Calories, Morbidly Obese & Breastfeeding.

MizzMaamI1

MFP says I should eat 1650 cals.
I feel I should eat 1200 cals.
Should I go with MFP and leave it at that or add on extra calories for breastfeeding too. I don't eat my workout calories back exept for today with cookies.

I started at 340-355ish right after childbirth and I'm currently 286.8. I want to try and pick it up a notch. I had my baby 6 months ago and I feel like it's been a slow process.

futuremanda

Why do you "feel" you should eat 1200?

blktngldhrt

Go with MFP. 1200 is too low..especially for a nursing mother.

It should be a slow and steady process. You didn't gain overnight. You shouldn't expect to lose quickly.

MizzMaamI1

futuremanda wrote: »

Why do you "feel" you should eat 1200?

I think I just have that number set into my brain.

jemhh

Why do you want to eat 1200?

I'd eat your MFP goals plus at least a bit more for breastfeeding. The amount extra will depend on whether your baby is eating any solds and/or supplementing with solids.

At 286 lbs. I see no point in eating only 1200 calories. Don't try to rush the process by cutting your calories super low. Eat as much as you can while still losing at a reasonable rate. 53.2-68.2 lbs. in 6 months is not slow at all. Accept that this is going to take you a good amount of time (my guess is 2+ more years), settle in, and stay the course.

MizzMaamI1

Should my net cals always be around 1600, or is it fine if some days it's around 700-900?

MizzMaamI1

And for macros, do you fit macros into your daily calories?

kimsko2010

I think if you only eat 1200 you will start feeling deprived and then you may go way beyond your daily allowance. At least I would. And I personally believe that eating under 1200 calories a day, especially as low as 700 or 900, is very unhealthy and will cause health problems.

justjack18

You need an extra 500 calories per day to breastfeed so I would eat at least 1700 to maintain supply maybe more. I know I lost my supply because I wasn't eating enough.

jemhh

MizzMaamI1 wrote: »

Should my net cals always be around 1600, or is it fine if some days it's around 700-900?

If your MFP goal is 1650 and you are adding calories for breastfeeding, your net should never be that low. If you add just 200 calories for breastfeeding, your goal becomes 1850. To net 700-900 you'd have to do 950-1150 calories worth of exercise. Not gonna happen.

tyyabradley2013

blktngldhrt wrote: »

Go with MFP. 1200 is too low..especially for a nursing mother.

It should be a slow and steady process. You didn't gain overnight. You shouldn't expect to lose quickly.

Yes since you're nursing 1200 is definitely too low

MizzMaamI1

I have a couple days in a row at 1200 then I cave and eat 1600+.

I go to the gym everyday sometimes twice a day.

MizzMaamI1

Like 1200 is in my head then I feel really guilty after I go over. I know I shouldn't but I don't know how to get over that thought process.

(I go over often lol)

MizzMaamI1

Obviously or I wouldn't be fat. Ugh

MizzMaamI1

Can someone look at my diary and give me feedback. Some are random entries but most of the time I weigh my food.

rainbowbow

Your diary is locked. But i just wanted to say, that if you have that much weight to lose you should try and lose slowly and steadily.

I know you wont have control over how much excess skin you have once you get to your goal weight, but i think it's best to lose low and slow and CONSISTENTLY. I think you'll be happier with your results when you reach your goal and it'll be easier for you to maintain.

What's the point of losing all of the weight if you're going to have a huge amount of excess skin, and then you re-bound and gain it all back because you tried to deprive yourself?

Stick to what MFP recommends (it's already a high enough deficit for you) and then re-adjust as you get closer to your goals.

jemhh

Your diary is closed so I can't give specific advice. But my guess is that my #1 comment would be to eat to your mfp goal and stop trying to speed up the process. You have disordered thinking related to diet and health. Counseling would probably be beneficial.

JenniferFreed

Breastfeeding moms actually should add on an extra 500 calories a day unlike when your pregnant it's about an extra 300 calories.

Coming from a health coach stand point counting calories is very defeating task and can set yourself up for feeling like a failure.

1200 calories is a very low amount. Anyone really shouldn't go under 1200 calories unless medically advised.

I good way to look at the things you eat are from a standpoint of processed (amount of ingredients and commercials) verse fresh or homemade... Are foods protein and fat rich or high carb. Good goals are less than 60 grams of carb and not looking at the amount of calories you intake. 60 grams or less carbs can actually be a pretty difficult task as well, so I have also been advised by another coach that a good goal is between 60-75 carbs a day. Allow yourself a cheat day once a week. Take baby steps, changing one thing at a time.

If you're hungry, eat but eat something high in fat and protein, not sugar or carbs. Our bodies do need some carbs but not as many as what is suggested on the food pyrimads. Our bodies also need more fat than what is suggested but healthy fats omega-3, mono-unsaturated, and yes even saturated... (We are animals) and lots and lots of water.

Comes down to 80% nutrition 20% fitness... Don't give up! You are doing great. There are ups and downs but look at the progress you have made so far. Hope this is helpful.

JenniferFreed

I just saw that you go to the gym everyday also. You calorie intake should be between 1500-1700 depending on your metabolism put adding calories for nursing.

