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Is 1200 OK for breast feeding?

melto1989
melto1989 Posts: 140 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
My baby is 2m old, I am sick of being overweight and want to lose this weight once and for all (weight crept up over 9yrs since my 1st baby) I exclusively breast feed her every 2-3 hours and my maintenance is 1900 for my current weight so I can't imagine eating more than 2000 like I am supposed to according to all the calculators etc just because I'm breast feeding. What should I do?

Replies

  • Purplebunnysarah
    Purplebunnysarah Posts: 3,252 Member
    melto1989 wrote: »
    Thanks everyone, I'll just eat maintenance then. My baby is worth more than my body image.

    Just so you know, depending on the needs of your baby you will still likely lose eating at maintenance. When I stuck to eating at maintenance I lost 1.5 lbs per week for a while. After that, the hunger hit pretty hard but I kept off about 20 lbs until my son was down to one nursing session a day, at which point I was able to cut without crazy hunger.
  • Hickishway
    Hickishway Posts: 1 Member
    No. You need the extra calories to help with supply. If you cut too much, your milk won’t have he consistency it needs to nourish your baby enough or your supply will diminish. My second will be 4 months on the 11th, so I know where your coming from mamma!! They say an extra 500calories a day for nursing. My app will constantly tell me I’m over eating
  • jmacaroni
    jmacaroni Posts: 243 Member
    I tried it-you will stop producing milk. You need enough calories for milk production.
  • mamabear1114
    mamabear1114 Posts: 140 Member
    With my son I was so stressed out that I lost 15 pounds the first four weeks after he was born (and I didn’t weigh enough to lose that much weight that quickly in a safe manner at all) and my milk completely dried up and I wasn’t able to breastfeed him. It wasn’t something I did on purpose but the others are right, you need to make sure you’re eating and drinking plenty to maintain milk supply.
  • missysippy930
    missysippy930 Posts: 2,577 Member
    No
  • LadyElectron
    LadyElectron Posts: 43 Member
    All I can say is it’s hard. Don’t be in a rush after having your baby. It wasn’t until about a year post partum that I felt like myself again and able to focus on weight loss in a healthy head space. Be gentle to yourself and congratulations!
  • hesn92
    hesn92 Posts: 5,966 Member
    If you want to continue breastfeeding then no it’s not ok.
  • katnadreau
    katnadreau Posts: 149 Member
    1- congratulations on your new baby!!
    2- I've had 4, and I know the mental struggle that is wanting to lose the weight, but take the best care of your baby. So I applaud you for your decision to not make such a drastic calorie cut.
    3- be patient! Faster isn't always better in this area, so even when you're done nursing, I wouldn't recommend going that low. Input your stats, and start with a 1lb a week loss. This should be a lifestyle change, one you can do indefinitely, and losing weight while keeping some of your favorite foods is the best!! This should never feel like punishment.
  • DomesticKat
    DomesticKat Posts: 565 Member
    I'm breastfeeding my 9 month old and depending on how active I am on a daily basis, I eat at or above maintenance (between 1800-2000 calories a day) and I lose weight pretty consistently. I've lost 40lbs. since he was born doing this, the key is to make sure you're creating a balance between getting enough calories and creating a small deficit to lose weight safely.

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