Gaining Weight During Pregnancy and Losing It Postpartum
Ninkyou
Posts: 6,666 Member
Gaining Weight During Pregnancy and Losing it Postpartum
I see these questions pop up all the time on MFP. To my knowledge, there isn't a solid thread that thoroughly goes through all of this, and MFP has no official Pregnancy or Breastfeeding setting. Having been through the experience myself, I've decided to create this thread in hopes that it helps out a few mothers and mother-to-be. If anyone has anything to add to this, or add their own experiences, feel free to chime in. Please remember, that this is a rough guide. Always, before doing anything, please consult with your doctor and/or OBGYN.
Pregnancy
Congrats, you're pregnant! Hormones are flowing and a gamut of emotions is pulling you in all directions. You want a healthy pregnancy, but don't want to gain 60 lbs, have an 8 lb baby, and be left with 42 lbs to lose afterward. So how do you maintain a healthy pregnancy weight gain? First, the old adage "eating for two" needs to be thrown out the window. That's bunk. However, you do need extra calories to grow your little bundle of joy. So how much extra and over what kind of time frame are we talking?
According to the Manual of Nutritional Therapeutics, BMR increases by 5% in the first trimester, 10% in the second trimester, and 25% in the third. However, because of the powers that be, activity during the first trimester drops 2-6% (can you say, exhaustion????!!!). Therefore:
First Trimester: No extra calories are to be added to your TDEE (Total Daily Energy Expenditure, aka, the calories you need to maintain your current weight)
Second Trimester: Add 350 calories to your TDEE
Third Trimester: Add 450 calories to your TDEE
To add your new calorie goal, First, you need to know what your maintenance calories are. You can either do this through MFP's guided setup (maintain) or you can use an online TDEE calculator, such as https://tdeecalculator.net/
Now that you know your TDEE, you can add your additional calories. On the website, go to "My Home" > Goals > Daily Nutrition Goals > Edit > Calories, then enter your new calorie number.
Alternatively, you can use this free 'Pregnancy Calorie Calculator' to calculate each trimester's calorie needs (with your exercise already included) and customize your goal to that.
So how much weight should you gain total?
Based on BMI (and a singleton pregnancy), if you are:
Therefore, you should expect to gain 1 to 4 pounds total in the first 3 months and 2 to 4 pounds each month from 4 months until delivery. It's important to note the just as weight loss isn't linear, neither is pregnancy weight gain. During your pregnancy, you may experience sudden (large) weight gains. Usually, it's a couple of things, such as hormones, growth spurt, milk production, maternal fat storage, increased blood supply, etc. When all is said and done, you're looking at:
Also note, that it is dangerous to lose weight during pregnancy. If you are looking to lose weight while pregnant, always, ALWAYS, ALWAYS!!!!! consult with your doctor first. Do not attempt to do it on your own, or without your doctor's supervision. There are too many things involved to attempt it on our own and without medical supervision. Remember, pregnancy is not just about you, it's about your baby too. You can always lose weight after the baby's arrival.
Please keep in mind too that some women retain more fluid than others. If you're gaining too much weight, or your doctor suspects Pre-Eclampsia, your doctor will let you know. You'll also be tested for gestational diabetes, so prepare yourself for pure liquid glucose! Fun times, that. If you are diagnosed with GD, your doctor should refer you to a GD nutritionist/dietician to help you get your numbers and diet under control.
Lastly, I want to say: Relax. Weight gain happens. Don't stress yourself out too much about the scale going up. Believe me, when I say, it's going to drive you crazy. I tried not to stress out from my own pregnancy, having gone from losing 57 lbs, to suddenly gaining. It was a pure mental battle for me. And now after all has been said and done, I really should have just let it be. I freaked out way too much about the large gains and in retrospect, I wish I had given myself more of a 'mental break' from it.
Losing Weight Postpartum/Breastfeeding
I see new mothers every single day wanting to lose weight after having a baby. Let's face it, you want your body back. However, between the stresses of having a newborn, feeling like you're starving, and just trying to get a shower in, it's hard to face the mountain that is weight loss and climb it. Fortunately for you, you have this neat tool, called BOOBIES! Haha.
One of the greatest things about breastfeeding is that it burns calories. And lots of them. It's important though to eat an appropriate amount of calories to make up both weight loss and sustain milk supply. So how do you figure out your calorie needs while breastfeeding and how much is safe to lose without your supply suffering?
