Calling all Moms!

Options
lmarcia
lmarcia Posts: 27
in Introduce Yourself
Hi All!

I'm new to this site. I had been working out and using the APEX Bodybugg site, but found this site and love it...plus its free! :)

I was working out 6 days a week and then got pregnant last June and just had a baby about 2.5 months ago. I had a c-section which slowed my recovery for a bit, but I'm not cleared for exercise and ready to go! :)

Being a mom, is there any way to calculate how breastfeeding interacts with this exercise and eating routine?

Thanks, Lisa

Replies

  • b00b0084
    b00b0084 Posts: 729 Member
    Options
    I wish I had an answer for this, but I was never able to breast feed my son when he was little. I hope someone has an answer for you!
  • LotsOtots5
    LotsOtots5 Posts: 174
    Options
    I've always heard the rule of thumb is to add 500 calories on top of what you're already "supposed" to eat. That's if you're nursing full time but I suppose that if you were giving formula or solids, you could stand to eat somewhat less.
  • roxypoptart
    roxypoptart Posts: 30 Member
    Options
    if you put in breastfeeding as a food it will subract 300 cals. i think u brun more than that but its better than nothing. its what i do and it seems to work
  • sharidiane
    sharidiane Posts: 212 Member
    Options
    Hi Lisa,

    First off, congratulations! After I had my second daughter, I lost 35 lbs with weight watchers. It was crazy how my body just CRAVED carbs and fats.

    The best advice I could give you is to know your hunger signals. What does it feel like to be hungry vs bored, what foods make you feel satisfied, what foods are 'trigger' foods for you. When I first went on that weight loss journey while breast feeding, I focused only more on achieving that 'satisfied' feeling (NOT 'full' or 'stuffed') with good, healthy, clean, whole food. I logged, logged, logged, and kept to a reasonable amount of calories - gosh I think it was 2800 - in hindsight that seems like SO MUCH lol! But I didn't get really crazy about counting calories or restricting my diet until I was done bf'ing. And I still lost, even at 2800 calories, about a pound a week at first.

    You'll have to look up what the bf'ing calories are - i think you can just google it. Then, set up mfp as if you were NOT bfing, and then add them in everyday as exercise - breastfeeding - 1000 calories, or whatever you find out. That was, as you begin to wean, you can drop the cal's down by about 200 each week or so, whatever works for you.

    Good luck!
  • Airbear3
    Airbear3 Posts: 335 Member
    Options
    It's really how much total breast milk the baby takes in over the period of the day. The average mom will make about 24 to 28 ounces of breast milk a day. It takes about 500 calories to make that much milk. Some of those calories come from fat stored during the pregnancy or previously, and some come from the mother's daily nutrition.
  • beatlemom
    beatlemom Posts: 250 Member
    Options
    I breastfed my son for 18 months, and didn't lose any weight or gain. I didnt exercise either. But I did eat about 300 extra calories a day. You will probably have to tweak it a bit until the weight starts coming off. I was hungry the whole 18 months, lol
  • supertracylynn
    supertracylynn Posts: 1,338 Member
    Options
    If you are 100% breastfeeding, you burn between 800-1000 calories a day, just by making milk.

    With my 3rd child, I started eating more fruits and veggies when my husband was at work (I'm a stay-at-home-mom) and whatever he wanted for dinner. I lost a quick 20 pounds by doing this, even without exercising.

    http://www.mypyramid.gov/
    This website is VERY helpful on many levels and will help you determine what you should be eating, as a breastfeeding Momma, to maintain your weight. Subtract 300-500 calories from that to lose.

    Good luck! :)
  • jen0125
    jen0125 Posts: 53
    Options
    you burn between 300-500 calories a day with breastfeeding, so adjust accordingly. Just be careful to not lose too fast. I started to and my milk dried up. I had to rent a hospital grade pump to bring it back (plus eat more). I was reading how you should not lose more than 1.2 pounds a week max because of milk supply and because of the toxins your body releases that gets passed on through the breast milk (your fat stores toxins, for example all the pesticides you ingest, so when you lose the fat it is put back into your body and in your milk). Or so according to the research I have done, but this includes national sites like La Leche. Good luck!
  • kandyland86
    kandyland86 Posts: 34
    Options
    a friend of mine worked out while breast feeding and then the baby started eating jar food so shes breast feeding less my friend dropped so much so fast she over shot her goal weight by 10 lbs! .... hope thats of some use to you!
  • lmarcia
    lmarcia Posts: 27
    Options
    Thanks everyone! I love this site because everyone responds sooooo quickly!

    Right now the plan for losing says I need to eat around 1300 calories (which was what I was eating before I got pregnant) and I was losing the amount it said I would lose. I know this is too low now!

    I am exclusively breastfeeding and will add 400 calories per day, meaning I'll be eating somewhere between 1700-1800 a day. I gained about 50 pounds with my little guy (8lbs 4oz) and have lost about half that by 2.5 months.

    But, it's been strange because I haven't lost 1 pound in about 3 weeks....i'm stalled and need a kick start, but DON'T want to dry up! So, I just want to see what a bit of exercise and some healthier eating does. Fruits and veggies have become a staple now, so hopefully it will have a good effect on the weight loss portion.

    So I have another 25 of baby weight, plus about 10 more to be at my goal weight of 135-140.

    Thanks all! :)
  • mama_corn
    mama_corn Posts: 24
    Options
    I actually didn't change my eating habits when I breastfed my son and the weight did seem to fall of naturally. The first 3 months of bf are important because you are still establishing your milk supply so don't do anything too drastic as far as limiting your calorie intake. I ate about 300 calories over my daily intake until he started solids then I just ate my daily calorie intake. I honestly didn't loose all of my baby weight until after my son turn a year.

    I guess what I am trying to say in between all this babble is just tweek it as you go. :)

Categories