breastfeeding-30DS-calories?

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Aza_
Aza_ Posts: 7
in Health and Weight Loss
I've been lurking around this board for the last few weeks, and finally found some time to post a message! I'm a stay at home mom, to three kids under four. My youngest is six months and still breastfeeding. On February 1st, I started the 30 Day Shred and began working on my diet -- better food choices, eating patterns, etc. I also started tracking calories.

I've been getting around 1700 calories a day. When I put my information into MFP calculator (without the breastfeeding and 30DS), it says I need 1200 calories a day. The breastfeeding information I've looked up says that while breastfeeding I need 200-500 additional calories, which seems like a pretty big range. Also, I'm not sure how to estimate the calories burned for 30DS.

If anyone else is in a similar boat, I'd appreciate hearing what other breastfeeding mammas are doing. I haven't noticed any drop in my milk supply, so I think the amount of calories I'm eating is enough, but I'm really not sure.

I'm a total newbie to exercise and dieting, so any thoughts or advice from the folks here, would be appreciated!

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  • bokodasu
    bokodasu Posts: 629 Member
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    You can find "breastfeeding" under food (because... uh, I have no idea why, someone put it there I guess) and you can add it every day to get some extra calories, or you can just set your calorie goal manually which is what I did. That 500 number is pretty high, I think, and when I reverse-engineered it it looked to me like someone just figured it out with math and not actual science. I added about 250, when my daughter first started on some solid foods, and then took them out completely after she was mostly eating real food and down to nursing 1-2x/day.

    For the 30DS, a heart rate monitor is your best bet, or failing that, check your heart rate a couple of times during the program and use a calculator. It's not going to be super-accurate, but at least you can get an approximation.
  • diannethegeek
    diannethegeek Posts: 14,776 Member
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    I've always logged 30DS as circuit training and for what it's worth MFP's estimates match up with my heartrate monitor's estimates pretty well.
  • lightdiva1
    lightdiva1 Posts: 935 Member
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    I looked at the Pediatrics site and at the american association of pediatricians. Both sites said to eat a healthy balanced diet, according to what your body needs. Some women need more calories (they find themselves hungry) some do not (no change in appetite) and other find themselves with less (consuming less calories a day)

    The doctors on these sites said that a woman should listen to her body and her baby. If your hungry eat if not don't. As long as you do not go under 1200 calories a day you will be fine and so will baby.

    Basically the advice is to eat foods that are rich in nutrition and ditch the empty calories as much as you can. Breastfeeding makes it easier to lose weight as well!!! Not only are you burning calories doing it, your body is also in a prime state to shred pounds.

    So to conclude, eat more healthier foods than bad ones, drink more water than soda and coffee and listen to your body.

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