Women who are breastfeeding burn as much as 500 extra calories per day to support milk production reports the Idea Health and Fitness Association. For some women, this extra calorie burn helps weight loss occur rapidly—for others, weight loss stalls. Post partum weight loss depends on a number of factors including your individual metabolism, your weight, the amount of milk you produce and your activity level. Diet also plays an important role in your ability to lose weight. Attention to portion sizes and food quality can help you lose weight. Eating a healthy, balanced diet will also help you feel better when faced with limited sleep and surging hormones.
Step 1
Check with your doctor before you begin trying to lose weight while breastfeeding. Wait at least two months before considering undertaking any diet, recommend the experts at the website Babycenter. Reducing calories early on may negatively affect your milk supply.
Step 2
Do not become consumed with counting calories. Follow your hunger cues to determine when you should eat. Reach for fruit or cut up vegetables first to satisfy hunger if it comes between meals.
Step 3
Strive to lose only a pound or so of weight a week. Recognize that it took nine months to lose your pre-pregnancy body, it will take just as long--if not longer--to regain your figure. Eat more if you lose weight at a rate faster than 1.5 lbs. per week after your first six weeks postpartum. Rapid weight loss may cause your body to release toxins into your milk supply, warns Babycenter.
Step 4
Eat a balanced diet. Stay away from fad diets that require you to eliminate entire food groups. Choose a variety of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean proteins, low-fat dairy and unsaturated fats daily.
Step 5
Eat small meals often. Try for five or six meals that contain between 250 and 400 calories each to manage hunger and promote energy. Include a 2 to 4 oz. serving of lean protein, a half cup of healthy carbohydrate and a small amount of unsaturated fat in each meal to satisfy your nutritional requirements and make you full.
Step 6
Eat enough healthy fats. Choose mono- and poly-unsaturated fats that come from plants and fatty fish. Cut back on saturated fats, found in full-fat dairy and fatty cuts of meat, and trans fats, found in commercially processed and fried foods, as they can negatively affect your breast milk by decreasing its omega-3 content that is important to infant growth and proper development. These fats are not good for your health either.
Step 7
Stay hydrated. Drink plenty of water daily to encourage milk production and to keep you from confusing thirst signals for hunger. Avoid calorie-laden drinks—including juice--as they do not help you feel satisfied and offer little in the way of nutrition.
Tips and Warnings
- Mini meals also fit better into a busy life with a new baby—you often do not have the energy to prepare full meals and have even less time to sit down and eat. Sample meals include Greek yogurt with low-fat granola and strawberries, a turkey sandwich on whole grain bread with avocado and tomato or broiled chicken with bagged lettuce, cucumbers, feta cheese drizzled with olive oil and lemon juice. Try to fit in regular physical activity to help you lose weight while breast feeding. Take your baby for a walk in a stroller or a front pack, or take some "me" time and go to the gym.
- Never follow crash diets, detox diets or cleanses while breast feeding. These can adversely affect your milk. Do not take weight loss pills or supplements without talking to your doctor as they may seep into your breast milk.
Things You'll Need
- Unsaturated fats
- Fruits and vegetables
- Whole grains
- Lean protein
- Low-fat dairy
