Asking for my wife - Breastfeeding mom, setting calorie goals without compromising milk supply

subversive99

Hi folks, here's the scenario, would appreciate input from those who have relevant experience or insight.

We have a 7 month old baby (our 4th), who my wife is breastfeeding. He has also recently started eating solids, but my wife tells me the solids do not make up a significant portion of the calories he is receiving at this time.

My wife and I have recently started doing a couple things:

1. Tracking our food intake using MFP
2. Doing the SL 5x5 beginner program (we got a power rack and started just after the new year)

She is 5'6", currently around 227 pounds. She has her calorie goal set at around 2400 calories per day (the number came from MFP as a "maintain" number). She does not want to compromise her milk supply until the baby is ready to self wean, however this might be another year or more, so she would like to lose some weight in the interim. Previous baby weight did not come off easily from breastfeeding as it does for some women.

She is finding it difficult to eat her 2400 calories daily and is wondering if reducing calories might make sense, but also is worried about compromising her milk supply. I should also add that she's taking domperidone as she's always had supply issues. She tells me this makes losing weight even harder as it makes you retain water.

She's actually losing at a good pace lately, since we started doing stronglifts. She's got a new fitbit charge HR in the mail, so my suggestion was to see what her typical TDEE is and then set her calories 15-20% under that. Do you think that's too much? Should she aim for a smaller deficit to preserve milk supply?

Any advice from the knowledgeable crowd would be appreciated. Thanks!

missiontofitness

I haven't breastfed, nor have I had children. But I've read quite a bit on here that I may be able to offer a little something.

For starters- she can hit her calorie goal by eating calorie dense items. If she weighs out around 100g of avocado, makes homemade guacamole, and has a serving of multigrain tortilla chips with it, she can easily get 300 calories in there for a snack. She can also incorporate bananas, peanut butter, olive oil, or other calorie dense items to her intake.

Secondly, she should probably start by gradually dropping her intake down until it is at a place where she has a small deficit, but also still notices there is no impact to her milk production. You can recommend that she drops it 100 calories at a time every few weeks.

Third, she should also talk to her doctor before dropping her calories down too significantly. She should see if her doctor has any recommendations for appropriate intake while breastfeeding, and if she is eating enough to support both her daily bodily needs, and the needs of the baby.

Congrats on the 4th!

ana3067

Chances are she is losing a bit due to burning more calories while breast feeding, since this wouldn't be taken into account in her activity levels. I think it's a good idea to keep maintaining for a while as she gets more accustomed to SL. Otherwise, maybe setting a 0.5lb/week goal (about 10% from maintenance if doing TDEE) would be feasible. I've never breastfed so... this is just my conservative recommendation based on factoring in the extra burned cals from breastfeeding. Plus if she stays at a small deficit she will better enjoy the SL program (trust me, it sucks lifting while at a larger deficit).

But as far as 2400 calories go, why would she have issues eating this much? I'm guessing she is focusing too much on eating "healthy" foods, right? She can eat calorie dense and "junk" food if she wants; overall context matters more than individual items. She will have an easier time meeting her calorie goal this way too. So with breakfast she could add in a slice of bread with a serving of PB and jam. And then add some cheese to her salads or maybe to some broccoli. Or adding butter to things. Etc.

missiontofitness

ana3067 wrote: »

Chances are she is losing a bit due to burning more calories while breast feeding, since this wouldn't be taken into account in her activity levels. I think it's a good idea to keep maintaining for a while as she gets more accustomed to SL. Otherwise, maybe setting a 0.5lb/week goal (about 10% from maintenance if doing TDEE) would be feasible. I've never breastfed so... this is just my conservative recommendation based on factoring in the extra burned cals from breastfeeding. Plus if she stays at a small deficit she will better enjoy the SL program (trust me, it sucks lifting while at a larger deficit).

But as far as 2400 calories go, why would she have issues eating this much? I'm guessing she is focusing too much on eating "healthy" foods, right? She can eat calorie dense and "junk" food if she wants; overall context matters more than individual items. She will have an easier time meeting her calorie goal this way too. So with breakfast she could add in a slice of bread with a serving of PB and jam. And then add some cheese to her salads or maybe to some broccoli. Or adding butter to things. Etc.

