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

Weight loss chat

A space to talk openly about weight loss journeys and challenges. Mumsnet hasn't checked the qualifications of anyone posting here. You may wish to speak to a medical professional before starting any diet.

Flip

Original poster

Dieting and breastfeeding

7 replies

RatherBeACyborg · 26/05/2011 22:14

Hello,

DD2 is 7 months old and I have a spare stone I'd like to lose. I signed up for My Fitness Pal and it has given me an allowance of 1200 calories a day. I'm pretty certain this isn't enough while bf. Does anyone know how many calories I should allow to lose weight but not affect my milk supply. Or would my milk supply not be affected by now? I am 5ft 6 and currently weigh 10st 7lb.

Thanks

OP posts:

laundrylover · 26/05/2011 22:40

I don't know about calories but I lost lots of weight doing Slimming World whilst bfeeding (all back on now). After your baby was 6 months old you only got one extra 'healthy extra' (say an ounce of cheese/one slice of brown bread) which would indicate not a lot of extra calories...I was hoping for a cake allowance . On SW though you can eat as much as you like of fruit and veg so calories are not restricted at all ... I don't know how My Fitness Pal works sorry.

HTH.

foreverondiet · 26/05/2011 22:41

Might be worth asking on the BFing board.

According to studies your milk shouldn't be affected even on a strict diet provided you still have fat reserves and you are drinking enough liquid BUT breastfeeding uses up roughly 20 calories per oz produced, so you could add extra calories like an exercise, roughly 100 calories a feed?

Original poster

RatherBeACyborg · 26/05/2011 22:46

Excellent, thanks. I will post on the bf board as well just to canvass opinion. Damn at no cake allowance though!

OP posts:

mollycuddles · 26/05/2011 22:49

I know it has its fans but this is precisely why I don't like My Fitness Pal. Doesn't seem to matter how much you weigh or how quickly you want to lose it seems to say 1200 for everyone. And no way to allow for bf. Good luck with your weight loss. :)

laundrylover · 26/05/2011 22:51

I just saw your target...I am 5'4'' and my ideal weight is 10 and a half stone!!! Currently weighing in at 12 and a half. How did I get my 'baby weight' back????

foreverondiet · 26/05/2011 22:58

MFP does give people more than 1200 calories, if they are taller, have more active lifestyles or are very overweight, or if you want to loose more slowly. Just that it will not give anyone LESS than 1200 so in a lot of cases 1200 ends up being the default - in many cases the calculation would give less than 1200.

mollycuddles · 27/05/2011 06:58

Fair enough. I'm average height and entered different data re how quick I wanted to lose and activity levels to try and allow for bf. At the time I was more than 6 stone over a BMI of 25. It always said 1200. I've stuck to 1500 plus exercise and I'm consistently losing 2.5 lbs a week and have done since January so the calculation was just not right for me. I exercise about 4 times a week (or at least I intend to!)

Flip