Breastfeeding and weight loss
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m3m3muna
Posts: 9 Member
My LO is now 14 months so I can more seriously get on the weight loss train. I am a low milk producer so my caloric needs are a little higher than average (1800-2000) than most. I need to know what percent of carbs/protein/fats I should be consuming as a goal. My goal
Is to lose 1.5-2 lbs a week.
Is to lose 1.5-2 lbs a week.
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Replies
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You aren't going to get a setting of 2 lbs/week on MFP if your TDEE is 1800-2000 as it has a 1200 calorie floor. 1400 might be a better goal with the BF and all suggesting 1 lb/week loss.
The macro split is largely personal preference, in general higher protein diets are better for weight loss - 25 or 30 % of calories. You need essential fats and fat soluble vitamins etc so 30 or 35% from fats and oils. Carbohydrates for the balance.0 -
Calorie deficits while breastfeeding can be tricky. Your LO is 14 months, I'm guessing she comfort nurses rather than nurses for sustenance. So low milk supply shouldn't be an issue, your goal should be to not dry up, which won't happen as long as she continues to nurse.
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DjinnMarie, he actually eats and not for comfort dying the night 2-3 times. He has severe reflux so for him, he does still need the bm. He also goes to daycare where he drinks 8-10 oz of bm which is where his physician and feed team want him to be. I produce 4-6 oz a day away at work, and can pump 1-3 oz at night. So for me it's not the simple try not to fry up issue.
I changed the setting of calorie intake to 1800. Previously, when on ww I was able to lose 2-2.5 lbs a week with this setting. I would be happy to lose 1-1.5 a week, just hoping for 1.5-2lbs.0 -
Hi! I would go for a higher protein intake, normal breastfeeding moms should get around 80g/day, and when you do carbs, reach for whole grains that are known for boosting supply. (Barley, real oats etc.).0
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DjinnMarie, he actually eats and not for comfort dying the night 2-3 times. He has severe reflux so for him, he does still need the bm. He also goes to daycare where he drinks 8-10 oz of bm which is where his physician and feed team want him to be. I produce 4-6 oz a day away at work, and can pump 1-3 oz at night. So for me it's not the simple try not to fry up issue.
I changed the setting of calorie intake to 1800. Previously, when on ww I was able to lose 2-2.5 lbs a week with this setting. I would be happy to lose 1-1.5 a week, just hoping for 1.5-2lbs.
My third had severe reflux. He comfort nursed. That doesn't mean that he didn't get any milk, just that breast milk wasn't needed for his main source of sustenance. I'm guessing he is on solids, correct? A 14 month old doesn't need to wake during the night for feedings, he is doing it because nursing comforts him and eases the reflux pain. Your milk will not dry up unless you severely cut your calories. Breast milk reduction and moderate calorie reduction is more of a concern for babies who are exclusively breastfed or still receive the majority of their calories through BM, when you need to be increasing your supply. As long as your son continues to nurse, BM production *should* not be an issue.
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I am an IBCLC and for me, it is* an issue of lowering my milk. The last time I tried to cut calories I went from pumping 5-6 oz (in an 8hr period of time when away from Lo) to 1-2oz. It was hell to raise my supply again. That was when going under 2200!! Calories a day. He was 9 mos at the time and figured that since he was getting older it would be ok. The problem is again, I am a very low producer as is. I have to be very careful or my milk will actually dry up. Because of his reflux his feeding team wants him on bm until he is at least two years old. This means I must pump what milk he drinks in the day. He Also has weight issues so they have him drinking only* Breast milk when he is away and at home during meals and snacks etx. This means he drinks about 16-24oz a day of bm. As is I only produce less than 6oz in an 8 hr period when away from him.
It's actually very common for bf babies to still wake every four hours or so at night up until the time they are weaned, it's not just a comfort thing for most of those babies (although for some it does happen).
So although he gets most of his calories from food, he must have a good amount of bm in a day.DjinnMarie wrote: »DjinnMarie, he actually eats and not for comfort dying the night 2-3 times. He has severe reflux so for him, he does still need the bm. He also goes to daycare where he drinks 8-10 oz of bm which is where his physician and feed team want him to be. I produce 4-6 oz a day away at work, and can pump 1-3 oz at night. So for me it's not the simple try not to fry up issue.
