Breastfeeding burns calories? True?

aniamanning
aniamanning Posts: 18 Member
edited December 2024 in Health and Weight Loss
Hey! So I had my son two weeks ago, and I am breastfeeding him :) I am 23 years old 5'9 and 130 lbs. I usually exercise but I had a csection and my doc told me to wait 6 weeks to heal (and I'm not taking the risk) so how many calories is my son using up?
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Replies

  • rankinsect
    rankinsect Posts: 2,238 Member
    Well, not "burns" in the sense of exercise, but all the calories that are in that breast milk are calories that are leaving your body, so they are actually "calories out". Around 500 calories/day I believe is what I've seen.
  • 3dogsrunning
    3dogsrunning Posts: 27,167 Member
    rankinsect wrote: »
    Well, not "burns" in the sense of exercise, but all the calories that are in that breast milk are calories that are leaving your body, so they are actually "calories out". Around 500 calories/day I believe is what I've seen.

    Yes, generally the average amount is 500 for exclusive breastfeeding and around 300 once solids start being introduced.
  • aniamanning
    aniamanning Posts: 18 Member
    rankinsect wrote: »
    Well, not "burns" in the sense of exercise, but all the calories that are in that breast milk are calories that are leaving your body, so they are actually "calories out". Around 500 calories/day I believe is what I've seen.

    So if I ate 1500 calories, and he uses up 500 does that mean the calories for that day are 1000? And I would lose about a pound per week?
  • 3dogsrunning
    3dogsrunning Posts: 27,167 Member
    edited August 2016
    aniamanning wrote: »
    rankinsect wrote: »
    Well, not "burns" in the sense of exercise, but all the calories that are in that breast milk are calories that are leaving your body, so they are actually "calories out". Around 500 calories/day I believe is what I've seen.

    So if I ate 1500 calories, and he uses up 500 does that mean the calories for that day are 1000? And I would lose about a pound per week?

    @aniamanning
    I can't answer that without knowing how you got this number

    Is 1500 calories the number MFP gave you?
    If so, did you set a weight loss goal with MFP?
    If so, how much?
  • 3dogsrunning
    3dogsrunning Posts: 27,167 Member
    To add, when I was nursing I set MFP to maintain and logged exericse. I allowed the 500 calories from nursing to create my deficit for 1 lb a week. Once we added food in, I changed my weight loss goal to .5 lb a week (so 250 calorie deficit) and the other 300 from nursing kept me at around 1lb a week.
  • rankinsect
    rankinsect Posts: 2,238 Member
    edited August 2016
    aniamanning wrote: »
    rankinsect wrote: »
    Well, not "burns" in the sense of exercise, but all the calories that are in that breast milk are calories that are leaving your body, so they are actually "calories out". Around 500 calories/day I believe is what I've seen.

    So if I ate 1500 calories, and he uses up 500 does that mean the calories for that day are 1000? And I would lose about a pound per week?

    Depends entirely on what your maintenance calories are.

    Be careful not to create too high of a deficit, though, or you may not produce enough milk.
  • 3dogsrunning
    3dogsrunning Posts: 27,167 Member
    tiptoethruthetulips wrote: »
    Unless you made a typo with your weight or height, you are already on the low end of the healthy BMI (19) do you really need to be worried about weight loss right now? If you want to continue to breast feed you need to ensure you are consuming sufficient calories and nutrition to sustain not only yourself but breastfeeding as well.

    Good point. I totally missed that.
  • aniamanning
    aniamanning Posts: 18 Member
    3dogsrunning wrote: »
    aniamanning wrote: »
    rankinsect wrote: »
    Well, not "burns" in the sense of exercise, but all the calories that are in that breast milk are calories that are leaving your body, so they are actually "calories out". Around 500 calories/day I believe is what I've seen.

    So if I ate 1500 calories, and he uses up 500 does that mean the calories for that day are 1000? And I would lose about a pound per week?

    @aniamanning
    I can't answer that without knowing stats.

    Is 1500 calories the number MFP gave you?
    If so, did you set a weight loss goal with MFP?
    If so, how much?

    I got 1500 from websites saying to not go below 1500 or it will affect the supply. I set mfp to 1200 though for weight loss
  • 3dogsrunning
    3dogsrunning Posts: 27,167 Member
    aniamanning wrote: »
    3dogsrunning wrote: »
    aniamanning wrote: »
    rankinsect wrote: »
    Well, not "burns" in the sense of exercise, but all the calories that are in that breast milk are calories that are leaving your body, so they are actually "calories out". Around 500 calories/day I believe is what I've seen.

    So if I ate 1500 calories, and he uses up 500 does that mean the calories for that day are 1000? And I would lose about a pound per week?

