Pregnancy adds 25–35 lb on average; losing it sensibly takes 9–12 months, not 6 weeks.
Calculators do the heavy lifting, but knowing what is going on underneath is what saves you money — or stress — later. Pregnancy adds 25–35 lb on average; losing it sensibly takes 9–12 months, not 6 weeks.
First 2 weeks: ~15 lb of water, blood volume, baby + placenta. The rest is the long game.
Adds 300–500 kcal/day. Don't over-restrict or supply suffers.
0.5–1 lb/week is sustainable. Aim to be back near baseline by 12 months.
Why am I retaining weight after 6 months? Often thyroid (postpartum thyroiditis) or stress cortisol. Worth a blood panel.
Is intermittent fasting OK while breastfeeding? Mild restriction is fine; aggressive fasting can drop supply. Watch the baby.
If you only remember one thing from this post, make it that the inputs matter more than the calculator.