Exceeding calorie count by just 100 / 200 each day / breas

Veryveryhungrycaterpillar
Veryveryhungrycaterpillar Posts: 16
edited October 5 in Health and Weight Loss
Well, I have been logging in for 15 days now and lost 2lbs in my first week but I find that I seem to be edging into going (at most) a couple of hundred calories over my allocation a day. It's mostly because I haven't been able to exercise as much this week due to work but still feel I need my (healthy) evening snack to get me through the night.

I am breastfeeding (and adding the additional calories accordingly) so my calorie intake requirements might vary slightly anyway, and I do need that snack to get me through the night (and even sometimes during the night if I am up all night - which with baby with a cough at the moment I am). I'm not sure what my question is really because I know if I can just get out to exercise it balances out. Plus, I don't even know if this will be reflected on the scales because I haven't weighed myself for a week.

Guess I'm just wondering if anybody else has this issue and if you have any tips.

Because I am breastfeeding I am finding it useful to use the calorie counting and food diary as a general guideline rather than as a strict and absolute diet to follow.

What a pointless ramble! Sorry!

Ps - if any other mums (especially breastfeeding ones) are looking to lose their baby weight and would like to add me, I'd really appreciate the support of people who know what it can be like struggling to get out to exercise with a baby, and struggling to eat healthily at 3pm when you've had two hours' sleep the previous night.

- any tips to better manage my calories during the day?

Replies

  • leomom72
    leomom72 Posts: 1,797 Member
    not really, but good luck...when you are logging breast feeding in here, doesn't it subtract some cals, and if so, you are still eating over what was subtracted plus some ?
  • LorinaLynn
    LorinaLynn Posts: 13,247 Member
    Depending on what you're weight loss goal is, you're still going to be significantly under your maintenance calories even if you go over by 200.

    If you have your settings to lose 2# a week, that takes 1000 calories off every day. So even eating 200 over, you're still at 800 under. At 1# a week, you're 500 under your maintenance calories, and .5# a week, 250 under.

    If you're always feeling hungry and fatigued, you might be trying to lose too fast. Make sure you're not trying to lose more than 1# a week, since you only have about 20# to lose. And check your activity level setting, too. If you're taking care of a baby, I wouldn't call you sedentary. :smile: Sitting on the couch eating bon-bons all day watching Maury is sedentary.
  • mama4our
    mama4our Posts: 2 Member
    I'm breastfeeding! I took their suggestion of 1200 cal/day for me and bumped it up to 1600 cal/day since you burn 300-500 extra cal/day when you breastfeed and I want to make sure my baby girl gets what she needs. I've lost 16 pounds so far in the past 8 weeks. I find that I almost never go over my cal count. I do take one day off a week - a rest day if you will. And I've been doing a lot of walking. Mostly walking briskly, some running. My baby is 6 months old. It sounds like you had your baby more recently and are not ready to do a lot of exercising. If that's the case I (in my unprofessional opinion) think you should just focus on eating 300-500 cal over what myfitnesspal recommends and add the occasional walk while you recover. Just check the scale weekly. If you are losing weight eating 100-200 cal over then increase your cal count goal by that much. Have a good recovery and get as much sleep as you can. The weight loss comes second!
  • Veryveryhungrycaterpillar
    Veryveryhungrycaterpillar Posts: 16
    Hey - thanks for all your speedy replies

    Mama4our - my 'baby' is 13 months now, but still sometimes feeds at night, especially when ill.

    All the way through I've found breastfeeding quite demanding on my body so I do make sure I eat masses of energy sustaining food.

    LorinaLynn - Thank you. What you've said makes a lot of sense. I don't understand the calorie science so that's explained it. Thank you for the sedentary comment too: little one's just started walking so it's probably fair to say I do get some exercise following him around trying to stop him emptying my cupboards. I'm finding it really useful to use this to log what I am eating but I am very very careful not to become fatigued and this is making sure I DO eat all my calories, but healthily.

    Leomom - yeah, I'm eating slightly over in addition to subtracted ones. He is eating solids now so not feeding as much but I subtract 300 calories a day because he does have 3 / 4 milk feeds in the day time and sometimes at night.

    Thanks again guys. Would you mind if I friended you as you've all been so helpful? I'm new to this so don't have many friends yet and I find they really help :)
  • Veryveryhungrycaterpillar
    Veryveryhungrycaterpillar Posts: 16
    Ps: mama4our - I like the idea of 'a rest if you will' - I do tend to relax a little on Saturdays and have takeout - although it somehow stays within the calories most of the time.
  • _Ben
    _Ben Posts: 1,608 Member
    Yea you should still lose weight, but just not at the rate you were hoping for, thats about it
  • LorinaLynn
    LorinaLynn Posts: 13,247 Member
    Yea you should still lose weight, but just not at the rate you were hoping for, thats about it

    And the other hand, there's a good number of people (like me! :happy:) who found they lost weight faster when eating a little bit more.

    It's trial and error to find what works best for each individual. Given the choice, though, I'd rather lose weight a little bit slower and not feel hungry or deprived than really struggle to stay in under a certain calorie. One pound a week for six months is 26 pounds... That's better than trying to lose 2 pounds a week in three months, but feeling burned out after two months and quitting.
  • RmIIImc70
    RmIIImc70 Posts: 30 Member
    Hi,
    All that I can say was that when i nursed my 2 kiddos, I was starving in the middle of the night when I woke up with them. It was to the point where I couldn't go back to sleep. I would put a little snack and water out for myself to eat at those times. Maybe this is a time for a slow weight loss. You have a lot going on right now. Enjoy the baby! they grow so fast :-).
  • ahavoc
    ahavoc Posts: 464 Member
    There's no problem with losing weight while breastfeeding, you just don't want to do it too quickly. There is a process called ketosis that happens when you're losing weight and not getting enough carbohydrates in your diet. Your baby won't get everything it needs from your breast milk. Please make sure to check your diet with your doctor and your babies doctor to ensure that you have the right balance of protein and carbs in your diet to maximize what you need to produce for your baby whiile you are dieting and breastfeeding. I know this as I had to be very careful when I had my daughter.
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