How I Lost 40 Pounds in 8 Weeks

by KeeperAtHome | More from this Blogger

05 Mar 2007 10:17 AM

After my first son was born it took a little while for the extra weight to start coming off. He was three months old before I really began to notice that I was losing the extra pounds I put on during my pregnancy. I didn't make any changes to my diet, but I did breastfeed. I lost my thirty pounds of pregnancy weight by the time he was five months old.

After my daughter was born, I decided I wanted to make the most of my breastfeeding metabolism to lose not just my pregnancy weight, but a little more as well. I have always been over my ideal weight by about twenty pounds. My weight haunted me and I thought about it constantly. I avoided looking into mirrors or even sitting without my legs crossed. I felt heavy and unattractive.

I waited six weeks after the birth of my daughter before I made any changes to my diet. I felt it was important to give my body six weeks of recovery time. I also wanted to make sure that my milk supply was well-established in case it was affected by my dietary changes.

My regimen was very simple and included only a diet change, not an activity adjustment. Ideally, I would have accompanied my diet with exercise, but my daughter was born in December in northern Minnesota and my opportunities for exercise were limited. Oh well, they say each breastfeeding session is equivalent to running a mile!

Every morning for breakfast I ate Cheerios or oatmeal. I started out just eating oatmeal, but I really don't like the texture of it and so I alternated Cheerios and oatmeal every other day. Yes, I did put brown sugar on my oatmeal, but I did not add sugar to my Cheerios. I did not snack during the morning, but I drank much water (about 3/4 gallon a day).

Wild rice became my power food that I really believe helped me get the weight off. Every day for lunch I ate wild rice mixed with vegetables. I would boil the wild rice for about 10 minutes, drain it and add more water, boil another twenty minutes and then drain and add more water and boil once again. Why all the changes of water? I changed the water to get all of the bitterness out of the rice. I also added some chicken bouillon to the water with my last water change in order to season it so that I wouldn't be tempted to add salt or butter to it. When I got bored with the plain wild rice I began adding vegetables to it. I would add sliced carrots, broccoli, celery, onion, peas, etc. to the water at the same time I added the boullion and let it cook together. It tasted great and was extremely healthy.

The afternoon is my time of weakness when I really crave sweets. I did not "deprive" myself. When the kids were sleeping, I had my "treat". For dinner I ate whatever I made for my family. We are the typical American family who love cheese, carbohydrates, red meat, etc. I did not change any of this.

How much weight did I lose? I weighed 175 pounds after the birth of my daughter and when she was just about four months old I weighed 135 pounds. It has been over a year since I did this "diet" and the weight is still off. I went from a size 14 to a size 6-8.

I should also mention that my milk supply was never affected by my regimen. Wild rice and oatmeal are both loaded with the protein that is necessary for a good milk supply. The wild rice and oatmeal are also both loaded with fiber and very low in calories; an excellent combination for weight loss. I loved the way the weight came off because I never felt cheated. Instead, I felt healthy and energetic.

Please check out my blogs!

Weight Loss for Breastfeeding Moms: An Introduction

The Effect of Weight on Fertility

Learn more about KeeperAtHome

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Courtney Mroch (9169) 05 Mar 2007 01:03 PM

This is so inspiring. The only times I've ever lost weight were when I was not actually trying to. But that's been a loooong time now. Last year I went through an "I'm ignoring everything weight loss" phase and now I'm heavier than ever at 183 pounds. But I've resolved to get back down to a better weight. My goal is 150 and curiously I was thinking of reforming my lunches to include something like just rice and eating normally with my husband for dinner. I liked your suggestion and think it would work for me (especially adding in the veggies). Thanks for sharing!

Abi H (105) 06 Mar 2007 09:55 AM

Thanks for this post! If you can stick to a plan whilst caring for two children and breastfeeding, I should be able to when I only have the husband to worry about!

jkennedy (176) 11 Mar 2007 04:06 PM

That's amazing!

amybeene (5) 23 Sep 2008 06:56 PM

This is very insiring although I'm a little jealous of your results. I would consider myself somewhat of a health nut. I don't eat red meat, I only drink water or black coffee no sodas or juice, I eat clean most of the time (raw fruits and vegetables and lean proteins and whole grains). I work out 3-4 days a week and I'm still breastfeeding my 8 month old. I've been doing this regiment since he was 4 months old...so for about 4 months. And my body has changed very minimally since I started. I feel slightly thinner and a little more energized but I still have about 10 pounds to lose and no matter what I do it doesn't budge...ugh! if you have any advice I would love it!