Well, as far as I can tell, there are four ways to skin this cat:
LLL (La Leche League) recommends a minimum of 1800 calories a day, and you should not go below 1500 calories (unless the odd day out, sick, etc).
https://www.llli.org/breastfeeding-info/
You can customize your MFP goal to 1800+ calories, add your exercise calories in, and voila, your breastfeeding is accounted for. This total, however, does not account for your age, height, weight, etc. So make sure you're eating appropriately. If you are tall or are overweight, for example, expect to eat alot more. For reference (I'll use myself), I'm 5'2 and 152 lbs (AKA, still overweight). I have my calorie goal set to 2000 calories. I'm losing weight steadily. So before going to the bare minimum, try a higher goal (say 2200, for example) and then tweak it from there based on your results and your milk supply.
A 2005 Research Article states that an exclusively breastfeeding mother burns 454 calories (based on 749g of milk, approx 26.4 oz) per day.
https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/public-health-nutrition/article/energy-requirements-during-pregnancy-and-lactation/BAD009E9B4B9C4EF1E70DE2F298E83AE
This means, that for every ounce of milk you produce, you are burning approx 17 calories. For those mommies who like to log by the amount of milk they produce, you can either "Quick Add" your negative calories (put in negative servings, like -454 for the 26.4 oz as an example. Your actual production would vary), or if you want to round up, there are entries in the food database for 1oz= -20 calories. It's really up to you which you choose and/or how accurate you care to be.
For those of you less mathematically inclined, in the past, the previous general rule of thumb was, to add 500 calories (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21349230/#article-details) if you are exclusively breastfeeding (0 through 5 months), and 300 if your baby is partially on solids (6 months+). You can either add this in a customized goal or add it daily in your food log under breastfeeding (there are several options).
And lastly, for fans of TDEE calculators, you can simply use this free
Breastfeeding Calorie Calculator and customize your goal with that number.
So now that you can figure out how many calories to eat (with a slight deficit), how much is safe to lose while breastfeeding?
First, you should wait until you are 8 weeks post-partum and have the go-ahead from your OB. It's important to let yourself heal from the birthing process before putting your body under the stress of weight loss. You also need to establish your milk supply. I know it's hard to wait and you want your body back, but you need to exercise patience and a basic understanding of "your body just went through some major stuff, so be kind to it!".
Secondly, it's recommended to lose about 1-1.1 lbs per week (4-4.4 lbs/month), safely. Without doctor supervision, you should not aim to lose more.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10675424/?dopt=Abstract#article-details
I also want to note, I've seen many women state that they were unable to lose weight while breastfeeding and didn't begin to lose until they weaned. I don't know the science behind that, or whether it's hormonal or what have you. So if your loss is slow or non-existent, please keep this in mind. Sometimes I feel like pregnancy and post-partum is a giant wormhole for weight. Nothing ever makes sense, haha!
So that's the basics. I may be missing something, or maybe missing some good research links, but that's the gist. If anyone has anything to add, go for it.
For those interested, I began losing weight in June 2013. I lost 57 lbs and then got pregnant May 2014. I continued to log, and exercised about 3x a week (swimming) for most of my pregnancy. I gained 24.6 lbs (within my recommended amount according to BMI). My daughter was born January 15, 2015. She was 7 lbs. I slowly but steadily began losing my pregnancy weight. At 17 weeks post-partum (4 months), I've lost all of it, and have continued on to work on my ultimate goal and am under my pre-pregnancy weight.
I sincerely hope this helps others out there!
Other threads of note, that I think are helpful during this process:
https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1161603/so-you-want-a-nice-stomach
https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1080242/a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants
Lastly, I will impart upon you:
Fit, Fabulous & Pregnant! Group
Post-Partum Pack Group
I see these questions pop up all the time on MFP. To my knowledge, there isn't a solid thread that thoroughly goes through all of this, and MFP has no official Pregnancy or Breastfeeding setting. Having been through the experience myself, I've decided to create this thread in hopes that it helps out a few mothers and mother-to-be. If anyone has anything to add to this, or add their own experiences, feel free to chime in. Please remember, that this is a rough guide. Always, before doing anything, please consult with your doctor and/or OBGYN.
