Anyone breastfeeding during weight loss?

dunkt10

I asked this question because sometimes I get discouraged when i see that others are always under their calorie goal and I never am. Even though I know that I still have to consume more calories because I'm breastfeeding I think that people who don't know that just think I'm a total failure. I have eaten between 300-1000 extra calories a day but I am still losing weight. I just would really like to know if someone else is going through the same thing.

feistyhorsegal

I have a friend who is trying to lose weight while breastfeeding so I researched it a little, and on the biggest loser club website it says you need to consume 500 calories more for the breastfeeding. But if the baby is a frequent feeder etc and you are still hungry I think you could stretch that to a bit higher. So long as you are still losing weight it doesn't matter. Baby has got to come first anyway of course!

diananut

I am currently breastfeeding. My son is almost 7 months old but I didnt actively start to actively try to lose weight until about November I think. From July to November I lost 34 lbs without counting a single calorie!

If you are still losing weight, I wouldn't worry about being over your goal nor what others may think. But you could always add a little blurb about your baby and how you are still nursing in your profile so that others would understand?

rebelo3

I learned in my health class the other day that you actually burn A LOT of calories during breast feeding, so don't feel bad at all if you are consuming more cals to make up for that!!

natanitelite

I'm not currently breastfeeding, but I've lost almost all my baby weight with both girls while nursing them. I'm pretty active, so I found that 500-1000 over my "goal" was actually where I ended up on many days. Listen to your body, stick with mostly nutritious foods, and eat when you're truly hungry -- baby comes first and you'll likely drop weight anyway.

Don't feel bad about those "extra" calories -- you'll miss them when you don't have them anymore!

Also, everyone's different, but both times I found that my body held onto the last 5-10 lbs until I stopped nursing. Once we weaned, those pounds dropped right off.

Good luck!

BellydanceBliss

If you are still losing, dont worry what others think. I took lactation classes...Just keep your body well hydrated and eat good foods for yourself. Just like being prego the baby will take from your body what it needs so think of your nutrition...good fats, carbs, digestible whole proteins, and fruits and vegetables. All things in balance.

I asked this question because sometimes I get discouraged when i see that others are always under their calorie goal and I never am. Even though I know that I still have to consume more calories because I'm breastfeeding I think that people who don't know that just think I'm a total failure. I have eaten between 300-1000 extra calories a day but I am still losing weight. I just would really like to know if someone else is going through the same thing.

dunkt10

Thanks everyone! I really understand what a lot of you are saying. I'm feeding two hungry babies so I guess those extra calories are going towards a great cause!

toritater

I am! I've been adding in 300 calories under the exercise section each day to give me room for more food but this week I didn't lose much weight so I'm going to try without doing that for a few days and see how I feel hunger-wise. I've also heard we need 300-500 extra per day.

amyjanetx

I'm exclusively breast feeding too...a nearly 3 month old. I add about 400 extra calories a day by adding to the exercise section of my diary. I go over still! I get so ravenous feeling sometimes(and dont make healthy choices!)! And many of my nursing friends say the same thing, that they felt the same ravenous feeling. My weight loss has been yo-yo-ing a bit, but I'm going to keep plugging away and not give up. ...I'm guessing since you are nursing twins that you probably burn more than 300-500 calories a day.

Metsfn4life

I exclusively breastfed for 9 months and lost weight without trying (ate anyting I wanted). I have seen some breastfeeding mothers put in their breastfeeding as calories burned under Cardio.

Don't stress about what others think you are or are not doing. You need to concentrate on your health and the health of your baby. That's it.

When I stopped breastfeeding, I started working out and dieting.

Enjoy this time that you get to eat and burn calories just by giving nutrition to your bundle of joy!

Dumbell_Diva

I fed all 3 of mine (proud to say none of them ever had a bottle!) ...and I was always always hungry! At the time I was following a weightwatchers diet, (with extra points to allow for the extra calories)...I just remember having that ravenous empty feeling day after day and for that reason my weight loss during breastfeeding was sooo slow!!! But I found as soon as I stopped the feeding the weight fell off! So if you are losing weight then keep doing what youre doing, dont worry about what anybody thinks and enjoy those extra calories!!! And enjoy that special bond with your little one! My children are now 7, 10 and 13 and I look back at that time as really special. Good luck!!

SIimMama

There is a way to subtract the calories from your food diary... when logging food search breastfeeding and there are multiple options that come up. You can track by the oz, or whether you are breastfeeding exclusively or one time a day, etc! It puts the calories in as negative amounts...some of the entries even subtract from your macros too, so you know how much more protein, etc you should eat!

cklei

You can automatically subtract your breastfeeding caloric intake by doing so as a food. There are different levels of calories needed based on the age of your child. I myself am breastfeeding a 6 month old who now eats some solid food, I started counting calories 3 weeks ago but was back down to my pre pregnancy weight when I started to count them. I have found I do not do well getting ENOUGH calories in my body. Good luck and keep up the good work momma.

