I breastfed my son for three years.

I’m proud of it, although I’m not certain I would do it all over again!

I know it’s best for my kid, but what about mama?! During this time, I refused to believe that my postpartum body was the one I was going to live with forever.

Moms are always looking for answers. They’re concerned about their bodies, and often don’t understand why the weight is just not melting away after they have their babies.

There is no set timetable for losing postpartum weight, and the fact is that the more weight you gain during pregnancy, the longer it will take to lose.

But don’t be discouraged!

It took me two years to find the answers I was looking for, and now I want to share them with you!

6 SCIENCE-BASED REASONS YOU’RE STRUGGLING TO LOSE POSTPARTUM WEIGHT WHILE BREASTFEEDING

First and foremost, don’t look for shortcuts! If you don’t want to lose weight at the expense of your health, there is no magic pill.

With that said, when you are still breastfeeding, there are 6 reasons why weight loss is not happening as you expected. Let’s take a look at these 6 science-based reasons.

#1: YOU BELIEVE BREASTFEEDING IS A DIET

You’ve been told: “make sure you breastfeed your baby, this way the weight will come off faster”.

This is a lie — sorry, mama!

However, it can be true for some women. The ones who probably had a fast metabolism to start with and were probably quite fit before getting pregnant.

Now, the rest of us… we can’t expect to bounce back just from breastfeeding as quickly.

We are told to eat 300-500 calories more in order to have a healthy milk supply, and consequently, we eat more — which brings me to the second reason.

#2: YOU’RE OVEREATING

Ok, so you need to eat more calories. But what exactly are you eating?

Nutrient-dense foods tend to have fewer calories but nourish your body with the right vitamins and minerals.

What are nutrient-dense foods? Any food that doesn’t come with a nutrition label!

It’s very easy to overeat a whole bag of Oreo cookies (empty-calorie food), but it’s a lot harder to overeat steamed broccoli (nutrient-dense food)!

#3 YOU’RE DRINKING WAY TOO MUCH COFFEE

If you’re taking care of a little one, I know how tired you are! (Believe me!)

I have bad news for you: coffee is not the answer. Coffee will prevent the absorption of essential nutrients in your body (from the beautiful steamed broccoli).

Drinking a lot of coffee will end up exhausting your adrenals and mess up your hormones, not allowing any weight loss to happen.

Drinking one cup in the morning is fine — drinking the whole coffee pot is not. (Sorry for the tough-love!)

#4 YOU’RE NOT SLEEPING ENOUGH

You’re not sleeping enough. (Duh! Why else would you be drinking all that coffee?!).

Some of my mama friends started seeing the weight coming off only when they began sleeping normal nights again.

It’s no surprise — lack of sleep will make you crave more food. Why? Your hormones.

Let’s talk about four specific and important hormones:

• Cortisol: This is the stress hormone. Stress will increase cortisol production, and lack of sleep is considered a significant stressor for your body. In turn, high cortisol level increase your appetite.
• Insulin: Lack of sleep will make you less sensitive to insulin. This makes you produce more insulin, and a higher insulin level makes you store more fat.
• Ghrelin: Ghrelin is the hormone that signals when you’re hungry. Ghrelin levels tend to increase, causing you to eat more because you’re sleeping less!
• Leptin: Leptin signals when you’re full. Unfortunately, leptin shuts off if you’re not sleeping — no more signaling when your body has had enough food.

To summarize, sleeping is essential for your hormones to balance naturally and to put the necessary processes into place to assist weight loss.

#5 YOUR BODY WILL NATURALLY PLATEAU

If you only have 10 pounds left to lose, this is normal!

Your body is adapting to shifting hormones and a slower metabolism — nothing is wrong here.

Most moms struggle to get rid of their last 10 pounds of baby weight, but it’s a normal response. You just need to keep eating clean and be patient.

#6 YOU’RE OVEREXERCISING

Yup, you read this right! If your goal is to lose weight while breastfeeding, you’ll have a lot more success focusing on healthy eating than exercising.

Exercise is wonderful to enhance your health, not to create health.

Eat your fruits and veggies (I know it doesn’t sound very sexy), then you can think about lifting weights.

Right now, keep your exercise simple. How about going for a long walk with your little one? How about some gentle yoga? Movement is more important than exercise at this stage of your life.

IN CONCLUSION

Among these six reasons, which one are most likely yours? What action can you take right away to help you get on the right path?

As a Health Coach, I help moms find the best nutrition that works for their bodies (and most importantly following through with their protocol!).

Here is my best nutrition advice: keep eating healthy, anti-inflammatory foods.

Think colorful produce, healthy iron-rich protein (grass-fed beef, buffalo, lamb, bison, liver, and bone broth), healthy fats (coconut oil, avocado oil, olive oil, and pasture-raised butter), and certain whole grains (rice, millet, quinoa, and oats).

And, of course, stay hydrated. Drink between two to three liters of water, coconut water, and fresh vegetable or fruit juice.

Find a way to get as much sleep as you can (or at least as much as your husband!), and with the right nutrition, you’ll be losing the baby weight in no time — the healthiest way.

For more on Laura, head here!