Pregnancy
Congrats, you're pregnant! Hormones are flowing and a gamut of emotions is pulling you in all directions. You want a healthy pregnancy, but don't want to gain 60 lbs, have an 8 lb baby, and be left with 42 lbs to lose afterward. So how do you maintain a healthy pregnancy weight gain? First, the old adage "eating for two" needs to be thrown out the window. That's bunk. However, you do need extra calories to grow your little bundle of joy. So how much extra and over what kind of time frame are we talking?
According to the Manual of Nutritional Therapeutics, BMR increases by 5% in the first trimester, 10% in the second trimester, and 25% in the third. However, because of the powers that be, activity during the first trimester drops 2-6% (can you say, exhaustion????!!!). Therefore:
First Trimester: No extra calories are to be added to your TDEE (Total Daily Energy Expenditure, aka, the calories you need to maintain your current weight)
Second Trimester: Add 350 calories to your TDEE
Third Trimester: Add 450 calories to your TDEE
To add your new calorie goal, First, you need to know what your maintenance calories are. You can either do this through MFP's guided setup (maintain) or you can use an online TDEE calculator, such as https://tdeecalculator.net/
Now that you know your TDEE, you can add your additional calories. On the website, go to "My Home" > Goals > Daily Nutrition Goals > Edit > Calories, then enter your new calorie number.
Alternatively, you can use this free 'Pregnancy Calorie Calculator' to calculate each trimester's calorie needs (with your exercise already included) and customize your goal to that.
So how much weight should you gain total?
Based on BMI (and a singleton pregnancy), if you are:
- Underweight (BMI* less than 18.5) - 28 to 40 pounds
- Normal weight (BMI of 18.5 to 24.9) - 25 to 35 pounds
- Overweight (BMI of 25 to 29.9) - 15 to 25 pounds
- Obese (BMI of 30+) - 11 to 20 pounds
Therefore, you should expect to gain 1 to 4 pounds total in the first 3 months and 2 to 4 pounds each month from 4 months until delivery. It's important to note the just as weight loss isn't linear, neither is pregnancy weight gain. During your pregnancy, you may experience sudden (large) weight gains. Usually, it's a couple of things, such as hormones, growth spurt, milk production, maternal fat storage, increased blood supply, etc. When all is said and done, you're looking at:
- Baby: 7 to 8 pounds
- Larger breasts: 2 pounds
- Larger uterus: 2 pounds
- Placenta: 1 1/2 pounds
- Amniotic fluid: 2 pounds
- Increased blood volume: 3 to 4 pounds
- Increased fluid volume: 3 to 4 pounds
- Fat stores: 6 to 8 pounds
Also note, that it is dangerous to lose weight during pregnancy. If you are looking to lose weight while pregnant, always, ALWAYS, ALWAYS!!!!! consult with your doctor first. Do not attempt to do it on your own, or without your doctor's supervision. There are too many things involved to attempt it on our own and without medical supervision. Remember, pregnancy is not just about you, it's about your baby too. You can always lose weight after the baby's arrival.
Please keep in mind too that some women retain more fluid than others. If you're gaining too much weight, or your doctor suspects Pre-Eclampsia, your doctor will let you know. You'll also be tested for gestational diabetes, so prepare yourself for pure liquid glucose! Fun times, that. If you are diagnosed with GD, your doctor should refer you to a GD nutritionist/dietician to help you get your numbers and diet under control.
Lastly, I want to say: Relax. Weight gain happens. Don't stress yourself out too much about the scale going up. Believe me, when I say, it's going to drive you crazy. I tried not to stress out from my own pregnancy, having gone from losing 57 lbs, to suddenly gaining. It was a pure mental battle for me. And now after all has been said and done, I really should have just let it be. I freaked out way too much about the large gains and in retrospect, I wish I had given myself more of a 'mental break' from it.
Losing Weight Postpartum/Breastfeeding
I see new mothers every single day wanting to lose weight after having a baby. Let's face it, you want your body back. However, between the stresses of having a newborn, feeling like you're starving, and just trying to get a shower in, it's hard to face the mountain that is weight loss and climb it. Fortunately for you, you have this neat tool, called BOOBIES! Haha.
One of the greatest things about breastfeeding is that it burns calories. And lots of them. It's important though to eat an appropriate amount of calories to make up both weight loss and sustain milk supply. So how do you figure out your calorie needs while breastfeeding and how much is safe to lose without your supply suffering?
