I think I am only consuming 400 or less calories a day? Help

SophiaJane81

Hello,

I would like some advice if possible.

I have lost about 8 pounds in two and a half weeks in during that time I was eating lower than my allowance but no exercise.
I am also breastfeeding my newborn exclusively burning around 500 calories daily.
So anyway this past week I went very strict on my intake and started exercise. Two days in the week I even lost 1000 calories i just exercise.
So I jump on the scales this week and I have stayed the same weight. When I started doing my figures in my head it seems that I may be stalling because of not enough calories.

Daily allowance 1,900
500 burn on breastfeeding
1,000 exercise (on the days I do it - I am worn out after this)
eating no more than 1,500 calories sometimes 1,300

So to me that looks like I am only eating about 400 calories? Is this the cause of my stall.

I am thinking I should be sticking to eating my full 1,900 and when exercising no more than a 500 burn at a time.
Anyway I just need some help. If anyone wants to see my diary then they can???

carolinelittle

I think you're right. Maybe you need to be eating an extra 500 to compensate for the bf'ing loss? Congrats on your baby!

purple_tux1

You've just had a baby - please go easier on yourself. Slow and steady wins the race. People who lose weight quickly are more likely to regain it quickly and your body is still recovering from giving birth. Most important thing right now is to feed yourself, your baby and get enough sleep. Exercise is good, but you don't need to do crazy amounts. If your intake is too low, it can affect your milk supply.

I know others will chime in with some more specific information about how many calories you should be consuming. Take care and congrats on your new baby!

haroon_awan

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/654536-in-place-of-a-road-map-2-0-revised-7-2-12

In summary: eat a lot more.

mockchoc

You are netting too low yes and you are over exercising.

LifeIsNotADressRehearsal

Please eat more! You are netting around 400 cals which is far too low. Eating at your BMR plus extra cals for breast feeding as well as exercise makes far more sense. Don't rush your weight loss journey. It's not healthy or sustainable. All the best and congrats on your new addition!

cocono

The weight really falls off by itself when you are breastfeeding. Eat well, rest when you can and don't be in a hurry to lose it. This is such a special time just enjoy your baby.

Katy8967

while breastfeeding you would be better off trying to stick close to your target cals. Your baby NEEDS you to at least eat back those 500 cals lost through breastfeeding or it WILL affect your milk supply. My Health visitor could not stress this enough with me. While breastfeeding your main goal should be more about eating healthier rather than reducing your intake. Maybe cut down on the exercise (just a little bit) because even though many consider daily activities to not count towards your calorie burn, if you walk around to hushabye your baby you are still burning cals. Because im also breastfeeding i try to stick close to my target and only burn a max 500 of cals through workout a day and i am losing weight. Hope that helps. xx

Iv just also seen that your baby is only 7 weeks. You REALLY should be taking it easy with the exercise this early. Too much too hard you you will do yourself a bad injury. Even if its just taking the babes for a walk every day or two will make a difference.

elsinora

How do you calculate your exercise calories? A lot of the time people seriously over estimate their exercise calories and really just either stall or put weight on because they think they're burning a lot more than they are and therefore take in too many calories overall

neandermagnon

It's all the more important to eat well because you need to make milk for your baby. If you push it too far, then your milk can dry up. Eating well, that is eating enough calories and a healthy balanced diet will improve the quality of your milk. I breastfed both of mine and I've seen how my babies were more satisfied when I ate better. I found that the best foods for milk production were chicken and sweet tasting fruit.

If I got my maths right, you're netting 400 calories. You need to be netting your BMI calories as a bare minimum. Your BMI is not 400 calories. Maybe your baby's BMI is 400 calories. The BMI of adult women is generally somewhere between 1200-1800 calories (could be more or less than this though).

See the "in place of a road map" thread to see how many calories you should be eating in order to sustain your body and level of exercise.... then add on *at least* 500 extra calories a day to sustain your baby while exclusively breastfeeding. When the baby goes onto solid food + breastfeeding then you'll need to reduce the amount of extra breastfeeding calories as your baby takes less milk and more solid food. Also if you're feeling very hungry and your baby's going through a growth spurt, you may need to eat more than 500 extra calories for breastfeeding. If you have a baby that's bigger and/or hungrier than average (moreso if baby''s either of those and a boy), you may need more than 500 breastfeeding calories.

Lyadeia

I think the best thing to do would be to take your numbers and logs of your food and show your doctor, especially since you are breast feeding. He/She would be able to give much better advice considering your medical situation with just having a baby recently than the rest of us.

At first glance, it looks like you are either exercising more than you should...or way overestimating your calories burned in exercise (which we all tend do! I was shocked when I started using my fitbit and HRM because my workouts are closer to 400 calorie burners rather than the 600-800 different websites were estimating for me!) But your doctor would better know what is best for you and baby at this point.

