I'm always hungry! Breastfeeding mom.

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ashliedelgado
ashliedelgado Posts: 814 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hi all - been around a bit. Lost 70ish lbs using MFP before getting pregnant. Had a healthy gain of 17lbs. Nugget is now 11 weeks old and I'm still up those 17. I came back to work last week (nursing staff at a busy community health center). I haven't started working out yet. While I would love to get back on losing weight, right now I'm really just focused on hitting a grove where I am pumping enough to feed my gordita, and not starving. Hunger was not a problem while I was home with her - probably because we Netflixed and Chilled.

What are your favorite things to eat to feel full? I'm always hungry like 30 minutes after I eat at work, and ravenous after I pump. I'm not so worried about losing. I just want to not feel like I'm dying of starvation. Thanks!

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  • tlflag1620
    tlflag1620 Posts: 1,358 Member
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    I eat LCHF to help me feel full. Still nursing my youngest (17 months old). I wouldn't suggest dropping calories or carbs too quickly, whatever approach you decide to use, as this can trigger supply issues. Make sure you get plenty of fluids (dehydration will drop your supply in a hurry!). I start my day with eggs, focus on meat and veggies (fibrous, non-starchy ones) for my lunch and dinner, and snacks are usually cheese, nuts, and/or berries. Dessert might be berries with heavy cream and/or a square or two of dark chocolate.

    Focusing on protein, fat, and fiber tends to make people less hungry. What are you eating at work that leaves you hungry 30 minutes later? Are you hitting your protein goal most days? Fat? Fiber? I know a sugar/starch heavy diet leaves me ravenous, nursing or not.
  • suzievv
    suzievv Posts: 410 Member
    edited January 2017
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    For me (breastfeeding my 9 month-old), I just had to realize that if I'm really hungry as a breastfeeding mother, then I probably need to eat! Most of my food is nutritious, but sometimes I just eat a fun snack. It sounds like you are feeling hungry while you're at work. Bring snacks to keep there, or have some snacks at home that you can grab and put into your purse before you leave for work. I love peanut butter crackers (Toast-Chee) because they are cheap, I can buy a ton of them, they don't go bad for a real long time, I can just grab them and stick them in a bag, and they are satisfying. I eat LOTS of cheese (often on-the-go!); and other on-the-go snacks are granola bars, nuts, trail mixes, and simple fruit like an apple. We really do burn a lot of calories while breastfeeding. My calorie goal right now is 500-1,000 calories higher than it was when I was losing weight a few years ago.

    Congratulations on your baby!
  • hmotis
    hmotis Posts: 33 Member
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    Hey there! I'm also a breastfeeding mama of a 9 month old. I was hesitant to cut out too many calories from the start, and I've basically had no progress once I got back to before baby weight (which is still overweight). I still have 25-30 pounds to lose. My baby is eating more solids now and cutting down on milk, so I feel more comfortable on cutting down more dramatically. I would aim for 200 calories more than your precious weight loss calorie goal, making sure you don't dip under 1800. Also, high protein snacks are sure to help, as well as eating frequently. Pre portion out your meals to make it easier to log. Things like trail mix, lactation cookies, oatmeal, eggs, string cheese, Greek yogurt with berries are all excellent ideas that have kept me going. It IS possible, especially with a busy job. I'm gonna add you!!
  • cleback
    cleback Posts: 261 Member
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    You ladies are inspiring. My LO is 6.5 months old and I'm just now thinking about cleaning up my diet and exercisin again.
  • ashliedelgado
    ashliedelgado Posts: 814 Member
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    Thanks for the suggestions!

    I have a 32 ounce cup at home and one at work. I make sure that I drink 3, but aim for 4 full glasses of water daily.

    Breakfast is usually at work (I start at 730) and is oatmeal, a piece of fruit, and coffee. This morning I added a couple of boiled eggs to see if that helps.

    Mid morning I usually have an apple and almond or peanut butter with another cup of coffee, and sometimes a piece of cheese.

