Breastfeeding and MFP

NavyMommy

Just wondering if anyone can give me some advice on incorporating breastfeeding into the MFP lifestyle. I used it before I got pregnant with a lot of success, and now am trying to lose the baby weight, plus the extra lbs I had before I got pregnant. I was waiting to see if the nursing alone would be enough because I know you burn a lot of calories but my son is 5 months and the scale hasn't budged.

MFP had my target for daily calories at 1200 which I didn't feel was enough while breastfeeding, so I upped it to 1,500 but just picked that number out of the air. Any idea on how to calculate a reasonable number of calories to lose weight while still breastfeeding? Any other tips on BFing while losing weight would be much appreciated! Thanks!!

ckmama

I've read online that breastfeeding can burn up to 800 calories a day extra. I'm not sure but its a great question I am planning to do it as well.

Ahzuri

1500 is a few hundred too low for breastfeeding, you need at least 1800 calories a day to successfully maintain your supply. What I did with breastfeeding was add it as a exercise. You burn anywhere from 300-500 a day so I used the low end of 300 as the calories burned for it. It can be tricky to lose weight while breastfeeding, I know my scale didn't budge for the longest time until I found this site that is. Good luck in your journey and if you want you can add me its always nice to have another person who is breastfeeding and trying to lose weight on my list

buffalogal1979

Hi!

I am breastfeeding #3 - I started MFP when my baby was @ 5mo. also. I found the combination of BFing and MFP to be REALLY helpful.

My doctor told me to go NO lower than 2000 cal/day. 1500 seems way too low IMO.

What I did when I first started was made my goal 2000cal/day and then used a "breastfeeding mom" food that is worth -100 cal for 3 meals. So I was accounting for 300 cal/day being burned by breastfeeding in addition to giving myself 2000 cal/day over all. So really I was eating 2300 cal/day plus my exercise cals.

As the baby gets older I have been dropping calories. Right now he is almost 1year and I am still working with 2000 cal/day - but no longer counting breastfeeding as cals burned. So I am really only eating 2000cal/day - PLUS most of my exercise cals. But he is a big nurser still.

I also went slow adding in the exercise, but that was just me and my preference. I know a lot of other nursing moms here have gone all out with work outs. But I have 3 under 3 - finding time to exercise was a big hurdle. I also wanted to make this a life change, not just a get slim quick thing, so I did all things in moderation, making changes slowly so that hopefully they would stick. So in @ 6mo. I have lost almost 25lbs.

Congrats on the baby - enjoy him!

HTH
J

dodoodoodo

I don't know if you pump ever but if you do you can kind of estimate how much your baby is getting, thats what i do... and you lose 20 calories per oz. typically the average amt per day is 25 ozs so that's an extra 500 calories. obviously each person is different though so those are just the basics

NavyMommy

Thanks so much!! I kind of thought that 1500 was to low, but like I said I was just picking a number out of the air I'm looking forward to starting my journey!! I already exercise 4 days a week so I will have to incorporate it in too. Thanks again!