Breastfeeding- Need help on how to set my goals

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adelinevw
adelinevw Posts: 4
in Health and Weight Loss
I have a 3-month-old baby am breastfeeding. MFP tells me I should eat 1200 calories/day. Since I breastfeed exclusively, I estimate that I burn 500 calories per day just by breastfeeding. Do I add the 500 to my calorie goal so that it's 1700 instead of 1200? Or do I keep the 1200 calorie MFP goal and add breastfeeding as a food so that I have -500? Or, do I do both? Please help! I am confused!

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  • urasweethart
    urasweethart Posts: 123 Member
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    What is your daily intake right now I would steaily drop it by 50-100 cals a week till you get to your goal if you drop your cals instantly your body will have a problem making milk

    also you need a min. of atleast 1200 cals plus breastfeeding cals so instead of setting yourself up for failure I would add the cals in as your Max cals instead of it saying -500 cals each day (Ive always heard to eat an extra 800+ cals to your diet when exclusively Bfing)

    (Im a Certified BreastFeeding Peer Counselor)
  • 82ale
    82ale Posts: 32 Member
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    You typically burn 500-700 calories making milk & feeding baby per day. Up your minimum to 1700 calories like you said and don't dare go under or you will lose your supply. Also, eat your exercise calories on top of the 1700.
  • urasweethart
    urasweethart Posts: 123 Member
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    You typically burn 500-700 calories making milk & feeding baby per day. Up your minimum to 1700 calories like you said and don't dare go under or you will lose your supply. Also, eat your exercise calories on top of the 1700.

    Totally forgot about the Exercise cals/ definetly dont let your cals stay in the Green.
  • adelinevw
    adelinevw Posts: 4
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    So should I make 1700 my max cals AND also add breastfeeding as a "food" each day so that it shows -500cals?

    My daily intake right now is about 1600-1700 per day.
  • jessimurph
    jessimurph Posts: 50 Member
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    I am in the same boat with a 3 month old that I exclusively breastfeeding. I get 1600 calories and then add on my +500 for nursing under snacks each morning. BUT I'm having trouble eating the full amount. I think it's mental and physical. I generally eat extremely healthy...2100 calories of whole foods is more than I can eat most days! The good news is I've been tracking my calories for 4 days and my supply seems the same down to my oversupply and over active let down.
  • adelinevw
    adelinevw Posts: 4
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    Jessimurph is 1600 cals the max cals that MFP gave you?
  • jessimurph
    jessimurph Posts: 50 Member
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    My daily goal on MFP ia 1610.
  • urasweethart
    urasweethart Posts: 123 Member
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    CONGRATS on deciding to Breastfeed.
  • adelinevw
    adelinevw Posts: 4
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    Thanks ladies. I breastfed my son for a whole year and is now almost 2, and I lost my baby weight plus more. Now that I have a second child, losing the baby weight has been harder! I hope MFP helps with my weight loss!
  • jessimurph
    jessimurph Posts: 50 Member
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    I feel exactly the same way! I BF'ed my daughter for 2 years and my body felt normal within a few months of having her. After my sons pregnancy I feel like my body will never be the same. He was also 12lbs at birth (shocker!) and my belly looks all stretched out which didn't happen last time. I'm hoping the hanging belly isn't permanent...
  • Exill
    Exill Posts: 155 Member
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    I'm still nursing my 24 month old and I have no idea how many calories to count for it so I just don't. I set my activity level a step higher and eat my exercise calories. My daily goal is 1350 and it seems low, but it must be right as I'm pretty much maintaining right now. I've never had an issue with milk supply.

    So glad to hear you're breastfeeding, btw!
  • FittingIn
    FittingIn Posts: 162 Member
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    Goals?

    I'd say feed the baby as often as (s)he is hungry.

    Then, try to get the beautiful child to try to sleep all of the way through the night. :sad:

    Just kidding. Congratulations on the new baby.
  • determined_01
    determined_01 Posts: 147
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    great thread! I didn't know you could lose your supply if you went under your calories. I've been putting my breastfeeding under exercise and I know that you can burn up to 500 calories a day. I've been calculating it as only 300 calories burned even though I'm breastfeeding exclusively as well. Should I raise the calories burned to 500+?
  • charitas32
    charitas32 Posts: 58
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    Hi, I put my breastfeeding under food as it's set to track calcium and I don't really mind not eating the carbs back but I figure I'd better eat back the protein and calcium. Son2 is 2 now so I just set for older child minimal feeding, which gives me -200cals, but -25 on the calcium. Now I realise why 4+ years of breastfeeding has not done my teeth much good.

    If you have any worries about supply, oats are known to help increase supply, and are a pretty good choice for slow energy release.
  • 82ale
    82ale Posts: 32 Member
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    I would not add the 500 calories as a burn or a food to your journal. It is part of the amount needed each day just to function, your body needs more than mine (for now) so the daily goal number is the way to control that. When your baby starts solids and might not need as much milk you can lower your daily calories goal a little.
  • keeldrum
    keeldrum Posts: 30 Member
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    I never knew ANY of this...thank you so much.

    Perhaps this is why I'm failing to stick to a decent healthy diet and end upcraving extra calories at bedtime.

    I've exclusively breastfed for 6 months now and recently joined MFP to get back ontrack with both diet and exercise.

    My calorie intake is set at 1220 but I also eat my exercise calories which are about 200-300 per day.

    My baby daughter is started onto solids now and I suppose she's taking a little less milk.

    How many additional calories should I take?

    Perhaps 300?

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