Anyone else breastfeeding?

victoria_1024
victoria_1024 Posts: 915 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I have a 5 month old who is exclusively breastfeeding (no solid foods yet). This is my 3rd breastfed baby. I've been pregnant, or breastfeeding, or both for the past 5 years and I'm so ready to lose this baby weight. I find it very difficult to lose weight and maintain my milk supply (I pump at work) so I usually end up giving up and just eating whatever. I'd really like to stick with this and lose weight, but I want to do it as healthy as possible so I don't lose my milk supply and so i can lose a significant amount over a long period of time. Any advice from people who have been there, or anyone else who is in my situation?

Replies

  • Willbenchforcupcakes
    Willbenchforcupcakes Posts: 4,955 Member
    I lost almost all of my weight breastfeeding my youngest. With my first, I ate around 1900 calories a day, and didn't lose anything. With my second, I cut that back in the beginning to 1800, and not only didn't lose anything, struggled with my milk supply. I found mfp, set my profile to lose 1 pound a week, with the correct activity level, and started eating well over 2000 calories a day, including my exercise calories, and the weight starting falling off. On top of that, my milk supply increased dramatically (especially when I increased protein), and my daughter started gaining beautifully.
  • lilymaeblue
    lilymaeblue Posts: 14
    I need help too. I uped my calories to 1800. So far im not loosing anything but my milk supply seems to be good. I meed help on what to do to loose weight but keep a good supply of milk.
  • hayles333
    hayles333 Posts: 105 Member
    I'm still breastfeeding my 7.5 month old daughter, and have lost 35 pounds in the last 4 months. I generally eat over 2000 calories a day (if you look at my diary, it looks like 1825...but I have a negative entry of 300 calories per day for breastfeeding) and as a result, haven't had any supply issues. I also do circuit and strength training several times per week. My diary is open if you'd like to take a peek! :smile:
  • mycrazy8splus1
    mycrazy8splus1 Posts: 1,558 Member
    I have birthed and breastfed 8 babies. I am currently breast feeding my 20 month old. Check out this link for a list of top lactogenic foods http://www.justmommies.com/babies/top-ten-lactogenic-foods-foods-that-improve-your-milk-supply?slide=11. Proper hydration is really really important, water, tea, mother's milk tea are great choices. Cutting out (or at least down) on white grains was helpful for me. I switched to brown rice, whole wheat bread, ect after baby #3 and saw a marked difference. Green smoothies are great, try kale and spinach with some fenugreek or fennel added to them.
  • victoria_1024
    victoria_1024 Posts: 915 Member
    Thanks for the feedback! I'm thinking I might need to increase my calories. I'm doing 30 day shred every day (which I'm logging as circuit training) and with that and losing 1.5 lbs a week MFP is giving me a goal of around 15-1600 calories a day (depending on how much I work out). But since i'm breastfeeding full-time, I probably need 4-500 calories more, correct? Which would make it more like 2000 a day. I've been getting about 1800 a day on average (yesterday was 1700) and the last day or so my little guy has been really fussy when nursing, and I'm worried he's not getting enough.

    I also should probably drink more water. I drink quite a bit, but I haven't increased it since I started working out.
  • servilia
    servilia Posts: 3,452 Member
    Yes definitely increase your water. I'm also nursing full time and add 500 cals as a negative food entry so MFP lets me eat that much more. My net is 1200 so really I'm eating 1700 plus if I exercise I eat those too. It hasn't hindered my supply, she's gaining like a champ.
  • JoRumbles
    JoRumbles Posts: 262 Member
    Hi guys

    I am exclusively nursing my 17 week baby. I add an extra 500 cals a day to cover that meaning I eat around 1,800cals a day. I find if I eat ALL my excercise cals on top of that (maybe another extra 200 to 400 cals) I don't really lose anything. One day a week I eat more (Sundays, its like a cheat day). I've just got back from holiday where I pigged out and I didn't gain- so the breastfeeding really helps with that at least!