WaterBunnie

My Fitness Pal food goals are set up so you are supposed to Net as close to your Goal as possible. You don't get extra kudos for ending the day massively in the green and you'll be creating an unhealthy deficit by doing so. It's set up so that you'll lose weight whether you exercise or not so you are encouraged to eat back the calories you burn - and with baby sucking out the nutrients it needs you do need to be eating enough healthy foods to cover both of your needs you know! Please don't feel pressurised by images of celeb Mums getting back into shape within 10 days of leaving the delivery room - it's just not realistic for most!

chellebublz

Everyone is different when it comes to post baby. My son is 11 months and I was up walking around 2 hours after he was born. He was really sick and had to be transported hours away for an NICU. And the first week of his life I was walking back and forth from the hotel to the hospital, pumping every 2 hours which barely left any time for eating or sleeping. And I didn't even feel like I had just had a baby, I felt wonderful. I totally could have handled working out then

But with that being said, I do agree that you should up your intake. Due to my sons condition at birth and not eating enough etc I did lose my milk supply, so it really is super important!!

neandermagnon

Please don't feel pressurised by images of celeb Mums getting back into shape within 10 days of leaving the delivery room - it's just not realistic for most!

This too! It is safe to lose weight while breastfeeding, but you need to take it slowly and steadily to ensure your milk supply is good. Also, slow, steady and sustainable weight loss is much more likely to result in long term maintenance.

SophiaJane81

Thanks guys. So do I need to work out all the formulas like TDEE AND BMR etc??? Or should I just attempt to eat my daily allowance and eat back my exercise calories when i do it?

elsinora

Thanks guys. So do I need to work out all the formulas like TDEE AND BMR etc??? Or should I just attempt to eat my daily allowance and eat back my exercise calories when i do it?

If you google it, you'll find good calculators for your BMR and TDeE. Calculate both. Then add the 500 cals on each Becuase you're breastfeeding.

So if TDEE is 2000 add 500 = 2500
If BMR 1600 add 500 = 2100

Get a heart rate monitor and monitor your exercise calories.

Make sure you always eat above BMR but below TDEE

Good luck xxx

neandermagnon

Thanks guys. So do I need to work out all the formulas like TDEE AND BMR etc??? Or should I just attempt to eat my daily allowance and eat back my exercise calories when i do it?

Personally I find it much easier to calculate my calories based on TDEE than use the MFP method which involves logging exercise and eating back the calories. Calorie calculators for exercise tend to be unreliable. Also with TDEE you just have the same number of calories to eat each day, and you keep up the exercise level you used to calculate your TDEE.

There's a thread called "in place of a road map" that explains in a lot of detail how to calculate all of this. My advice would be to follow that and then add on your breastfeeding calories as well, when calculating your TDEE (as breastfeeding calories are part of your TDEE)

CrisAlex

How do you calculate your exercise calories? A lot of the time people seriously over estimate their exercise calories and really just either stall or put weight on because they think they're burning a lot more than they are and therefore take in too many calories overall

I haven't gone through the rest of the thread but this was my first thought too. After getting a Garmin, I realized that I had been overestimating my calorie burn by over 30!

Please do not rush the weight loss - you do need to be properly nourished and have enough quality calories for breastfeeding. It will come off - just be diligent and patient. Best of luck!

LillysGranny

Don't be too strict while you are breastfeeding. You need to make sure you are eating plenty of vegetables, plenty of calcium, and don't restrict you calories too much--losing a pound a week is plenty, and you'll be more likely to keep it off if you don't lose it too fast. Your doctor or hospital should have a lactation specialist who can help you plan what to eat so that you can be healthy, energetic, and lose weight. Enjoy your baby, enjoy breastfeeding, and enjoy being healthy!

GammaKathy

There's already good advice posted before me regarding your physical needs.

Remember, if your food needs aren't met you are setting yourself up for much greater risk of Post Partum Depression.

Go at this fitness thing with care and you and baby will thrive!! You will see a difference in the quality of breast milk you provide as well as a happier you and baby!!

Enjoy your baby!!

Qskim

while breastfeeding you would be better off trying to stick close to your target cals. Your baby NEEDS you to at least eat back those 500 cals lost through breastfeeding or it WILL affect your milk supply. My Health visitor could not stress this enough with me. While breastfeeding your main goal should be more about eating healthier rather than reducing your intake. Maybe cut down on the exercise (just a little bit) because even though many consider daily activities to not count towards your calorie burn, if you walk around to hushabye your baby you are still burning cals. Because im also breastfeeding i try to stick close to my target and only burn a max 500 of cals through workout a day and i am losing weight. Hope that helps. xx

Iv just also seen that your baby is only 7 weeks. You REALLY should be taking it easy with the exercise this early. Too much too hard you you will do yourself a bad injury. Even if its just taking the babes for a walk every day or two will make a difference.

