Any other breast feeding mothers trying to lose?

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cockroach992
cockroach992 Posts: 2 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I'm 5'7", 161 lbs, and exclusively breast feeding my 2 month old daughter. My goal is to reach 140-145 lbs, but I have NO idea how to calculate my calorie needs.

I don't exercise much aside from a brisk uphill walk, probably a half mile, pushing my daughter in her stroller and bouncing on a yoga ball for a few hours daily. I also do about 30 push ups on the yoga ball and about 10 minutes of yoga every day. Other than that, I live a pretty sedentary life as a stay at home mom. All that said, I understand I have to eat an extra amount daily...and got hit hard when I decided (stupidly) to cut my calorie intake down to less than 800 a day. I caved and began binge eating at night, so I don't know if this 2 pound weight gain is muscle (I just started the push ups and walks around the same time the binge began) or if I really messed up.

I have never tried to get into shape before having my baby and realizing my being healthy will impact her eating habits in the future, so I'm all new to this. If there are other BFing mothers, or simply someone who can explain to me how to reach my goal by May, could you help me out?

Replies

  • Mlkmaid
    Mlkmaid Posts: 356 Member
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    Wow, when I breastfed the weight just fell off of me, no diet required. I would check with your OB/Gyn and/or pediatrician before you go crazy restricting calories. AND you have a 2-month-old. Don't be so hard on yourself! :)
  • lilynblue
    lilynblue Posts: 27 Member
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    Yep, I'm exclusively breast feeding my 5 month old. Still trying to figure out the whole calorie thing myself. Right now I have my calories set to 1500. Send me a friend request if you want!
  • obum88
    obum88 Posts: 262 Member
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    My body held on to everything when I was breastfeeding. I focused on healthy eating and low impact cardio til I weaned at 7months. couldn't bounce around with boob full of milk
  • TAMayorga
    TAMayorga Posts: 341 Member
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    Check with kellymom.com, an excellent source of breastfeeding advice. Also, find out if the hospital where you gave birth has a lactation consultant; she'll be able to help you figure out how many extra Calories you need to feed your daughter. Don't fall into the same trap I did; my weight just fell off when I was breastfeeding, so I got used to eating what I wanted. And when she stopped.... :sad:

    My next comment is not what you asked, but you might be interested in it: try to eat as many fruits and vegetables as you can, whether you truly enjoy them or not. Studies have shown that the flavor is transmitted to the milk, and will hopefully help your daughter develop a liking for the flavor.

    Good luck, and congratulations!
  • kavanaghev
    kavanaghev Posts: 75 Member
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    It's actually pretty common to not lose weight easily while breastfeeding, despite it feeling like it "fell off" for everyone around you. Don't restrict your calories too much because you could lose your milk supply. You should probably be eating at least 1800-2000 calories (of GOOD FOOD) and drinking lots of water and just allowing your body to do its thing. It took me almost a year to lose all the baby weight, and most of it came off in the last two-three months as my daughter started going for solids more and I felt comfortable doing more strenuous workouts because I wasn't afraid of upsetting her food supply, but I am 20lbs lighter than my pre pregnancy weight now and we still haven't weaned! My OB said that some women retain fat stores in order to fatten their milk and that many will drop 10-15 pounds after weaning. I am looking forward to it, haha.

    Anyway, my best advice is to give yourself time and respect your body. Develop good eating habits now because while your body is currently sacrificing your bones and teeth and organs to provide proper nutrients to your baby (if you have a crappy diet), when your baby is eating solids, he/she will depend on you to whip up something nutritious five times a day! Good luck!
  • RHHMom
    RHHMom Posts: 34 Member
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    Yes, please check out kellymom.com. Cutting calories too early or by too much can decrease supply.

    kellymom.com/nutrition/mothers-diet/mom-weightloss

    Among many tips, she suggests a calorie level of 1500-1800 (most moms need at the higher end) and keeping loss at less than 1.5lbs a week.

    Be gentle with yourself. You have lots of time to lose the weight; your baby is only this little for a short time.
  • Ivoryelaine
    Ivoryelaine Posts: 18 Member
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    Take real care cutting down much while nursing such a little tike. With weight watchers they gave you an extra 6 points for an exclusively nursing baby and 3 for one who was not. So....if you take the calories you are supposed to have with out nursing, then you divide those by 26 ( the number of points on WW you would likely be on) and then use that number times 6 and add it you will be about right likely.

