Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

Infant feeding

Get advice and support with infant feeding from other users here.

Flip

Original poster

Losing weight whilst breastfeeding

21 replies

Bigmacplease · 18/05/2011 20:33

Hello!
Like many new mums I am keen to shift some of my pregnancy timber! My DD is 5 weeks old and I am EBF. Does anybody know how many calories a day I should be eating to start the weight loss whilst not affecting my milk quality?
I only ask as my HV said I need to be eating 5 meals a day and lots of snacks. She told me to go for full fat options to produce creamier milk! If I eat like that I'm going to be on Biggest Loser next year! Have about 2 stone to go and DD is putting weight on nicely and is always contented from feeds.
Just sick of not getting into any of my clothes and don't feel confident in myself. Thank you!!

OP posts:

MayDayChild · 18/05/2011 20:38

I have to say that I found losing weight whilst feeding is a big fat fallacy. Doesn't happen to me!
I stuck religiously to 1800 cals (recommendation is 500 + on top of your usual req) and I didn't lose a bean! Not even half a bean.
Stopped feeding first at 6 months and this time at 9 months, stopped counting BOOM weight is falling off rapidly

Your body needs the fat to produce the milk I think. So it holds into it.

just eat the chocolate!

Original poster

Bigmacplease · 18/05/2011 21:06

Thank you MDC! I've had a section too so not been able to get out and about which doesn't help! Going to try and get a walk in tomorrow! My maternity clothes are miles too big and my pre preg stuff is also no where near. My priority is to keep good supply for DD but would be great to start shifting a few pounds and start feeling like my old self! I will try the + 500 cals and see how I go!

OP posts:

kimberlina · 18/05/2011 21:11

My understanding is that the 5 meals a day that HVs go on about is a myth. Think of all the 3rd world women BFing - they don't eat extra. But I found that it was around the 3-4 mo mark I noticed a difference

crikeybadger · 18/05/2011 21:34

5 meals a day, snacks and full fat milk for creamier milk - you're HV sounds like a complete loon she knows nothing about how bfing works.....anyhow I digress.

here is the kellymom link about dieting whilst bfing.

5 weeks is still pretty early on, but I think one of the dieting organisations such as weightwatchers or slimming world do plans for women who are breastfeeding.

Personally I'd just aim to up the walking once you're feeling up to it.

Yama · 18/05/2011 21:42

I've never heard of the 5 meals a day.

I just ate when I was hungry. Usually 3 meals a day, fruit for snack and the odd bowl of cereal when I was hungry outwith that. Pints and pints of water every day.

Both times the weight dropped off. Second time (now) I'm not as slim but I'm pretty happy with my body. It took longer as well. At 5 weeks post birth I hadn't shifted much. Sections both times.

Oh, and I've never worried about quality of milk - I reckon my body knows what's its doing.

squiggleywiggler · 18/05/2011 21:47

I wouldn't go on a crash diet with a new baby, purely because you are tired and need the energy.

But what you eat doesn't determine the quality of your milk so feel free to ignore the '5 meals a day, cremier option' advice.

If you eat healthy meals and healthy snacks, do some gentle exercise you'll probably find the weight slowly goes.

I'm an odd bod in that it wasn't until my daughter started breastfeeding less that I started losing weight. I presume this was hormonal but I'm glad I didn't go on a diet as without doing anything it has melted off between month 6 and month 15 (where we are now).

There's also a relationship between sleep deprivation and weight gain so again, don't go mad dieting when you aren'y getting much sleep.

japhrimel · 18/05/2011 21:48

What you eat, calories wise, doesn't affect your milk unless you are dangerously starved. You may get more tired and get faint if you don't eat enough, but that's because your body will prioritise the baby over your needs.

EBF takes about 500 extra calories a day. So either use a calculator like fitday.com to work out what your typical daily calorie expenditure without bfing is or work on the basis of 2100 calories a day. For sensible weight loss, you should be looking at eating 500 less calories a day than you are expending. So taking into account bfing, 2100 calories a day is the standard minimum for sensible weight loss. If you have a sedentary lifestyle or are particularly tiny, it may be less.

