breastfeeding and calories

alyssa92982

Should I continue to add breastfeeding into my foods -where it will deduct 300 calories off my total for the day or should I just leave that off my daily nutrition total? Does it screw things up if I do cont to put it on my nutrition and food total for the day? My daily total calories prior to adding breastfeeding is 1380-once I add breastfeeding and my exercise that significantly changes my totals and is hard to figure with trying to lose weight-any suggestions?

Maurey

i would continue to add them, as you need the additional 300 to 500 calories in your diet to maintain your milk supply and make sure your body gets enough nutrients.

NoAdditives

If you are breastfeeding you should not be trying to lose weight. At all. Some will come off naturally and that's fine. But, if you restrict your calories you risk losing your milk supply and you risk compromising the quality of your milk.

Eat fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, lean meats and low fat dairy. Drink at least 8 glasses of water a day. Avoid processed foods and refined sugar.

For now, just focus on your baby. Don't worry about trying to lose weight if you're breastfeeding. The weight will come off eventually, there's no reason to rush it.

oliveoil87

I am breastfeeding a 6month old. This is what I do. Prior to breastfeeding I need to eat 1800 to maintain my weight but since I am breastfeeding I eat 2300 to maintain my weight. 1800+500=2300. But since I want to lose weight, I eat 1800 instead of 2300 , to have a 500calorie deficit. I exercise every day for 30min and I eat all my exercise calories to stay at 1800. So far I have lost 2 pounds and it is my first week!

oliveoil87

and my milk supply is still wonderful!

MaKisMom

If you're breastfeeding, they say you need to eat between 1500-1800 calories a day to maintain your supply. So, I'd add in the extra 300 calories. Mine screws with my weight loss thing at the bottom of my food diary, too, but I ignore it. Why did you choose only 300 calories? I looked it up on a few sites and most say that for every ounce of breastmilk you produce it burns 20 calories. My baby eats about 4oz approx 8 times a day. So, I'm probably burning more than 500 calories (4 x 20 = 80, 80 x 8 = 640). I did lose supply when I cut back too much with my last baby, so you have to be careful.

You can add breastfeeding as a food, is that what you were doing?

swimmermama

My suggestion is to add between 300 and 500 calories to the amount suggested by MFP. Eat all of those calories as well as most if not all of your exercise calories. Of course, eat mostly protein, veggies, fruits, and whole grains.

You can most certainly lose weight, maintain your milk production, and stay healthy!

Also, you can manually add the extra calories to the amount suggested by MFP, add breastfeeding as a food (it just deletes 300 of the calories you have eaten), or add breastfeeding as an exercise. I do it as an exercise because that makes the most sense to me and it allows me to easily see how much I have eaten and burned in a day.

MaKisMom

I couldn't find it as an exercise?

alyssa92982

I don't think its under exercise-I found it under the food part when u type in breastfeeding diff options pop up-the one for feeding 6 mos old is the only one I fig was close for calories-but mayb I burn more? My son is 7 wks-I feed him every 2-3 hrs-?

swimmermama

You can add it under "my exercises." That makes more sense to me than making 300 calories or whatever just disappear...

lesliemk

Your son is young! Your body is going to need at least an addt'l 500 calories a day to produce top quality milk for you little guy! And just 7wks old... no worries... the pounds still melt off at that point.

1800-2200 cals per day (net) is the bare bones minimum for a full-time nursing mama and make sure it's good quality foods.

With that said, I use the "Custom" option under Goals and adjust my nutritionals manually and add in 500 cals per day making my total 1900 cals per day for an 8m old infant who is still pretty much nursing full time. I just found that option easier than remembering to go in each day and add it as exercise. Good luck!

oliveoil87

Oh yes 7weeks is young. My daughter is 11 weeks old and I eat an extra 500 and all my exercise calories. I workout 30min each day.

MaKisMom

Your son is 2 days younger than mine . Mine also eats every 2-3hrs, and I count 500 calories for feeding him. I like the idea of adding it as a custom exercise, that makes more sense.