breastfeeding and weight loss

skullgirl84
skullgirl84 Posts: 36 Member
edited November 18 in Getting Started
This is my 2nd time around using my fitness pal I went from 250 to 205 then got pregnant shot back up to 234 :| I'm nursing my toddler still she's 18 mos. No trolling please. My question is what would be a good calories intake to start with? Anyone on the same boat with me? Thanks.

Replies

  • akirkman86
    akirkman86 Posts: 89 Member
    That's so great that you have nursed your daughter this long... nothing is better for her (and for you!) Way to go!

    As for losing weight, how often are you nursing at this point? At 18 months, she should be eating a large and varied diet and relies only a little on breastmilk to meet her nutritional needs. Maybe set your MFP to lose a pound a week and see how many calories it tells you to eat... you could add a little bit if you feel like your supply is suffering. For me ti was kind of trial and error. I worked full time so pumped a lot, and when I didn't eat enough, I noticed a definitely decrease in supply. I ended up eating about 500 extra calories a day, but that lessened as he got older. I stopped nursing right around 18 months.

    Good luck!
  • ripemango
    ripemango Posts: 534 Member
    there are sites out there that will tell you the correct amt to eat when BFing.

    I was ravenous while BFing. I know people swear they lost weight while BFing, but that wasn't the case for me. I was hungry all of the time. I mean hey, it's probably quite adaptive and makes sense that you would want a BFing mother to want to consume more calories because more calories are needed to maintain milk production.
    I started really dropping weight when DD weaned @ 16 months, my appetite wasn't so bad, and I began daily stroller walks which lil mango just loved.
  • xmichaelyx
    xmichaelyx Posts: 883 Member
    akirkman86 wrote: »
    That's so great that you have nursed your daughter this long... nothing is better for her (and for you!) Way to go!

    I know this is a religious argument for a lot of people, but the science doesn't really back up that stance.

  • try4better128
    try4better128 Posts: 61 Member
    edited May 2015
    xmichaelyx wrote: »
    akirkman86 wrote: »
    That's so great that you have nursed your daughter this long... nothing is better for her (and for you!) Way to go!

    I know this is a religious argument for a lot of people, but the science doesn't really back up that stance.

    Here's a scientific article showing a link that 90% of people who are breastfed may also have an average of a 7 point increase in IQ compared to non-breastfed (twin study).

    Summary: http://www.unicef.org.uk/BabyFriendly/News-and-Research/Research/Mental-development/New-evidence-confirms-breastfeeding-link-to-higher-IQ/

    Article: http://www.pnas.org/content/104/47/18860.full.pdf+html
  • RBXChas
    RBXChas Posts: 2,708 Member
    I nursed my younger son for a year (he turns 2 on Saturday), and I had the WORST time losing weight while nursing. I am apparently one of those unlucky few (or not so few, based on the BFing board I participated in here). I did every calculation known to man, and by all accounts I should have been losing weight even while eating more than I was, but I couldn't. For me there was a very fine line between losing weight while keeping a good supply and having my supply tank. It ended up being trial and error, and even then I realized I was stressing out about not losing, which was bad for me. I decided to just let it be and not try to lose, only maintain, until we weaned. Then once we weaned I was able to lose more steadily.

    My advice to you is trial and error. Because your daughter is 18 months old, you may be ok with a diminishing supply, but you might not be, so you have to take that into account as well.
  • SaraMoore88
    SaraMoore88 Posts: 9 Member
    I breastfed my first until he was 2 and am now starting over (I have a 6 week old). I never lost a pound with my 1st until he weened. Despite my best efforts, it's looking that way this time, too! I'm still in it for the long haul, but trying not to give into cravings like I did last time. Any other breastfeeding moms can feel free to add me!
  • PokeyBug
    PokeyBug Posts: 482 Member
    I nursed both my daughters until they started biting, at around 14 months for both, though I'd planned to do it until their 2nd birthdays. I actually was such an abundant producer of milk that I had to pump for my own comfort, so I ended up donating about 200 ounces of milk every month for the first year. I lost pretty well doing that, but my appetite didn't decrease when I stopped breastfeeding. And now you know why I'm here. :smile:

    I read somewhere that lactating requires an extra 500 calories per day, but don't quote me on that. I did find this calculator that might be of use to you: Breastfeeding Calorie Calculator]
  • victoria_1024
    victoria_1024 Posts: 915 Member
    It really depends on how much you're nursing. At 18 months old, she's not using you as a main source of food anymore so you probably won't need a ton of extra calories. I would set MFP with the goal of losing 1 pound per week. If you're nursing several times a day, I would only add an extra 200 calories or so. If you're only nursing in the morning and bedtime or something like that, I maybe wouldn't add any calories or maybe 100 if you're worried about your supply.

    I started using MFP when my 3rd child was around 1 and I ate an extra 200 calories a day and lost weight easily. Now I'm nursing my 4th baby, he's 4 months old and I eat 300-500 extra calories a day and have been losing weight easily again. Just make sure you're weighing your food and logging everything correctly.
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