I changed the setting of calorie intake to 1800. Previously, when on ww I was able to lose 2-2.5 lbs a week with this setting. I would be happy to lose 1-1.5 a week, just hoping for 1.5-2lbs.
My third had severe reflux. He comfort nursed. That doesn't mean that he didn't get any milk, just that breast milk wasn't needed for his main source of sustenance. I'm guessing he is on solids, correct? A 14 month old doesn't need to wake during the night for feedings, he is doing it because nursing comforts him and eases the reflux pain. Your milk will not dry up unless you severely cut your calories. Breast milk reduction and moderate calorie reduction is more of a concern for babies who are exclusively breastfed or still receive the majority of their calories through BM, when you need to be increasing your supply. As long as your son continues to nurse, BM production *should* not be an issue.
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My LO is now 14 months so I can more seriously get on the weight loss train. I am a low milk producer so my caloric needs are a little higher than average (1800-2000) than most. I need to know what percent of carbs/protein/fats I should be consuming as a goal. My goal
Is to lose 1.5-2 lbs a week.
I don't think anyone here can answer this question. "normal" cases based on TDEE are already based on average cases with fairly large variability. Add something as individual (and stochastic) as breastfeeding and really only a reasonable physician with good access to an accurate diary can help. Anything you get here is going to be an approximation at best.
For what is worth, my wife went from 115 to 165 pounds, and lost it all in about 16 months. While eating a chocolate bar on top her already increased diet. She's active, but hates "working out" so just walking and playing with the kids. Her doctor's advice was to eat moderately of what she felt like eating, and keep an eye on the scale. And to remember that since she decided she wanted to breastfeed exclusively, milk production took priority. This was still not perfect - her iron is low.
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My LO is now 14 months so I can more seriously get on the weight loss train. I am a low milk producer so my caloric needs are a little higher than average (1800-2000) than most. I need to know what percent of carbs/protein/fats I should be consuming as a goal. My goal
Is to lose 1.5-2 lbs a week.
I don't think anyone here can answer this question. "normal" cases based on TDEE are already based on average cases with fairly large variability. Add something as individual (and stochastic) as breastfeeding and really only a reasonable physician with good access to an accurate diary can help. Anything you get here is going to be an approximation at best.
For what is worth, my wife went from 115 to 165 pounds, and lost it all in about 16 months. While eating a chocolate bar on top her already increased diet. She's active, but hates "working out" so just walking and playing with the kids. Her doctor's advice was to eat moderately of what she felt like eating, and keep an eye on the scale. And to remember that since she decided she wanted to breastfeed exclusively, milk production took priority. This was still not perfect - her iron is low.
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Thanks0
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I am in the same boat exactly. I am still nursing my toddler and he does rely quite a bit on my milk. He has a lot of allergies and barely eats solids. I am trying to lose about 25 lbs, slowly. Right not, I eat about 1450-1500 calories a day and try to exercise 4 times a week at minimum. I eat back part of the exercise calories, especially if they are from a longer run. I started 2.5 weeks ago and saw my weight go down at first and then go up again. SO frustrating!0
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DjinnMarie wrote: »DjinnMarie, he actually eats and not for comfort dying the night 2-3 times. He has severe reflux so for him, he does still need the bm. He also goes to daycare where he drinks 8-10 oz of bm which is where his physician and feed team want him to be. I produce 4-6 oz a day away at work, and can pump 1-3 oz at night. So for me it's not the simple try not to fry up issue.
I changed the setting of calorie intake to 1800. Previously, when on ww I was able to lose 2-2.5 lbs a week with this setting. I would be happy to lose 1-1.5 a week, just hoping for 1.5-2lbs.
My third had severe reflux. He comfort nursed. That doesn't mean that he didn't get any milk, just that breast milk wasn't needed for his main source of sustenance. I'm guessing he is on solids, correct? A 14 month old doesn't need to wake during the night for feedings, he is doing it because nursing comforts him and eases the reflux pain. Your milk will not dry up unless you severely cut your calories. Breast milk reduction and moderate calorie reduction is more of a concern for babies who are exclusively breastfed or still receive the majority of their calories through BM, when you need to be increasing your supply. As long as your son continues to nurse, BM production *should* not be an issue.
