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

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!

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.

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!

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.

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.

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!

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.

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

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!

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!!