    Some women lose weight like crazy while nursing, others don't. You already sound like you are close to a healthy weight since you are pretty tall. I weigh as much and am much shorter ( and really do need and want to lose) I have been nursing continuously for almost 16 years now and so know just nursing won't do it....you do have to really take care however when you have such a little one to care for counting on you. Your body given the choice by making sure your nursing babe has enough and you have enough will chose your babe....if you are really short on nutrition you both will suffer.
  • Kmanouchehri90
    Kmanouchehri90 Posts: 81 Member
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    Everyone told me "weight would just fall off" while breast feeding, and it did until the last 10lbs of pregnancy weight.
    I have a 6 month old I am breastfeeding (just started her on a little solids but mostly just breast milk still). You can add breastfeeding into your diary under foods, just search it. If you follow the guidelines set on here and then add calories for breast feeding, you will lose the weight, but I can't promise you will be at your goal by May. My doctor keeps telling me I should give it a whole year to get down to my pre-pregnancy weight (I'm 5 lbs away from it though so I think I will make it before then!). While breast feeding you really HAVE to eat enough. And I don't know about you other moms but it makes me hungrier (and thirsty!!!!).
  • TiffCK
    TiffCK Posts: 37
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    I'm nursing my second child now. She's a year old. I nursed my first for 2. Anyway, I didn't lose any weight the first year, but I didn't try at all. But the big question is, how is your milk supply? Is she gaining well? Since I always had an abundant milk supply (I could feed octoplets) I cut down my calories to 1370 and I have been losing 2.5lbs a week on it, (though I put in the calculator just to lose one.) I was eating way too much while pregnant and nursing before. Anyway, definitly don't cut your calories to 800 a day! Nursing a baby takes between 300-500 calories a day, and that would only leave you with a couple hundred! Then your milk can dry up, and it won't be as good for the baby either. And it can make the milk taste bad on a low calorie diet. I mean, the reason you nurse is for your baby right? Try to enjoy this time, because it's gone all too soon. I wouldn't recommend eating calories as low as I am either. My baby is a year old and gets most of her nutrition from solids. Yours gets all of it from you. I have heard you shouldn't go below 1500 calories when exclusively breastfeeding, so maybe start around there, but no lower. Just try to eat better foods instead of junk, and it will work.
  • cockroach992
    cockroach992 Posts: 2 Member
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    Thanks everyone for the responses! I am breast feeding for her sake and am actually 32 pounds under my pre-preg weight. I just want to be thinner than my husband and be under the overweight mark on theBMI thing. I've always eaten healthy so that's my issue, I actually prefer fruits and veggies over the bad, though I do yearn for a hamburger and some chocolate! I have temptation all around me too because my husband works in a restaurant and my grandma we live with cooks AMAZING...ly fattening foods. I have yet to cave >:) my biggest "bad" food is the bread I eat, but even that is 45 calorie wheat. The rest is home canned (in water only) and fresh fruits and veggies, eggs, fiber cereals, things like that. My daughter is growing normally, though when I was eating verrrry little, she became very constipated and fussy- both extremely unusual for her. I've been eating more and she is able to potty again on her own and is back to her only fussy at nap time self. Would increasing my intake (of healthy foods of course) also bump my metabolism up to shed these final fifteen? I don't think I could eat any healthier, and it is so annoying watching my 6 foot tall 145 plunge husband pound down a Mountain Dew and x large cheeseburger and LOSE weight. The man had to eat around 10,000 calories a day and has not gained a pound in like three years!

    I will increase my intake for my daughters sake, as her growth is much more important than my waistline, but I want to AT LEAST maintain my weight. I'd even be satisfied with 150 :/
  • rekite2000
    rekite2000 Posts: 218 Member
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    I added 500 calories to my base calories. I eat about 2100 a day. Just started really counting but weight is stable thus far (about two weeks). Started jillian Michaels body revolution this week- kinda did 30 day shred last month. I am doing measurements more than weight. I want inches to go down more than the pounds! Feel free to add me if you like.

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