Actually my toddler is 14 months and gets the majority of his calories from breastmilk. So this statement of comfort nursing can be an overstatement and not true for a good percentage of toddlers. In my case, my toddler suffers from several allergies and barely touches solids.
m3m3 I notice that I pump a lot less, but I feel like my toddler is able to get a decent amount if breastfeeding, even with my caloric reduction. I have a 1 lbs weight loss a week goal (at most), maybe you should target a slower weight loss?0 -
Thanks! And yes. My real goal
Is only one pound a week. But thought to try 1.5-2lb to see if I notice a difference or not. If I do I will change again. I just wasn't sure how many carbs I would absolutely need.0 -
II am in the same boat exactly. I am still nursing my toddler and he does rely quite a bit on my milk. He has a lot of allergies and barely eats solids. I am trying to lose about 25 lbs, slowly. Right not, I eat about 1450-1500 calories a day and try to exercise 4 times a week at minimum. I eat back part of the exercise calories, especially if they are from a longer run. I started 2.5 weeks ago and saw my weight go down at first and then go up again. SO frustrating!
it can be very frustrating! That why I'm not killing myself this time around. I'd rather be fat and feed my son vs thin and not feed him.0 -
Why don't you use MFP in a different way? Rather than trying to achieve a target based on a statistical average, work out what YOU need. Spend a few weeks eating normally, don't aim for calories or weight loss, keep an eye on your supply as you are doing, but, crucially, log everything.
After a while you'll notice how many calories you're eating & what that's doing to your weight and supply, so you can make a decision then on how many kcals to cut out. If you're aiming at a 1lb per week loss, you're looking at eating 500kcal less per day.0 -
The night nursing can help keep your supply up, so don't stop. The more you pump/nurse the more milk you'll have. Also don't forget your babe can get way more milk than a pump ever will, so let him nurse when ever he wants. ;-)
As for the calorie counting, I'm not too sure what would work. Going around nursing forums, they say nursing burns about 500 cal a day. I'm not sure where this magic number comes from. I think the last post of just paying attention to what you're eating and adjust from there would be the best place to start.
Add oatmeal to your diet for sure. It helps with milk production. Feel free to add me as a friend. Kid 1 nursed for 3yrs
Kid 2 nursed for 2yrs
Kid 3 nursing till self weans also
I'm working on eliminating as much processed foods and adding more veggies to get started.0 -
I'm nursing too. I eat oatmeal, kodiak cakes (high in protein), yogurt, etc. with 1 tbsp of ground flaxseed in it every morning. There are some other healthy foods that might help with milk supply like avocados. Supplements like flaxseed and fenugreek are supposed to help too. Good luck.0
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Thanks! I do eat oatmeal and other galactagogues. I also take a medication that helps with supply since I cannot take fenugreek.0
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Thanks! The night nursing def helps my supply! I eat oatmeal and a lot of other galactagoguesi think my biggest thing (now that I've done this diet for a few weeks) is going to be lowering my sugar intake and processed foods.The night nursing can help keep your supply up, so don't stop. The more you pump/nurse the more milk you'll have. Also don't forget your babe can get way more milk than a pump ever will, so let him nurse when ever he wants. ;-)
As for the calorie counting, I'm not too sure what would work. Going around nursing forums, they say nursing burns about 500 cal a day. I'm not sure where this magic number comes from. I think the last post of just paying attention to what you're eating and adjust from there would be the best place to start.
Add oatmeal to your diet for sure. It helps with milk production. Feel free to add me as a friend. Kid 1 nursed for 3yrs
Kid 2 nursed for 2yrs
Kid 3 nursing till self weans also
I'm working on eliminating as much processed foods and adding more veggies to get started.
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Why don't you use MFP in a different way? Rather than trying to achieve a target based on a statistical average, work out what YOU need. Spend a few weeks eating normally, don't aim for calories or weight loss, keep an eye on your supply as you are doing, but, crucially, log everything.
After a while you'll notice how many calories you're eating & what that's doing to your weight and supply, so you can make a decision then on how many kcals to cut out. If you're aiming at a 1lb per week loss, you're looking at eating 500kcal less per day.
This exactly! Thanks! I've been doing just this. And I'm eating too much sugar and processed foods I think. I'm starting with cutting sugars which is hard. I'm having a hard time fighting the sugar cravings!0
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