Breastfeeding and calorie counting confusion

allykholmatov

My son is 19 months old & still nursing. I can’t do the 1200 calories without I need to cut down to based on my size & medical conditions that I would be on if not nursing. Any other mommies on here with advice? In the beginning they said to add 500 calories but he doesn’t rely solely on me anymore so I don’t know.

TavistockToad

There are other entries you can use, to add 200 or 300 cals. Try one of those.

What are your stats to be on 1200 cals though?

rikkejohnsenrij

If you are as low as 1200 to lose weight, you probably dont have a lot to lose. When I was in that situation (some 5 years ago) I set my daily calories to maintenance, and didn't add calories for breastfeeding.

mamasara2

I knew so many women who said breastfeeding helped them lose weight. It didn't help me one iota when I was nursing. Not for the first child, nor the second. It's like I would pack on more poundage.

So jealous of those who do.

DomesticKat

This is tough because none of us can say for sure how many calories breastfeeding is burning every day for you. But the laws of thermodynamics dictate that it is using calories, so it's going to take some experimentation and time on your part to figure that out.

I'd recommend estimating 250 calories for breastfeeding to start with. Aim for a half pound or one pound a week and add 250 calories to that goal. Do that for 4-6 weeks and see how it goes. If you lose at a faster rate, increase your calories. For all of this to work correctly, you have to log accurately and consistently for a long period of time. The use of a food scale can really help with accuracy, so check out the sticky threads on how to use one.

As far as the 1200 calories, did you select 2 pounds a week? That selection is for very obese people who have more calories to consume every day to support that rate of loss because it's a 1000 calorie a day deficit. For many of us, one pound or less per week is more realistic and easier to stick to.

I'm nursing a 13 month old and losing a half pound a week with 2300 calories a day. I've had to collect my own data over time which doesn't necessarily line up with MFP estimates. I've lost 63 pounds, and I would say choosing a smaller goal every week and using a food scale has helped the most.

urloved33

zipmilk.org - professional advise is best and generally paid for by health ins companies.

DomesticKat

Also, what is your current rate of loss if I'm understanding correctly and you're consuming 1700 calories a day?