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Breastfeeding and losing weight

MaryJI2015
MaryJI2015 Posts: 45 Member
edited November 2024 in Health and Weight Loss
So anyone else exclusively breastfeeding and losing weight? If so how many calories are you eating each day? And do you eat your exercise cals back?

Replies

  • Katie1232
    Katie1232 Posts: 7 Member
    I'm exclusively breastfeeding and also wondering about diet/calories to maintain my supply but lose weight. I am 11 days postpartum and have lost 22 lbs. I need to lose 30 more.
  • MaryJI2015
    MaryJI2015 Posts: 45 Member
    I went to freedieting.com
    They have a breastfeeding calculator where you can figure out the amount you're supposed to be eating daily
    But it seems high to me
    I currently have mine set at -1lb a week loss plus the 500 breastfeeding cals
    But I'm looking to see what others do
    Plus my diet is pretty clean
  • kam3190
    kam3190 Posts: 157 Member
    I eat 2200 and I'm losing about 2 lbs a week
  • MaryJI2015
    MaryJI2015 Posts: 45 Member
    kam3190 wrote: »
    I eat 2200 and I'm losing about 2 lbs a week

    That's awesome!
  • Chef_Barbell
    Chef_Barbell Posts: 6,644 Member
    MaryJI2015 wrote: »
    I went to freedieting.com
    They have a breastfeeding calculator where you can figure out the amount you're supposed to be eating daily
    But it seems high to me
    I currently have mine set at -1lb a week loss plus the 500 breastfeeding cals
    But I'm looking to see what others do
    Plus my diet is pretty clean

    Probably not too high. Remember you're making nutrition for another human.
  • MaryJI2015
    MaryJI2015 Posts: 45 Member
    edited June 2017
    The recommendation is 2,600
    I'm eating around 2,000
    Definetly no supply issues
  • kam3190
    kam3190 Posts: 157 Member
    Yeah you would be surprised how much you can eat. I would watch losing 2lbs a week unless your obese (unfortunately I am) I am also very lucky to be blessed with a good milk supply that sticks around even with weight loss
  • Chef_Barbell
    Chef_Barbell Posts: 6,644 Member
    MaryJI2015 wrote: »
    The recommendation is 2,600

    I was eating upwards of 3000 cals while bfing and that still wasn't enough.
  • sardelsa
    sardelsa Posts: 9,812 Member
    I ate at maintenance when I was EBF so for me that was about 2500-2700 total and included exercise (which was just lifting 30min 2-3x per week).

    If you are anything under 6 weeks pp I would focus on building your supply, rest and healing and not worry too much about losing at this point.
  • Chef_Barbell
    Chef_Barbell Posts: 6,644 Member
    sardelsa wrote: »
    I ate at maintenance when I was EBF so for me that was about 2500-2700 total and included exercise (which was just lifting 30min 2-3x per week).

    If you are anything under 6 weeks pp I would focus on building your supply, rest and healing and not worry too much about losing at this point.

    So much this! Rest is so important.
  • MaryJI2015
    MaryJI2015 Posts: 45 Member
    My supply is well established my son is 7 months but he is exclusively bf
  • trjjoy
    trjjoy Posts: 666 Member
    My weight loss has been stalling for the last two weeks or so as I've only lost 0.1kg and that was after I'd cut back down to 2000 calories to see if it'll make a difference. It could of course be that I'm ovulating and I'm retaining water. We'll see by next week.
  • ruqayyahsmum
    ruqayyahsmum Posts: 1,513 Member
    Katie1232 wrote: »
    I'm exclusively breastfeeding and also wondering about diet/calories to maintain my supply but lose weight. I am 11 days postpartum and have lost 22 lbs. I need to lose 30 more.

    This early on you need to be making sure you eat your maintenance plus breastfeeding calories to make sure your supply comes through fully for your baby

    Weightloss can wait until your supply is fully established
  • trjjoy
    trjjoy Posts: 666 Member
    You needn't eat extra calories to breastfeed successfully. You literally just need to nurse your child on demand and for as long as they want, ie don't watch the clock ;)
  • 4legsRbetterthan2
    4legsRbetterthan2 Posts: 19,588 MFP Moderator
    this post has alot of great info about calorie counting while breastfeeding in the second half if you are up for a bit of reading.

    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10176233/gaining-weight-during-pregnancy-and-losing-it-post-partum
  • 4legsRbetterthan2
    4legsRbetterthan2 Posts: 19,588 MFP Moderator
    trjjoy wrote: »
    You needn't eat extra calories to breastfeed successfully. You literally just need to nurse your child on demand and for as long as they want, ie don't watch the clock ;)

    This varies from person to person, some women are fine without eating breastfeeding calories, others find this creates too much of a deficit and their supply suffers. Always make slow changes and monitor supply for a few days after a change if primarily breastfeeding and continuing to do so is important to you. Keep supplemental nutrition on hand for the baby in case you do get a drop in supply, don't want the little one suffering!
  • taypop5
    taypop5 Posts: 41 Member
    Chef_Barbell wrote: »
    MaryJI2015 wrote: »
    The recommendation is 2,600

    I was eating upwards of 3000 cals while bfing and that still wasn't enough.

    I'm currently eating around 3000cals a day and it still doesn't seem enough either! My Fitbit somedays says my tdee is 3200 (this includes my exercise) . I have trouble eating this much without being unhealthy
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