Seems like I'm allowed TOO many calories??

Beckysweetart82

Hi all!

Okay so I'm allowed 1600 calories a day to reach my goal of losing 2 lbs per week. I'm exclusively breastfeeding which gives me roughly another 300 to 400 a day plus doing strenuous cardio which generally gives me another 200 calories a day. 2300 calories seems like a ton and I always have plenty of food if I do it right. I thought I was supposed to feel deprived lol! I've even been having half a cup of ice cream every night as a treat and I'm still under my calories! Anyone else experience this?

Pebble321

Congratulations, you've just learn that losing weight doesn't have to mean deprivation!

Try these numbers out for a month or so and if you aren't losing then you could drop a little, but as you're breastfeeding, I'd encourage you to eat what is recommended at this point,you don't want to risk your baby's health or nutrition.

ErinRibbens

The only way to know for sure is to try it for awhile and see how it goes. You are BF'ing so that does burn calories and it's important not to cut calories too low. In the meantime, enjoy that ice cream!

suzieqcookie

how long have you been at it? Are you not getting results? Give it a while and see. Some days my 1700 plus exercise calories seems like a ton, some days it feels like next to nothing, but it's the consistency that my body is working with. But every body is different... see how you feel about it in a few weeks.

FriendsR4EverTreasures

Are you losing 2lbs a week?

MamaWalkingBear

It seemed like it to me too, but I don't eat all my calories during the day. I am working on feeling satisfied, and not deprived, so it all works out. Different mental game for me :happy:

zaph0d

I thought I was supposed to feel deprived

No, absolutely not. You're supposed to feel the greatest you've ever felt.

nsmith6325

It was difficult for me to grasp as well but after a 6 month plateau I finally gave into the logic, started eating more and lost another 30 lbs. I am no longer a doubter. Everyone is different but be patient and don't make adjustments too quickly as you need to know how your body is going to react before you make a change. Don't be afraid to experiment for a week or two to see what happens. You are not going on a diet, you are learning how to change your eating habits for life. Stay focused on learning what different foods and quantities do to your engergy levels, moods and weight gain or loss. Good luck.

rcalvert1

bump

geekyjock76

Please do yourself and your baby a favor by assuming a small deficit. People tend to go crazy by cutting their intake by half and then doing an insane amount of exercise instead of gradually decreasing below maintenance - which most people do not even know what their range is to begin with - to see how their body responds.

jayliospecky

Yaaaayyyyyy, food!! Food is good, you need it! Yay!

Also, breastfeeding, you REALLY don't want to restrict your calories too much, no way.

Jonahyona

Lucky. I feel like the 1500 I get is not enough.

Beckysweetart82

I've only been at it for a week. I was losing like this before I had my son 6 months ago and now I'm back at it again. However, it just seems like an additional 600 calories a day (working out=200 and Bfing-400) is quite a bit of food! I've also heard that if I want to see results I shouldn't even take into account the additional calories from exercising. What's the point in eating the calories that you're trying to burn off? Am I making any sense lol...

simplydelish2

1600 seems high to have as a base. Have you counted an active lifestyle in that calculation? If so you may be adding too many calories back with exercise. I've got over 100 lbs left to lose and my calorie goal is under 1400 for a 2 pound a week loss.

ErinRibbens

Because MFP already builds in a deficit into your calorie intake, and it's not "assumed" that you will be exercising- you actually have to do the work to earn those calories- so when you do the work- eat them!

StrawberrySt

Look after your body and your baby and eat! You are burning extra calories from breastfeeding which means your body needs those calories back to keep you healthy and with energy! I'm sure you need all the energy you can get with a little one to look after.

If you find it hard to reach your calorie goals just remember to encorporate lots of good fats and lean protien in your diet and stay away from high sugar and sodium foods like 'low fat' and 'diet'

crazyvermont

Find myself in same boat and actually feel stuffed some nights. My trainer has me on 2100 calories....not hitting most days when workout added in. Have lost 52 pounds since November 2011, so guess she has it right:)

llkilgore

I thought I was supposed to feel deprived lol!

