Author Topic: Bf and dieting (Read 2657 times)

small1 · « **on:** January 03, 2006, 13:27:08 pm »

My new years resolution is to get thinner.

I am not doing anything drastic, only eating more healthily and cutting out the chocolate and crisps, but this will be a shock to my body. Will this effect my milk supply and is it alright to do this, or should I be more gradual at reducing my calorie intake?

Currently my lo is 5 mths and exclusively bf.

Thanks
Ali

rebecaq · « **Reply #1 on:** January 03, 2006, 13:53:36 pm »

Not at all, just make sure you drink plenty of liquids and have the extra 500 calories needed to bf. So a normal 2000 calories diet isn't enough, you need 2500, which doesn't require a large amount of food. Exercising is also doable, just don't over-exert yourself and as always drink lots of liquids!

small1 · « **Reply #2 on:** January 03, 2006, 16:38:49 pm »

Thanks for this. So far 1lb down, 1000 or so to go.....

rebecaq · « **Reply #3 on:** January 03, 2006, 17:07:53 pm »

LOL!!!!!!!!! Too funny!!

Remember that if your bf your hormones are still raging which makes the weight loss process SLOOOOOOOOOOOOW. But it will happenn, ds is 6 months and I still have about 18 punds to go.....BLECH!

dallinsmommy · « **Reply #4 on:** January 03, 2006, 21:05:53 pm »

Hi There,

I was also just going to add that you need to make sure you get all the calories/nutrients you'll need for you and your baby-if you start cutting back too much on the calories your body will hold onto the extra weight-it won't let go of it and everything will backfire. You'll do best at getting the proper number of calories and making healthy choices; i.e., fruits and veggies vs. chips and fried food. However, you do need a little fat everyday; even if you're losing weight. So, make sure you get your dairy in and a few oils-

I wouldn't worry about calories as much for now as I would about making good food choices and getting some exercise in-nothing too drastic to start out with; but a good 30 minute brisk walk everyday will do wonders in and of itself-and it'll make you feel better and want to eat healthier.

Good luck!

Lilah'sMommy · « **Reply #5 on:** January 03, 2006, 21:44:23 pm »

As long as you're eating nigh-nutrient food, cutting back a little on calories is fine. Eat as many vegetables as you can choke down, lots of fruit, whole grains, lowfat dairy, beans/lentils/peas, etc. Eat an adequate amount of good fats (olive oil, avocado, nuts, etc.). And let yourself have a little bit of a treat every day-- I'm addicted to chocolate soy milk. I get my chocolate kick, plus calcium and protein. And exercise moderately.

Now, if I would just take my own advice...

GraceKellysmom · « **Reply #6 on:** January 04, 2006, 02:49:49 am »

Sometimes it's ok to give yourself a treat or two during the day, if you can do so in moderation. Cutting everything is just too much for my willpower. But I will eat good all morning if I know I get a cup of pudding or a couple cookies after lunch. :wink:

I started stroller walking after both kids were born and that helped pull the pounds off too. A little bit of exercise is great for toning your muscles. Just start slow, drink plenty of water, and add days later. A few pounds a month is a realistic goal.

deb · « **Reply #7 on:** January 04, 2006, 03:10:37 am »

One thing I'm doing (or will start doing as soon as the last of the cookies are gone :oops:) is going back on The Zone, or at least my version of it. One serving of protein, about a fist-sized portion (meat, fish, eggs, dairy, nuts, any combination of the above), and then 2-3 times as much green veggies for my carbs, and a little bit of good fat (guacamole, olive oil, nuts, flaxseed oil, fish oil) for each meal. This on top of the prenatals and a protein shake (soy protein with spirulina, available at Whole Foods) and I'd be really really surprised if I weren't getting enough of something.

Oh, and it also helps that I was diagnosed with an underactive thyroid this pregnancy; I suspect I was undiagnosed last time with underactive thyroid which would have made the weight loss harder, but this time I've ben on meds since 5 months PG and the weight IS coming off a bit easier this time. Before the holiday sugar binges :oops:, I had lost about 8 pounds and that was without much exercise (either I was sick or one or the other or both of the kids were

).

small1 · « **Reply #8 on:** January 04, 2006, 14:01:08 pm »

No seriously, 1lb down, 1000 or so to go.

