Breastfeeding.

ElenaYan
ElenaYan Posts: 81 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
So I know they say when you breastfeed you lose 500 calories a day?! Idk how accurate that is but should I adjust eating to this? Eat more, eat less?

Replies

  • steadygirl06
    steadygirl06 Posts: 15 Member
    There is an option in the database for breastfeeding which adds 500 cals.
  • elizabethpittman80
    elizabethpittman80 Posts: 22 Member
    I'm breastfeeding currently and what I am doing is going with the 1800 calories a day recommendation for nursing mothers. I do not subtract my calories from nursing, since I don't truly know what they are (they can range anywhere from 300 to 850). I only subtract excercise calories, and I eat back them back to stay as close as possible to that 1800. I don't want to dip too low and cause supply issues.
  • ElenaYan
    ElenaYan Posts: 81 Member
    steadygirl06 wrote: »
    There is an option in the database for breastfeeding which adds 500 cals.

    What?! That's amazing thank you!
  • ElenaYan
    ElenaYan Posts: 81 Member
    elizabethpittman80 wrote: »
    I'm breastfeeding currently and what I am doing is going with the 1800 calories a day recommendation for nursing mothers. I do not subtract my calories from nursing, since I don't truly know what they are (they can range anywhere from 300 to 850). I only subtract excercise calories, and I eat back them back to stay as close as possible to that 1800. I don't want to dip too low and cause supply issues.

    Thank you for your feedback! I will have to add those calories in so I'm getting enough nutrients for me and baby
  • scriptie
    scriptie Posts: 19 Member
    I was doing 1800 (1900 for a while to make sure there was no drop in supply). I didn't add in breastfeeding. On calculators I do .5-1lb loss a week and count on losing more than that.

    I am now nursing an about to be 11 month old and dropped my calories to 1510, and I usually eat back at least half of my exercise calories so I am often at 1800-1900 calories a day.

    When I track like I should, I am still losing about 2lbs a week (40 to go!)
  • tlflag1620
    tlflag1620 Posts: 1,358 Member
    I allowed myself an additional 500 calorie per day (had my rate of less set for one on per week). Then once the baby was eating solids regularly (around 7-8 mos) I dropped it to 300 extra calories per day. She's 9 mos now and I will cut out the extra calories entirely when she's about one year old, even though she'll still be nursing, I figure at that point she won't be getting many calories from me anymore.
  • leannehmcclean
    leannehmcclean Posts: 1 Member
    Can I ask where you find the option to add in breastfeeding? My lo is a year old and I have just started counting calories. Aiming to lose 1-2lb a week and have been set 1200 calories a day but I think I might need to up that a little. I don't nurse a lot anymore, just morning and evening as I'm back at work so not even sure I should be counting the bf calories now?
  • victoria_1024
    victoria_1024 Posts: 915 Member
    elizabethpittman80 wrote: »
    I'm breastfeeding currently and what I am doing is going with the 1800 calories a day recommendation for nursing mothers. I do not subtract my calories from nursing, since I don't truly know what they are (they can range anywhere from 300 to 850). I only subtract excercise calories, and I eat back them back to stay as close as possible to that 1800. I don't want to dip too low and cause supply issues.

    1800 is just a suggestion, it will depend a lot on how much you weigh, how fast you're trying to lose weight, how active you are, how often you're nursing, etc. It's not a hard and fast rule by any means.
    leannehcraig wrote: »
    Can I ask where you find the option to add in breastfeeding? My lo is a year old and I have just started counting calories. Aiming to lose 1-2lb a week and have been set 1200 calories a day but I think I might need to up that a little. I don't nurse a lot anymore, just morning and evening as I'm back at work so not even sure I should be counting the bf calories now?

    It's in the foods you can choose from to add to your diary. If you type in breastfeeding you will find many options. I sometimes had trouble getting it to work correctly on my phone for some reason, it wouldn't add it to my total. On my computer it worked. I would aim for just 1 lb a week when nursing unless you're in an obese range and then you could do more. For just twice a day you probably just need a couple hundred extra calories a day but you'll have to see what works for you. I know I couldn't stay at 1200 calories a day when nursing very long. I'd be way too hungry.

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