Breastfeeding with diet/ exercise

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brandiebussiere1
brandiebussiere1 Posts: 9 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hello!
So, I am currently breastfeeding and would like to lose the baby weight. I just set my goal to 1,200 calories a day, but I know I need to go over daily to make 1,700 (500 extra for breastfeeding). I had a few questions though:

Is it healthy while BF to limit what I eat to this amount or should I try and go for a little higher than 1,7000 intake? I take vitamins daily. Also, if I work out and burn about 250 calories do I need to eat those calories and gain them back or am I all set? Just worried about keeping my milk supply good for my little one while doing this.

Thank you so much!

Replies

  • Lozze
    Lozze Posts: 1,917 Member
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    The best person to give you this info is your doctor. You need to ask them and then follow what they say.
  • Mikkimeow
    Mikkimeow Posts: 1,282 Member
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    I would agree that you should consult your doctor. Also, why are you starting at 1200 calories? What did you set your weight loss goal too? That seems like a very low amount. And yes, you would need to eat those exercise calories back.
  • brandiebussiere1
    brandiebussiere1 Posts: 9 Member
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    I just moved across the country so I need a new doctor which will be a couple of weeks out for an appointment. Unless I can ask the lactation consultant at the hospital I delivered at - I can try that out until I can go to the appointment.

    I have it set to 2lb a week which gave me 1,200 calories. I believe that's the lowest woman can go. I'm currently re-starting my "diet" after the pregnancy so I'm 166 goal weight of 140 for now. & thank you I was very unsure about if I was supposed to eat the calories back.
  • HellaCarriefornia
    HellaCarriefornia Posts: 102 Member
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    First and foremost, you need to ask your doctor about this.

    You say you "set your goal to 1,200 calories." Did you just come up with that number arbitrarily? That may not be enough for you even without breastfeeding in the equation. I'm not saying pig out and eat whatever you want, but you shouldn't be restricting calories like it seems you are trying to do. And, yes! Especially now, eat your exercise calories back!
  • mialonghorn
    mialonghorn Posts: 23
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    How long has it been since you had the baby? I talked to my doctor and she said it was fine to start exercising 6 weeks after but not diet. If you lose weight, your body produces some type of acid, which is transferred to your breastmilk and isn't good for the baby. I'd be healthy about it. I was on about 1800 cals a day (I was 5'2, 130lbs) and ate back all of my calories if I had a chance to workout. I think the key is to eat healthy meals rather than junk food and you should be OK. Restricting your calories or exercising too much will have a detrimental effect on your supply.
  • brandiebussiere1
    brandiebussiere1 Posts: 9 Member
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    It's been 8 weeks since I had my little one. My OB GYN cleared me to exercise again. (Is that who I would see about this because it's about breastfeeding or a regular doctor because I can make an appointment with my OB because I have one of those currently). I put "diet" in quotations as I'm really just trying to eat healthy and not go overboard with eating more exercise it off but I'm honestly just kinda confused with how it all works. I'm 5'8" 166 pounds. I don't want it to affect my little man at all so I will probably just see what is normal for me to eat for my height and weight then add the 500 to it with exercise (and eating back calories). That way there is no technical dieting involved just watching what I eat so I know how much my intake is. I think that will work until I can get in to see a doctor.

    Thank you!
  • sparacka
    sparacka Posts: 137 Member
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    The best person to give you this info is your doctor. You need to ask them and then follow what they say.

    Nope. The BEST person to ask is your local La Leche League Leader. Most OBs and even pediatricians know jack-all about breastfeeding. Find your closest group at the link below. LLL leaders are moms who are experienced at breastfeeding and can give you accurate info.

    http://www.llli.org/webus.html
  • kgeyser
    kgeyser Posts: 22,505 Member
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    I just moved across the country so I need a new doctor which will be a couple of weeks out for an appointment. Unless I can ask the lactation consultant at the hospital I delivered at - I can try that out until I can go to the appointment.

    I have it set to 2lb a week which gave me 1,200 calories. I believe that's the lowest woman can go. I'm currently re-starting my "diet" after the pregnancy so I'm 166 goal weight of 140 for now. & thank you I was very unsure about if I was supposed to eat the calories back.

