Nursing and Calories

ashleyk_xox
ashleyk_xox Posts: 158 Member
edited November 18 in Health and Weight Loss
Is there a way to adjust my calories as a nursing mother? I know I need 500 extra calories so is 1700 enough? I currently weigh 235 lbs can anyone help thanks!

Replies

  • Purplebunnysarah
    Purplebunnysarah Posts: 3,252 Member
    With my first, eating less than 2000 calories just killed my supply.

    With my second I added breastfeeding calories as a 1 minute exercise. You will need to play with your breastfeeding calories to find out how many you actually need. I know with my second, either I was drastically overestimating my calorie intake, or breastfeeding was actually using closer to 700 calories a day.
  • jaymijones
    jaymijones Posts: 171 Member
    A general rule of thumb for breastfeeding, don't try to lose more than one lb a week at first, you might kill your supply. In the beginning after each of my babies I would set the app to maintenance and let the breastfeeding calories make my deficit. After a few months I would slowly increase the weekly weight loss goal. -.5lbs every few months, until the baby started solids, then I would increase it a little more. Some people can lose at 2lbs a week and still maintain their supply. But not everyone can. So start at -1lb per week or even .5lbs and see how that goes for a few months. It's slow going, but you will get there.
  • sabinaholtby
    sabinaholtby Posts: 73 Member
    What if you track without trying to limit? See where your at to see what happens?

    I didn't start tracking calories until the natural weight, water, inflammation ended. I began by adding exercise. I cut calories to 2000, then 1500, now 1260. No problems with supply so far I take brewers yeast once and awhile if I'm concerned, that works really well for me.

    How old is your little one? Calories for bf change over the babies life. Be gentle with yourself. Way to go mama!
  • wendyj910
    wendyj910 Posts: 58 Member
    I'm 11wks pp, 240lbs and doing crossfit. My trainer has me on almost 2800 calories.
  • hesn92
    hesn92 Posts: 5,966 Member
    edited May 2017
    I set my goal to maintain my current weight and ate that. With the calories burned by nursing, I lost weight very very easily. One of the many benefits of breastfeeding:)
  • Luna3386
    Luna3386 Posts: 888 Member
    1700 is not enough.

    Put your stats in mfp for 1 pound a week or maintain as mentioned above. Either add in 500 as exercise or raise activity level up one or two.

    It's easier to start high and mov calories down than to drastically cut calories and possibly lose your supply. It's a total *kitten* to get back.

    Or, start by eating what you normally eat and track it. After a week or two, start by lowering calories by 100 per day.
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