Well, as far as I can tell, there are four ways to skin this cat:
LLL (La Leche League) recommends a minimum of 1800 calories a day, and you should not go below 1500 calories (unless the odd day out, sick, etc).
https://www.llli.org/breastfeeding-info/
You can customize your MFP goal to 1800+ calories, add your exercise calories in, and voila, your breastfeeding is accounted for. This total, however, does not account for your age, height, weight, etc. So make sure you're eating appropriately. If you are tall or are overweight, for example, expect to eat alot more. For reference (I'll use myself), I'm 5'2 and 152 lbs (AKA, still overweight). I have my calorie goal set to 2000 calories. I'm losing weight steadily. So before going to the bare minimum, try a higher goal (say 2200, for example) and then tweak it from there based on your results and your milk supply.
A 2005 Research Article states that an exclusively breastfeeding mother burns 454 calories (based on 749g of milk, approx 26.4 oz) per day.
https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/public-health-nutrition/article/energy-requirements-during-pregnancy-and-lactation/BAD009E9B4B9C4EF1E70DE2F298E83AE
This means, that for every ounce of milk you produce, you are burning approx 17 calories. For those mommies who like to log by the amount of milk they produce, you can either "Quick Add" your negative calories (put in negative servings, like -454 for the 26.4 oz as an example. Your actual production would vary), or if you want to round up, there are entries in the food database for 1oz= -20 calories. It's really up to you which you choose and/or how accurate you care to be.
For those of you less mathematically inclined, in the past, the previous general rule of thumb was, to add 500 calories (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21349230/#article-details) if you are exclusively breastfeeding (0 through 5 months), and 300 if your baby is partially on solids (6 months+). You can either add this in a customized goal or add it daily in your food log under breastfeeding (there are several options).
And lastly, for fans of TDEE calculators, you can simply use this free
Breastfeeding Calorie Calculator and customize your goal with that number.
So now that you can figure out how many calories to eat (with a slight deficit), how much is safe to lose while breastfeeding?
First, you should wait until you are 8 weeks post-partum and have the go-ahead from your OB. It's important to let yourself heal from the birthing process before putting your body under the stress of weight loss. You also need to establish your milk supply. I know it's hard to wait and you want your body back, but you need to exercise patience and a basic understanding of "your body just went through some major stuff, so be kind to it!".
Secondly, it's recommended to lose about 1-1.1 lbs per week (4-4.4 lbs/month), safely. Without doctor supervision, you should not aim to lose more.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10675424/?dopt=Abstract#article-details
I also want to note, I've seen many women state that they were unable to lose weight while breastfeeding and didn't begin to lose until they weaned. I don't know the science behind that, or whether it's hormonal or what have you. So if your loss is slow or non-existent, please keep this in mind. Sometimes I feel like pregnancy and post-partum is a giant wormhole for weight. Nothing ever makes sense, haha!
So that's the basics. I may be missing something, or maybe missing some good research links, but that's the gist. If anyone has anything to add, go for it.
For those interested, I began losing weight in June 2013. I lost 57 lbs and then got pregnant May 2014. I continued to log, and exercised about 3x a week (swimming) for most of my pregnancy. I gained 24.6 lbs (within my recommended amount according to BMI). My daughter was born January 15, 2015. She was 7 lbs. I slowly but steadily began losing my pregnancy weight. At 17 weeks post-partum (4 months), I've lost all of it, and have continued on to work on my ultimate goal and am under my pre-pregnancy weight.
I sincerely hope this helps others out there!
Other threads of note, that I think are helpful during this process:
https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1161603/so-you-want-a-nice-stomach
https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1080242/a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants
Lastly, I will impart upon you:
Fit, Fabulous & Pregnant! Group
Post-Partum Pack Group
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Replies
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+1
Very well stated @Ninkyou.
I just want to add that, not only is every woman different (duh), but every pregnancy is different. Since being on MFP I've had 2 babies. The first one, I started at about 145 (at 5' tall, so overweight), was very active, only gained 17 lbs (with doctor's approval), and got back to pre-pregnancy weight in about 4-6 months, then lost another 15 after weaning at 18 months. The second one, I started at about 130 and gained almost 35, and could not be active at all for various reasons. At 7 months post partum I'm still at 150. So the advice Ninkyou gave to accept it all as a big black hole is actually very good
The most important thing overall (Nink stated this as well) is to remember that you are taking care of more than just you. Try to focus on a healthy, well-rounded diet. But then accept that you may gain more than you want to, you may or may not be able to keep up your activity, and your body may jump back quickly after but it may take longer. As long as your baby is healthy, and your OB or midwife is not concerned, you should go with it.
