WHAT IS THE SMALLEST AMOUNT OF CALORIES I CAN HAVE? FEELING DIZZY.. i dont want to stop bf..but

[dreamingalone]

hello please help! few days ago I had 3 coffees and 2 apples. and it gave me the shakes and made me really dizzy,. i dont understand. i used to not eAt for a week or so before i had kids and was completly fine.. so i am assuming its down to breastfeeding. so i need to know the smallest AMOUnt i can consume while breastfeeding without feeling dead maybe 500?? what foods keep milk supply healthy but not to fattening and give energy, also what vitamine supliments will help if i am restricting , so i can put them in my 'safe foods' list. please tell me what the answer is to my question . i dont want to stop bf but i am finding this tough( baby is almost a year)..I dont need LEcture i just need some advice. so far ive lost 2 and ahalf stones in 3 months. now im at a stand still..

this is silly if you think im a troll. all stop responding so the posts of people who really need help can get answered. I am 100percent genuine.

I know where you are coming from.

Try little and often, focus on protein, things like prawns, slices of chicken or turkey breast, a boiled egg, a bowl of soup. A decaf latte is filling and the milk is nutritious. Try to have something small every 2-3 hours. Lots of water and a multivitamin.

I think you know that this is disordered eating, think about talking to your doctor about it. Sometimes it can take a while to accept that things aren't going well, and having lots of people telling you that you are a danger to yourself and your baby is not going to help, however well intentioned it may be.

Maybe think of it as taking care of yourself. Your body needs to be strong to be able to look after your dc. Aim to be strong and healthy rather than just thin.

GimmeDaBoobehz - thank you so much that is very helpful!!!! thank you thank you your fantastic!!! i will follow that thank you

I never said troll. I said couldn't believe - ie. struggled to understand why. Apologies if offended. I wasn't boasting about my weight loss... it shouldn't have happened that quickly, and it stopped me bf. It was a very bad thing for me, but as a ftm I didn't really know what I was doing and there wasn't enough time to eat as much as I should have done. I don't think you can have seen my 20:45 post... I wasn't being horrible.

so youre saying that you have off days where you want to restrict your food and want to know how you can do that without feeling crap?

not that you're starving yourself and having nothing at all aside from the odd apple and coffee?

the comments about feeling fine after not eating for a week and a few apples days ago really did come across like that you were starving yourself.

So you are eating normally most of the time?

have you thought about maybe having some meal replacement shakes in the house? that way you get all the bits and pieces you need.. full calcium and whatnot.

I still think that maybe a chat to your gp might be in order though so things don't get out of hand.

In would aim for 1500 kcal as a rock bottom minimum. How often are you breastfeeding? Asides from health reasons etc, after a point, eating virtually nothing will stop weight loss as you go into starvation mode and your body starts trying to stockpile fat. Your metabolism drops off a cliff too. You may find the weight actually comes off faster, and steadily, with a more reasonably calorie restricted diet. Plus you won't pile the pounds back on as soon as you stop.

The thing is, if you are only eating very little, your body is probably going into starvation mode and desperately clinging to what flesh you have. So cutting down so much is actually counter-productive. I have always found what works better for me is trying to keep my calorie intake at a level a little below what I am burning up. That way my metabolism doesn't panic but it just burns a little of the weight I am carrying. It's a slow and steady weight loss plan but that's what's medically recommended anyway.

I actually found that when I was bfing I burned calories like a furnace. I was stuffing down all manner of food all day and still losing weight. Sorry if that isn't helpful to hear but I'm saying it because I really think it is better, for a number of reasons (yours and your baby's long-term health included) to eat more than you are doing AND that that might actually be a better way to lose weight, because it will not freak your system out the way that a very very restricted diet will.

Vijac cross post! I thought the same as you.

I also suggest stopping breastfeeding altogether if you are restricting your diet without professional help.

Babies get all they need from the breastfeeding but it can deplete the mother if her diet is not sufficient. Not just calcium either, other deficiencies can occur as well which can lead to health problems. Multivitamin supplements cannot be relied on as they may not be absorbed efficiently. You need a balanced diet.

Good luck op it sounds like you have a stressful life at the moment so I hope things improve for you

Just read all your previous threads/comments . Perhaps you should have written some of that here. People don't read everything. Hope you're OK?

I agree you need to see your doctor. It is not shameful, you are just having a blip. You sound like a loving caring mum, everyone on this thread can see that but you need to stop for a second and think of yourself and your health. This will not just effect your body but will also jumble up your brain and effect your mental health. I have never had an eating disorder but I had very bad PND and forgot to eat for days on end.....this made my symptoms far worse.
My mum found out and would come over and make sure I was eating and it really did help with my depression. I had more energy to live life and enjoy my children and the world generally seemed like a less daunting place. Us mums are all here to support one another, you must listen and get some support. There is no shame in asking for help. It will only make you stronger.
In the meantime have you thought about making some home made soup? It is very nutritious. Just boil up your veggies with stock and blend down with milk, it will do you the world of good and you don't have to worry about the cals. Or tinned soup could be a great option. Have you thought of keeping a food diary so you can actually see what you are eating?

Please listen to what people are saying. It sounds as though you have lots going on in your life at the moment.x

Can you give us an idea of what you've eaten recently? Like what you ate yesterday? Then we will have something to build on.

I once went to a lecture by Dr Katherina Dalton, who was an expert on the treatment of PND.

Her theory was that PND is caused by lack of progesterone - but that not only could you have low levels of progesterone in your bloodstream, but that you could also fail to be able to absorb and use the progesterone that you do have, IF your blood-sugar levels are low.

