Breastfeeding and calories

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kello2005
kello2005 Posts: 7
in Health and Weight Loss
Hi, I am 8 months post partum and I'm dying to get this extra weight off. I have not been one of the lucky ones who sheds the pounds through breastfeeding, my weight is just hanging on. Yay.

I'm 5'9 and weigh 186lbs. I'd like to be down to 160lbs.

I read that when breastfeeding it's important to eat at least 1800 calories per day to keep my supply up and so that's what I've been eating. However, I'm not really losing weight. Hummph. I've eat very healthfully- my only treat is wine which I've considered cutting out as well, but seriously, after a long day it feels so nice having a glass and I don't allow myself any other pleasures.

Based on what I saw on this board, I went and calculated my BMR and TDEE...

Your Basal Metabolic Rate is: 1630 calories.
Your Total Daily Energy Expenditure Is: 2241 calories

I don't know how to interpret this though. Is 1800 calories per day too little? Is that the problem?

Any advice would be awesome! Thanks!!

Replies

  • thisismeraw
    thisismeraw Posts: 1,264 Member
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    Is your TDEE including the extra calories for breastfeeding?

    Personally I would set your weekly goal to 1lb per week and each day add in your breastfeeding calories (they are in the food section but they are deducted from your daily goal like exercise is). Do this for a bit and see how your losses and supply are. Stay with any change for at least 4 weeks.

    Also, ensure you are properly weighing and measuring everything. Make sure you are tracking every little thing you eat and drink. Far too often we forget things or don't measure properly which causes us to either consume too many or too few calories.
  • juliekins64
    juliekins64 Posts: 125 Member
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    I breast fed for 10 months and didn't lose any weight (except for right after the birth) until I stopped breastfeeding.
    I hate that everyone tells us it will cause weight loss, made me feel like I must be a real pig to lose nothing.
    Good luck.
  • kello2005
    kello2005 Posts: 7
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    Thanks for your reply! I'm pretty sure my TDEE doesn't include any extra calories for breastfeeding. I don't know how to add that in, but essentially I'm burning about 300 calories per day with the amount I breastfeed now.

    I switched my weight loss goal to 1lb per week and it bumped up my calorie goal to 1860. Wouldn't it be easier to just add 300 to that instead of adding breastfeeding as an exercise every day? Or does that somehow mess things up?

    I have been quite strict on measuring and weighing my food. I'm finding it difficult to anticipate how many calories I will have left at the end of the day so it's possible I'm not eating enough during the day.
  • kello2005
    kello2005 Posts: 7
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    juliekins64- Seriously! And I see pictures and hear stories of women being like "oh I weigh less now than I did before I got pregnant!" Gahh!

    However, it is super motivating to hear that other women are like me and that the weight will come off after I wean my daughter. Like you, I lost a bunch right after I gave birth, but getting to my first goal (under 190) has been painfully slow. I started using MFP in the hopes it would speed things up (no such luck). I think I need to accept that this will take a while and be happy I'm learning how to eat really healthfully in the process!
  • gwendolynribble
    gwendolynribble Posts: 1
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    kello2005- I have had 4 babies and everytime held on to that last 15 lbs til I stopped nursing! Good luck. I am 6 months postpartum and am attempting to lose 25 more lbs but it is going sooooo slow! I feel like I stay hungry and I second that wine is my weakness :) Smile your bundle was worth every pound!!!
  • GeminiDelight
    GeminiDelight Posts: 45 Member
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    i just wanted to assure you that you can lose it while breastfeeding. i hold on to my weight as well. until baby is about 10 mo old. then it will come off with some exercise and watching what i eat. all i had to add in was yoga twice a week and a body flow class twice a week. it took me 10 mo and i lost 40 lbs. and i was still breastfeeding. i breastfeed until baby is 2 years old.
  • nicola1141
    nicola1141 Posts: 613 Member
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    It's tough, everybody's body reacts differently to breastfeeding. I'm down to nursing only at night, so I've reduced my calories to 1700 (and will probably reduce to 1600 in a week or so) because i noticed my weight loss dropping. But when I was nursing full-time, at 1800 calories with exercise I was losing weight. It was slow, definitely slower than if I hadn't been nursing and could cut the calories down more, but it was coming off. That said, I also think the 1800 rule isn't hard and fast. I know people who have gone lower than that with no issue to their supply. If your supply is well-established, you could probably think about going to 1700. Most importantly when nursing is to hydrate, hydrate, hydrate. The one thing that definitely affects my supply is if I'm not drinking enough.

    Good luck! Feel free to add me if you want.
  • rekite2000
    rekite2000 Posts: 218 Member
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    I have calculated TDEE-15% at moderate activity (due to working out) plus 500 for full time nursing which equals 2650 (don't eat exercise cals back). When I nurse less, I will decrease it to 250 or so. It has been working.
  • Nmorfitt
    Nmorfitt Posts: 26 Member
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    I lost all mine from breastfeeding but only becuase I made enough milk for 3 kids! My son did not latch until 6 weeks so the pump is what determined my supply! 12-16 oz a time. I ate what I could just to keep up.

    My sister in law diet while breastfeeding and just made sure to get the correct nutients! If you supply lessons just add in some calories!

