Safe Ways To Lose Weight While Breast-feeding

After 40 weeks of watching your body get bigger and bigger, you may be eager to get back to your pre-pregnancy size. The way you lose weight can impact your body and your lactation. Learn how to lose weight safely to protect your well-being and the health of your newborn.

Go Slowly

It's safe for you to lose about 1 lb. a week. A study published in the New England Journal of Medicine found that young babies who consumed only mother's milk were not adversely affected when their moms lost about 1 lb. every seven days. If you lose weight more quickly than that, you risk decreasing your milk supply. There is some question about whether you might even contaminate your milk with unhealthy substances that had been stored in your body fat. Rapid weight loss may also make you feel tired or unwell.

Exercise

To lose weight you must burn more calories than you consume. One healthy strategy for losing weight is to increase your activity level through exercise and burn more calories each day. According to MayoClinic.com, moms who were active while pregnant and delivered their babies vaginally without mishap can start exercising before their infants are a week old. MayoClinic.com advises that you begin gradually and that you don't start exercising until you feel physically ready.

Reduce Your Intake

According to La Leche League International, you may safely reduce your intake to 1,800 calories a day when your baby is 2 months old. It is important to wait two months before you intentionally try to reduce your weight because it gives your body time to bounce back from the delivery and to build a supply of breast milk. La Leche League International cautions nursing mothers not to consume fewer than 1,500 calories a day because doing so may adversely effect their production of breast milk and their milk expulsion response.

Eat Intentionally

Strive for a nutritious, well-balanced diet that includes fresh fruit and vegetables, whole grains, lean meat, fish, poultry and low-fat dairy products. If you find yourself feeling hungry, focus on eating foods that are high in fiber. Their bulk makes it seem as if you have eaten more. Consider eating smaller amounts more frequently, but don't eat out of habit, to relieve stress or anxiety or in response to the time of day. Pay attention to how you feel and only eat when you are hungry. Take care that you get enough calcium, folic acid, magnesium, vitamin A, vitamin B6, vitamin B12, vitamin D and zinc either through your diet or the use of supplements.

Stay Hydrated

Drink plenty of fluids, but avoid fruit juices, which are high in sugar, and caffeinated beverages, which are diuretics. A rule of thumb to avoid dehydration is to drink one or two glasses of water every time you exercise and every time you nurse.