    Lunch is usually ground turkey or shredded chicken, black beans and veggies, a greek yogurt, and something treaty like a fiber one bar. Next week, I'm going to bulk up on the amount of veggies I include to see if that helps. I've always taken a bag of frozen steamable veggies and divided it into 4 servings (I work four 10s). Next week, I'm going to halve it instead, and possibly add some brown rice or quinoa.

    Afternoon snack is usually popcorn, but the last couple days I've gone to the convenience store next door and grabbed a single serving package of jerky and a candy bar because popcorn didn't cut it. This is something I want to STOP doing. It's bad for the bank account, and my waist.

    I've always been happy eating like this, I only get bored with dinners. That varies. We eat a lot of latin inspired foods (my husband is from Argentina) but he loves Italian and bread. I try to serve a large salad with those carb dense meals.

    I also usually have more popcorn tossed in Brewer's yeast before bed.

    Even though my nugget is sleeping through the night, I am up at 4 to pump and most days unable to get back to sleep until 6 when it is time to get up and get ready and nurse her before I leave. I'm wondering if being up that early and not eating for 4 hours is setting me up to be starving all day. I'm usually asleep by 9, 9:30 at the latest.

    Thanks again for all the recommendations! Next week, I'm going to pack more veg in, hopefully the bulk will help!

  • staciw11
    staciw11 Posts: 2 Member
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    When I was borderline gestational diabetes with my youngest they wanted me to eat 30-45 min after I woke up. Try eating a cheese stick or boiled egg first thing in the morning.
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 27,996 Member
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    Did the boiled eggs help this AM? More protein and fiber does keep me fuller longer.
  • Jules_farmgirl
    Jules_farmgirl Posts: 225 Member
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    Boost drinks! I had to use these during breastfeeding all the time to stay full!
  • ashliedelgado
    ashliedelgado Posts: 814 Member
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    So far so good with the boiled eggs, I'm about to pump though and by the time I'm done with that, that's usually when I'm ravenous.
  • VintageFeline
    VintageFeline Posts: 6,771 Member
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    How many calories are you eating? You may well be able to eat more, breastfeeding exclusively uses about 500 calories per day over and above maintenance.
  • ashliedelgado
    ashliedelgado Posts: 814 Member
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    I have my goal set at 2000, which is right around maintenance for me when I'm sedentary. Then, every day I add 450 for breastfeeding as exercise, and I have an activity tracker that communicates with MFP calories burned throughout the day. I like using this method, as when I'm at home I could very well be "sedentary" 3 days a week, and "very active" the other 4. When I was losing, this way I was able to tailor my intake to do what I was doing each day, and was effective for me. I try and keep my net right around 2000 these days. Some days its over, some days its under. Its at work that I'm super hungry, so I think it's just finding the sweet spot now that my activity has increased those days. Adding the boiled eggs helped this morning, after pumping I was not ready to eat my hand, and was able to wait until 10 when I like to have my snack.
  • suzievv
    suzievv Posts: 410 Member
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    ashliedelgado wrote: »
    I have my goal set at 2000, which is right around maintenance for me when I'm sedentary. Then, every day I add 450 for breastfeeding as exercise, and I have an activity tracker that communicates with MFP calories burned throughout the day. I like using this method, as when I'm at home I could very well be "sedentary" 3 days a week, and "very active" the other 4. When I was losing, this way I was able to tailor my intake to do what I was doing each day, and was effective for me. I try and keep my net right around 2000 these days. Some days its over, some days its under. Its at work that I'm super hungry, so I think it's just finding the sweet spot now that my activity has increased those days. Adding the boiled eggs helped this morning, after pumping I was not ready to eat my hand, and was able to wait until 10 when I like to have my snack.

    Awesome. You are on the ball. I also have my goal set to 2000, and sometimes I have to eat a bit more. But I don't subtract the breastfeeding calories.

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