This^^breastfeeding is tough and difficult to balance with so much exercise, lack of sleep and any calorie restriction. Don't fret it will balance though. Kudos to you breastfeeding for me was difficult even though I'd been there and done that before.

SophiaJane81

Hello, Thank u all so much for helping me and your wonderful advice!!!

So my BMR is 2,183 and my TDEE is 2, 808 this all includes my 500 for breastfeeding.

I had set my MFP goal at 1,900 so its too low. So if I set my calorie goal at 2,183 is that okay? Should I eat back my exercise allowance?

neandermagnon

Hello, Thank u all so much for helping me and your wonderful advice!!!

So my BMR is 2,183 and my TDEE is 2, 808 this all includes my 500 for breastfeeding.

I had set my MFP goal at 1,900 so its too low. So if I set my calorie goal at 2,183 is that okay? Should I eat back my exercise allowance?

20% less than your TDEE would be 2246 cals a day. If it was me, I'd go with this number rather than my BMR number. BMR is better considered as your bare minimum that you don't go below, rather than a target to aim for. I think this is even more important if you're breastfeeding, as you need to keep up a good supply of milk for your baby.

With 2246 cals a day you should be able to lose fat at a rate of about 1lb a week, and still maintain your milk supply (and sustain your body!).

Regarding exercise calories, if you calculated your TDEE to include your exercise (e.g. lightly active, moderately active, or saying how many times a week you workout, etc) then don't eat back your exercise calories, as they're already included.

SophiaJane81

Oh yes that makes sense thanks.

jennifeffer

How do you calculate your exercise calories? A lot of the time people seriously over estimate their exercise calories and really just either stall or put weight on because they think they're burning a lot more than they are and therefore take in too many calories overall

^^ This! I find MFP over estimates calories burned. When I wear my polar it can be as much as 200 cals less that what the database says........1000 calories is a lot of exercise. Be careful, don't cut too low or it could compromise your milk production and that is what is most important right now:)

SophiaJane81

How do you calculate your exercise calories? A lot of the time people seriously over estimate their exercise calories and really just either stall or put weight on because they think they're burning a lot more than they are and therefore take in too many calories overall

^^ This! I find MFP over estimates calories burned. When I wear my polar it can be as much as 200 cals less that what the database says........1000 calories is a lot of exercise. Be careful, don't cut too low or it could compromise your milk production and that is what is most important right now:)

Hiya I use Zumba on the wii to work out so it calculates my calories burned there. But I defo would like to buy something more accurate.

leantool

Hello,

I would like some advice if possible.

I have lost about 8 pounds in two and a half weeks in during that time I was eating lower than my allowance but no exercise.
I am also breastfeeding my newborn exclusively burning around 500 calories daily.
So anyway this past week I went very strict on my intake and started exercise. Two days in the week I even lost 1000 calories i just exercise.
So I jump on the scales this week and I have stayed the same weight. When I started doing my figures in my head it seems that I may be stalling because of not enough calories.

not eating enough when breast feeding could put you in the risk of anemia and osteoporosis.take care and enjoy motherhood.:flowerforyou:

wcasie

not sure if this will help or not because i cannot compare it to net calories, but when my sister-in-law was on weight watchers and breast feeding it told her to eat 2x the number of points and she still lost a alot. good luck!

reddcat

bumping because there is a lot of good info here.

felisha_ortiz

Up your calories and quickly!!! I am nursing a 9 month old (9 months today yayy!) and after about two or three weeks of intense strict dieting my milk supply tanked. I was able to get it back up with lots of nursing, water, and making sure I was getting at LEAST 1200 calories a day. (but more like 1300-1700 is really where I aim to be) You WILL still lose weight, and in fact, you will lose it more steadily when you up your calories.

We have to lose slowly because we are also feeding our lovely littles,

so yes, you need to eat back the calories you burn, from both nursing and working out.

You can friend me or message me if you would like some more info, I have lost 46 lbs while nursing, and have maintained a healthy milk supply, through light to moderate exercise and a healthy diet (diet meaning what I eat, I am not actually "dieting")

You can do this momma!!!

Lleldiranne

Thanks guys. So do I need to work out all the formulas like TDEE AND BMR etc??? Or should I just attempt to eat my daily allowance and eat back my exercise calories when i do it?

You'll be fine if you eat back your exercise calories AND your breastfeeding calories. It's in the food database - "breastfeeding, exclusively" = -500 calories. You already have a deficit built into your calorie allowance by MFP. An additional 500 isn't necessary!

Note that not all women shed the weight easily when breasfeeding. Some of us are "nut storers" - our body wants to hold onto the fat as insurance we will be able to provide enough milk. IF this happens to you, don't worry. You have plenty of time later to lose the weight. What you are doing now (providing nutrition for your baby) is more important, IMHO. Don't over-do it on the exercise, either. Do what is good for your body, but don't push yourself to the point where you don't have lots of energy for your baby. (With luck this paragraph won't apply to you! )