She believed that, if your blood sugar dropped below a particular level, the receptors in your body that took the progesterone from your bloodstream and used it, would switch to being glucose receptors - because it was more important that your body made the best possible use of what glucose was in your blood. Even when your blood sugar went back up again, it took several hours for the receptors to switch back to being progesterone receptors - so a short-ish period of low blood sugar could lead to a much longer one where you couldn't use even the small amount of progesterone that you did have.

She recommended that you eat small amounts of carbohydrates throughout the day, to keep your blood sugar on an even keel. She wasn't saying eat more carbs, but suggested you spread out the carbs you do eat throughout the day - having something carb-based within an hour of getting up, and no more than an hour before sleeping, and every three hours in between.

This is a leaflet from the Association for Post-Natal Illness. If you look under the Self-Help section, it says this:

"Do not go on a strict diet or go for long periods without food. Hypoglycemia - low blood sugar - can make things worse for a depressed mother. If you need to diet cut down on sweet and starchy foods and eat plenty of fruit or raw vegetables when you are hungry."

Dreamingalone - I think this is very important advice for you. If you have PND, and don't eat properly, you could get stuck in a destructive loop where your thinking will only become more disordered due to the lack of nutrients to your brain and due to the adverse effects of poor nutrition on your PND.

Conversely, having a strict plan of when to eat carbs during the day could not only help your PND, by keeping your blood sugar up, it could also help you to feel more in control of things. And you don't need to eat a huge amount of carbs each time - a couple of rice cakes, or similar is the amount that I recall Dr Dalton recommending.

And if you can add lean protein to that, and maybe some dairy and fruit and veg, that would be even better.

The counsellor in the postnatal depression support group said something that stuck with me.
We don't need to be perfect mothers
We need to be 'good enough'

I needed that support to learn this.
How are you about asking for/finding support in real life?
I've had a lot of support from Samaritans too 08457 90 90 90 or [email protected]

This thread has been an eye opener. For those who didnt believe me to start and the lady who said im silly dont apologize because there is no excuse this is silly, I've realised my husband cause me all sorts of names then I come on Here for a random stranger to say im silly I know silly isnt a big deal but now im wondering have I just got one of those personalities thAt irirates people, or doeasnt get believed , im glad I see this now before I was aboit to tell someone in real life all that my husband has done , they probably would have laughed in my face lol. can see Its best to keep things to myself so I dont sound like I diserve this crap

ive eaten good today didnt count calories.

1 egg and TWO toast
TWO oranges
TWO suger free chewing gums
and Its only 4:30..ha does this sound like someone who's eating disorder is back? I think not so you can all stop worrying about the safety of my kids. now I've stuffed my face with 2000 calories or something

Sunflower-only have a mobile so cant afford to call Samaritans. I did of my phone once. to tell them what my husband did and she said "yup yup hmm thats not good is it" and then she said we can't give advice were only here to listen,

OP if there was 500-600 calories in what you've eaten then that is all.

It does indeed sound like someone whose eating disorder is back.

I don't understand why you are saying 'ha', as if you have something to prove to us. There is nothing to prove, we are not the ones being damaged by your behaviour.

Please seek professional help, you are extremely unwell.

Sugar-free gum - or any gum - is not food. You have an eating disorder.

Please sweetheart, get help. You desperately need it.

That sounds like an improvement on two apples and some coffee, but in the context of a normal diet, that is basically just breakfast and maybe a snack. You need a lunch (which is way late now) and a decent dinner too.

I would be surprised if what you have eaten amounts to 400 calories - which is only just over a quarter of the bare minimum you need to meet your body's needs, never mind your body's needs plus the extra for breastfeeding. So no, I am afraid I still think you have a problem.

Did you read what I posted about keeping your blood sugar stable, and how this could help in managing your PND? You need regular nutrition, because there is every chance that you are not seeing things clearly at the moment because you haven't had enough nutrition.

Breastfeeding will mean that your body is getting much less of what little you are eating, leaving almost nothing to fuel your body and brain - and if your brain is not getting enough fuel, you can't trust your thoughts or feelings - as I said yesterday - it is like being drunk - you think you are fine, but your view is not objective.

Dreaming, it very much sounds like someone whose eating disorder is back.

Two slices of toast, an egg and two oranges. From the time you got up with the kids (early, I bet), to now? Nowhere near 2000 calories and the furthest thing from 'stuffing your face' I can imagine.

Your thinking around food is extremely disordered and it's important that you see your GP for some proper help ASAP.

Your calorie intake today is about 350 cals, or 400 or so if you put butter on the toast.

that is no where nearly enough for a breastfeeding mother. Not one little bit and if you think that is enough then yes.. it sounds as though your eating disorder is back.

what are you planning for your evening meal?

"1 egg and TWO toast
TWO oranges
TWO suger free chewing gums
and Its only 4:30..ha does this sound like someone who's eating disorder is back? "

Yep, it does. That would be way too little for a normal adult by 4.30, assuming it's supposed to be breakfast and lunch, and it's way way too little for a breastfeeding mother - you needed to have eaten probably twice that much or more by now. You have an Eating Disorder, it's very clear to everyone on this thread. Please believe us and go get some help before you make yourself very very ill.

teaandorizon- yes woke up at 6am or 5:30 had breakfast at 10 and oranges alittle bit later then I got hungry and had 2 suger free gum, and what am I planning to have for dinner? are you serious..oranges?