Deprivation isn't sustainable. It's so much better to feel that this part of your life is under control and satisfyingly normal, which is a whole lot easier when you allow yourself to EAT.

ecw3780

I've only been at it for a week. I was losing like this before I had my son 6 months ago and now I'm back at it again. However, it just seems like an additional 600 calories a day (working out=200 and Bfing-400) is quite a bit of food! I've also heard that if I want to see results I shouldn't even take into account the additional calories from exercising. What's the point in eating the calories that you're trying to burn off? Am I making any sense lol...

Have you set your activity level to sedentary? If you have it set at active, and then add in exercise level that might be where you are coming up with too many calories.

Beckysweetart82

Well my goal is 160 lbs at 5'8'' and I want to lose 2 lbs per week. I have semi-active lifestyle as I waitress part time and I'm on my feet quite a bit. 1600 is what they gave me.

RedDolch

You do want to eat more for two main reasons. #1 Multiple meals/snacks increases your metabolism this is even more increased by working out as long as you are getting into the vigorous heart rate stages. #2 Your body is breaking down the fat and muscle for energy, if you don't eat enough through out the day your body will stop burning the fat and just burn the muscle. Your body does this because it thinks it is getting starved so it will store fat (energy) for hard times, like a squirrel storing nuts for winter.

I suggest trying out the suggested calorie intake for a month and see where it gets you, if it doesn't show improvement you want then you could adjust calorie intake, carb intake, and workout regime from there.

sarahsummers12

I went and saw a dietician when I was breastfeeding and wanted to lose weight - and she said don't drop calories below 2000 a day because even though you may still produce the milk, the quality of it lowers. So I would eat what they give you and see how it goes but stay as close to the 2000 as you can if you decide to drop it. You don't want bubba missing out :-)

Beckysweetart82

Yes, this is what I've heard too! Thanks

jayliospecky

Also, 2 pounds a week is a) really difficult to sustain for a length of time and b) too extreme for a nursing mother.

arcticfox04

I got through 1600 so fast lol. It sounds right just try to make it 5 small meals a day. That's 320 calories a meal. I'm sure you'd have no problem thinking of it like that.

Peep_chic

My baby is 7 months now and I was bfeeding 'till now. I did strenuous cardio (HIIT) and I thought I wasnt eating too low. I was wrong. MFP had calculated my base to start with lower than my bmr. Plus I wasnt all sure about my calories. I was eating about 2000 calories or more. Most of the time I ate all or atleast most my burned calories back( if you have a deficit already eating the calories back will still give you a deficit, not eating them will increase it and might be too low). Anyway, even by doing this my milk supply decreased and baby's gain wasnt all that good. I lost almost all the weight but at what cost? I'm supplementing now. I stopped exercising because I wasnt sure If my milk will decrease more. None of this was worth it for me, Im dissapointed that I put my weightloss first. I really wanted to bfeed and I dont make much milk now. If you want to continue your weightloss & exercise do yourself and baby a favor find your bmr,tdee and milk calculator to make this accurate. This is a milk calculator link.

http://www.fourfriends.com/cgi-bin/milk.pl

You can find out how many ounces your baby can consume by his weight. Then you can look up on the foods breastmilk by ounces and get -20 calories back for each ounce. Dont try to lose so fast. Dont even take my word for it. Talk to a professional.

Beckysweetart82

arcticfox: great way to put it! Thanks.

GCLyds

Enjoy it. I stuffed my face like a growing teenage boy when I was nursing and I dropped a lot of weight.

davidlbass

That's one of the reasons I exercise so I can eat more. Love being able to splurge a little. Keeps me from binging.

Beckysweetart82

Haha, I'm not complaining! I just thought for sure I should feel more deprived than I do. I've had a ton of food today and still have calories to spare. I was doing it all wrong before.... eating the right things allows for more food, yay!

hesn92

Cool huh? Funny how people seem to think you need to starve yourself to lose weight. You sure don't. All you need is to burn more than you eat. magic.