Calorie compensation for breastfeeding

gingerb13

I thought there was a setting on here to compensate for breastfeeding? Is there any way to adjust calories to factor in a set amount being burned for milk production. I’m nursing a toddler so I know the calories aren’t the same as a newborn, but it still uses some. Thanks!

MichelleSilverleaf

Most common advice I've seen is eat at maintenance and let breastfeeding create the deficit.

TavistockToad

gingerb13 wrote: »

I thought there was a setting on here to compensate for breastfeeding? Is there any way to adjust calories to factor in a set amount being burned for milk production. I’m nursing a toddler so I know the calories aren’t the same as a newborn, but it still uses some. Thanks!

Yep, breastfeeding is in the food database

ruqayyahsmum

My toddler feeds 6+ times a day, I can no longer eat back any breastfeeding calls or I remain at maintenance or gain
I'm set for a 0.5lb loss a week

ashliedelgado

You can search the database for negative calorie entries, or add it as an exercise. There isn't a setting for breast feeding though.

Depending how much your toddler still nurses, it may not even be worth it. My 16 month old nurses twice during the week, and maybe 4 or 5 times on weekends when I'm home. I don't count it at all, and just hope it's a buffer for any logging inaccuracies.

DomesticKat

I'm nursing a ten month old and set my calories for maintenance and lose well that way. When I was nursing a two year old two years ago (Maybe 3-5 times a day/night), I ate at a slight deficit and lost fine. You will be using some calories toward milk production so tracking your food intake carefully (weighing and measuring everything) for a few weeks will be necessary to see what works. Maybe start at maintenance and track carefully for 3 or 4 weeks, and if no loss switch to a modest deficit and see how that goes and adjust from there.

DomesticKat

Oh and if you search for breastfeeding under snacks it's in there but I believe it's -500 calories.

malibu927

MichelleSilverleaf wrote: »

Most common advice I've seen is eat at maintenance and let breastfeeding create the deficit.

This advice never really came around until the past several months. Usually it's log as food or exercise, or manually add the 300/500 calories to your goal.

DomesticKat

malibu927 wrote: »

MichelleSilverleaf wrote: »

Most common advice I've seen is eat at maintenance and let breastfeeding create the deficit.

This advice never really came around until the past several months. Usually it's log as food or exercise, or manually add the 300/500 calories to your goal.

I've been using MFP since 2014 and when I was nursing a smaller baby in the past I always went by the maintenance advice. That's the advice that doctors and midwives give to patients who need to lose weight after birth. Track at maintenance, and let the baby create the deficit. Or if the patient doesn't need to lose, eat back the deficit calories created by the baby. With an older baby who nurses less, there will be less of a deficit so some manipulation of calories is usually needed.

DomesticKat

The point being, if you're breastfeeding a baby who taxes you 500 calories a day and also trying to eat in a deficit, you run the risk of seriously depriving yourself of calories and hurting your milk supply and other vital things. So there is some protection involved in eating at maintenance (or even above in some cases) and keeping track of how quickly you lose.

vitalflame

I'm nursing a toddler. 3x a day on normal day, a little more on weekend. 500 cal is probably too many. I was figuring on ignoring it since I have a bunch to lose. thoughts?

Purplebunnysarah

DomesticKat wrote: »

The point being, if you're breastfeeding a baby who taxes you 500 calories a day and also trying to eat in a deficit, you run the risk of seriously depriving yourself of calories and hurting your milk supply and other vital things. So there is some protection involved in eating at maintenance (or even above in some cases) and keeping track of how quickly you lose.

Setting to maintenance and letting nursing provide the deficit or setting a deficit but adding 500 calories of breastfeeding exercise will typically give you pretty close to the same math. So as long as the individual nursing keeps an eye on milk supply and adjusts calories up if needed I don't think it matters how they set it up in MFP as long as they account for nursing one way or the other.

(I don't get the people who manage to have a large deficit while nursing... I was always so HUNGRY...)

Purplebunnysarah

vitalflame wrote: »

I'm nursing a toddler. 3x a day on normal day, a little more on weekend. 500 cal is probably too many. I was figuring on ignoring it since I have a bunch to lose. thoughts?

Start with 200 calories for nursing and adjust over time?

DomesticKat

sarahthes wrote: »

DomesticKat wrote: »

The point being, if you're breastfeeding a baby who taxes you 500 calories a day and also trying to eat in a deficit, you run the risk of seriously depriving yourself of calories and hurting your milk supply and other vital things. So there is some protection involved in eating at maintenance (or even above in some cases) and keeping track of how quickly you lose.

Setting to maintenance and letting nursing provide the deficit or setting a deficit but adding 500 calories of breastfeeding exercise will typically give you pretty close to the same math. So as long as the individual nursing keeps an eye on milk supply and adjusts calories up if needed I don't think it matters how they set it up in MFP as long as they account for nursing one way or the other.

(I don't get the people who manage to have a large deficit while nursing... I was always so HUNGRY...)

That's based on the assumption that the person knows how to set an appropriate deficit and knows how many calories their baby is taking from them. We don't have an accurate way of measuring calorie burn from breastfeeding. So if they set their deficit to two pounds a week and their baby is taking who knows how many calories from them, that may not be a good thing. Breastfeeding is also about as well understood as weight loss, so my suggestion to strangers on the internet is always going to be the safest one to help them preserve their nursing relationship and lose weight safely. If anyone isn't sure, please speak with a certified lactation consultant.

Based on my personal experience, I just increased my calories about two weeks ago to include 3 or 4 days above maintenance because I was suddenly losing too quickly. And that's with a ten month old! So that just goes to show how many independent variables there can be and how breastfeeding evolves over time with changing demands on our bodies.