Need help regarding breastfeeding calories...

petithamu

Hi guys,

I've done my search on MFP forums but I'm afraid I'm still a bit dumb about it...I'm breastfeeding (well, expressing) my 5 months old baby and from calculation burn about 350 - 450kcal a day. Am I suppose to log that as exercise or do I add the number to my daily food calorie? I'm currently on 1200 a day as preset by MFP like many others. Am I suppose to boost that number up to 1550kcal a day?

I'm really confused about this...all I know is eating 1200kcal a day is not enough because I am still agonizingly hungry at the end of the day but too scared to eat to 'be in the red'.

I hope someone can answer my question and please be as clear as possible because I am running on baby brain these days...

Thank you!

Tiffany

Meg_78

Yes you are supposed to add it back. If you search the food database under breast feeding it gives you a number of options that once added to your diary will give you a negative calorie amount, thus adding to your overall calorie count so you can eat more (nothing worse than being a starving breastfeeding/expressing mum!!)

diadojikohei

I breast fed my 4 children,but I would say please don't be cutting your calories to such low levels, being pregnant and giving birth takes a lot out of your body, and so does breast feeding, give yourself time to recover and replace all the nutrients you used up creating that lovely new life you have made!
We put too much pressure on ourselves to regain our pre baby figure straight away and it's not fair on you or your baby!
Wait until you have weaned him, then if you still want to loose weight, give yourself a long term plan and I think you'll have more energy, be healthier and enjoy life!
Eat sensibly, and don't scrimp with food, you'll need to restock on iron and calcium especially.
Good luck and I wish you all the best with your lovely baby!

petithamu

I think that's what I've been doing wrong the last week. I used MFP before and it's always preset my intake as 1200 so I just stayed with it. I've been working out and that gives me extra kcal but still daily number is maximum at 1200. Last night at about 9:30pm I was sooooo hungry I ate my dinner and my husband's dinner and ice cream and I was still hungry!

I felt so bad for going over my 1200 but maybe that's actually what I needed!

I've now changed my daily intake from 1200 to 1500kcal so we'll see if that helps me.

Thanks guys!

diadojikohei

Last night at about 9:30pm I was sooooo hungry I ate my dinner and my husband's dinner and ice cream and I was still hungry!

LOL! Been there, done that!!!
(It was his own fault he should have been home earlier!)

All the best!