At the rate of a couple of lb's a month it will take me years. :cry:

I am not doing any drastic diet, just eating sensibly, with no snacks.
Many thanks for all your comments
Ali

chargerfans · « **Reply #9 on:** January 05, 2006, 14:52:27 pm »

I too am trying to loose the baby weight. My doc said that I only need to eat about 1800-2000 calories a day.... Average is 1500 a day.

I followed the zone previously and it DOES work! Only thing I wouldn't recommend while breastfeeding is cutting out the fruits/grains for the first few months. You still need your carbs so a piece of whole wheat bread or brown rice etc is good for you.

I always try to have a balanced meal - protien, carbs and fat. And then lots of veggies, some fruit every single day.

I hope it works this time around!

lele · « **Reply #10 on:** January 05, 2006, 22:21:12 pm »

my doc said i could cut calories a lot and increase fluids and my milk should be fine. he also said if i did this the baby weight should melt off... we will see. he also told me to get to whatever weight i wanted to by Easter. Again, we will see. i don't know if realized how much weight that would really be. :lol:

GraceKellysmom · « **Reply #11 on:** January 06, 2006, 01:17:18 am »

I still say 9 months on, 9 months off. I just think that with a healthy weight gain in pregnancy (25-40lbs) it seems reasonable that it will take longer than 6-8 weeks to take that weight off. Nature (or God) designed us to carry some of that pregnancy weight in our thighs and arms to use as extra calories for making milk.

I lost more weight quickly with Max because I was so active and busy taking care of a toddler and newborn. But my body wasn't back to "normal" until he was about 9 months old.

I know the original poster is talking about more weight than just pregnancy weight. With moderate exercise and good eating habits, we all can lose inches and pounds. Now, I just lack the motivation, so I'm having fun reading this thread and doing something about those extra 30 lbs. Or so. :roll:

magicbelly · « **Reply #12 on:** January 07, 2006, 01:58:17 am »

Does the weight pile on when you stop breastfeeding? i lam sure i have lost baby weight because i am breastfeeding because i am eating more than ever high calarie foods and would definately weigh more if i ate what i am now before the bub (5 1/2 months).

annamum · « **Reply #13 on:** January 07, 2006, 02:32:33 am »

magicbelly, I think you won't have such an apetite after you wean. I know what you are talking about. I am able to eat about anything I wish, fat and calorie-rich foods and I am lucky as nothing goes into me, one more reason I am happy to continue nursing

.

Lilah'sMommy · « **Reply #14 on:** January 07, 2006, 03:42:16 am »

I did put on a bit more weight when I dropped down to 2 feeds a day with dd (about 7 pounds), but they were 7 needed pounds (I went down a little too low a little too fast after having dd-- please don't shoot me!), and I am now able to maintain my weight while still eating quite a bit, too. My appetite has adjusted to the smaller quantity of milk I make, now, too.

magicbelly · « **Reply #15 on:** January 07, 2006, 09:53:13 am »

sabrina and monika, how long do you plan on bf your bubs for?

rebecaq · « **Reply #16 on:** January 07, 2006, 11:44:12 am »

I plan on breastfeeding until ds's 1st birthday and then wean him directly to the cup and with whole milk...

Lilah'sMommy · « **Reply #17 on:** January 07, 2006, 22:12:33 pm »

I don't have a plan; I'm on dd's schedule. When she's ready, she'll wean. She's already significantly shortened both her morning and bed-time feeds, so she may be gearing up to quit, or then again maybe not. I'm now starting to TTC and am hoping I'll be able to keep it up through the pregnancy if that's what dd wants/needs, so we shall see how that goes. I'd love to make it to the two-year mark, but again, I have no hard-and-fast plans. Ffunny, before I got pregnant and knew anything about nursing, I thought I'd just nurse for the first six months, then call it quits. Then I found out you have to give formula if you wean before a year, so I figured I'd make it to the year mark. But by the time we got there, neither one of us wanted to stop, so we both kept going, and I wouldn't change it for anything.

