Making Skim Milk

I always knew I wanted to breastfeed my baby for the obvious health reasons {for both of us}, but deep down I was selfishly ready to get my pre-baby body back. Every single thing I read stated that breast feeding is the very best method to "melt away the pounds." Friends of mine declared it the easiest weight loss solution, having loss their 40/50 prego pounds through this method. Some of my new mommy friends are back to their pre-preg weight at 6 weeks or shortly there after.

Well, I have a theory. After talking with other new moms {very scientific sample}, I am certain {or hypothesizing, what's the difference? :) } some of us produce whole milk and some of us produce skim milk and some women are more like 2%-ers.

I'd like to think I am making skim milk; or at least that is what I tell myself. After nearly 7 months of breastfeeding, I can tell when I pump that the consistency is always the same - very little "fat" on the top. If I was a cow {and sometimes I feel like one}, the milk man wouldn't have to skim very much!

Aside from producing the low-fat variety, I have gathered from other moms that when a breastfeeding mother has a petite eater, perhaps a small baby with an equally small appetite, there is not as much demand for breastmilk. Thus, moms are not burning all of these calories as fast as "they" say...and thus, the pounds are not melting off. I experienced this around the 7 week and 9 week marks {post-partum}, as I actually GAINED weight in between my visits to the Dr. Who does that? Why isn't this breastfeeding-weight loss theory applying to me? I only gained 30-ish pounds with my pregnancy {which is really good considering I had 6 weeks on high-dosage of steroids}, I should have lost half of that in the delivery room, right?

With the goal to get healthier and more physically fit...I have been eating better {more specifically portion size, I've always had a healthy diet} and getting more active {30-day Shred, Wii Tennis, Zumba routines from YouTube}. I have been stepping on the scale every week to monitor my progress and am happy to say yesterday I hit a new low into the 150's...only 6 pounds shy of my pre-pregnancy weight and I'd say about 14 pounds shy of what I call my ideal weight.

For now, I will continue to produce the skim milk for my little doll, get my body physically fit in time for summer and remind myself of the Doctor's orders: 9 months up, 9 months down. I am confident I will hit my target by the time Miss L turns 1!



Crawling and standing at 6 months...
I think {Skim} milk is doing her body good!