Hi everyone.

Yes, I agree that BFing only helps with weightloss when it is the baby's only source of nutrition. Once you slow down with BFing the weight loss tapers off. When my daughter was first born I was so *famished* at every meal that I ate everything in site just so I wouldn't get low blood sugar.... and I still lost weight. Once she was about 5 months old and started on some solids, it slowed down. At a year she started on table foods and, like I mentioned above, now she only BFs a nap times. And I'm working on cutting those out as I want to get her weaned soon if possible (trying to take her feelings into consideration too, and she just *loves* "milky").

About the ketones in breastmilk, from everything I've read there is no hard evidence to substantiate that ketones get into the milk and if they do, that they can harm the kid. On the other hand, no one can say for certain that it doesn't and Atkins himself (unless his position has changed) only recommends maintenance to BFing mothers. I even called their center and said "but she's only nursing for maybe 10 minutes a day." They still said to be safe stick with the maintenance program and you'll still lose weight it will just be slower. I know they are probably just doing a CYA when advising BFing moms to not do induction.... but I might be close to full weaning so I thought I would just try maintenance first (I am cool with it taking longer; it's a "sacrifice" worth making). My goal *is* to lose weight on maintenance and I've been told it should work as it is a big change from my eating habits before (loads of carbs, and not the good ones either).

Good suggestion on putting the scale away. I think I'll just weigh once a week for a few weeks and see how that goes.

It's good to hear that the fluctuations are normal on the maintenance portion of the plan.... I am really only used to (and remember) how induction really jumped started things. I just need to be patient, but wanted to make sure I wasn't kidding myself into thinking that 50-70 a day would be low enough to lose. In my mind (and from what I've read) it is a heck of a lot better than I was doing before so it should produce weight loss even if it is slow and go.

Thanks again for the responses. I really appreciate the info!

Jill