JenniferFreed

You can look into my diary if you like. No I'm not perfect but look at the days were my carb intake is 75 grams of carbs or less.

pollypocket1021

How are things outside of dieting and working out? Are you in a moms group? What are you doing to take care of yourself (that isn't food related)?

MizzMaamI1

I opened my diary. The 180 adds are cookies I enjoyed very much. For the most part my logging is pretty accurate. Maybe 70/30?

sunshine1082

JenniferFreed wrote: »

Good goals are less than 60 grams of carb and not looking at the amount of calories you intake.

That is a really low number for carbs (like ketosis territory), and I'm not sure it's a good idea for someone who is breastfeeding to restrict their carbs to that extreme an extent.

SergeantSausage

MizzMaamI1 wrote: »

futuremanda wrote: »

Why do you "feel" you should eat 1200?

I think I just have that number set into my brain.

cityruss

Some shocking advice in this thread, especially from the "health coach", that you should ignore.

Eating ketosis level carbs while breastfeeding is not advised. The ketones released into your breast milk will reach your baby, this has not yet been determined to be a safe practice or not.

You are burning 700 calories a day producing milk, 500 of those need to be added back to your diet (the other 200 come from maternal fat stores). You need to eat way above 1200 calories to meet your child's nutritional needs, I'd personally say to net 2000-2500 with 210g of carbs.

Follow the RDA's here.

http://perinatology.com/Reference/RDAlactation.htm

LovingLife_Erin

Listen to everyone that says to eat more. I started off at 310, and am now at 244. With my exercise factored in, I usually eat between 1700-2000 a day and lose around 2 lbs a week. If you are exercising and breastfeeding then you can probably eat more than 1600 and lose weight. Don't be in such a rush that you lose your milk, or harm yourself because you aren't eating enough. Stop and put things into perspective. You are losing, and getting healthy. It isn't a race, but a lifestyle. Enjoy time with your new baby (congrats!) and know that you are doing things in a way that is healthy and allows you to provide them milk to thrive on. You don't need to feel guilty about eating and if you can't get over that, see a doctor to get someone to talk to please.

ArkMom35

LovingLife_Erin wrote: »

Listen to everyone that says to eat more. I started off at 310, and am now at 244. With my exercise factored in, I usually eat between 1700-2000 a day and lose around 2 lbs a week. If you are exercising and breastfeeding then you can probably eat more than 1600 and lose weight. Don't be in such a rush that you lose your milk, or harm yourself because you aren't eating enough. Stop and put things into perspective. You are losing, and getting healthy. It isn't a race, but a lifestyle. Enjoy time with your new baby (congrats!) and know that you are doing things in a way that is healthy and allows you to provide them milk to thrive on. You don't need to feel guilty about eating and if you can't get over that, see a doctor to get someone to talk to please.

THIS!!!

Ninkyou

LLL recommends eating 1800 calories MINIMUM for breastfeeding moms.
http://www.llli.org/llleaderweb/lv/lvoctnov97p115.html

You can forget breastfeeding with only 1200 calories. You won't have any supply to give to your baby.

TavistockToad

MizzMaamI1 wrote: »

Like 1200 is in my head then I feel really guilty after I go over. I know I shouldn't but I don't know how to get over that thought process.

(I go over often lol)

So eating 1200 obviously doesn't work if you go over often....

jmagdalena707

LovingLife_Erin wrote: »

Listen to everyone that says to eat more. I started off at 310, and am now at 244. With my exercise factored in, I usually eat between 1700-2000 a day and lose around 2 lbs a week. If you are exercising and breastfeeding then you can probably eat more than 1600 and lose weight. Don't be in such a rush that you lose your milk, or harm yourself because you aren't eating enough. Stop and put things into perspective. You are losing, and getting healthy. It isn't a race, but a lifestyle. Enjoy time with your new baby (congrats!) and know that you are doing things in a way that is healthy and allows you to provide them milk to thrive on. You don't need to feel guilty about eating and if you can't get over that, see a doctor to get someone to talk to please.

This is good advice.

OP, you are doing awesome. 60+ lbs over 6 months is great. I know it feels like it's going slow but you are already winning. It sounds lame but slow and steady wins the race.

You don't need to drastically cut cals or carbs. Keep doing what you're doing. Also, just for some perspective, I am exclusively Breastfeeding an 8 week old(also pumping extra to build freezer stash) and net between 1800-2000 cals a day. I weigh 170 and am still losing. You can eat a whole heck of a lot more than 1200 cals.

crazyjerseygirl

MizzMaamI1 wrote: »

MFP says I should eat 1650 cals.
I feel I should eat 1200 cals.
Should I go with MFP and leave it at that or add on extra calories for breastfeeding too. I don't eat my workout calories back exept for today with cookies.

I started at 340-355ish right after childbirth and I'm currently 286.8. I want to try and pick it up a notch. I had my baby 6 months ago and I feel like it's been a slow process.

Remember your body doesn't understand dieting. If it thinks you are starving it WILL turn that milk off!

That said successful weight loss should get you used to eating less. That's why you are starting out at 1650. MFP will shrink your allowance as you shrink but it helps to get used to 1650. What you don't want to happen is to get to goal weight and feel like you want to eat a huge amount of calories again!

And huzzah for your loss, but take it easy! Think long term, cause your LO needs you long term!