New trying IIFYm while breastfeeding

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reneemallain
reneemallain Posts: 2
in Introduce Yourself
I am a new mom with a goal to lose weight and gain muscle. I am trying out the IIFyM , and I am breastfeeding. I have been doing it for a couple days- how do you calculate the calories used for breastfeeding?

Replies

  • bperry683
    bperry683 Posts: 5 Member
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    i'm a new mom too! i've used MFP with great success in the past. i logged breastfeeding as 500 calories per day. i entered it manually. just put it under cardio exercise bc i didn't know where else to put it.

    how old is your babe?
  • Sallyrose5994
    Sallyrose5994 Posts: 36
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    Hello!

    I am also a breastfeeding mom and I add it as a food item to my breakfast each morning (you just type breastfeeding into the food search and there are several choices) and it gives me an extra 300 calories per day. I choose 300 calories because my daughter is one and eats food now and also drinks some goats milk when I am at work and I have stopped pumping. I would do 500 calories if she was not eating yet. I will send you a friend request also so we can support each other. I find it really difficult to lose the last of my weight while breastfeeding but not ready to wean her yet so I decided to give this a try! Good luck Mama!
  • docbecka
    docbecka Posts: 1
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    Hi ladies.... today is my 1st day on here.... I am also breastfeeding... my little guy is 4 months.... I would like to lose 15-20 lbs, but it's so hard. I feel like I am more hungry now than when I was breast feeding. What is IIFYm?
  • mbleken
    mbleken Posts: 1
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    Wouldn't you need to list it as negative calories if listing as a food item? If I enter breastfeeding, it adds 500 to my breakfast total like I ate those calories...
  • AJ_G
    AJ_G Posts: 4,158 Member
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    Hi ladies.... today is my 1st day on here.... I am also breastfeeding... my little guy is 4 months.... I would like to lose 15-20 lbs, but it's so hard. I feel like I am more hungry now than when I was breast feeding. What is IIFYm?

    IIFYM = If It Fits Your Macros. Basically it's a diet plan but there aren't restrictions placed on it. You set gram goals for fat, protein, carbs, and fiber, and eat whatever you'd like each day to reach the goals you have set. It's also important to try and hit your recommended vitamin and mineral goals for the day as well.
  • anjuli360
    anjuli360 Posts: 6 Member
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    Like a mom that has replied above, I also logged breastfeeding in the Cardiovascular work. This has been working for me. But also like another mom on this thread, YES, it is SO hard to lose weight while nursing, especially because we don't want to negatively affect our supply, right, but also because we're SO HUNGRY! 500 calories a day--20 cal per oz of milk produced. I love MFP for being able to track calories and nutrition to makes sure I'm doing justice for both the baby and me... maintain a healthy supply of milk, and to know I'm on the right track nutritionally and calorie-wise to keep my sanity, especially when I could swear I ate a whole week's worth of groceries while snacking throughout the day?! This helps me make good meal and snack choices, and I can look back on the day's food intake and feel good about grazing all day. moooooooooooo I make milk :tongue:
  • n1colesawchuk
    n1colesawchuk Posts: 7
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    My second kid is 19 months old and I am still breastfeeding (granted only twice a day now) but she shows no signs of quitting even though I've been ready a loooong time. Supply has never been a problem for me. I started heavy training a year ago with weights etc. While I've gained muscle and built endurance - the weight never came off (only 10 lbs). So in february - I realized nutrition has my problem so I hired a nutritionist. Essentially the focus is on your macros and geting the right supplements (although calories are also to be tracked).

    4 weeks - nothing! My body fat % is down 1% (yay on the small victories), my water intake is nice and high, but no real drop in scale or in my body measurements (which is where I really want to see the results). The nutritionist is baffled on how to change my program to kick start stuff.

    Any advice or help? I'm starting to feel like breastfeeding is the problem!!
  • anjuli360
    anjuli360 Posts: 6 Member
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    I agree that it is hard to lose body fat while breastfeeding. It's like the body is hanging on to it for dear life just in case you burn too many calories exercising or something! I am rather mindful of my fat intake as i track my foods here on MFP and still it is very hard to burn off what's there. Before I stopped nursing my first born, I carried an extra 5 lbs (nursed 2x a day until I stopped completely). When we were done, it was like that 5 lbs literally came off that weekend. So while I am exercising right now while nursing my 7 month old, I try to not expect the layer of fat that stares back at me in the mirror to fully disappear until we're done nursing...
    So it's not just you, I am not burning much fat either right now, but if you find out a way to get around this, please let me know! :D

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