Nursing mothers trying to losing weight

dawniee

Hi Steve,
I am just about 6weeks post partum and loss the intital first big weight of 17 lbs and since i'm lost nothing, in fact i gained about 2 lbs...i'm all over the place with what to do about calories and breastfeeding and working out....i've found for myself that just eating when i'm hungry and stopping before full might help because when I try to stick to a certain calorie amount i'm either ravenous or cant eat all of them. I just started back on my workout routine regularly and I breastfeed exclusively. I know your wife recently had another baby so I was hoping for some advice on what to do. The scale hasn't budged in 4 weeks...?
Thanks for your help!

Dawn

stroutman81

Hi Dawn,

Weight loss is so finicky post pregnancy. Some women bounce right back. Others seem to never regain their initial starting point. I mean, we know hormones can become majorly "tweaked" in some women, which can alter things like metabolic rate. At the end of the day though, it's still a matter of energy in vs. energy out.

I'm sure you won't like to hear this, but I've dealt with women where we really just wait it out. They can't seem to set calories low enough to allow for a very reasonable (slow) weight loss without negatively impacting milk production. In these cases, we simply stick with maintenance until circumstances change.

I mean, the literature pretty consistently (though I haven't looked at it in a while) suggests that nursing mothers need an additional 300-500 calories to support milk production and nourishment. So, on paper, which can mean jack**** for the individual, the new maintenance should be your regular maintenance + 300-500 calories. So, again, on paper you should be able to still run a deficit, but at a higher intake than normal given the fact that you're now burning that many more calories per day. But it'll all boil down to how your milk production holds up.

In truth though, my advice is pretty general. Make nutritious food choices, exercise, and ignore weight for the time being.

Chiquita_Banana

I needed this. I'm 6 months post partum and nursing, I've lost and gained lost n gained, still trying to find that balance. Just started running daily so I'll see how this goes.

dawniee

Thanks so much Steve!!

I was hoping for a different answer BUT i'm glad to hear it because I thought maybe I was doing something wrong being that I cant lose AT ALL after the initial big loss....So I need my maintance calories and my breastfeeding calories and let my body do the rest...do you think i should add in my excersise calories as well since i workout almost everyday?

Dawn

stroutman81

Thanks so much Steve!!

I was hoping for a different answer BUT i'm glad to hear it because I thought maybe I was doing something wrong being that I cant lose AT ALL after the initial big loss....So I need my maintance calories and my breastfeeding calories and let my body do the rest...do you think i should add in my excersise calories as well since i workout almost everyday?

Dawn

The way I look at things is calculate total maintenance and use that to base decisions off of. Total maintenance is inclusive of bmr, activity (including exercise), and breast feeding.

Rae6503

I'm sure you won't like to hear this, but I've dealt with women where we really just wait it out. They can't seem to set calories low enough to allow for a very reasonable (slow) weight loss without negatively impacting milk production. In these cases, we simply stick with maintenance until circumstances change.

:Butting in:

This is what I've had to do all 3 times. Some weight does come off still, it's just slow and you have to be patient. They say most women take a year to get back to pre-pregnancy weight. Give it at least that long.

dawniee

Thanks so much Steve!!

I was hoping for a different answer BUT i'm glad to hear it because I thought maybe I was doing something wrong being that I cant lose AT ALL after the initial big loss....So I need my maintance calories and my breastfeeding calories and let my body do the rest...do you think i should add in my excersise calories as well since i workout almost everyday?

Dawn

The way I look at things is calculate total maintenance and use that to base decisions off of. Total maintenance is inclusive of bmr, activity (including exercise), and breast feeding.


that is so much easier than what i've been doing! this has been really helpful! i guess as you said and Rae6503 just eat healthy and workout and slowly but surely it should hopefully happen and i'm fine with that! I was just fricking out a little bit because the scale was actually moving up and i'm trying to eat all the right things so this doesn't happen....no icecream or candy for this nursing momma ...anyway...thanks so much!!