    Good for you for sticking with it! Not an easy task!!
  • Nutmegpoop17
    Nutmegpoop17 Posts: 23 Member
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    I find this whole thing very confusing. I have never lost any weight but I have a very low supply and have never been able to get it up. i wonder if there is a correlation?? I never know what I should put as my activity level. I work full time so I spend the majority of the day on my tush but then come home and take care of two kids and get us all ready for the next day. I currently am on the lowest activity (can't remember what it is). Should I up it to moderate. I've been trying to walk everyday at work or throw in a 10 min trainer too. It's just not gauranteed. I also don't know if I should really count the breastfeeding since I produce so little. Sorry to jump on your post. it just seemed like the right place to ask the question(s).
  • culturalenigma
    culturalenigma Posts: 4 Member
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    I find this whole thing very confusing. I have never lost any weight but I have a very low supply and have never been able to get it up. i wonder if there is a correlation?? I never know what I should put as my activity level. I work full time so I spend the majority of the day on my tush but then come home and take care of two kids and get us all ready for the next day. I currently am on the lowest activity (can't remember what it is). Should I up it to moderate. I've been trying to walk everyday at work or throw in a 10 min trainer too. It's just not gauranteed. I also don't know if I should really count the breastfeeding since I produce so little. Sorry to jump on your post. it just seemed like the right place to ask the question(s).

    Basically, what I do is input my calorie intake at 1300 to make it easy. Then, if youre EBF (exclusively breast feeding), create an exercise of "breastfeeding, 1 minute, 500 calories burned". Then every day I put that in there.

    After I've added the "Exercise" of Bf'ing, I have 1800 calories to eat. If i work out I get more. But I rarely eat all these.

    I find it confusing as well. I try to walk at least a mile every couple days (bad knees) and get my heart rate up.

    I can't figure out if I should set my calorie level to 1800 and then NOT put Bfing as an exercise OR set calorie level to 1300 and INCLUDE BFing as an exercise.

    ;|
  • culturalenigma
    culturalenigma Posts: 4 Member
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    Wanted to reply to the OP -

    What the other person said about everyone responding differently is true. THere are MANY variables, age, weight at birth, genetic predisposition, metabolism, etc.

    at nearly 40 the only thing that quickly drops off of is my exhaustion at the end of the day. But when my firstborn was born, well, I was back to a size 0, yes, a 0, by the time she was 2. I'm a size 14 now and my youngest is 10 weeks old.

    My middle child, who is 10, I NEVER lost all the weight I gained with him. I stayed around 125 - 140 over the 30's decade.

    With this one, i've seen exactly 22 lbs of weight loss. 14 lost after birth, 6 lbs in fluid the week after she was born, and 2 lbs in the past 9 weeks.

    So just keep eating healthy, exercising, and trying to think positive thoughts. It's more important to eat healthy and BE healthy than to be thin.

    Just saying.
    Hi, I am 8 months post partum and I'm dying to get this extra weight off. I have not been one of the lucky ones who sheds the pounds through breastfeeding, my weight is just hanging on. Yay.

    I'm 5'9 and weigh 186lbs. I'd like to be down to 160lbs.

    I read that when breastfeeding it's important to eat at least 1800 calories per day to keep my supply up and so that's what I've been eating. However, I'm not really losing weight. Hummph. I've eat very healthfully- my only treat is wine which I've considered cutting out as well, but seriously, after a long day it feels so nice having a glass and I don't allow myself any other pleasures.

    Based on what I saw on this board, I went and calculated my BMR and TDEE...

    Your Basal Metabolic Rate is: 1630 calories.
    Your Total Daily Energy Expenditure Is: 2241 calories

    I don't know how to interpret this though. Is 1800 calories per day too little? Is that the problem?

    Any advice would be awesome! Thanks!!
  • DanaHerro
    DanaHerro Posts: 186 Member
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    There are so many variables here, but know that it is VERY normal for your body to hold onto weight while you are BF'ing - it's the whole hormonal thing. Once you stop, the pounds will likely shed off :) I have a few friends where that's been the case. Hang in there!
  • BaackOnIt
    BaackOnIt Posts: 26 Member
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    I am so excited to hear people say that once you are done BF the pounds will drop off. With my first child, I lost ALL of my weight by the time she was 6 weeks old! Kept exercising and was skinnier than before. NOW my son is 9 months, and I haven't lost a pound after 3 months of exercising & eating much better! I have been so frustrated! Now that I read this I breathe a sigh of relief and hope in the next 3 months as I am weaning him, that the pounds will FINALLY start coming off! UGH! How can I be 198 in January and 198 in March with almost 5 inches lost!? I was beginning to think something was wrong with me! Thanks!
  • Willbenchforcupcakes
    Willbenchforcupcakes Posts: 4,955 Member
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    Is your TDEE including the extra calories for breastfeeding?

    Personally I would set your weekly goal to 1lb per week and each day add in your breastfeeding calories (they are in the food section but they are deducted from your daily goal like exercise is). Do this for a bit and see how your losses and supply are. Stay with any change for at least 4 weeks.

    Also, ensure you are properly weighing and measuring everything. Make sure you are tracking every little thing you eat and drink. Far too often we forget things or don't measure properly which causes us to either consume too many or too few calories.

    This is what I did. While nursing my eldest, I stuck to around 1800 (I am 5'7.5", and was 211), and didn't lose a thing before I got pregnant when she was 9 months old. By setting my goal to lose one pound a week, adding in the appropriate breastfeeding calories, and eating them all, plus a good portion of my exercise calories, the weight really did just fall off.

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