KareninCanada

You're nursing twins?? Congratulations!!! Please take note of this - if you are exclusively breastfeeding both of them, you should be adding 500 calories/day for EACH baby, and working really hard to stay properly hydrated. You can add it into your diary under "food", just look for "breastfeeding twins".

All the best to you!!!



Here is some info for you from Storknet:

Eat to appetite. Don't restrict your intake too severely in an attempt to lose your pregnancy weight too quickly. If you are losing more than 1/2 to 1 pound per week, you probably aren't eating enough. (If you were overweight before pregnancy or gained excessive pregnancy weight, losing up to 2 pounds per week may be appropriate)

If you are exclusively nursing twins or more, you may need an extra 500 calories and 10 grams protein per day for each baby you are nursing. You may need to eat 6 - 8 times per day to achieve this. Drinking extra milk, fruit juice, fruit smoothies and milkshakes can help boost your intake.

Take a multivitamin with minerals to help ensure you are meeting your needs for micronutrients. If you aren't choosing 4-5 calcium-rich foods each day, you may need an extra calcium supplement.

Keep up your fluid intake. Drink water, milk, or fruit juice each time you nurse. Lactating mothers of multiples can be producing 2 or more liters of milk per day!

ACEgirl1

My body is still hanging onto fifteen pounds. I have lowered my calories, exercised etc., but nothing is coming off. It has completely discouraged me, so I am not going to worry about it until I wean her. She is 15 months, and I am ready to quit, but she isn't. I want my body back!!! Everybody is so different.

MaudeBeige

When I had my son (7 years ago) I wasn't even conciously trying to lose weight... Ate well but balanced meals (5 a day). After putting on all that weight during pregnancy I saw it as a perk! My son was a hungry baby though, ate FAR more than anybody elses baby!!!

heavenlyhazel

I have been nursing for the past 10+ years and have never lost any weight while nursing until now. I ate what I wanted and put on a total of 25 pounds from before my first pregnancy to after my last. As I am currently nursing my 3.5 year old and he only nurses a couple times a day, I haven't added any extra calories to compensate. I just make sure I am drinking enough to stay hydrated. I tandem nursed (up to 3 kids at once) all of my children and just the past year have gotten down to nursing just one. Having twins, though, is much different than tandem nursing two different aged children. If they are still infants, you should take in between 500-100 extra calories. But, listen to your body. If you are not hungry after 750 extra, then shoot for that. Also, your babies will nurse more often during growth spurts so you may find that you need more calories between those times. Growth spurts commonly are during the first few days at home and around 7-10 days, 2-3 weeks, 4-6 weeks, 3 months, 4 months, 6 months and 9 months (more or less). They usually last 2-3 days, but can last as long as a week or so. If you need any further information, I am more than willing to answer questions. I was a Le Leche group leader.

maddymama

WOW! Good for you for nursing twins... that is a huge accomplishment. I would look at La Leche League and Kellymom as great resources for nursing women. I think they say that you should aim for a lb of weight loss a week, more than that and you might put your milk production at risk. Most women who are exclusively breastfeeding one child need an extra 300-500 calories a day, so you need close to double that, most likely. Try to make them healthy calories, whole grains, fruits, vegetables, nuts, avocados, etc.

I breastfed my single baby during my 40 lbs weightloss last year. I have been maintaining since August, and my 2.5 year old just recently weaned. It is possible to breastfeed and have a healthy weightloss.

Kudos to you for breastfeeding your little ones.

lcchrt

im ebf my daughter! I dont eat back the extra 500 calories usually. You dont have to, its the same as working out. If your hungry, eat, if not dont worry about it!

Missjilly1025

I am breast feeding as well. I give myself and extra 350 calories a day for it. I actually put it right into my food diary and it works out the calorie count for me.

fionaface

My daughter will be 7 months old on Valentine's Day. 100% of her food is my breast milk, but I exclusively pump milk. My average amount pumped per day is 40 ounces, and I know that each ounce of milk produced is supposed to account for 20 calories burned. Doing the quick math, that basically means I burn 800 calories a day just from producing breast milk. That seems crazy to me, but I believe it must be true because I have put on NO weight even though I admittedly don't always eat the best foods (got to get my fat content and sugar content a little less). The best thing I think to do is to keep a food diary (the one here on mfp is great) and keep myself accountable for what I eat. I need to find foods that have calories but not as much carbs or fat, and veggies are great for that I believe.