    @aniamanning
    I can't answer that without knowing stats.

    Is 1500 calories the number MFP gave you?
    If so, did you set a weight loss goal with MFP?
    If so, how much?

    I got 1500 from websites saying to not go below 1500 or it will affect the supply. I set mfp to 1200 though for weight loss

    Why would you do that?
  • aniamanning
    aniamanning Posts: 18 Member
    3dogsrunning wrote: »
    aniamanning wrote: »
    3dogsrunning wrote: »
    aniamanning wrote: »
    rankinsect wrote: »
    Well, not "burns" in the sense of exercise, but all the calories that are in that breast milk are calories that are leaving your body, so they are actually "calories out". Around 500 calories/day I believe is what I've seen.

    So if I ate 1500 calories, and he uses up 500 does that mean the calories for that day are 1000? And I would lose about a pound per week?

    @aniamanning
    I can't answer that without knowing stats.

    Is 1500 calories the number MFP gave you?
    If so, did you set a weight loss goal with MFP?
    If so, how much?

    I got 1500 from websites saying to not go below 1500 or it will affect the supply. I set mfp to 1200 though for weight loss

    Why would you do that?

    Lol what do you mean
  • aniamanning
    aniamanning Posts: 18 Member
    tiptoethruthetulips wrote: »
    Unless you made a typo with your weight or height, you are already on the low end of the healthy BMI (19) do you really need to be worried about weight loss right now? If you want to continue to breast feed you need to ensure you are consuming sufficient calories and nutrition to sustain not only yourself but breastfeeding as well.

    I'm not sure how much to consume
  • 3dogsrunning
    3dogsrunning Posts: 27,167 Member
    edited August 2016
    aniamanning wrote: »
    3dogsrunning wrote: »
    aniamanning wrote: »
    3dogsrunning wrote: »
    aniamanning wrote: »
    rankinsect wrote: »
    Well, not "burns" in the sense of exercise, but all the calories that are in that breast milk are calories that are leaving your body, so they are actually "calories out". Around 500 calories/day I believe is what I've seen.

    So if I ate 1500 calories, and he uses up 500 does that mean the calories for that day are 1000? And I would lose about a pound per week?

    @aniamanning
    I can't answer that without knowing stats.

    Is 1500 calories the number MFP gave you?
    If so, did you set a weight loss goal with MFP?
    If so, how much?

    I got 1500 from websites saying to not go below 1500 or it will affect the supply. I set mfp to 1200 though for weight loss

    Why would you do that?

    Lol what do you mean

    You read that you should not go below 1500 or risk affecting supply (which is a legit point), then set you goal below 1500. Why?
  • aniamanning
    aniamanning Posts: 18 Member
    Ps does weight matter? Like 150lb vs 130 lb women who nurse both produce 500 calories of milk?
  • 3dogsrunning
    3dogsrunning Posts: 27,167 Member
    aniamanning wrote: »
    Ps does weight matter? Like 150lb vs 130 lb women who nurse both produce 500 calories of milk?

    Yes. Assuming you are producing enough to feed the baby without having to supplement, you are producing roughly the same amount which requires the same amount of energy. There are always variables but your weight isn't one of the factors.
  • jenilla1
    jenilla1 Posts: 11,118 Member
    aniamanning wrote: »
    Ps does weight matter? Like 150lb vs 130 lb women who nurse both produce 500 calories of milk?

    So are you currently 150 with a goal of 130, or are you 130 now? 130 is already on the low end for your height. And as a new nursing mom, you don't want your BMI to drop so low that your body stops producing milk. Plus, you need proper nutrition to heal in these first several weeks. I'd say you need to talk to your doctor about your diet plans ASAP to make sure you're on the right track health-wise. :)
  • aniamanning
    aniamanning Posts: 18 Member
    jenilla1 wrote: »
    aniamanning wrote: »
    Ps does weight matter? Like 150lb vs 130 lb women who nurse both produce 500 calories of milk?

    So are you currently 150 with a goal of 130, or are you 130 now? 130 is already on the low end for your height. And as a new nursing mom, you don't want your BMI to drop so low that your body stops producing milk. Plus, you need proper nutrition to heal in these first several weeks. I'd say you need to talk to your doctor about your diet plans ASAP to make sure you're on the right track health-wise. :)

    I'm 130 now, and I just want my son and I to be healthy
  • aniamanning
    aniamanning Posts: 18 Member
    Would eating 1500 contribute to weight loss even if I didn't breast feed?
  • Bearbo27
    Bearbo27 Posts: 339 Member
    I would recommend not creating too big of a deficit. You are only 2 weeks post partum... Let your body heal and get established with breastfeeding, then slowly create a deficit. Your priority right now needs to be to heal from your c-section and make milk.
  • jenilla1
    jenilla1 Posts: 11,118 Member
    aniamanning wrote: »
    jenilla1 wrote: »
    aniamanning wrote: »
    Ps does weight matter? Like 150lb vs 130 lb women who nurse both produce 500 calories of milk?

