Weightloss and breast feeding

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hkandiko
hkandiko Posts: 34 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Im a new mom with a 2 month old and I am trying to get back to my pre-pregnancy weight or possibly lower. I have lost about 5 pounds in a week and I just want to see if that's normal. I breastfeed and am working out about 4 times a week. Thanks.

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  • skingsbury09
    skingsbury09 Posts: 7
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    I'd say that sounds about right. I gained about 25lbs with my pregnancy and had lost it all within a month and I was just breastfeeding. I think you're going to lose it more quickly with the nursing and working out. I'm impressed you're this motivated so soon after having a baby. I just kicked it into gear and mine is 8 months today!
  • CMmomx4
    CMmomx4 Posts: 25
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    If you're just starting to lose, that is typical, but you wouldn't want to keep that up long term or you'll likely see a decrease in supply. My daughter just turned 15 months and I have been able to lose 77 lbs. since her birth and am still breastfeeding. Some weeks I would lose more, others just a bit. I was told to add about 500 calories a day for breastfeeding, so figure out your calorie needs for your height/weight/activity level and add about 500. That should allow you to lose and not impact your supply.
  • spicypepper
    spicypepper Posts: 1,016 Member
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    Mine hasn't been that great. I'm averaging about a lb a week to a week and a half. I am exclusively breast feeding, exercising and keeping my calorie intake to 1200 a day. I'm beginning to think that I'm doing something wrong. My little man will be 6 weeks old this Friday.

    ETA - My weight loss this far has been water weight release, minus about 5 lbs or so.
  • dnunny
    dnunny Posts: 125
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    Mine hasn't been that great. I'm averaging about a lb a week to a week and a half. I am exclusively breast feeding, exercising and keeping my calorie intake to 1200 a day. I'm beginning to think that I'm doing something wrong. My little man will be 6 weeks old this Friday.

    ETA - My weight loss this far has been water weight release, minus about 5 lbs or so.

    You probably need to increase your calories; you should add 500 for bf and your exercise calories. I'm not expert, but you might not be eating enough.
  • CMmomx4
    CMmomx4 Posts: 25
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    Spicy, that sounds WAY low on calories, especially if you are exclusively breastfeeding. You should be closer to 2,000 calories a day, especially if you are breastfeeding a newborn. My daughter is 15 months now and eating table food. My supply tanked once I cut my calories down, but I had made it to a year and was ready to start working towards weaning. I was able to lose 77 lbs. over the course of the year eating around 2,000 calories. Add more!

    BTW, we are talking about net calories. So if you're calories are 1,200 a day and you are doing 200 calories a day in exercise you are really only giving your body 1,000 calories. Minus out 500 or so for breastfeeding and you are giving yourself 500 net calories. That is way, way too low.
  • spicypepper
    spicypepper Posts: 1,016 Member
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    I'm eating 1200 calories, plus the 600-900 exercise; so in theory I'm still getting in the 1200 calories a day.

    I just worry increasing my calories is going to make me gain instead of lose.
  • CMmomx4
    CMmomx4 Posts: 25
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    1200 calories is too low. Any LC will tell you that. I was there with baby #1. Supply tanked, she stopped gaining. You need to up if you want to breast feed. Period. Not trying to be pushy, just honest.
  • hottbutch
    hottbutch Posts: 46
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    Spicy, that sounds WAY low on calories, especially if you are exclusively breastfeeding. You should be closer to 2,000 calories a day, especially if you are breastfeeding a newborn. My daughter is 15 months now and eating table food. My supply tanked once I cut my calories down, but I had made it to a year and was ready to start working towards weaning. I was able to lose 77 lbs. over the course of the year eating around 2,000 calories. Add more!

    BTW, we are talking about net calories. So if you're calories are 1,200 a day and you are doing 200 calories a day in exercise you are really only giving your body 1,000 calories. Minus out 500 or so for breastfeeding and you are giving yourself 500 net calories. That is way, way too low.

    Agreed! 1200 is way to low for exclusive breastfeeding!
    I'm breastfeeding my 9 month old and he is mostly eating solids. I eat between 1500 - 1800 calories a day and eat back my exercise calories. I've been doing this for a month and have lost 13 pounds.. Remember it took 9 months to make that baby and gain that weight so it's going to take that to lose it. Starving yourself won't help you and it will deprive your baby of good, fatty, nutritious milk. Just make good food choices! :D
  • 110lbs50kgs
    110lbs50kgs Posts: 14
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    I did not work out during the first seven weeks after I had my son at all. I did not lose a single pound while breastfeeding. I had a c-section and had to wait for the okay from my doctor to work out, and I had to get two stitches redone after trying to carry some heavy boxes up stairs on my own, which is why the extra week.
    I lost eleven pounds a month the first three months I could work out. I was bouncing between elliptical, weights, treadmill, more weights each time I was at the gym. Around three months I had to supplement at least one bottle a day because I couldn't produce enough. After the fourth month we had to switch to formula completely.
    If you want to breastfeed the entire first year, you really don't want to focus on getting your prebaby shape back immediately.

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