    Two pounds per week is too aggressive for only 26 lbs to lose. Set your goal for 1 lb per week, eat back your nursing calories, and eat back a portion of your exercise calories. You're only 8 weeks postpartum, your little one is going to be going through a bunch of growth spurts in the next several months and you need your body to be able to keep up the supply. Plus you've got lots of sleepless nights ahead of you, you don't want to make the stress on your body worse by not eating enough.
  • ColeCake292012
    ColeCake292012 Posts: 247 Member
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    I've heard that 1800 is the bare minimum for maintaining your milk supply.
    I ate about 2200 while nursing and exercising here and there...worked well. Try and get in touch with WIC or lactation consultants to help get the answers you need. Best of luck!
  • callmestephanie
    callmestephanie Posts: 90 Member
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    Definitely set it to 1lb a week and eat back your "BFing calories". Otherwise, make sure you drink TONS of water and just watch your supply. If you feel it dipping or you're feeling extra hungry, eat more. Sometimes babies go through growth spurts and nurse more so they need more milk and you need more calories to make the milk.

    I've counted calories for 8months now and haven't had a problem with my milk or my baby yet. My "goal" is 1300 (I've got 100lbs to lose though) and the extra 500cals (my baby's a year old but still nurses a lot).

    Just be sure to listen to your body and you'll be fine. Good luck and congrats on the successful breastfeeding!
  • tiggerhammon
    tiggerhammon Posts: 2,211 Member
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    I just moved across the country so I need a new doctor which will be a couple of weeks out for an appointment. Unless I can ask the lactation consultant at the hospital I delivered at - I can try that out until I can go to the appointment.

    I have it set to 2lb a week which gave me 1,200 calories. I believe that's the lowest woman can go. I'm currently re-starting my "diet" after the pregnancy so I'm 166 goal weight of 140 for now. & thank you I was very unsure about if I was supposed to eat the calories back.

    Two pounds per week is too aggressive for only 26 lbs to lose. Set your goal for 1 lb per week, eat back your nursing calories, and eat back a portion of your exercise calories. You're only 8 weeks postpartum, your little one is going to be going through a bunch of growth spurts in the next several months and you need your body to be able to keep up the supply. Plus you've got lots of sleepless nights ahead of you, you don't want to make the stress on your body worse by not eating enough.

    Set for 1lb a week loss, eat all your BF calories and half of your exercise calories is exactly what I was going to say.
    Oh, and the person that said no, don't ask your doctor. Doctors are not educated on these things.
    You want solid professional advice ask someone actually trained on the subject.
  • AdieEve
    AdieEve Posts: 87 Member
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    I am also breastfeeding and I eat 2,000 calories a day. I have been losing 1-2 pounds per week with no ill effects on my supply. While you'll lose weight and still make enough milk consuming as little as you do (assuming you're taking in enough water), it is not beneficial to your health. I would suggest increasing your caloric intake. (Also, for reference, I am 14 weeks postpartum and have been counting calories for 10 weeks.)
  • Ninkyou
    Ninkyou Posts: 6,666 Member
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    I just moved across the country so I need a new doctor which will be a couple of weeks out for an appointment. Unless I can ask the lactation consultant at the hospital I delivered at - I can try that out until I can go to the appointment.

    I have it set to 2lb a week which gave me 1,200 calories. I believe that's the lowest woman can go. I'm currently re-starting my "diet" after the pregnancy so I'm 166 goal weight of 140 for now. & thank you I was very unsure about if I was supposed to eat the calories back.

    Two pounds per week is too aggressive for only 26 lbs to lose. Set your goal for 1 lb per week, eat back your nursing calories, and eat back a portion of your exercise calories. You're only 8 weeks postpartum, your little one is going to be going through a bunch of growth spurts in the next several months and you need your body to be able to keep up the supply. Plus you've got lots of sleepless nights ahead of you, you don't want to make the stress on your body worse by not eating enough.