    So are you currently 150 with a goal of 130, or are you 130 now? 130 is already on the low end for your height. And as a new nursing mom, you don't want your BMI to drop so low that your body stops producing milk. Plus, you need proper nutrition to heal in these first several weeks. I'd say you need to talk to your doctor about your diet plans ASAP to make sure you're on the right track health-wise. :)

    I'm 130 now, and I just want my son and I to be healthy

    Your doctor knows you better than we do! Give him/her a call. <3
  • KimiAR
    KimiAR Posts: 117 Member
    Kellymom says a nursing mother may restrict calories to between 1500-1800calories. The website has a lot of very good info on nursing. I would recommend it. I have found I have issues w supply if I am below 1500 more than two days in a row and when I exercise I need to stay between 17-1800 or I get dips there too. FWIW, I am currently nursing baby's 3 and 4.
  • Purplebunnysarah
    Purplebunnysarah Posts: 3,252 Member
    I found while nursing if I went below 2000 calories a day my supply tanked. Up until my son started solids I could eat 2500 calories a day and lose over 1 lb/week as long as I was active. (My issue is that I sometimes ate more than that and wasn't active lol.)
  • kflanrye
    kflanrye Posts: 16 Member
    tiptoethruthetulips wrote: »
    Unless you made a typo with your weight or height, you are already on the low end of the healthy BMI (19) do you really need to be worried about weight loss right now? If you want to continue to breast feed you need to ensure you are consuming sufficient calories and nutrition to sustain not only yourself but breastfeeding as well.

    Totally agree here! When I had my son, I didn't even need to track cuz I couldn't eat enough. I remember days where I had to carry snacks for myself because my blood sugar would drop so fast during and after feeding. Silly as it sounds, often I was eating while breastfeeding. I lost an amazing amount of weight without trying by around 6mo-8mo way below pre-birth weight. It's when they start eating solids as well that you really should start watching because the weight can come on fast.

  • SusanMFindlay
    SusanMFindlay Posts: 1,804 Member
    Yes, breastfeeding "burns" calories. While I had issues with both, I was able to partially breastfeed my first son. My second son would not breastfeed. It has been much much harder to lose weight after the second pregnancy. I am back to calorie counting because it's the only thing that has ever worked for me.
    At 5'9, if you want breastfeeding to go well, you should certainly be eating in the 2000 calorie range not the 1500 calorie range. After all, eating 2000 calories but "losing" 500 of them in the breast milk is the equivalent of eating 1500 calories if you weren't breast feeding.
    Also, I can say from experience that post-C-section, you retain a pile of water for a few weeks of recovery. Do NOT freak out about your weight while recovering. Don't even stand on a scale until you're fully recovered. You will pee out 5-10 pounds a couple of weeks after the birth, so why bother yourself with the scale before that happens?
  • SeptemberFeyre
    SeptemberFeyre Posts: 178 Member
    edited August 2016
    Be careful to eat enough so you don't affect your milk supply. I breastfed both my babies for just over a year each and didn't have any weightloss naturally until closer to a year with my second one :neutral: I wasn't trying to diet then, it just happened because I had moved into a new house and was busy with the kiddos.
  • aniamanning
    aniamanning Posts: 18 Member
    SusanMFindlay wrote: »
    Yes, breastfeeding "burns" calories. While I had issues with both, I was able to partially breastfeed my first son. My second son would not breastfeed. It has been much much harder to lose weight after the second pregnancy. I am back to calorie counting because it's the only thing that has ever worked for me.
    At 5'9, if you want breastfeeding to go well, you should certainly be eating in the 2000 calorie range not the 1500 calorie range. After all, eating 2000 calories but "losing" 500 of them in the breast milk is the equivalent of eating 1500 calories if you weren't breast feeding.
    Also, I can say from experience that post-C-section, you retain a pile of water for a few weeks of recovery. Do NOT freak out about your weight while recovering. Don't even stand on a scale until you're fully recovered. You will pee out 5-10 pounds a couple of weeks after the birth, so why bother yourself with the scale before that happens?

    My son is 2 weeks old so I may still have water retention or would u say It should be gone by now?
  • Golbat
    Golbat Posts: 276 Member
    You're still retaining water for like 6 weeks after birth. You need to not worry about weight loss for a while. But yes, exclusive breastfeeding burns about 500 calories a day. I would say that means you should make sure you eat enough that you can make enough milk. At 2 weeks postpartum, your supply isn't established yet.
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