Keto mom can't lose...help!

wyomingmama

I don't know how many calories a nursing mom should eat. I'm getting so many conflicting opinions. I am currently eating around 1400 and I am exclusively nursing my one month old baby girl. I lost about 10 lbs and the scale won't move. Do I lower my calories at 1250 or do I up my calories to 1700?

inertiastrength

I'd speak to my doctor or a lactation consultant if you intend to diet while nursing.

wyomingmama

I was just hoping someone could tell me what they're eating 4 calories and losing at so I could use it to help figure out which direction to go. I am 5'4 & 171 pounds 36 years old

RonPrague

My wife is a lactation consultant. During your first several months of nursing, do not calorie restrict. If you are hungry eat. Your body needs calories to make breast milk. She wouldn't recommend keto during this time either. You may experience milk supply issues with low carb. Keto is wonderful, but right now not the best choice most likely.

wyomingmama

Okay well I'm doing modified keto with maybe more carbs. I just don't know if I'm eating too little or too much calories to lose! A pound a week would be better than nothing at all!

saraichka

I am almost 5 months postpartum, 5'9, 240 lbs (yikes!), hypothyroid, breastfeeding, and I'm eating 2100 calories a day. I didn't start counting calories until I was 5 weeks postpartum, and I had to adjust a little to find out what worked best for me. I read somewhere that you shouldn't go below 1800 calories while breastfeeding because it can affect your supply. I have supply issues, so I haven't gone below 1800, but I have found the weeks I eat closer to 2100 I lose a little more. I am losing on average 1.25 lbs a week. I tried just adding 500 calories as "exercise" at first, but now I have MFP set to lose 1.5 or 2 lbs a week and that I am moderately active. That seems to work for me. Be good to yourself. I went through a lot of emotions dealing with the extra weight (I gained at least 70 lbs while pregnant), but it will come off. Your body is feeding another human entirely. Make sure you give yourself nutrients so you can pass it on to your baby. Good luck!

angel7472

When i was lactating I was told to up my calories by approx. 500 to account for lactation. But I do agree with RonPrague that if you're hungry you should eat. You're doing something very important. You're supplying nutrition to a developing infant. That alone should take precedence regarding dieting.
According to my TDEE calculator though, if you're not exercising you should be eating 1263 a day. Figure in lactation, comes to approx 1800 calories a day.

Per: http://fittobepregnant.com/pregnancy-breastfeeding-calorie-calculator/

Breastfeeding Calorie Calculator

It is estimated that during the first several months of breastfeeding, your body will require an additional 500 calories per day to establish and keep up your milk supply.

If your milk supply begins to diminish, try increasing this number by 50-100 calories per day. If you are breastfeeding and also attempting to lose weight, and plateau at this calorie intake, simply lower your calories by 50-100 per day one week at a time until you begin to lose weight again.

Read here for more detailed information on breastfeeding and weight loss.

Whether you are pregnant or breastfeeding, NEVER slash calories by more than 50-100 per day, one week at a time! You could wipe out your energy levels, cause yourself to have uncontrollable cravings leading to binges, slow your metabolism, and diminish your milk supply. (This is a rule I follow even when I'm not pregnant or nursing.)

This was also discussed before, so see previous discussion:

https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10291488/breastfeeding

WinoGelato

Being one month post partum, you really shouldn't be focused on shedding pregnancy weight at this point. Getting adequate sleep, keeping your milk supply up, and establishing a schedule for you and the baby should be top priorities - in order to set a good foundation for health and wellness for both of you in the coming years. There will be plenty of time to lose the weight, I know when you finally give birth you are ready to see the excess weight go - but seriously, only one month later your body is still going through tremendous changes from a hormonal perspective. You aren't even cleared from your doctor for exercise or sex yet, so don't be in a rush to start cutting calories.

Eat a sensible, nutrient dense diet, get plenty of fluids, and maybe set your calorie target at maintenance for your current weight and height. Breast feeding burns calories so it's likely that you would lose even with this approach - but I wouldn't be cutting calories below your existing maintenance level, for at least a couple more months.

AliceDark

wyomingmama wrote: »

Okay well I'm doing modified keto with maybe more carbs. I just don't know if I'm eating too little or too much calories to lose! A pound a week would be better than nothing at all!

1400 is not too many calories to lose weight. It may be too few for your current circumstance given the breastfeeding, but you should certainly not drop your calories any lower. Are you eating back calories for the breastfeeding or any other kind of exercise?

janjunie

Nursing moms should not cut carbs, I don't know why you would want to anyways. Carbs are great for quick energy, something you need and want when you have a young baby. Your baby also needs those carbs. My guess is that you are not weighing (on a digital scale) and measuring your food. I'm 5'4 and with my last baby it took 5 months to lose the last 10 lbs while breastfeeding. I was eating about 2300 calories a day (sometimes a lot more) and did not exclude any kinds of food at all. When I think about it, I miss the quantity of the foods I ate back then.