Hello - Can you lose weight while breastfeeding?

Fitness4me101
Fitness4me101 Posts: 1 Member
in Introduce Yourself
Hello, I'm 32 going on 33 - I just had me second child three weeks ago and I have about 40 pounds I would like to lose. Currently I weigh 175 and I am 5'5" and I would like to get down to 135pounds.

The problem is I am breastfeeding so I cant "diet" per se but I would like to start tracking what I eat and start exercising after years of being sedentary.

Anyone have any advice for losing weight safely while not compromising milk supply?

MFP put me to 1200 calories but online articles say you should eat at least 1800-2200 a day...

Anyway...regardless I will start tracking and I hope to get some results!

I hope this community will be a source of support!

Replies

  • WinterOak22
    WinterOak22 Posts: 5 Member
    I've been breastfeeding for the past 9 and a half months and have lost all of my baby weight and then some. About 30 lbs total. I do about 45 minutes of exercise a day, 4-5 days a week. Or when I can!! And try to eat lots of protein and veggies. The key is to consume lots of healthy fats and put back those calories as healthy as possible. I eat lots of avocado, eggs, salmon, baked chicken, steamed veggies. I have to admit, I've been slacking a little! I did 25 minutes of yoga and 15 minutes of cardio today. High intensity cardio will show the best results...but I must say, I am really struggling gaining muscle as a bfing momma. I may post about it later!
  • PikaKnight
    PikaKnight Posts: 34,971 Member
    Please discuss this with your doctor.

    From my understanding, trying to cut your calorie intake while breastfeeding is a huge No-No. So please, talk to your doctor and follow their advice.
  • heatherloveslifting
    heatherloveslifting Posts: 1,428 Member
    Oh yes! That is the best time to lose. You can eat a ton. I exercised and ate as much as I wanted of decently healthy food and it just flew off. I think weight watchers had a plan for breastfeeding and it was almost double the calories I would normally get with them. So yeah I'd think at least 2000 cals. Congratulations! :heart:
  • StrongAndHealthyMommy
    StrongAndHealthyMommy Posts: 1,255 Member
    MFP has you as 1200 as a NET... you have to find out how many calories and hour of BFing takes... then you add those calories lost to you cardio + calories burned from workout....so lets say:

    goal is 1200 net a day...
    + 1 hour of BFing 600 calories
    +30 minutes of zumba 400 calories burn....

    that will make to to 2200 calories intake a day
    but your net is 1200 because 1000 of those calories were gone from zumba and BFing.....

    do you know what I mean?
  • servilia
    servilia Posts: 3,452 Member
    I've a,so lost a bunch of weight. I'm about 30 lbs lighter than when I came home from the hospital almost 5 months ago. I still exclusively breastfeed. I started off with a net of 1350 but I accounted for 500 bf cals so I really ate 1850. After a few months I lowered it to 1200 net (including the 500 bf cals). Sometimes I stick to it and sometimes I don't. My supply has been fine. Good luck!
  • pugmomma1951
    pugmomma1951 Posts: 13 Member
    It is possible to lose weight while breastfeeding. My daughter, who is a firefighter, is slowly loosing the weight she gained over her pregnancy. She doesn't really diet, but has begun making smarter food choices. Often she has 4 small meals instead of tree big ones. She also works out, and I think that has done a lot towards losing unwanted weight. She also makes sure she drinks a lot of fluids. But I do think you should discuss a possible diet with your doctor. You would not want to compromise your child's nutrition and well-being in any way while nursing. Good luck.
  • hilaryhill
    hilaryhill Posts: 156 Member
    Hey there! I am BFing my 6 mo old now almost exclusively (we just started a tad bit of solids, not much yet!) and I've lost 6 lbs in the last 3 weeks Ive been on MFP. :) And yes I agree with those who say now is the best time to lose weight because you CAN eat a ton! My net goal is 2200cal/day. To get to that number what I did was get my TDEE (you can google TDEE calculator), subtracted 20% from that, and then added 400 calories (to account for the nursing). Im 5'9", 193lb right now and there have been many days when Im like dang, I still have 800 calories to eat, and its like 8pm LOL. Ice cream time!

    Im also doing cardio 3-4x a week and weight lifting 3x a week but I eat most, if not all, of my exercise calories.

