How to Lose Weight Safely While Breastfeeding
Shedding those stubborn post-baby pounds is a goal for many new moms. But if you’re breastfeeding, you’ll need to be extra careful about losing weight the healthy way. Restricting too many calories or nutrients can potentially impact your milk supply and your baby’s health. Follow these tips to lose weight gradually while protecting your breastfeeding journey.
Wait Until Your Body Is Ready
Hold off on any serious weight loss efforts until both you and baby have settled into a regular breastfeeding routine, usually around 4-6 weeks postpartum. Trying to diet too soon can zap your energy and disrupt milk production when your body needs proper nourishment as it recovers from childbirth. Be kind to yourself during this precious newborn phase.
Understand Your Calorie Needs
While breastfeeding, you’ll burn an extra 300-500 calories per day making nutrient-rich milk for your little one. However, you shouldn’t treat this as justification to eat whatever you want. Consuming more calories than your body needs will still cause excess weight gain. Focus instead on choosing quality sources to fuel lactation without over-indulging.
Don’t Cut Calories Too Drastically
As a breastfeeding mom, never dip below 1,800 calories per day – doing so increases your risk of producing less milk. Most women should consume at least 1,800-2,200 calories daily when breastfeeding. If you need to lose weight, reduce your intake by just 300-500 calories from your daily target. Any more could sacrifice your milk supply.
Get Enough Protein For Both Of You
Protein helps keep you feeling full while providing amino acids for optimum milk production. Aim for at least 80-100 grams of high-quality protein daily from lean sources like:
• Greek yogurt, cottage cheese, eggs
• Lean poultry, meat, fish and seafood
• Beans, lentils, tofu and edamame
• Protein powder supplements
Stay Hydrated For Ample Milk Flow
Dehydration is a major culprit for decreased milk supply. Drink frequently throughout the day, striving for at least 100 ounces or 12 cups of water and hydrating fluids like milk, unsweetened coffee and tea. Carry a large reusable water bottle with you as a helpful reminder to keep sipping. Proper hydration also curbs hunger and overeating.
Pump and Nurse On Schedule
Nursing or pumping every 2-3 hours ensures your body continually receives signals to produce adequate milk. When your breasts aren’t drained frequently, fat-building hormones get triggered instead. Stay on a consistent nursing schedule to burn maximum calories through milk production.
Try Intermittent Fasting (Carefully)
Many breastfeeding moms find intermittent fasting an effective way to reduce overall calorie intake while maintaining milk supply. However, only attempt gentle forms like skipping a morning snack or limiting your intake window to 12 hours per day at most. More aggressive fasting approaches could compromise your nutrition and milk stores.
Incorporate High-Intensity Workouts
Once you’ve fully recovered from childbirth and established your breastfeeding routine, incorporate high-intensity interval training (HIIT) 2-3 times per week. HIIT exercises like sprinting, cycling intervals and plyometrics send your metabolism soaring to burn maximum fat in minimal time frames. Just be sure you’re sufficiently hydrated before intense sweat sessions.
Strength Train to Build Metabolism
Strength training not only sculpts and tones your body, it builds metabolism-revving muscle that burns more calories long after your workout ends. Lift weights or do bodyweight exercises targeting all major muscle groups at least 2-3 times per week. If holding dumbbells is tough, wear a baby carrier weighted with your little one!
Walk For Easy Calorie Burn
Walking may seem too easy, but it’s an excellent low-impact way for new moms to burn extra calories while strengthening muscles and bones. Aim for 30-60 minutes daily, even just by strolling around your neighborhood with baby. Wear your little one in a front carrier or push the stroller for added resistance training.
Prioritize Rest and Recovery
While exercise is great for health and weight loss, make sure you’re letting your body fully recover on non-workout days. Skimping on rest increases your risk of fatigue, injury, and hormone imbalances that hamper milk production and overall weight loss. Take restorative rest days to simply nourish and recharge your hard-working body when needed.
Stay Fueled With Nutrient-Dense Foods
Instead of fixating on numbers, focus on filling your plate with satiating, nourishing whole foods like:
• Fruits and veggies for fiber, vitamins, minerals
• Whole grains like oats, quinoa, brown rice
• Healthy fats from olive oil, avocados, nuts
• Lean proteins like eggs, poultry, fish, Greek yogurt
These nutrient-dense options keep you and baby properly fed while promoting gradual, sustainable weight loss.
Snack Mindfully Throughout The Day
Frequent nursing sessions mean you may feel hungrier than usual. Keep a stash of breastfeeding-friendly grab-and-go snacks handy to nip cravings in the bud. Think: Greek yogurt, hard-boiled eggs, apple slices with nut butter, trail mixes, edamame, or homemade energy bites. Always stay a step ahead of hunger.
Consider Milk Supply Boosting Supplements
Some herbal and dietary supplements have been shown to naturally increase breast milk production. These include fenugreek, blessed thistle, calcium-rich foods, oatmeal and brewers yeast. Adding them to your diet, alongside proper hydration, may make it easier to shed pounds without causing your milk supply to dip.
Join A Virtual Support Community
How to lose weight while breastfeeding?Losing weight while nursing a newborn is challenging, to say the least. Surround yourself with a network of supportive fellow breastfeeding moms via online forums or local groups. Share experiences, tips and encouragement. Having this backup can increase your likelihood of sticking to healthy habits for lasting results.
Trust Your Body’s Cues
More than anything, trust your body’s signals while striving to lose weight as a breastfeeding mother. If you feel fatigued, thirsty, achy or notice a dip in milk supply, course-correct by adjusting your diet and workout intensity accordingly. Healing from childbirth and producing precious breastmilk require patience and grace. Losing weight steadily and gently is better.
Celebrate All Victories Besides the Scale
Rather than obsess over a number, learn to recognize and celebrate all the non-scale victories that indicate your hard work is paying off:
• More enduring energy levels
• Better-fitting clothes
• Increased self-confidence
• Muscle tone and definition
• Healthy milk supply for baby
The scale simply cannot show the whole picture when you’re breastfeeding. Stay focused on consistency and self-care.
Be Forgiving Of Setbacks
There may be weeks or even months when the number on the scale doesn’t budge much or even increases slightly. This is normal and to be expected, especially if you’re holding on to stubborn pregnancy pounds. Don’t beat yourself up or engage in extreme calorie deprivation to “punish” yourself. Recommit to your routine while being compassionate towards yourself and your body’s needs.
Breastfeeding is a precious yet fleeting phase – before you know it, you’ll transition back to your usual lifestyle. But you’ll always cherish the irreplaceable bond you formed through sustaining your little one with your own nourishing milk. Let this journey humble and inspire you to gradually build sustainable habits. The weight will eventually come off through gentle consistency.
