breastfeeding and weight loss

Are you exclusively feeding? How old is your baby?

Figure out your maintenance, without accounting at all for breastfeeding. Eat that amount and breastfeeding (assumign you are exclusively breastfeeding) will make sure you lose the weight at a good rate. Do not starve yourself, there is no need to. Your main concern shoudl not be your milk supply, but how your own health will be affected, which will happen before you start noticing a drop in supply.

Just to present a slightly different view.... I used to add 500 calories for exclusive breast feeding and it made me gain so I came to the conclusion that your body can actually get quite efficient at producing breast milk. So I add 200 and that works for me but I guess everyone is different

aggelikik wrote: »

sallykift wrote: »

Just to present a slightly different view.... I used to add 500 calories for exclusive breast feeding and it made me gain so I came to the conclusion that your body can actually get quite efficient at producing breast milk. So I add 200 and that works for me but I guess everyone is different

Breastfeeding is supposed to burn 300-500 calories, and from what I recall it starts on the lower number with a young baby, and increases to about 500 as the baby gets older (close to a year or older, if I remember correctly) as long as you keep nursing on demand.

That doesn't make sense to me, sorry. I would assume calories burned is based on amount of milk produced, and the amount a baby drinks increases dramatically in the first month, stays pretty static until about six months, and then starts to decline as they eat more and more solids. The first six months would be the highest calorie burners, with it declining after that.

aggelikik wrote: »

katem999 wrote: »

aggelikik wrote: »

sallykift wrote: »

Just to present a slightly different view.... I used to add 500 calories for exclusive breast feeding and it made me gain so I came to the conclusion that your body can actually get quite efficient at producing breast milk. So I add 200 and that works for me but I guess everyone is different

Breastfeeding is supposed to burn 300-500 calories, and from what I recall it starts on the lower number with a young baby, and increases to about 500 as the baby gets older (close to a year or older, if I remember correctly) as long as you keep nursing on demand.

That doesn't make sense to me, sorry. I would assume calories burned is based on amount of milk produced, and the amount a baby drinks increases dramatically in the first month, stays pretty static until about six months, and then starts to decline as they eat more and more solids. The first six months would be the highest calorie burners, with it declining after that.

Yeah, I remember it sounded weird when I was doing my research back at the time when I had my first baby, but truth is that the amount of milk increases the first few months and then stays pretty much the same (as long as you nurse on demand, solids do not really change your milk supply or how much milk a baby or toddler gets). And consistency of breastmilk changes a lot as the baby grows older, so I am guessing your body burns more calories to adjust to the growing baby's needs? I am pretty sure that without any change in diet, I was at my all time lowest weight when nursing toddlers, and I have heard similar experiences from friends, which why I think the calories increase a lot around a year or so. Again, as long as you keep nursing on demand (not exclusively, but not refusing nursing sessions).

Hmm, well I hope you're right. My 9 month old is still feeding about 7-8 times per 24 hours, and showing no sign of slowing down. Maybe something good will come from all the broken sleep after all

You might not be losing on 1800 because your body is hanging on to the weight since you aren't eating that much. I would try adding a couple hundred calories for a few weeks rather than taking away calories.

cmje94066 wrote: »

I am exclusively breastfeeding. Thanks all for the feedback!!

I had a hell of a time losing weight when I was home on maternity leave and exclusively breast feeding my son. I tried to add the 500 calories and eat 1700 and I wouldn't lose. I tried to cut them down and my milk supply suffered (which I then struggled to bring back up again after the fact). In retrospect, these were my problems:

1.) I was far too sedentary. I was freaking exhausted. I went on the very occasional walk but I didn't move enough. If you think this might be you, buy a fitbit and link it to your Mpf and enable negative calories. It's eye opening.

2.) I wasn't accurately logging. I wasn't weighing my food and I didn't log certain snacks (like fruit or teas). I most likely was eating too much to lose weight.

3.) I expected the weight to just fall off like all of the other nursing moms. Some of us just have it rough. I think if I had been a little more patient and a little more focused (see 1 and 2) and didn't expect miracles with weight loss it would have happened.

4.) Drink massive amounts of water. Seriously, like a gallon a day.

I hope this helps you even slightly. Don't cut your calories lower than 1700-1800 minimum. Try sticking with that, logging accurately, and going on lots of walks or working out and see how that goes. Give it 4-5 weeks to see how it works. Don't cut your calories too much and hurt your milk supply and add a cranky, hungry baby to the mix!

I'm only eating 1200 and initially I did experience a huge blow in milk production, but I was also only 5 weeks or so postpartum so my milk was still regulating. I started taking fenugreek and problem solved for me. I'm more concerned about whether our bodies' "starvation modes" kick in if you only eat 1200 per day.

Try a month at 1700 and see what happens. My body was the type of body that would not loose weight until I stopped breastfeeding.

KaylaAnderson0511 wrote: »

I'm only eating 1200 and initially I did experience a huge blow in milk production, but I was also only 5 weeks or so postpartum so my milk was still regulating. I started taking fenugreek and problem solved for me. I'm more concerned about whether our bodies' "starvation modes" kick in if you only eat 1200 per day.

Starvation mode as commonly used in the weight loss world is a myth. Your body will not store more fat or hold on to fat because you eat too little. You can get malnourished though, especially if your body's resources are going to making milk as well as keeping you alive. Unless you're really short or really sedentary you could likely eat more and still lose weight.