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Love this thank you! I have gained massively 60lb and I am struggling with it mentally. I still have 3 weeks to go
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I'm one of those who hasn't lost a single pound while breastfeeding. It has been 4 months and I'm getting really frustrated trying to figure out how to begin the weight-loss process without disrupting my milk supply. I have to say I'm pretty jealous of the women who just lose weight while breastfeeding and I have no idea why I'm not. I've just read a lucky few of us don't.8
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Thank you for this!1
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I just want to chime in that each baby is different and some women hold onto weight while nursing.
The most I gained in any pregnancy was 27 pounds. With my first and second, I lost all but 5 lbs and that 5 came off after they weaned. With my third, I lost 22 of 27 pounds, then mysteriously gained 8 pounds in two days right around 5 weeks postpartum. No joke. Then it never went down. So... while you are nursing exclusively, you may hold onto a few extra pounds. I did with all 3 of my kids. There are hormonal changes that take place post- partum that could cause you to hold onto a little weight while nursing. Some women drop like mad while eating 2500+ calories a day and some hold onto some, like me. But I also have hypothyroid and PCOS, so maybe that's why my body does this? (though supposedly according to bloodwork, my thyroid levels are at an "acceptable" range and I haven't had to change dosing of thyroid meds).2 -
This is such a great thread, thank you for putting this together!1
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Love this thread!0
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During my pregnancy I gained slightly more than I should have. I started out at 5"5 and 135lbs and was 178 when I delivered my almost 9lbs baby boy. About a week after giving birth I weighed myself because I was curious to see how much came off, I was 155lbs. At that point I had no idea how many calories I needed to account for breastfeeding exclusively so I was eating around maintenance which is around 1600 cal. I have not felt as though I am starving and when I'm hungry I eat, I have not logged everything because with a 7 week old who has the time lol. This is clearly not enough as I am now 7 weeks postpartum and only 4.5lbs away from my pre-pregnancy weight meaning I have lost an additional 16lbs in the last 5.5 weeks. My little one is gaining weight perfectly according to the Dr. so I'm not concerned about milk supply I am however concerned I'm going to start wasting away and dip below my pre-pregnancy weight. With the rapid weight loss I started to log a minimum of 1750cal and then have a few snacks here and there approx. 100- 200 cal. that aren't logged so I know I am eating more than my diary says. I continued to lose doing this so I have increased my calories to logging 1900 and the additional snacks if needed to see how that works out. I have been eating around 1600 for the last 2ish years aside from the last half of pregnancy so all these extra calories are new to me and finding my maintenance is proving to be more difficult than I had anticipated.1
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@sw6709 -your post sounds similar to my situ right now! I am 5'5; was 128 pre-preggo & got up to 163 (gained 35lbs) with my 8lb baby girl. I kept eating around my 1700 calorie goal afterwards during the first week & a half of breastfeeding and felt like I was withering away. My legs and butt muscles basically disappeared! Lol so far I have already dropped to 135lbs. I've since increased my calories to 2000 & like you have an extra snack here and there which I know puts me over. Anyway, it's crazy though because even though I drink lots of water I still feel like I'm hungry 24/7!! Argh. I'm just so ready to begin working out again...and it's only been almost 3weeks postpartum!0
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@mendaj - it's crazy even after increasing my calories to over 2000 I have lost another 1.6lbs in 4 days. Which means if I use the "3500 calories = one pound" I would have needed an additional 1400 each day! That's over 3000 calories.and that's with no exercise!! Who eats this much!? I'm going to the Dr on Tuesday for a checkup so I'm going to ask about the rapid loss and see what he thinks.1
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Gaining weight during Pregnancy and Losing it post-partum
I see these questions pop up all the time on MFP. To my knowledge, there isn't a solid thread that thoroughly goes through all of this, and MFP has no official Pregnancy or Breastfeeding setting. Having been through the experience myself, I've decided to create this thread in hopes that it helps out a few mothers and mother-to-be. If anyone has anything to add to this, or add their own experiences, feel free to chime in. Please remember, this is a rough guide. Always, before doing anything, please consult with your doctor and/or OBGYN.