NurseSunshine · 18/05/2011 21:49

Sorry but that HV is talking absolute BS!! 5 meals a day and lots of snacks?? And "full fat to produce creamier milk"? FGS I am pretty sure that this is based on nothing more than old wives tales rather than actual evidence! This looks sensible

OTOH I would try not to worry about losing weight just yet, your baby is only 5 weeks old and you put the weight on in 9 months, it's not going to come off in 9 weeks :) Eat a healthy, balanced diet, loads of fruit and veg, healthy dairy products (half fat is fine) roughly 2000 calories per day but guided by your appetite, and try not to stress too much. Just enjoy your baby for now, the weight will come off when it's ready

japhrimel · 18/05/2011 21:50

Meant to say, best thing to do IMO is to eat small healthy meals and snacks regularly without worrying about calories and then exercise. I do a buggyfit class which is brilliant and also walk the dog for a couple of miles every day and the weight is dropping off without worrying.

Original poster

Bigmacplease · 18/05/2011 22:07

Thanks for the advice everyone! I thought that the 5 meals a day sounded excessive but just wanted to double check as was worried about affecting my supply and milk quality! Where do they get this advice??! My DH keeps hinting about spending some 'quality time' together but I just don't feel attractive! Hope the walking and calorie counting does the trick!! X

OP posts:

ThatllDoPig · 18/05/2011 22:13

I'm with you! My baby is nearly 12 weeks and I'm going back to weightwatchers tomorrow. You get a lot of extra points if you are breastfeeding and it is all about making healthy choices. Just fed up of feeling huge and eating out of control.

Agree that tiredness affects it all though. I find I crave more stodgy crap when I'm tired.
Good luck!

lilham · 18/05/2011 22:29

Your HV is mad. I've heard it's 500 calories more a day too. Iirc you can start excercising from 6 weeks if you have a normal birth, and 10 weeks after a c-section.

runnermum2 · 19/05/2011 11:02

I started running (had been a big runner anyway until 6mo preg) again at 8 weeks after a section - this was after checking with GP. BUt more cos I wanted to than for wt loss. So if you've not done much exercise before I'm sure starting gentle exercise 8-10 w post c-section is fine. But like every one else I would say that 5 weeks is very early (and my DH had to wait 3 months for 'quality time' :o)

WoTmania · 19/05/2011 11:09

I lost loads of weight and ate loads but I've realised recently that my idea of 'loads' is not the same as a lot of people's/
LLL have a book called 'Eat Well, Lose Weight While Breastfeeding' by Eileen Behan (I think) she is a dietician and has some very sound info.

Andie20521 · 19/05/2011 12:19

I joined Fat Fighters...sorry Slimming World 3 weeks ago as my weight had started to creep up my DD was 5 months so I had to do something!

They specifically have plans for BFing and I have lost 8.5lbs, whilst feeling like I have never stopped stuffing my face! I have even managed a weekend in Holland and a couple of big meals out in that time too.

whitechocolatebuttons · 19/05/2011 12:30

i am EBC my 16wk old son and am now 7lbs less than my pre-preg weight. I've eaten normally (healthily) and had chocolate and carb fixes as and when required! Never heard of eating more full-fat stuff for BFing as the body uses the fat that has been laid down over pregnancy for breastmilk.

fastedwina · 20/05/2011 01:51

I always lose weight when pregnant and through BF. Don't know if it's the BFing or the fact i didn't have much time to eat - plus other then drinking lots of water, wouldn't say my diet was that healthy - think it's just depend on the individual.

MarisCrane · 20/05/2011 07:48

I also have been told by two separate HVs that I should be eating lots of cream cakes etc as perhaps my milk isn't calorific enough. Just smile sweetly and nod......

KaraStarbuckThrace · 20/05/2011 09:24

Absolute rubbish.
You need to eat normally, you will have built up plenty of fat stores to help provide the extra calories for bfing.
As someone has already said, people on a subsistance level diet are perfectly able to produce adequate bm for their babies to grow!

One of my MWs told me this when I had DS, hopefully she has been corrected now!!

4pudding · 20/05/2011 12:27

This reminds me why I stopped going to my HV clinic with DD1! She kept telling me I needed to give DD1 water as milk was food and she'd get dehydrated as it was hot. Luckily I had done enough BF research to know that was b)llocks.

New one coming round on Monday for DD2, hope she is better informed...

porcupine11 · 20/05/2011 12:33

What works for me is to avoid ice cream and chocolate and other junk. You can get the extra 500 kcal from a baked potato every lunch time. Weight loss was pretty slow until about 5 months, then I lost loads over months five, six and seven, as DS2's appetite really increased but he wasn't eating many solids. Then stalled again until I stopped feeding at 11 months and three weeks later I've noticed a huge difference already.

Flip

Swipe left for the next trending thread