Brrastfeeding while trying to loose weight

Im only 3wks post partum and would like to get my pre baby body back. Im currently breastfeeding, are there anyother moms out there as well? Do you have to account for extra calories with BF? Is it considered exercise?

Replies

  • neelia
    neelia Posts: 750 Member
    My baby girl is due in March and I am hoping to breastfeed. I have heard that you should account 200 or so calories but that it doesn't count as an exercise. Basically I don't know, LOL!
  • You can add it as a food, just search for "breastfeeding" and it calculates it as negative calories (as it burns a specific proportion of macros as opposed to just calories). I think the average is 500 per day for feeding exclusively. It works out to roughly 70 calories per 100 mls.(7.4g carb/4.2g fat/1.3g protein).
  • dawniee
    dawniee Posts: 143 Member
    you definaltey want to add an extra 500 calories a day for breastfeeding....your going to have a raveous appetite for awhile so just listen to your body...eat when you are hungry...i'm 4 1/2 months postpartum and i didn't start losing weight until 3 1/2 months postpartum....and as far as excersise i started working out pretty early on and now i'm paying for it....seriouslystick to 3 days a week mild low impact workouts after your Dr clears you is all you need!! I started losing weight when I was forced to stop working out everyday due to injury.at 3 months postpartum...i actually slowly started to gain weight when i started working out and breastfeeding after i was 2 months post partum....i ended up getting some horrible joint pain and the excersise immediately stopped for about a month and i started losing almost immedialtey after that...so now i'm taking the slower approach and letting my body lose it with breast feeding and mild yoga and walking 3 to 4 times a week only versus i was running 5 miles and doing major highpact HIIT.....not recommended hahaha!! BUT eating the 500 extra calories a day is absolutley a must or you really wont lose at all, I was extremely hard on myself and after all that hard work that was actually the culrpit in why i wasn't losing a bout a pound a week. Good luck and congrats on your new beautiful baby!!
    Dawn
  • dawniee
    dawniee Posts: 143 Member
    oh and just like that woman said before just type in breastfeeding in the search in your food diary and it will be added as a negative for calories ::O)
  • bhb301
    bhb301 Posts: 338 Member
    I'm bf and have a one month old. I'm using the 500 cal rule also. I gained 45, and I lost 30 the first week home ,I'm guessing baby plus fluid plus breast feeding helped lose it that fast. Good luck