Seconding this!
Also in regards to the bread...you can tell her to go one step further and eat French Toast! Eggs, bread, vanilla, and cinnamon? Yes please!

ana3067

missiontofitness wrote: »

ana3067 wrote: »

Chances are she is losing a bit due to burning more calories while breast feeding, since this wouldn't be taken into account in her activity levels. I think it's a good idea to keep maintaining for a while as she gets more accustomed to SL. Otherwise, maybe setting a 0.5lb/week goal (about 10% from maintenance if doing TDEE) would be feasible. I've never breastfed so... this is just my conservative recommendation based on factoring in the extra burned cals from breastfeeding. Plus if she stays at a small deficit she will better enjoy the SL program (trust me, it sucks lifting while at a larger deficit).

But as far as 2400 calories go, why would she have issues eating this much? I'm guessing she is focusing too much on eating "healthy" foods, right? She can eat calorie dense and "junk" food if she wants; overall context matters more than individual items. She will have an easier time meeting her calorie goal this way too. So with breakfast she could add in a slice of bread with a serving of PB and jam. And then add some cheese to her salads or maybe to some broccoli. Or adding butter to things. Etc.

Seconding this!
Also in regards to the bread...you can tell her to go one step further and eat French Toast! Eggs, bread, vanilla, and cinnamon? Yes please!

I have some French toast egg stuff in my freezer but.. I've never really liked the texture before But I reaaally wanna try it!

AbsoluteTara79

Nursing mom here....

Kellymom.com is a great resource for all things breastfeeding and she suggests a minimum of 1800 calories a day for exclusive breastfeeding to ensure supply is not adversely affected. At 7 months, solids will be a negligible intake on the baby's part. And in my experience nursing two babies, she will know when the drop is too low in calories because the hunger is overwhelming. Once solids start to get well-established (closer to 1 year), bigger deficits become manageable.

Ninkyou

AbsoluteTara79 wrote: »

Nursing mom here....

Kellymom.com is a great resource for all things breastfeeding and she suggests a minimum of 1800 calories a day for exclusive breastfeeding to ensure supply is not adversely affected. At 7 months, solids will be a negligible intake on the baby's part. And in my experience nursing two babies, she will know when the drop is too low in calories because the hunger is overwhelming. Once solids start to get well-established (closer to 1 year), bigger deficits become manageable.

Agreed, she should eat 1800 calories, at minimum.

You can try using the following Breastfeeding/TDEE calculator for her, which has a small deficit built in:
http://www.freedieting.com/tools/breastfeeding_calorie_calculator.htm

elphie754

subversive99 wrote: »

Hi folks, here's the scenario, would appreciate input from those who have relevant experience or insight.

We have a 7 month old baby (our 4th), who my wife is breastfeeding. He has also recently started eating solids, but my wife tells me the solids do not make up a significant portion of the calories he is receiving at this time.

My wife and I have recently started doing a couple things:

1. Tracking our food intake using MFP
2. Doing the SL 5x5 beginner program (we got a power rack and started just after the new year)

She is 5'6", currently around 227 pounds. She has her calorie goal set at around 2400 calories per day (the number came from MFP as a "maintain" number). She does not want to compromise her milk supply until the baby is ready to self wean, however this might be another year or more, so she would like to lose some weight in the interim. Previous baby weight did not come off easily from breastfeeding as it does for some women.

She is finding it difficult to eat her 2400 calories daily and is wondering if reducing calories might make sense, but also is worried about compromising her milk supply. I should also add that she's taking domperidone as she's always had supply issues. She tells me this makes losing weight even harder as it makes you retain water.

She's actually losing at a good pace lately, since we started doing stronglifts. She's got a new fitbit charge HR in the mail, so my suggestion was to see what her typical TDEE is and then set her calories 15-20% under that. Do you think that's too much? Should she aim for a smaller deficit to preserve milk supply?

Any advice from the knowledgeable crowd would be appreciated. Thanks!

That would be my concern as well. If I were her, I'd ask my ob/gyn for advice.

mathjulz

I'm on my 5th baby right now, 4th that I've exclusively nursed (he's 3 months). I set MFP to lose .5 pounds a week, then I log breastfeeding as a food; it gives me "negative" calories. (I've also played with the macros so that I'm trying to get a good balance, but I don't know how correct I have it). I wouldn't suggest trying to lose more than 1 pound a week while breastfeeding, and really I would stick to .5 unless there is a significant amount to lose.

