Limiting calories while breast feeding

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kristina_m92
kristina_m92 Posts: 155 Member
in Chit-Chat
Is this okay to do still?
I thought since I am breast feeding the baby weight would come off fast( that's what everyone always says!) but it doesn't seem to be the case.

I want to get to my pre-pregnancy weight and probably a bit under but I don't want to cut calories if it will mess up my milk supply.

Also, I don't know if this is the right place to post this but I remember this forum being one of the most active!

Replies

  • jillohhh
    jillohhh Posts: 20
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    I'm breastfeeding and I limited my calories and it has definitely affected my milk, I'm pumping a lot less. So I'm going to limit them but eat an extra 300, like they suggest.
  • annastasia_82
    annastasia_82 Posts: 940 Member
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    Talk with your doctor, but eating higher protein foods and higher energy foods may help. These are the key factors that help with milk production.

    Also, try asking in the nutrition forum, there's usually some pretty knowledgeable people there.
  • alyci
    alyci Posts: 50 Member
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    It is said that breastfeeding can make your body burn an extra 300-500 calories a day. It also makes you much more hungry so you are more prone to snack or eat an extra helping. Restricting your calories can be a bit harder to calculate because there isn't simply a set number. It depends on the woman, your supply, how often you are nursing and a number of other factors. I would suggest not going under 1500 calories. If you lose more than a pound a week you may see a drop in your supply.

    Also you should talk with your doctor about it. They may advice not dieting until after your child is a certain age simply for the nutritional health of both of you.
  • hamo1987
    hamo1987 Posts: 65 Member
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    As a women with lactation training as well as an experianced nurser. (Four kids, one still nursing at age 13mos) limiting calories too much is absolutely dangerous for your supply... depending on how much weight u need to lose many women lose weight well while nursing average of one or so pounds a week but the last ten pounds can be hard as the body holds the fat stores built during pregnancy specifically for breastfeeding..... u can lower ur calories but it is advised not to go below 1800 calories.. .. in order u to prevent a drastic milk drop try lowering calories by 100 a week until u start losing but milk is unchanged, if milk changes add tha last 100 calories back... some women are not as lucky as others with breastfeeding losses... so u may find a very slow loss or u may find ur milk does not recover if u drop too low...breastfeeding is trial and error in every sense of the word!

    Best of luck mama... its anu amazing thing you are doing for your child... be proud and patient. :-)
  • Ajaxlost
    Ajaxlost Posts: 46 Member
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    I wondered this too, but I'm not too concerned about my supply dropping as my nursing baby is now 19 months. Planning on stopping soon. wonder how it will affect my weight loss.
  • heybales
    heybales Posts: 18,842 Member
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    Saw a great suggestion by 2 ladies that did it, and 2 more that started it.

    Let producing milk create your deficit. As you lose weight and nurse less and less, deficit becomes smaller as you weigh less - just the way it should be.

    Set MFP to maintenance, goal loss of none, maintain. Set activity level honestly. At this point may indeed be sitting a lot, unless you have other kids - then lightly active.

    Log your exercise that is done and correctly eat back your workouts to fuel them for better improvements.

    Then you don't have to worry about big or small nursing days, every day has a deficit of some level, but it's not extreme hopefully.

    The 2 that suggested it lost their 20-30 lbs easier than they had with prior kids they said. I didn't hear how it was going with the 2 new mom's.

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