Breastfeeding and weight loss.

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lifeisahighway
lifeisahighway Posts: 490 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hello! I had a baby a few weeks ago! I gained 26 pounds total during the pregnancy and since having my baby I have lost 40. I am exclusively breastfeeding. I still have 50 pounds to lose to where I will feel good about myself, then an additional 20 would be the long term goal. Is it even POSSIBLE to lose those 50 pounds while I am breastfeeding? I am 200 pounds now, so obviously I have fat to lose. I know I need to eat a lot to keep my supply up. I also haven't been cleared for exercise yet. I will next week, hopefully!

If anyone has any advice on losing while breastfeeding please let me know. I know that breastfeeding alone helps. I just really need some advice on losing this weight because I am NOT giving up breastfeeding and I do NOT want to screw up my milk supply, but I also do NOT want to wait another year to get in shape. I want to be IN shape for my baby! Please help!

Replies

  • bentobee
    bentobee Posts: 321 Member
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    Firstly, congratulations on your baby!

    Breastfeeding will burn/require an extra 500-600 calories a day. That is if you are exclusively nursing. If you are supplementing with formula that number will be less.

    Honestly, if I were in your shoes I would eat at maintenance and enjoy the extra calorie burn you are getting from nursing. Take walks with your baby. As long as you are eating healthfully and not going crazy eating excess calories you should lose at a slow but steady rate.
    If you decrease your calories too drastically you WILL adversely affect your milk supply. That's not a good thing. :wink:

    You definitely need to discuss this with your doctor! :)
  • Hollie55
    Hollie55 Posts: 65 Member
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    The general rule over here is too wait until bubs is at least 6 weeks before starting a work out program. I am currently breastfeeding my 4th who is 6 months old today.
    I put on over 20kgs while preg with her & I am loosing it slowly.
    You can breastfeeding to your food diary here too.

    I would make sure you drink lots of water and eating regularly helps to keep your milk supply up. Also dont try eating too few calories too like a few people too. You have already lost quite a bit so far. Dont try and do too much too soon either. Pregnancy and child birth puts alot of stress on the body and if you have had a c-sect then you body takes alot longer to recover from as it is majour majou surgery and I would wait longer then 6 weeks before even attempting to do some serious exercise. It can take up to a year to fully recover from a c-sect so start slow with your exercise.
  • panda_rocks
    panda_rocks Posts: 34 Member
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    hi there :) IT IS POSSIBLE , but I find it hard.
    My baby is 7 months old now, and I find my weight drops soooo sloooowly.
    I was 220 lbs the day I gave birth and lost the 'baby weight' within a month or 2. but, like you, have more to go. I found I lost easier while not nursing, as you have to eat the appropriate calories to keep your supply up (wich by the way is only 200-300 extra calories) and not over-doing it on exercise (its important to exercize, dont get me wrong...please do it...but over doing it will dry you up).
    stay hydrated...water is your best friend :)
    I have so far lost 51 lbs since he was born (I gained aprox 35 lbs while pg) and have 19 till my goal :)

    best of luck to you...with the weight loss, and with your breastfeeding journey :)
  • MomBod81
    MomBod81 Posts: 47 Member
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    I think that every woman is different when it comes to losing weight while breastfeeding. Some seem to drop it all right away and others don't really start losing until they finish nursing. With my first, I gained 35 lbs while pregnant and then lost 50 within 5 months. (Taking me down to the lowest weight I had been, probably since middle school) I was eating healthy and exercising regularly and it was pretty easy. With my second, it seemed to take a while longer, but I think that was due to my lack of dedication.

    If you want to continue breastfeeding while losing weight, you have to make sure that you are eating enough. You can add breastfeeding to your food diary and it will show up as a negative amount so that you make sure you are eating the calories you need to keep up your milk supply.
  • cjwolfjen
    cjwolfjen Posts: 323 Member
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    Take it one day at a time. Breast feeding wont keep making you lose weight like the initial weight you have lost, you will have to eat right and exercise on top of it. I lost 20 lbs while doing this and breast feeding, but before that I had gained weight while breast feeding. I was having supply issues and I was eating A LOT of oatmeal and just a lot of junk foods and just anything I wanted because I assumed I could do that and still lose weight like I did while breast feeding my son. This nursing experience was different for me. I lost the 25 lbs after having the baby but then I gained another 5 lbs back and I was breast feeding... so just because you breast feed doesn't mean you will continue to lose weight. So be careful.

