Eating, Breastfeeding and Weight

It's difficult for some to practice the term "calories in - calories out" when it comes to weight loss. And it seems that the same is true for people to have to eat more when it come to breastfeeding, especially when they are also trying to return to their pre-pregnancy weight.

For the average woman, a daily consumption of 500 additional calories is required for milk production. Breast feeding requires alot of energy and this is why, for some (like myself, for example), while the baby is nursing, this over whelming feeling of thirst and starvation suddenly comes over you and you feel like you could eat an entire cow on a plate! It's like the baby is literally sucking the life out of you.

But this is also where the confusion sets in. I have had many women ask me "isn't breast feeding supposed to make me lose weight faster?". Well yes, and no. Initially, breast feeding helps to return your uterus back to it's original shape faster and this is why many women can actually feel it contracting while the baby is on the breast. On the other hand, like I said before, because your body uses up alot of energy (calories) for breast feeding, you need to replace them if you want your body to continue to produce milk, especially in the early months. So understandably, many women get confused and frustrated. They want to breast feed and provide optimal nutrition to their baby but they also want to get out of their maternity clothes and begin to feel like themselves again. It is very possible to eat well, produce enough milk for your baby and lose weight at a safe and steady rate. Remember, fat loss is tough and measured at approximately 1-2 per week if done properly. Anything more than that is water and muscle loss which you definitely can't afford when you need to be well hydrated, not only for milk production but also to carry that baby around that's only going to get bigger!

The trick is this, whether you just had a baby or not, you must fuel your body regularly and with proper food choices so stay fuller longer, your blood sugar doesn't plummet and you don't fall into the trap of grabbing something "quick", which usually means "garbage". I have seen it time and time again. Women who actually gain weight after the baby is born and they can't figure out why. Well when you are 100% focused on feeding, burping, changing, bouncing and not sleeping, it's not surprising that you fall into "survial mode", as I call it and stuff whatever is at close range into your mouth just so you can last the next few hours. If you find yourself in this trap, take a step back and look at what food you have available. If you find salty and sugary starchy carbs, pre packaged foods and empty calories, get rid of it! Because you can't eat it if it's not in the house.