Breastfeeding mum's of mfp, help!

invisibleorchid
invisibleorchid Posts: 22 Member
edited November 21 in Food and Nutrition
I'm so upset I'm no longer losing weight. For healthy breastfeeding LLL recommends eating 1800 calories a day. I swim twice a week and walk at least 3miles 3 times a week, on top of my regular activities. But I can't seem to drop more than the 10lb I've lost already, and I still have 30lb to lose. So how much are you eating, and are you still losing?

Replies

  • LKArgh
    LKArgh Posts: 5,178 Member
    invisibleorchid wrote: »
    I'm so upset I'm no longer losing weight. For healthy breastfeeding LLL recommends eating 1800 calories a day. I swim twice a week and walk at least 3miles 3 times a week, on top of my regular activities. But I can't seem to drop more than the 10lb I've lost already, and I still have 30lb to lose. So how much are you eating, and are you still losing?

    There is no "eat 1800 calories" when breastfeeding that fits all people. A very short thin and sedentary woman will have very different needs from someone who is tall, overweight and an athlete.

    I would suggest just eating at maintenance (ignore competely the breastfeeding) for a month and see what happens. If you are losing something like 2-3 lbs total, great. Else reduce by 200 calories or so and and so on.

    I am no longer breastfeeding but when I was, I was not tracking calories and eating pretty much as I did pre-pregnancy, maybe a bit less because of having no time. I lost both times about 10-15 kilos in 18 months without trying and ended up underweight, but my supply was not affected.
  • Chef_Barbell
    Chef_Barbell Posts: 6,644 Member
    edited September 2017
    I didn't lose a thing while breastfeeding without dipping into my supply. Sometimes that's the way the cookie crumbles.
  • flonarosie
    flonarosie Posts: 7 Member
    I was the same, breastfeeding doesn't seem to take much out of me, only started lose the fat recently since I've gone for 1200 calories per day. (add back 250 as a food entry under breastfeeding so works out 1450) I was worried about supply but all good still. 1800 from LLL seems really high - long as you're drinking plenty of water and getting balanced nutrients surely you can go a bit below. Remembering how hungry I was the first few weeks establishing supply I think I'd be ravenous if I was going too low now!!
  • isthatpoisontoo
    isthatpoisontoo Posts: 21 Member
    How long has it been? Tbh I found that I haven't really been able to go far below maintenance without feeling ravenous until the last month or so, and we're busy planning baby's first birthday party. I'm eating anywhere between 1,500 and 2,000 each day and am losing. I'm not sure why I worried so much about exercise in the early days, now she's crawling at speed, I'm burning real calories chasing her, and that's not going to change any time soon!
  • invisibleorchid
    invisibleorchid Posts: 22 Member
    I've been feeding her for 4 months, first pumping then she finally latched so feeding properly. Thanks for the advice everyone, I'll try to eat maintenance instead and see how I go. Thank you all!
  • shaumom
    shaumom Posts: 1,003 Member
    One piece of advice that seemed to hold true for me for all my pregnancies was 9 months to put it on, 9 months to take it off (for a realistic goal). You are not that far off from that, honestly. I know for me, the weight really started to come off after 6 months, and I ended up at a lower weight, post-nursing, than I had been pre-pregnancy.

    And also something to consider is that breastmilk is only as good as what you eat, so if you get too hungry on that maintenance? I'd go back to eating until you don't feel hungry. Anything you are low in (nutrients, calories), your body is going to take it from you, and that is going to make it less healthy for you, you know?
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