Meal replacement shakes (Homemade) for weight loss while breastfeeding? Safe or not?

MamaOfTwo2017
MamaOfTwo2017 Posts: 7 Member
edited November 21 in Health and Weight Loss
I am so confused about this topic. I have seen countless youtube videos and read many blogs that have contradicting information about the safety of making meal replacement shakes while breastfeeding. I am struggling so much trying to get this baby weight off (and then some). I was doing really well until I started taking birth control pills again. Now I am yo-yo-ing three pounds in each direction weekly. I do not want to affect my milk supply which has finally increased or harm my baby but being able to have two shakes a day and one sensible meal for a few weeks might help me to break through this weight loss barrier. Has anyone done this (with doctor or nutritionist approval, please) while breastfeeding? Which protein/whey/soy powder did you use? Added fruits and veggies are clear but the debate seems to stem around initial detoxification that can come through breast milk and which powders are and are not safe. I have lost 26 pounds so far and have about 40-50 more to go. My daughter is almost 4 months old and so far shows no allergies to any foods that I eat. Any clarity on this subject would be appreciated. Thanks.

Replies

  • tinkerbellang83
    tinkerbellang83 Posts: 9,129 Member
    edited August 2017
    Losing weight doesn't require meal replacement shakes, you'd be better just eating at a small deficit. Weight gain from birth control is either from increased appetite leading to you eating over maintenance or water retention, so if you're logging your food and sticking to your MFP calorie allowance you're not gaining fat, it's just hormonal water weight, just be patient and focus on being healthy for your baby, eat more nutritionally dense foods in your meals to help you feel fuller.
  • amandacalories
    amandacalories Posts: 107 Member
    Breastfeeding burns a lot of calories. Why are you focusing so much on shakes? Eat the food you like but keep it at a reasonable amount. I don't know what the calorie needs are for a breastfeeding woman but I know MFP does not take things like that into consideration.

    Also your body is constantly "detoxing". It's not like you eat healthy for a week and all these dangerous chemicals flow out of your body. As long as your baby is thriving I wouldn't worry about it.
  • rheddmobile
    rheddmobile Posts: 6,840 Member
    Consider this for a moment: when I was in grade school and learned about nutrition, antioxidants in food were not even a known thing. There are new classes of micronutrients being discovered all the time, which is probably the main reason that trendy supplements have consistently failed to produce the same results as the whole foods they are based on in studies. Real food contains important stuff which supplements don't. To a developing baby, that matters more than it does to an adult.

    Eat less food - make sure you are weighing it to be sure your portions are not getting out of hand - or increase your deficit through exercise if you are not losing weight.
  • Unknown
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  • ruqayyahsmum
    ruqayyahsmum Posts: 1,513 Member
    amandacalories wrote: »
    I don't know what the calorie needs are for a breastfeeding woman but I know MFP does not take things like that into consideration.

    Actually if you were to check the food database there are options to add breastfeeding which will give you a calorie adjustment of an extra 500 calories for exclusively breastfeeding or an extra 300 calories once the baby starts eating solids

    I would suggest OP that you eat at maintenance and let breastfeeding create your deficit

    Also eat a wide range of foods that youve weighed and logged instead of relying on shakes

  • MamaOfTwo2017
    MamaOfTwo2017 Posts: 7 Member
    I am interested in making meal replacement shakes because I know they work for me and they are super quick to make and consume. As I stated above, it would only be for a few weeks to break this stall and then I would drop to one shake a day (at breakfast). I also have a toddler so sometimes I get too busy to eat breakfast. With shakes, I can portion out and freeze a week's worth at a time, ensuring that I always get a quick and healthy breakfast/lunch. It is easier to control my calorie intake through 2 shakes a day (plus 1 meal) than through 3 homemade meals. It is also a much simpler way to get in all of my fruit and veggie requirements for the day. Simply put, they just make my day easier as well as my ability to stick to a diet. Having to measure out each ingredient for 3 homemade meals, cook it and then break down/log-in portion sizes is sometimes just too time-consuming. If I still lived in the US I would just do Weight Watcher's online but that is much harder to do in Germany, especially while living on such a tight income at the moment. Either way, my question really was just about if they are safe to have while breastfeeding and what the best powder is to use when they are safe. I already know about breastfeeding calories and what foods to stay away from, but was curious about the contradicting information I had come across regarding detoxing and breast milk when drinking shakes. Thank you, everyone, for your input.
  • tinkerbellang83
    tinkerbellang83 Posts: 9,129 Member
    MamaOfTwo2017 wrote: »
    I am interested in making meal replacement shakes because I know they work for me and they are super quick to make and consume. As I stated above, it would only be for a few weeks to break this stall and then I would drop to one shake a day (at breakfast). I also have a toddler so sometimes I get too busy to eat breakfast. With shakes, I can portion out and freeze a week's worth at a time, ensuring that I always get a quick and healthy breakfast/lunch. It is easier to control my calorie intake through 2 shakes a day (plus 1 meal) than through 3 homemade meals. It is also a much simpler way to get in all of my fruit and veggie requirements for the day. Simply put, they just make my day easier as well as my ability to stick to a diet. Having to measure out each ingredient for 3 homemade meals, cook it and then break down/log-in portion sizes is sometimes just too time-consuming. If I still lived in the US I would just do Weight Watcher's online but that is much harder to do in Germany, especially while living on such a tight income at the moment. Either way, my question really was just about if they are safe to have while breastfeeding and what the best powder is to use when they are safe. I already know about breastfeeding calories and what foods to stay away from, but was curious about the contradicting information I had come across regarding detoxing and breast milk when drinking shakes. Thank you, everyone, for your input.