Pregnancy
Congrats, you're pregnant! Hormones are flowing and a gamut of emotions is pulling you in all directions. You want a healthy pregnancy, but don't want to gain 60 lbs, have an 8 lb baby and be left with 42 lbs to lose afterwards. So how do you maintain a healthy pregnancy weight gain? First, the old addage "eating for two" needs to be thrown out the window. That's bunk. However, you do need extra calories to grow your little bundle of joy. So how much extra and over what kind of time frame are we talking?
According to the Manual of Nutritional Therapeutics, BMR increases 5% in the first trimester, 10% in the second trimester and 25% in the third. However, because of the powers that be, activity during the first trimester drops 2-6% (can you say, exhaustion????!!!). Therefor:
First Trimester: No extra calories are to be added to your TDEE (Total Daily Energy Expenditure, aka, the calories you need to maintain your current weight)
Second Trimester: Add 350 calories to your TDEE
Third Trimester: Add 450 calories to your TDEE
To add your new calorie goal, First you need to know what your maintenance calories are. You can either do this through MFP's guided setup (maintain) or you can use an online TDEE calculator, such as http://scoobysworkshop.com/accurate-calorie-calculator/.
Now that you know your TDEE, you can add your additional calories. Go to "My Home" > Daily Nutrition Goals (EDIT) > Calories > Enter your new number
Alternatively, you can use http://www.freedieting.com/tools/pregnancy_calorie_calculator.htm to calculate each trimester's calorie needs (with your exercise already included) and customize your goal to that.
So how much weight should you gain total?
Based on BMI (and a singleton pregnancy), if you are:
underweight (BMI* less than 18.5) - 28 to 40 pounds
normal weight (BMI of 18.5 to 24.9) - 25 to 35 pounds
overweight (BMI of 25 to 29.9) - 15 to 25 pounds
obese (BMI of 30+) - 11 to 20 pounds
Therefor, you should expect to gain 1 to 4 pounds total in the first 3 months and 2 to 4 pounds each month from 4 months until delivery. It's important to note the just as weight loss isn't linear, neither is pregnancy weight gain. During your pregnancy, you may experience sudden (large) weight gains. Usually it's a couple of things, such as hormones, growth spurt, milk production, maternal fat storage, increased blood supply, etc. When all is said and done, you're looking at:
Baby: 7 to 8 pounds
Larger breasts: 2 pounds
Larger uterus: 2 pounds
Placenta: 1 1/2 pounds
Amniotic fluid: 2 pounds
Increased blood volume: 3 to 4 pounds
Increased fluid volume: 3 to 4 pounds
Fat stores: 6 to 8 pounds
Also note, it is dangerous to lose weight during pregnancy. If you are looking to lose weight while pregnant, always, ALWAYS, ALWAYS!!!!! consult with your doctor first. Do not attempt to do it on your own, or without your doctor's supervision. There are too many things involved to attempt it on our own and without medical supervision. Remember, pregnancy is not just about you, it's about your baby too. You can always lose weight after baby's arrival.
Please keep in mind too that some women retain more fluid than others. If you're gaining too much weight, or your doctor suspects Pre-Eclampsia, your doctor will let you know. You'll also be tested for gestational diabetes, so prepare yourself for pure liquid glucose! Fun times, that. If you are diagnosed with GD, your doctor should refer you to a GD nutritionist/dietician to help you get your numbers and diet under control.
Lastly, I want to say: Relax. Weight gain happens. Don't stress yourself out too much about the scale going up. Believe me when I say, it's going to drive you crazy. I tried not to stress out from my own pregnancy, having gone from losing 57 lbs, to suddenly gaining. It was a pure mental battle for me. And now after all has been said and done, I really should have just let it be. I freaked out way too much about the large gains and in retrospect, I wish I had given myself more of a 'mental break' from it.
Losing weight Post-partum/Breastfeeding
I see new mothers every single day wanting to lose weight after having a baby. Let's face it, you want your body back. However, between the stresses of having a newborn, feeling like you're starving, and just trying to get a shower in, it's hard to face the mountain that is weight loss and climb it. Fortunately for you, you have this neat tool, called BOOBIES! Haha.
One of the greatest things about breastfeeding, is that it burns calories. And lots of them. It's important though to eat an appropriate amount of calories to make up both weight loss and sustain milk supply. So how do you figure out your calorie needs while breastfeeding and how much is safe to lose without your supply suffering?
