Breastfeeding your infant provides you with health benefits, such as a reduced risk for developing type 2 diabetes, postpartum depression and certain cancers, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics. Breastfeeding also may increase weight loss and help you burn off those pesky pregnancy pounds. If you aren't losing weight while breastfeeding, evaluate your dietary habits to see whether you're consuming too many calories.
Breast Milk
Mothers who breastfeed tend to lose weight easier because of breast milk's high calorie and fat content. Breast milk has about 70 calories and 4 g of fat in every 100 ml. Your body uses your fat stores, as well as the fat you eat, to make breast milk. Every time you feed your baby, you lose the calories and fat your milk contains. Your growing infant can drink hundreds of milliliters of milk every day, which means you can burn hundreds of calories daily just by breastfeeding your baby.
Weight Loss
If you aren't losing weight while breastfeeding, you're most likely consuming too many calories. You burn the fat that accumulates during pregnancy when your body makes milk. However, if you eat more calories than your body needs, you won't use your fat stores to make milk. Instead, your body uses the excess calories you consume to make breast milk. Losing weight postpartum is like losing weight any other time -- you must burn more calories than you consume.
Metabolic Rate
You can easily figure out whether you're eating too much. Evaluate your basal metabolic rate, or BMR, with the following formula: (9.56 x weight in kilograms) + (1.85 x height in centimeters) - (4.68 x age) + 655. Once you have your BMR, multiply it with an activity factor. BMR represents your body's energy demand if you sleep all day. Everything you do during the day increases your caloric need. Use factor 1.2 if you're sedentary, factor 1.55 if you're moderately active and factor 1.9 if you're very active. The number you get is your daily metabolic rate without breastfeeding. Since you're breastfeeding, your metabolic rate is actually more. Add 300 to 500 calories to get a more accurate estimate of your daily metabolic rate.
Calorie Count
Once you know your approximate daily metabolic rate, or energy need, evaluate your caloric intake. Track your daily caloric intake -- don't forget to include the calories you drink, in addition to the calories you eat. If your caloric intake exceeds your metabolic rate, you can't lose weight.
Considerations
Consume 300 to 500 calories fewer than your metabolic rate to lose weight. Build your diet around fresh vegetables, whole grains, low-fat dairy, lean meats and healthy fats. Exercise two to three times a week. For instance, take a walk while pushing your baby in a stroller. Consult your physician before changing your caloric intake and diet while breastfeeding. Inability to lose weight while breastfeeding may result from such health conditions as hypothyroidism. Ask your doctor whether you require tests to rule out health issues.
References
- American Academy of Pediatrics; Breastfeeding and the Use of Human Milk; February 2005
- "Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology"; Impact of Breastfeeding on Maternal Nutritional Status; K.G. Dewey; 2004
- Parenting Science; Nutrients and Calories in Breast Milk; Gwen Dewar, Ph.D.; 2008
- BabyCentre; How Much Milk Does My Baby Need?; November 2010
- Gotta Sport; Harris Benedict Formula for Women and Men; November 2007
- MedlinePlus; Hypothyroidism; April 2010
