Logging Breastfeeding

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MLowe13
MLowe13 Posts: 23 Member
edited September 2015 in Health and Weight Loss
Is there a way to build the calories burned from breastfeeding into my budget or goals? I would like to be able to keep track of it.

I guess technically I don't need to track it but I think it would help with losing weight. I'm 4 weeks out from giving birth and have been down to my pre-pregnancy weight for 2 weeks but I have lost nothing else since then so I am back to counting calories and knowing how breastfeeding affects my calories and weightloss might help.

Replies

  • ATdreamer
    ATdreamer Posts: 8 Member
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    Breastfeeding burns an additional 300-500 calories a day according to google :) That being said, you also need to eat more calories while breastfeeding to maintain milk supply, so just be careful of cutting back too much too quickly or you could see a drop in supply. Good luck and congrats on your new baby!
  • modestguineapig
    modestguineapig Posts: 23 Member
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    I would set MFP to maintain your weight and eat that many calories. That way, with breastfeeding, you will be at a deficit. This happens naturally for a lot of moms, and they lose all their pregnancy weight nursing. As long as your baby has 6-8 wet diapers a day and is gaining weight, s/he is getting enough milk.
  • glitzy196
    glitzy196 Posts: 190 Member
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    if you are committed to breast feeding (and I hope you are!) this is not the time to cut calories. unless you are a big time over producer I guess. I noticed how much i pumped was typically related to how much i ate. I would figure out your maintenance calories, and eat up to or close to that daily, then whatever you burn from breast feeding is a bonus. I wouldn't log a deficit, and then also log the deficit burned from breast feeding.
  • bathsheba_c
    bathsheba_c Posts: 1,873 Member
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    I wouldn't recommend actively trying to lose weight while breastfeeding. Lactation does weird things to the body. Some women find the weight flies off with no effort. Others find that their bodies want to hold on to the extra fat until they wean. Maybe wait to see what your body does before you adopt a specific strategy, and just eat a balanced diet in the meantime.
  • Asher_Ethan
    Asher_Ethan Posts: 2,430 Member
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    glitzy196 wrote: »
    if you are committed to breast feeding (and I hope you are!) this is not the time to cut calories. unless you are a big time over producer I guess. I noticed how much i pumped was typically related to how much i ate. I would figure out your maintenance calories, and eat up to or close to that daily, then whatever you burn from breast feeding is a bonus. I wouldn't log a deficit, and then also log the deficit burned from breast feeding.


    This this this! I hurt my milk supply by trying to count calories while breastfeeding (I was trying to lose 2 pounds a week).
    I wish I would have known then what I know now. My advice- Don't try and lose more than .5 pounds a week, and start off with adding in BF as exercise as 500. Re evaluate in a month and if you haven't lost anything go down to 400 for BF and re evaluate the next month.

    Best of luck.

  • bendyourkneekatie
    bendyourkneekatie Posts: 696 Member
    edited September 2015
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    When I first started (my baby was 9 months old, still bf round the clock) I dropped my calories too far (1500, I figured 1200 plus 300 for breastfeeding). I felt terrible, and my milk supply dropped (Bub was not impressed). I have a good supply (it even bounced back after a disastrous bout of gastro that saw me lose 2 kg in a week), but if I didn't I can imagine that could have been the end of breastfeeding. I was very upset with myself for being so silly.

    I have been consistently losing weight on 1700, eating 50-70% of exercise, and 5 months later have dropped 11 kgs, an 5 kg below pre pregnancies weight, and we're still going with breastfeeding!

    Kellymom is a good resource

    http://kellymom.com/nutrition/mothers-diet/mom-weightloss/

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