You may have considered going on a diet while nursing, and that is perfectly fine --- as long as you follow a healthy diet. Even if you're not eating the best, your breast milk will not be compromised, unless you begin to suffer from malnutrition. Your breast milk may also be compromised if you lose weight too quickly, which is why you should aim for a slow, steady weight loss.
Healthy Nutrition
While you're breastfeeding, you should try to eat as healthy as possible. Depending upon your physical activity level, you should eat 200 to 500 calories more than what you did to maintain your weight during pregnancy, according to Breastfeeding Basics. Your body uses and burns a lot of calories producing milk for your baby around the clock, which is why diet is so important. It's also important that you receive your calories from nutritious foods rather than empty-calorie foods. Sure, potato chips offer a lot of calories, but they have little nutritional value. Nutritious foods include fruits, vegetables, lean protein and dairy products such as cheese and yogurt.
Going On a Diet
You already know that eating healthy is a must while breastfeeding, but you can still safely consume fewer calories to lose a few pounds per month. Consult with your physician about a safe caloric intake so that you do not develop nutritional deficiencies. Even if you develop a minor deficiency, your breast milk will pull all of the nutrients your baby needs from your reserves or dietary intake to ensure your child's nutritional needs are met.
Losing Weight
The average nursing mom loses about 1.5 to 4 lbs. per month with very little effort, according to Breastfeeding Basics. While you may lose weight at a rapid pace, Breastfeeding Basics notes that you shouldn't expect to see any fat loss until around two weeks postpartum. The weight loss that occurs in the first couple of weeks after delivery is mainly attributed to water weight. BabyCenter warns that if you begin losing more than 1.5 lbs. each week, you're not getting enough calories and you need to increase your caloric intake. Losing weight too fast while breastfeeding can be dangerous to your baby. Stored body fat releases toxins as you're losing it, which can get into your bloodstream and breast milk.
Vitamins
Continue taking vitamins during lactation. Your healthcare provider may recommend that you continue taking the same prenatal vitamins you took while pregnant, or you may be advised to take a daily multivitamin to ensure you're meeting the recommended daily allowance of all vitamins and minerals. Consult with your physician if the iron in your prenatal vitamins begins to make you constipated, as prenatal vitamins contain a higher dose of iron than ordinary vitamins.
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