, buttocks) before the lower abdominal area due to this.

Sometime after birth, a woman抯 hormones will have trouble regulating.  For example your thyroid hormones may be suppressed.  Your estrogen, which was elevated during pregnancy, may have dropped down below ideal levels.  Any of these could cause difficulty losing weight.  However, First try what I am going to suggest below for a few weeks, and if you do not see progress, then get to your doctor for hormone blood work.

In order to reduce body fat cardiovascular exercise, six small meals consisting of whole foods (veggies, fruits, lean proteins), plenty of water and, a small, consistent caloric deficit on a daily basis is all that is necessary.  This caloric deficit is the piece that I think you need to focus on.

What do I mean by a small, consistent caloric deficit?  A deficit of 500 calories below what your body needs each day.  Because you are nursing you will want to start at 1,800 to 2,000 calories.  Make sure you drink plenty of water so that you don't lower your milk supply.  Also, pick your favorite pair of jeans or similar clothing and try them on the same day each week in the morning to get an idea of where your weight is coming from.  Break up your calories into 6 meals per day that are eaten ever three hours while you are awake.  This will help fuel your metabolism.

Weigh yourself every morning before eating and you should lose approximately 1 pound, but not more than 2 pounds per week; any more might result in muscle loss and droopy skin.  If you are not getting the desired weight loss, lower your daily caloric intake by 100 calories per day for a week and see how it changes your weight.  What this means is that you will have to count your calories for a few weeks.  You may be thinking, 揑 am not going to do that I am too busy with 2 kids?  There are a number of great websites that allow you to keep your food journal on their site and the computer actually calculates all your calories.  One such website is fitday.com, but there are many to choose from.  

Keep this up for 12 weeks and I'll bet you will see a significant difference in your weight.  You will most likely see enough changes by 6 weeks that you will be encouraged to keep it up!

Remember, the body will only lose weight if there is a caloric deficit - if fewer calories are going in than are being utilized by the body.  You want to be careful not cut calories drastically as it can lessen the milk supply.

As for pills or supplements that would help, I would not recommend it.  There are not any that work with any significance to outweigh the side effects.  I have been specializing in weight loss for 17 years.  I have a list of over 100 weight loss supplements that have come and gone.  The FDA gets more complaints about weight loss supplements than any other industry.  They feed on an individual抯 hopes for weight loss success.

Please give this approach a try and let me know how it is working.  I am confident that with a little focus on your caloric intake and your already stellar exercise, that your weight will come right back down to where you were before the pregnancy!  You can do it, just give yourself time to see the changes.  

Best of health,
Dr. Bret
Doctoremery.com

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