Well, as far as I can tell, there are four ways to skin this cat:
LLL (La Leche League) recommends a minimum of 1800 calories a day, and you should not go below 1500 calories (unless the odd day out, sick, etc).
http://www.llli.org/llleaderweb/lv/lvoctnov97p115.html
You can customize your MFP goal to 1800+ calories, add your exercise calories in, and voila, your breastfeeding is accounted for. This total, however, does not account for your age, height, weight, etc. So make sure you're eating appropriately. If you are tall or are overweight, for example, expect to eat alot more. For reference (I'll use myself), I'm 5'2 and 152 lbs (AKA, still overweight). I have my calorie goal set to 2000 calories. I'm losing weight steadily. So before going to the bare minimum, try a higher goal (say 2200, for example) and then tweak it from there based on your results and your milk supply.
A 2005 Research Article states that an exclusively breastfeeding mother burns 454 calories (based on 749g of milk, approx 26.4 oz) per day.
http://journals.cambridge.org/action/displayAbstract?fromPage=online&aid=587264&fileId=S136898000500131X
This means, for every ounce of milk you produce, you are burning approx 17 calories. For those mommies who like to log by the amount of milk they produce, you can either "Quick Add" your negative calories (put in negative servings, like -454 for the 26.4 oz as an example. Your actual production would vary), or if you want to round up, there are entries in the food database for 1oz= -20 calories. It's really up to you which you choose and/or how accurate you care to be.
For those of you less mathematically inclined, in the past, the previous general rule of thumb was, add 500 calories (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21349230) if you are exclusively breastfeeding (0 through 5 months), and 300 if your baby is partially on solids (6 months+). You can either add this in a customized goal, or add it daily in your food log under breastfeeding (there are several options).
And lastly, for fans of TDEE calculators, you can simply use
http://www.freedieting.com/tools/breastfeeding_calorie_calculator.htm and customize your goal with that number.
So now that you can figure out how many calories to eat (with a slight deficit), how much is safe to lose while breastfeeding?
First, you should wait until you are 8 weeks post-partum and have the go-ahead from your OB. It's important to let yourself heal from the birthing process before putting your body under the stress of weight loss. You also need to establish your milk supply. I know it's hard to wait and you want your body back, but you need to exercise patience and a basic understanding of "your body just went through some major stuff, so be kind to it!".
Secondly, it's recommended to lose about 1-1.1 lbs per week (4-4.4 lbs/month), safely. Without doctor supervision, you should not aim to lose more.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=10675424&dopt=Abstract
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9478032
I also want to note, I've seen many women state that they were unable to lose weight while breastfeeding and didn't begin to lose until they weaned. I don't know the science behind that, or whether it's hormonal or what have you. So if your loss is slow or non-existent, please keep this in mind. Sometimes I feel like pregnancy and post-partum is a giant wormhole for weight. Nothing ever makes sense, haha!
So that's the basics. I may be missing something, or maybe missing some good research links, but that's the gist. If anyone has anything to add, go for it.
For those interested, I began losing weight June 2013. I lost 57 lbs and then got pregnant May 2014. I continued to log, and exercised about 3x a week (swimming) for most of my pregnancy. I gained 24.6 lbs (within my recommended amount according to BMI). My daughter was born January 15, 2015. She was 7 lbs. I slowly but steadily began losing my pregnancy weight. At 17 weeks post-partum (4 months), I've lost all of it, and have continued on to work on my ultimate goal and am under my pre-pregnancy weight.
I sincerely hope this helps others out there!
Other threads of note, that I think are helpful during this process:
http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1161603/so-you-want-a-nice-stomach
http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1080242/a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants
Lastly, I will impart upon you:
Fit, Fabulous & Pregnant! Group
http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/group/1903-fit-fabulous-pregnant
and
Post-Partum Pack Group
http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/group/639-post-partum-pack
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Big help thanks!1
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Thank you!
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I wisj I could "awesome" this post again...0
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mcmurphy287 wrote: »I'm one of those who hasn't lost a single pound while breastfeeding. It has been 4 months and I'm getting really frustrated trying to figure out how to begin the weight-loss process without disrupting my milk supply. I have to say I'm pretty jealous of the women who just lose weight while breastfeeding and I have no idea why I'm not. I've just read a lucky few of us don't.