GraceKellysmom · « **Reply #18 on:** January 08, 2006, 01:14:56 am »

I found that my appetite did decrease now that I'm done breastfeeding. I get the "munchies" more than being hungry. It is hard to go back to eating well and counting calories! :shock: I'll let you know in a few months about weight loss. :wink:

annamum · « **Reply #19 on:** January 08, 2006, 03:26:06 am »

I am also not making any plans, I love breastfeeding and so does Anna. I don't really see a reason to stop until she is ready. I am also TTC now and I know that pregnancy can affect my dd's desire to continue nursing, so if she weans during my pregnancy, it is OK with me. If she doesn't, we will do a tandem nursing when a new baby arrives.

rebecaq · « **Reply #20 on:** January 08, 2006, 12:10:39 pm »

I ran into a bit of a problem yesterday....I discovered ds's first tooth after he took a big chomp on my breast! OUCH! He's been biting me with every feed since. I had said to my dh that once he bit me, and it became a game I would stop bf, but not that it's happened I don't know what to do. I want to bf for his first year, but I can't keep getting chomped on!

What did you ladies do? ( Those whose nursed once teeth came in )

GraceKellysmom · « **Reply #21 on:** January 08, 2006, 19:18:56 pm »

Almost all babies experiment with biting when teething. Tracy suggests saying "mommy doesn't like that" or "ouch that hurts mommy" but a simple "no biting!" usually worked for me. You can try to determine when it happens, if at the end of the feed, then get your finger ready to insert into mouth and save your nipple! It usually is short lived, and if you nip it properly it often doesn't recur. No reason to stop nursing!

Lilah'sMommy · « **Reply #22 on:** January 10, 2006, 21:32:37 pm »

I also said "no biting" or "ouch, that hurts mommy" and took my breast out of her mouth. Then I latched her back on. If your ds is chomping down on you, he can't get milk at the same time, so you can end the nursing session if he does it repeatedly. But if it's just a once-in-awhile thing, he's likely just experimenting with his brand-new chompers, and a reminder not to bite before resuming nursing will probably do the trick. Definitely no need to stop nursing! Just let him know it's not okay and get on with it.

rebecaq · « **Reply #23 on:** January 10, 2006, 22:20:19 pm »

Good to know, I do feel silly telling him my emotions, what with him being 6 months old, but I rather feel silly than to stop bf. I put the 1 year goal and really want to accomplish it. None of the women in my family bf for more than 1 month! Can you believe it?!?!? So the fact that I'm coming up on the 7 month mark is amazing!

Thanks for the support!

:!: I've been trying a "diet" for the past 2 weeks and even though I won't weigh myself becuase I think of it as a mental set back, my clothes are fitting more losely! I eat yogurt with pineapple chunks and walnuts for breakfast and dinner, and a sensible lunch. With all 5 food groups, but less quantity. And if I get hungry I'll munch on some walnuts or pineapple sweetened with Splenda. And lots and lots of water! I won't work out like I used to becuase I have it in my head that it will affect my milk supply and/or the taste. But I do walk for about 45 mins with ds in the afternoon.

Just passing along the yogurt tip in hopes it can help someone else!

ExOh

alison reed · « **Reply #24 on:** January 11, 2006, 12:49:27 pm »

I am glad that I am not the only one who is bf and dieting. All that I would say to do is not fry your food in oil let them cook in their own fat, eat at least 5 fresh fruit and veg a day and make sure you have 2 different fishes each week and eat eggs for protein and nuts. Take moderate excercise and if possible swiming is a good one as the water takes your weight so you can just swim and take time for yourself if you have some one to look after baby for you will you go swimming

But if you have asthma, excema or hayfever the medical experts to recamend that you avoid peanuts for the first year will breast feeding as your child could develop a nut allergy.

Good luck and keep up all the hard work that it takes to loss weight will breast feeding. I have managed to loss 2 kg so far out of 22kg. Also if you don't need to loss it for health reasons just take it slow and easy I have got to loss mine for health reasons but I am still going to take it slow and easy as I aim to loss 1 kg each week as I can not work in pound and onces. Let us know how you are doing

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Author Topic: Bf and dieting (Read 2657 times)

annamum

annamum