    The only thing it will do to "break your stall" is to maybe lose you some water weight, as soon as you go back to eating normally you are going to have the same issue and regain the weight. If you add foods you make regularly to the Recipe tool, it really only takes a matter of minutes to log, or you can pre-log for the next day when your child has gone to bed.

    The problem with meal replacement shakes is that you learn nothing about managing your food intake beyond the shakes. Assuming you will want to be going back to eating at some point?
  • SezxyStef
    SezxyStef Posts: 15,267 Member
    MamaOfTwo2017 wrote: »
    I am interested in making meal replacement shakes because I know they work for me and they are super quick to make and consume. As I stated above, it would only be for a few weeks to break this stall and then I would drop to one shake a day (at breakfast). I also have a toddler so sometimes I get too busy to eat breakfast. With shakes, I can portion out and freeze a week's worth at a time, ensuring that I always get a quick and healthy breakfast/lunch. It is easier to control my calorie intake through 2 shakes a day (plus 1 meal) than through 3 homemade meals. It is also a much simpler way to get in all of my fruit and veggie requirements for the day. Simply put, they just make my day easier as well as my ability to stick to a diet. Having to measure out each ingredient for 3 homemade meals, cook it and then break down/log-in portion sizes is sometimes just too time-consuming. If I still lived in the US I would just do Weight Watcher's online but that is much harder to do in Germany, especially while living on such a tight income at the moment. Either way, my question really was just about if they are safe to have while breastfeeding and what the best powder is to use when they are safe. I already know about breastfeeding calories and what foods to stay away from, but was curious about the contradicting information I had come across regarding detoxing and breast milk when drinking shakes. Thank you, everyone, for your input.

    I am not a doctor but I don't feel that dieting while breastfeeding is safe.

    If you reduce your calories you will ...not might...you will reduce the quality of your milk.
    If you ware using liquid meals with little to no protein then you are reducing the quality of your milk.

    If the logging is tedious do some prelogging, and prepping a good solid breakfast for the week is as easy as prepping shakes for the week (and what happens when you forget to take them out of the freezer)

    For example I make egg muffins (mini quich no crust) with ham and cheese or egg muffins with englis muffin, fried ham and make a sandwich and wrap for the week.

    I do at least a dozen every week.

    detoxing is a myth.

    and if you are feeding your family you are making meals anyway...just eat normally.
  • LKArgh
    LKArgh Posts: 5,178 Member
    since the question is what is safe when breastfeeding, most birth control pills are not. They are known to dramatically affect your supply and even completely eliminate it, so double check with your pediatrician that your are not prescribed something that will have you wean by accident.
  • lorrpb
    lorrpb Posts: 11,463 Member
    MamaOfTwo2017 wrote: »
    I am so confused about this topic. I have seen countless youtube videos and read many blogs that have contradicting information about the safety of making meal replacement shakes while breastfeeding. I am struggling so much trying to get this baby weight off (and then some). I was doing really well until I started taking birth control pills again. Now I am yo-yo-ing three pounds in each direction weekly. I do not want to affect my milk supply which has finally increased or harm my baby but being able to have two shakes a day and one sensible meal for a few weeks might help me to break through this weight loss barrier. Has anyone done this (with doctor or nutritionist approval, please) while breastfeeding? Which protein/whey/soy powder did you use? Added fruits and veggies are clear but the debate seems to stem around initial detoxification that can come through breast milk and which powders are and are not safe. I have lost 26 pounds so far and have about 40-50 more to go. My daughter is almost 4 months old and so far shows no allergies to any foods that I eat. Any clarity on this subject would be appreciated. Thanks.

