Breastfeeding burns 500 calories, or does it? When does it?

[Napdamnyou]

I am breastfeeding a 13 month old, three to five times a night, and four - six times during the day. How many calories should I factor in to my daily allowance? And any diet/healthy lifestyle tips? I am doing the 30 day shred and am pretty active during the day, walking two or three times for 40 mins or so and generally dashing about after the baby who has started walking...

I have been losing weight and toning up without dieting and have gone to size 12 from post pregnancy 16 but am trying to be a bit more organised about it and tweak diet for max toning up and energising benefits, whilst hopefully continuing to get fitter and stronger...

500 cals has been bandied about but thought that was for bf exclusively at six months, not sure about when they are toddlers....

Thanks

I'd say you are still feeding enough to account for the full calorie allowance as long as they are decent length feeds. It sounds like you are doing all the right things to lose weight and tone up without tweaking your diet, just keep up with the exercise :)

I'm one of the unlucky ones that puts on weight while bfing, I've never lost for some reason, drives me insane, lol.

This might help:-

6-8m need 130 kcals of complementary foods and 485 kcals from milk (approx 650ml of bm at 75kcals per 100ml) total 615 kcals a day

9-11m need 310 kcals of complementary foods and 376 kcals from milk (approx 500ml of bm at 75kcals per 100ml) total 686 kcals a day.

12-23m need 580 kcals of complementary foods and 314 kcals from milk (approx 420ml of bm at 75kcals per 100ml) total 894 kcals a day.

Full details here on page 18. Pleae note that there is different values for industrialised/developed countries and developing countries. I have listed the industrialised/developed countries figures.

You can see at 12-23m about 300kcals (on average) on BM is consumed by the toddler so about 300kcals must come from the mum!

Brilliant, thank you!