    I have not noticed any dip in my supply and my baby is 21 lbs at 6 mos so I think he's ok! ;)
  • iastate24
    iastate24 Posts: 8
    As a student in the medical field, I can tell you that breastfeeding is an excellent way to lose that baby weight and then some. It takes a tremendous amount of energy to create milk for your baby, and your body uses your fat stores and diet nutrients to do so. That is why your doctor recommends you up your calories while you are breastfeeding, it's important to make sure your calorie intake is sufficient to support your own body's needs on top of feeding your little one.
  • Mrskatie
    Mrskatie Posts: 27 Member
    A Mother's body will naturally hold on to extra baby weight while nursing. When I stopped nursing (at 12 months), the weight started to come off without me changing my diet and activity.

    You should NOT "diet" while breastfeeding. What you *can* do is eat clean, and start working out. But make sure you're getting enough calories!! Baby's health is most important, Plus, you will have plenty of time to burn off the baby weight once baby starts crawling and you have to chase after her/him.
  • oofdieblunk
    oofdieblunk Posts: 60 Member
    Please discuss this with your doctor.

    From my understanding, trying to cut your calorie intake while breastfeeding is a huge No-No. So please, talk to your doctor and follow their advice.

    She never said she wanted to decrease her calorie intake. I breast fed for 23 months and lost over 35 lbs. (baby weight plus more). You burn calories like crazy when nursing!
  • TheFitnessTutor
    TheFitnessTutor Posts: 356 Member
    For one this is a question for your doctor and or another doctor and or another doctor and a nutritionist perhaps. As far as I am concerned, folks around here can only offer you minimal advice .

    Can I be a voice of reason for you and any female reading this?

    Well I will regardless. It goes like this...

    It's 2013 and we've gotten so far from what we are because we're always worried about public image among so many other things.

    You're a female. You're "BURDENED" with the ability to carry and bear a child. Thus your body wants to carry more fat as a means to protect that asset.

    If you were forced to live on your own in the woods with your child, what would you want your body to do?

    Your body will never know the difference in you dieting or you being lost in the woods. Eat what you need plus your breastfeeding surplus. Your weight will stabilize on it's own. Trying to lose weight will only jeopardize your hormonal profile. Every other woman tries this shlt and that's why they end up battling themselves down the road. Your metabolism is always going to slow down when you diet, for the aforementioned reasons, this goes for men too. You should eat for maintenance and stabilization. This will allow your metabolism to stabilize which will result in your body dong what it needs to do.

    Ya'll get so caught up in this weight shlt...you become infatuated with it... can't see the forest for the trees. Sure your body uses calories and nutrients of yours to feed the milk supply. You still have nutrients and calories to get. And your fat does not store every nutrient you need.

    Your body was supposed to gain extra weight. It's natural. Embrace it.
  • PikaKnight
    PikaKnight Posts: 34,971 Member
    Please discuss this with your doctor.

    From my understanding, trying to cut your calorie intake while breastfeeding is a huge No-No. So please, talk to your doctor and follow their advice.

    She never said she wanted to decrease her calorie intake. I breast fed for 23 months and lost over 35 lbs. (baby weight plus more). You burn calories like crazy when nursing!

    so having her possibly follow MFP's 1200 cal goal is NOT a decrease in intake?

    My response was to wave a warning flag in regards to that and to talk to her doctor because I know I'm not a medical professional nor do I know her or her baby's medical background.
  • AlongCame_Molly
    AlongCame_Molly Posts: 2,835 Member
    Oh, heck yes! I lost almost all of my baby weight in seven months with breastfeeding.

    A word of caution, though: don't try restricting your calories until your milk is well established AND you've talked to your dr about it. I tried cutting my cals back too soon, and my milk supply diminished. I couldn't understand why my baby would still be crying and upset right after I nursed him--turns out, he wasn't getting enough milk and he was still hungry. Poor little thing! :brokenheart: It was the worst kind of guilt I've ever had. I cried for hours when I realized what I'd done, then scarfed down a big plate of spaghetti. So learn from my mistake! Don't let vanity get in the way of what is best for your baby, like almost did. You can always lose baby weight later, your baby will only get one chance to get all the nutrients he/she can from you.

    Good luck!

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