    I agree with this. You don't want to end up being too aggressive and having supply issues. Give your body time to heal up and adjust too. 8 weeks really is not that long. If it were me, I would go with a very small deficit and talk with either my OB or Pediatrician (sometimes there are LLL consultants linked with the pediatrician's office). You want to make sure you have enough supply for the demand of your baby without sending your body into some crazed stress.
  • mamaoftwins9197
    mamaoftwins9197 Posts: 142 Member
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    I'm gonna go against the grain here. My doctor would be the last person I would ask. Doctors are not nutritionists and unless they took specific courses in breastfeeding, they really have very little knowledge about it. I would contact your local chapter of LLL (La Leche League) and talk with an IBCLC (Independent Board Certified Lactation Consultant). I only breastfed my twins for about 3 months and in that time I lost 45 pounds, not on purpose, but totally by circumstance...I didn't have time to do anything but breastfeed! I did not lose weight at all while nursing my youngest, but I wasn't trying to either. I ended up nursing her for 2 and a half YEARS. I would talk to LLL and/or calculate your TDEE online and then add in the BF calories. You def don't want to restrict too much or your milk production will suffer. And make sure that you are drinking PLENTY of water. Feel free to add me if you have other BF questions or just want support!
  • mamaoftwins9197
    mamaoftwins9197 Posts: 142 Member
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    The best person to give you this info is your doctor. You need to ask them and then follow what they say.

    Nope. The BEST person to ask is your local La Leche League Leader. Most OBs and even pediatricians know jack-all about breastfeeding. Find your closest group at the link below. LLL leaders are moms who are experienced at breastfeeding and can give you accurate info.

    http://www.llli.org/webus.html
    YES!!!
  • AdieEve
    AdieEve Posts: 87 Member
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    I also wanted to echo the sentiments that La Leche League is an indispensable resource!
  • dandelyon
    dandelyon Posts: 620 Member
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    1800 is generally the minimum you should eat, but you may be able to eat more. I am slowly losing while eating 2100, for example.

    You use approx 670 extra calories for breastfeeding, so you'll see 500 calories plus maintenance recommended on various websites. You could call the local hospital's lactation specialist, LLL, or even WIC, to discuss your specific situation. I have never discussed breastfeeding and nutrition with my OB or pediatrician, and unfortunately I haven't gotten the impression that they would be a good resource. However, the resources are certainly available through other programs.
  • emkayelle91
    emkayelle91 Posts: 846 Member
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    I would definitely recommend eating back your workout calories, especially bc breastfeeding makes you burn calories as well, so you don't want your deficit to be too large. I would also try and eat at the very least 1,700 but preferably more . I am currently breastfeeding and find that days I eat too little my supply is negatively affected the next day. And I definitely agree with the suggestion to contact the La Leche League for suggestions on how much/ what to eat and how to go about losing weight without dropping supply.
  • HanamiDango
    HanamiDango Posts: 456 Member
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    It's been 8 weeks since I had my little one. My OB GYN cleared me to exercise again. (Is that who I would see about this because it's about breastfeeding or a regular doctor because I can make an appointment with my OB because I have one of those currently). I put "diet" in quotations as I'm really just trying to eat healthy and not go overboard with eating more exercise it off but I'm honestly just kinda confused with how it all works. I'm 5'8" 166 pounds. I don't want it to affect my little man at all so I will probably just see what is normal for me to eat for my height and weight then add the 500 to it with exercise (and eating back calories). That way there is no technical dieting involved just watching what I eat so I know how much my intake is. I think that will work until I can get in to see a doctor.

    Thank you!

    Hey, I agree, you want someone other than your doctor to help you out here. La Leche League Leader or a nutritionists would be best. Now, when I breastfeed I never tried to lose weight and never really did either. I know sometimes you will have a harder time, that being said, it does not mean you can not track and try. The general guideline on how to set up your weight lost per week is:
    More than 75 lbs: 2 lbs/week
    40-75 lbs: 1.5 lbs/week
    15-40 lbs: 1 lb/week
    Less than 15 lbs: 0.5 lb/week
    So about 1lb a week for you, and you can either add breastfeeding into your food diary, or just after setting up your MFP goals, change the daily cals to include 500 more cals. Eat back at least 1/2 your exercise cals, if not 2/3. The calorie burns on here are higher and if you find yourself losing weight to fast, up your calories more.
  • brandiebussiere1
    brandiebussiere1 Posts: 9 Member
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    Thank you all very much!

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