    I'm back to my prepregnancy weight now (and I put on four and a half stone), but have another few kilos to go before I am happy. I hope to lose that before my baby starts on solids, becuase then I wont get an extra 500 cals a day for exclusive breastfeeding, it will be more like 200 to 300.

    Some people also say the weight drops off once you stop breastfeeding.
  • mycrazy8splus1
    mycrazy8splus1 Posts: 1,558 Member

    Some people also say the weight drops off once you stop breastfeeding.

    it is different for different people and different situations. With my first child I was at preprego weight 4 days after I had her. I put on weight while breast feeding because I had just finished up my first college semester and was not doing weight training or dance classes anymore. Once I stopped breastfeeding (at 6 months with her) I did more activities again and started losing. With my 3rd child I was still nursing #2 when #3 was born. I weaned #2 within and week so that I would only be BFing one child. I walked daily and ate better and was able to lose while breast feeding. Stay hydrated, stay active, DO NOT starve yourself!!!! 1800 to 2000 calories is a good goal for most breastfeeding moms. But remember everyone is different so experiment and see what works best for you.

    Best of luck to everyone. Breast is best! Good job for doing your best!
  • randomirrelevant
    randomirrelevant Posts: 15
    Heya!

    I've had three babies in the last four years, two of them there was only one month between them that I was not pregnant. I am still breastfeeding my youngest who just turned one year old today. Over the past 7 months I have lost over 65 lbs and gotten down below the weight I was just before I became pregnant with my eldest. I feel like breastfeeding actually made it a bit easier to lose the weight since making milk burnt up some extra calories almost effortlessly. I accounted for the extra calories by setting my activity profile to highly active lifestyle when she was younger and still exclusively on milk. When she started on table foods I turned my activity profile down a notch.

    From what I understand, exclusive breastfeeding a child burns around 500 extra calories a day, and breastfeeding an older child who is also eating some solids takes around 300 extra calories. I believe there are also exercise database entries for making milk, and there are some food database entries that are good for -500 or -300 calories. Just however you are most comfortable with tracking it.
  • pnwnommy
    pnwnommy Posts: 2
    So happy to find other breastfeeding moms and hear their stories! After the initial water weight loss after the birth of my son 9 months ago, I did not lose a single pound...I thought EBF would make the weight fall right off but it wasn't. I started MFP about a month ago and have lost 7 lbs and my milk supply hasn't suffered at all. For me, I net about 2200 calories a day. My baby still nurses quite a bit so I have been eating an extra 500 calories a day for that...however, I may reduce that after I weigh in this week since he is eating more solids.

    I have found that cutting back on carbs and sugars and increasing protein has helped me a lot - I feel amazing even though I am still not getting much sleep.

    Good luck everyone!
  • Chellypooh82
    Chellypooh82 Posts: 2 Member
    Hi Ladies, I'm BFing about 90-95% of the time. My daughter gets about 2-4 ounces of formula a day and she will be 3 months next week. I gained about 35 pounds when I was preggers taking me from about 175-213. I lost the first 30 pounds effortlessly. It was amazing I was so happy. I think I had a ton of fluid build up and I had severe Edemna. So I stalled at 180. I had to change my diet a just a little and work out to loose the next 10 pounds, then I stalled again. So I decided to join my fitness pal at 171.3. I've been a mambver for about 2 weeks now and I have lost about 2.5-3 pounds. I am very happy with the results. My goal is to loose 1 pound per week and make it a lifesyle change. I wish it would fall off faster, but honestly I'm not in a real rush. I think this will help me to enjoy moderate to light exercise and eating foods that are better and lower in calories. I am excited. I currently have a goal of 1450 for clores per day and I put -400 calories under "snacks" because I breastfeed. I think BFing is great not only because it is the BEST for babies, but it also helps our bodies to loose weight and prevents certain deseases. Good luck ladies. :happy: :flowerforyou:

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