    You asked for advice for people who have done this with doctor or nutritionist approval. What does your doctor or nutritionist recommend??
  • sardelsa
    sardelsa Posts: 9,812 Member
    I was bulking while breastfeeding and I made high cal smoothies with whey protein, I check the label, look for ones that have just whey and no added BCAAs or creatine (I actually found most of the ones with added stuff will say "do not use if breastfeeding"). I would only use one scoop per day so not sure about using more.

    I also lost weight while nursing (and I am doing so again now), I have no issues with my milk quality and supply.. my child is 18 months and still going.. but obviously keep an eye on your supply for any dips.

    I would say if you have any questions or concerns, I would talk to your doctor and/or a lactation consultant.
  • SezxyStef
    SezxyStef Posts: 15,267 Member
    sardelsa wrote: »
    I was bulking while breastfeeding and I made high cal smoothies with whey protein, I check the label, look for ones that have just whey and no added BCAAs or creatine (I actually found most of the ones with added stuff will say "do not use if breastfeeding"). I would only use one scoop per day so not sure about using more.

    I also lost weight while nursing (and I am doing so again now), I have no issues with my milk quality and supply.. my child is 18 months and still going.. but obviously keep an eye on your supply for any dips.

    I would say if you have any questions or concerns, I would talk to your doctor and/or a lactation consultant.

    you were bulking not cutting...you added calories....which even tho you were losing weight you had added extra calories to compensate some for the "bulk"

    so you wouldn't have an issue with supply...the OP is talking about cutting...
  • sardelsa
    sardelsa Posts: 9,812 Member
    SezxyStef wrote: »
    sardelsa wrote: »
    I was bulking while breastfeeding and I made high cal smoothies with whey protein, I check the label, look for ones that have just whey and no added BCAAs or creatine (I actually found most of the ones with added stuff will say "do not use if breastfeeding"). I would only use one scoop per day so not sure about using more.

    I also lost weight while nursing (and I am doing so again now), I have no issues with my milk quality and supply.. my child is 18 months and still going.. but obviously keep an eye on your supply for any dips.

    I would say if you have any questions or concerns, I would talk to your doctor and/or a lactation consultant.

    you were bulking not cutting...you added calories....which even tho you were losing weight you had added extra calories to compensate some for the "bulk"

    so you wouldn't have an issue with supply...the OP is talking about cutting...

    I cut until 7 months... Then bulked... Now I am cutting again.. all while breastfeeding
  • LKArgh
    LKArgh Posts: 5,178 Member
    There is nothing wrong with cutting in moderation while breastfeeding. Assuming one is eating at maintenance without adding extra calories for breastfeeding, cutting happens naturally and supply is definitely not affected. Supply is affected in extreme deficits, and health problems also happen by not getting proper nutrition. Dieting while nursing is fine, starving and having unbalanced diets is not.
  • SezxyStef
    SezxyStef Posts: 15,267 Member
    sardelsa wrote: »
    SezxyStef wrote: »
    sardelsa wrote: »
    I was bulking while breastfeeding and I made high cal smoothies with whey protein, I check the label, look for ones that have just whey and no added BCAAs or creatine (I actually found most of the ones with added stuff will say "do not use if breastfeeding"). I would only use one scoop per day so not sure about using more.

    I also lost weight while nursing (and I am doing so again now), I have no issues with my milk quality and supply.. my child is 18 months and still going.. but obviously keep an eye on your supply for any dips.

    I would say if you have any questions or concerns, I would talk to your doctor and/or a lactation consultant.

    you were bulking not cutting...you added calories....which even tho you were losing weight you had added extra calories to compensate some for the "bulk"

    so you wouldn't have an issue with supply...the OP is talking about cutting...

    I cut until 7 months... Then bulked... Now I am cutting again.. all while breastfeeding

    ah I read that wrong..my bad.

    I agree with consulting her own RD tho for sure.
  • Maxxitt
    Maxxitt Posts: 1,281 Member
    edited August 2017
    If you are hell-bent on home-made meal replacement shakes, make them with real food: greek yogurt, add cottage cheese, & frozen organic fruit, some nonfat milk or water or juice, some leafy green stuff if you want. You'll get at least 30 g of protein plus additional vitamins/minerals from the fruit & veggies that you add. ETA: I'd suggest replacing ONE meal, not two, a day, and reassessing the wisdom of this about 5 days in.
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