Breast feeding mum

veronicapalsimon
veronicapalsimon Posts: 1 Member
edited November 28 in Health and Weight Loss
Hi, I've just started using myfitnesspal and I love it! I'm a breastfeeding mum. My question is how do I incorporate the calorie demand of breastfeeding into my daily calorie goal to help me lose weight without jeopardising my milk production? Thanks!

Replies

  • ClosetBayesian
    ClosetBayesian Posts: 836 Member
    Add 500 calories or so to what MFP gives you. You should be eating at least 1800 calories a day while breastfeeding.

    Keep in mind that you may not lose weight while nursing - some people just don't.
  • lynn_andress
    lynn_andress Posts: 2 Member
    edited January 2016
    I made a cardio exercise called "Breastfeeding." Right now it's set to 500 calories for 1 minute of exercise since I'm EBF. When my boy starts really getting into solids, I'll switch the calories down gradually over the months.
    That's the only way I've been able to get the app to actually add calories to my total, since I hate when it goes red even though I'm still under for what I need to eat for the day.
    I only have my weight loss set to 1/2 a pound a week since I was worried about maintaining my milk supply, but I've been consistently losing a bit more than that. Good luck!
  • Sued0nim
    Sued0nim Posts: 17,456 Member
    What stage breastfeeding? 500 is for exclusive BF ...start there and then adjust based on progress
  • Sued0nim
    Sued0nim Posts: 17,456 Member
    ClosetBayesian wrote: »
    Add 500 calories or so to what MFP gives you. You should be eating at least 1800 calories a day while breastfeeding.

    Keep in mind that you may not lose weight while nursing - some people just don't.

    You know it's not the people, it's the baby

    I dropped consistently with no effort with my son, and lost nothing with my daughter despite BF her for twice the time. It was odd because my expectation was fully oh I'm going to lose 20lbs doing this ..bodies...they weird
  • Sued0nim
    Sued0nim Posts: 17,456 Member
    I don't literally mean it's the baby...of course it's your body ..just that experience can change child to child
  • AnkeH82
    AnkeH82 Posts: 10 Member
    I'm exclusively feeding a 3 month old, I changed calorie target to 1800 ( from 1400), so far loosing approx a pound a week. Have sometimes been wondering if I'm eating enough and might increase by another 100. Supply seems ok, though my boobs rarely feel full...
  • LKArgh
    LKArgh Posts: 5,178 Member
    AnkeH82 wrote: »
    I'm exclusively feeding a 3 month old, I changed calorie target to 1800 ( from 1400), so far loosing approx a pound a week. Have sometimes been wondering if I'm eating enough and might increase by another 100. Supply seems ok, though my boobs rarely feel full...

    This is normal. The fullness you feel the first few months is because at this stage breastmilk production is affected a lot by hormones. After the first couple of months, it is basically demand based and your body adapts to what the baby needed the last few days. So you no longer feel constantly like a cow ;)
This discussion has been closed.

Categories