Well, we know the importance of a proper diet when breastfeeding, right??? Or atleast we're aware that what we ingest gets passed through our breast milk so some moms might avoid certain foods that make baby gassy etc.. We're also told that breastfeeding helps us to lose weight because it not also helps shrink the placenta to it's original size, but it also burns hundreds of calories a day. Ya!!
As a result, we eat additional calories (I was starving while I nursed) because it feels like the baby is literally sucking the life out of you. So then how are we supposed to lose weight? Well if you want to lose weight, you are supposed to create a calorie deficit - burn more calories than you are taking in. This can be done with a combination of exercise and a proper diet. So it makes sense to exercise more and eat less, right? Wrong!
I was recently at a fitness convention and took a workshop on nutrition for weight loss. She said that the Amrican guidelines say that nursing mothers should not cut calories at all. Even if you're nursing for a year and your baby is getting most of their nutrients from food, you not supposed to cut calories, as this may affect you milk supply. Well, I thought this a little extreme, to say the least.. but then I did a bit more investigating.
During pregnancy, you gain additional fat stores to help with the breatfeeding process. In other words, in addition to the 300-500 additional calories you need to ingest, the rest comes from the fat stores you have already aquired. Good news.. this means you get to burn that fat and use it as fuel to produce milk. So if you are breastfeeding, look at a slow, gradual weight loss of 1/2 - 1 lbs a week and don't try and limit any calories AT ALL until breastfeeding is well established.
Phew.... now it makes sense. I kept an additional 5-7 lbs on until I weaned both of my girls at 14 months and they were only down to one mini feed a day. You see, mother nature has a very funny way of keeping those extra fat stores just incase there's a shortage of food in the world. You may not be able to eat, but your baby still can.
As a result, we eat additional calories (I was starving while I nursed) because it feels like the baby is literally sucking the life out of you. So then how are we supposed to lose weight? Well if you want to lose weight, you are supposed to create a calorie deficit - burn more calories than you are taking in. This can be done with a combination of exercise and a proper diet. So it makes sense to exercise more and eat less, right? Wrong!
I was recently at a fitness convention and took a workshop on nutrition for weight loss. She said that the Amrican guidelines say that nursing mothers should not cut calories at all. Even if you're nursing for a year and your baby is getting most of their nutrients from food, you not supposed to cut calories, as this may affect you milk supply. Well, I thought this a little extreme, to say the least.. but then I did a bit more investigating.
During pregnancy, you gain additional fat stores to help with the breatfeeding process. In other words, in addition to the 300-500 additional calories you need to ingest, the rest comes from the fat stores you have already aquired. Good news.. this means you get to burn that fat and use it as fuel to produce milk. So if you are breastfeeding, look at a slow, gradual weight loss of 1/2 - 1 lbs a week and don't try and limit any calories AT ALL until breastfeeding is well established.
Phew.... now it makes sense. I kept an additional 5-7 lbs on until I weaned both of my girls at 14 months and they were only down to one mini feed a day. You see, mother nature has a very funny way of keeping those extra fat stores just incase there's a shortage of food in the world. You may not be able to eat, but your baby still can.
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