Breastfeeding Mamas! help!!

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nicoleanneforsythe1224
nicoleanneforsythe1224 Posts: 11 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I am wondering how you ladies determine you caloric deficit while breastfeeding?

From my understanding you need an extra 200-500cals per day for milk production. So my plan is to slowly reduce my calories to a deficit of 300/day. (Added 200 cals back on for milk production, so instead of 500 calorie reduction only 300)

What have you done/ what has worked for you?! I'm only 2 weeks in and I am loosing but I don't want to loose muscle mass/put my body into starvation mode and slow my metabolism. Thank you!

Replies

  • vguadalupe13
    vguadalupe13 Posts: 9 Member
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    I add in the normal 500 and I have been losing weight just fine. I eat calories in fruits, veggies and oats. Try my best to stay away from bread, rice and pasta and I'm doing Herbalife (protein shakes) I am down 35lbs in two months.
  • nicoleanneforsythe1224
    nicoleanneforsythe1224 Posts: 11 Member
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    vguadalupe13 wrote: »
    I add in the normal 500 and I have been losing weight just fine. I eat calories in fruits, veggies and oats. Try my best to stay away from bread, rice and pasta and I'm doing Herbalife (protein shakes) I am down 35lbs in two months.

    So you do you normal TDEE and are loosing weight? Im for example my TDEE is 1892 - so it's telling me to cut to 1392 per day to loose weight. So rather than do that I just stick with my TDEE of 1892 and I will still loose?

    Thanks!
  • Megarachnid
    Megarachnid Posts: 120 Member
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    You might have to play with your numbers a bit to see what works. I'm nursing a toddler still and I'm losing on around 1600 per day plus workouts, but I'm close to my goal and the loss is slow and steady :smile:
  • nicoleanneforsythe1224
    nicoleanneforsythe1224 Posts: 11 Member
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    Thanks! I was down to 1800 and nursing a 7 month old and casing a toddler! Haha that's gotta count as some form of exercise?!
  • 3dogsrunning
    3dogsrunning Posts: 27,167 Member
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    I used MFP's calorie goal and set it to maintain. I logged my exercsie and at those back to. I let the breastfeeding calories create the deficit. So 500 for BFing would give me 1 lb a week.
    Once we got to the point where he was eating solids, I changed my goal to .5 lb a week. So 300 for BFing and 250 for the .5lb a week kept me at 1 lb a week.
  • KimiAR
    KimiAR Posts: 117 Member
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    Kellmom.com says it's safe to restrict calories to between 1500-1800 cal. I find I get a bit of a supply dip if I stay to low on that for to long but around 1700 works so I shoot for that. Fourth pregnancy.

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