However, with baby being 7 months and eating some solids, it's not such a big concern about losing milk supply - it's pretty well established now. She may want to just add in 300 calories for breastfeeding, instead of 500 (which is what I am logging right now, since mine is only getting breastmilk). It may give more of a deficit, meaning greater loss, which is okay if she has only a small deficit to start with. But it will prevent her eating back too much and not seeing any results (easy to do).

If she's hungry all the time, it's a sign she should eat more to provide for baby. But if she has a hard time eating all the calories, she's probably getting enough - just make sure to get all the needed nutrients (including fat and protein!)

HeySwoleSister

I am a retired breastfeeder who spent a looooong time nursing...and I burned a TON of calories while doing it. It was when my youngest weaned that I gained weight...I got too used to eating more!

First issue is to consider what you mean when you say she is breastfeeding. As mathjulz touched upon, especially in Western cultures, we have a very abbreviated notion of nursing. If you are feeding your baby solids, supplementing with bottles (even, to some extent, using pumped milk), or expecting him or her to sleep through the night, you are looking at a dramatic drop in calories burned. The real calorie furnace of breastfeeding comes from on-demand, round the clock, baby at breast feedings. Most people in the industrialized world don't do this out of either preference or necessity ,but some do. Those that do get the extended calorie burn and extended free birth control. Those that want or need an all-night sleeper or supplementing need to fold in that they will probably start ovulating and gaining weight as the baby nurses less and less.

The only way to account for this in a weight loss plan is trial and error. Definitely don't overcut, you don't want milk production to suffer...and especially if she needs to pump, a drastic diet cut could really hold her back. (for those who haven't been there...pumping is a LOT harder than BFing the baby directly. )

subversive99

Thanks all, good info and perspectives.

PammieSuzyQ

Does your wife have a lactation specialist she can speak to as part of her health plan? If not, hooking up with a local La Leche League is just as good if not better because she will meet other mothers and receive all kinds of support! Tell I said I think she's great for hanging in there and giving your child the best possible start in life! I breastfed all four of my children for a total of eight years and I consider it one of the most wonderful privileges of my life. I gained a lot during each pregnancy and managed to lose it each time, and then 60 pounds with my fourth child. It took me several years to take the weight off after him, frustrating yes, but eventually it did come off. At one point I tabled for such a long time that I figured it was my new weight, but even that came off eventually. It was the large amount of activity in the end that mattered most, along with eating sensibly. Protein rich, but not completely carb free, sticking to complex carbs instead.

PammieSuzyQ

I would also suggest a calcium supplement and of course drinking Lots of water. She probably experiences thirst with each letdown, it's nature's way of assuring that mothers drink enough to supply their own needs as well as the child's needs. The calcium is because it's difficult to consume enough calcium rich foods without using dairy which can add to calories considerably. Calcium is also a great mood enhancing supplement along with D3. Sunshine and a Magnesium supplement will help the calcium work more efficiently.

StaciMarie1974

I never tried to lose weight while breast feeding - didn't even know the term 'calorie deficit' back then. BUT some details I recall about supply: stay hydrated/drink plenty of fluids, get enough rest, and avoid stress when possible.

One note: I have a Fitbit and love it. But I don't think any activity tracker can be 100% accurate. I would assume it to be off by 5-10%. So if it says total daily burn is 2500, it might be more like 2250-2375. As others have mentioned it comes down to trial and error. Which also means patience. She'll need to try something for 4-8 weeks before deciding it needs to be tweaked and in which direction.

Sued0nim

Her breastfeeding is well established and your son is no longer exclusively breastfeeding, she should allow an extra 500 calories over whatever standard cut is for a non breast feeder

It would be unusual at this stage, in a well developed nursing child, that anything other than famine would affect her supply

HappilyDistracted

I breastfed my son until he was 2. I lost about 60lbs during that time and never had an issue with supply after the first few months. Breastfeeding on demand was the most important thing for me. I also had him sleep with me, so he could feed while I slept. It worked wonders for my sanity/sleep deprivation.

Three things I would suggest- drink plenty of fluids, breastfeed baby on demand to keep up supply, and eat nutritious food when hungry. I did fine with adding the 300-500 extra calories to my deficit.