I didnt lose weight either breastfeeding and when i tried losing weight my milk supply dropped. So i waited until he was 1 and got him off the breast and started my weight loss journey. I started my pregnancy at 168 and after i had him i got to 176 and it stayed there for the full year it was awful but wirth it. Youll get there you wont breastfeed forever well unless you want to.1 -
ericatoday wrote: »mcmurphy287 wrote: »I'm one of those who hasn't lost a single pound while breastfeeding. It has been 4 months and I'm getting really frustrated trying to figure out how to begin the weight-loss process without disrupting my milk supply. I have to say I'm pretty jealous of the women who just lose weight while breastfeeding and I have no idea why I'm not. I've just read a lucky few of us don't.
I didnt lose weight either breastfeeding and when i tried losing weight my milk supply dropped. So i waited until he was 1 and got him off the breast and started my weight loss journey. I started my pregnancy at 168 and after i had him i got to 176 and it stayed there for the full year it was awful but wirth it. Youll get there you wont breastfeed forever well unless you want to.
Reduced milk supply is my concern as well. I have 27 pounds to go to prepregnancy weight (and a lot to go after that), so I'm trying to lose at 1pound per week. This is my first week at it (just cleared by OB on Monday), so we'll see how it goes. If I do drop supply, I'll wait it out until after LO is weened. As much as I'm ready to get going, LO comes first!0 -
Great reference to keep expectation grounded.
Thanks for the post!
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You need only feed on demand to keep a good milk supply. Nothing else. I'm 1kg away from my pre-pregnancy weight at 9 weeks PP and my supply is insane.3
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Chef_Barbell wrote: »
Agree, I have seen several stories to the contrary, not everyone will react the same.3 -
Chef_Barbell wrote: »
How nice for that poster. Definitely not true for me! Magnesium sulfate plus a c- section at 37 weeks did a number on me. My milk never even fully came in 2 -
Im 6 months post partum with #3 and still have 25 pounds to lose and im breastfeeding! Ughhh the first 2 pregnancies were so quick in weight loss, this one is completely different!! I hate that nothing fits me and some lady asked if i was pregnant so im watching my calories and taking care of a 5, 3 and 6 month old. I dont have time for the gym. I just try to dance at home with kids, we walk, im always going up and down the stairs. I hope it comes off! 3
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Hi everyone, I'm a single mum of two children. I had my second child almost a year ago. I have been eating healthy but not seen any of the pregnancy weight come off. it's been three weeks since I've been using MFP and this app is like the light at the end of the tunnel for me. I've been using this app since 10th January and I lost 6.5lbs in three weeks. I discovered I had to control my calorie intake. I've not done any exercise except the general walking and house cleaning around my home. I want to go gym but have no childcare. But I'm happy with these results as I've been advised steady weight loss is easier to maintain. So please feel free to add me as I would love to communicate/interact with anyone on the same journey as me. I'm jolly and easygoing. My diary is open for all to view. Wish everyone success in their journey x2
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Hi everyone, I'm a single mum of two children. I had my second child almost a year ago. I have been eating healthy but not seen any of the pregnancy weight come off. it's been three weeks since I've been using MFP and this app is like the light at the end of the tunnel for me. I've been using this app since 10th January and I lost 6.5lbs in three weeks. I discovered I had to control my calorie intake. I've not done any exercise except the general walking and house cleaning around my home. I want to go gym but have no childcare. But I'm happy with these results as I've been advised steady weight loss is easier to maintain. So please feel free to add me as I would love to communicate/interact with anyone on the same journey as me. I'm jolly and easygoing. My diary is open for all to view. Wish everyone success in their journey x1
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Hi workingmums2018, you lost 6.5 lbs in 3 weeks it’s wonderful! Are you nursing? I read that some nursing moms have hard time losing weight since their body needs those extra calories for milk production. I started logging food since Sunday and Jane lost .2 lbs I know it’s not significant but small step. Keep up the good work!0
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Hi all, I’m just starting out my weight loss journey after having my daughter 8 months ago. I’m breastfeeding so really not loving the idea of reduced calories! Would love to have some other mums for support - please add me!2
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Everyone is different forsure but it made me feel better not that only one thank you0
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Another thing I would add is after the 8 week mark postpartum, you can try reducing your intake by 100 a day for one weeks, then another 100, till you get the loss you want. Its a bit slower, and takes some time but its easier for your milk to keep up with demands this way (its less shocking to your milk production).
But yup sometimes its a black hole. I had no problem losing weight this way after my first, but even 100 calories not enough made me nearly lose my milk after my second so I couldn't start losing till she weaned. It was insane.1
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