    Also, you will want to track your breast feeding as calories burned but don't over estimate it. I always put down nursing as -300 calories and put it under breakfast. I didn't exclusively breast feed though. I gave her formula if we were out or if I wasn't with her and couldn't pump, etc. They say its anywhere from 300-500 calories a day. I noticed my milk did come in well once I started drinking more water. You do not want to cut your calories down too low or you will lose your supply, plus, remember, the baby is getting all the nutrients you eat or drink, so it is important that you don't cut yourself short. Eat plenty. If you are still hungry even after you've eaten "all" your calories, EAT. Listen to your body. Good luck. I know it is hard. I nursed my son for 4 months and my daughter for 6 months. That is such a special time, I do miss it. My last piece of advice to you, is to put your baby and your breast feeding FIRST, above the weight loss and the nutrition stuff. Because you will have the rest of your life to work out and worry about calories. You only have a short time while they are so little and you shouldn't waste a moment of it.
  • melissalynnlarue
    melissalynnlarue Posts: 47 Member
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    Hi there -

    Congratulations on the new addition!! I just had a baby a few weeks ago also - my 4th. After my 3rd, I got super-serious about weight loss. I also exclusively nurse right now, and am an extended breastfeeder (to 18 months). While I was bf'ing my 3rd baby, I DID lose weight - almost 40 lbs, to be exact - and almost got to my goal weight (at which point I got pregnant again). :) For me, breastfeeding was not a weight-loss help, sadly.

    How to do it? Slow and steady. For some women, intense exercise really compromises milk supply, which you already know. Aim for 1-2 lbs a week, and you should be just fine, even though you still have a long way to go. (For me, milk supply was never an issue, so I was able to do that 1-2 lbs per week until I reached my goal.) Drink tons and tons of water, too!

    I know you want to be IN shape for your baby, and it's easy to get stuck on the ultimate goal. However, from experience, I can tell you that small successes in the *journey* will be incredibly uplifting!

    Is it possible? Absolutely!! I went from 191 down to 148. I wanted to hit 140... that's my ultimate goal again. I know it will take a while longer this time - four kids is BUSY!!! - but I know that since I've done it before, I can do it again. And I know YOU will be able to, too!!
  • lifeisahighway
    lifeisahighway Posts: 490 Member
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    Thanks for all the replies and advice! I drink at least 12 cups of water a day, if not more. Since I have been here on MyFitnessPal and have started keeping track of everything I eat, I realized that I do NOT eat enough calories! I feel like I eat and eat but since I have been making healthier choices, it is not as many calories. I am having to add more snacks and that is hard to do because I feel like the snacks aren't adding up either. Any advice on higher calorie, healthy, and filling snacks?

    I don't think I will have the time for a lot of exercise, as I have a toddler as well. It's wayyyy to hot to walk here now, so I am thinking of doing exercise videos a few times a week. My Fitness Pal says I should eat 1200 calories a day (wayyy too low for breastfeeding). So I am unsure the exact amount I should aim for. But if I am hungry, I EAT. I listen to my body now that I am breastfeeding and won't deny myself food.
  • bluefever
    bluefever Posts: 93 Member
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    Listening to your body while BFing is the way to go. I have never so hungry as I was when breastfeeding my giant babies! I found I lost quite a bit at the start and then it tapered off.
  • OnMyWay2STay
    OnMyWay2STay Posts: 144 Member
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    My little boy is 16 months now. I lost weight slowly while nursing without even really trying. If you want to safely lose weight while nursing you should definitely talk to your doctor. For me, along with drinking lots of water, I felt like eating healthy cereals was good for keeping my milk supply up.
    But the most important advice I have is for 8 or 9 months from now, or whenever you start giving your baby significant amounts of solid foods. As you decrease and finally stop nursing, you will have to carefully watch your weight. Since nursing burns 500 to 600 calories, you have to make up for that when you quit nursing!
    For now, since you want high-calorie healthy snacks, remember to eat things like peanut butter and cheese. They are high in fat and calories, but also provide protein and nutrients and you and your baby need. And don't be afraid of carbs either! Just don't overdo on sugar and you'll be fine.

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