Hi there girls,
I was a poster before I got pregnant with my youngest (11 months) and have now been lurking for a few weeks and finally remmebred my username.
Here is my issue:
Initially about 2 weeks ago I decided I wanted to get serious about losing weight. I am still nursing ds (almost exclusively nursing but he's given 1-2 bottles of 4oz each per day as I'm going back to work soon) and I am 5'2" and 170 lbs.
I initially thought I won't be too restirctive, I would just eliminate refined sugar and white flour products from my diet, because when I eat them I cannot stop. Also when they are in my diet, they are a large part of my diet and I crave and binge on them.
That was successful and I haven't eaten sugar and white flour in 2 weeks. I have no cravings.
However, the scale isn't really budging and I think I may still be consuming too many calories. I don't want to cut them too severly as I am nursing, but at the level the online calculators say to cut it is still too many (ie I am not losing).
Do you think the 1600ish mark is too low for a nursing mom?
I was around 1650-1800 depending on the day, with no extra exercise.
I am starting to incorporate exercise into my plan and trying to get in more volume, as I notice that the last few wks have been healthy foods but maybe too many calorie dense choices?!
Here was a typical day for me:
Breakfast:
2/3 cup oatmeal with 1/2 scoop chocolate protein powder and a tiny bit milk
snack:
1/2 cup cottage cheese with about 1/2 cup fruit or a sugar free ff yogurt
lunch:
pita pizza, or lean cuisine, or taco soup
snack:
string cheese and 5 ww ritz, or sf ff pudding with protein powder
supper:
anything around 300-350 cals
snack (sometimes):
something around 150 calories like a mini bag popcorn or a few ww crackers and a slice of cheese and pickles.
I'm not in any position to offer advice regarding calories to a nursing mom, I did nurse - but gained a lot of weight during that time (I wasn't focused on myself at all, bad decisions).
I've read and have experienced for myself that oats are GREAT for milk production, so wanted to applaud that food choice. Perhaps substitute more oats for a processed snack/mini meal if you notice your milk supply is effected by your dietary change.
Again, I can't really comment on nursing calories - but the diet looks a bit high in processed foods/artificial sweeteners/sodium FWIW. I'd probably start by adding more whole foods into the menu. I know it's hard, especially all at once. Just gradually switch some more veggies, fruits and grains in there.
I don't know how many calories a nursing mom should have. I would ask your doctor for sure.
What I do see, or don't really, in your listing is fruits and veggies. And maybe a bit too much sodium from process foods like the lean cuisines and ff puddings.
"Studies have shown that most healthy breastfeeding women maintain an abundant milk supply while taking in 1800-2200 (or more) calories per day. Consuming less than 1500-1800 calories per day (most women should stay at the high end of this range) may put your milk supply at risk, as may a sudden drop in caloric intake."
Since this is an amount suggested for everyone, it may be slightly different for your specific body.
IMO, I think you should keep your calories at where they're at, but like you said, start incorporating exercise. That way, you can burn more calories that day, but you won't have to worry about lowering the milk supply and nutrients for your child.
Also, like other people said, you could start eating more whole foods. Instead of having Lean Cuisines, you could have fresh salads with chicken but still have the right amount of calories since you're nursing.
Thanks, girls!
I was going to introduce a few more veg into my diet. I usually don't have my veg until supper. when I might have chicken and veggies, or fish and veggies.
I have 1-3 servings of fruit a day, today so far I had blueberries and half a banana with my cottage cheese. I love dairy (and unfortunately, grains) so I eat a lot of those, so maybe I need a bit more balance. The volume would help me be full on fewer cals, too. prep time is an issue as I have an 11 month old and a 5 year old. So I tend to grab quick things like the cottage cheese
I'm making a pizza at the moment on a ww tortilla (90cal) and while I was making it I snacked on some grape tomatoes and a dill pickle. Its harder to have lots of veg in winter, I find. Looking forward to the taco soup for supper and I will add a few cups of green beans to it.
Also, on the website I was looking at, it said that it is very important to stay hydrated. So, drinking plenty of water with your meal with also help with feeling fuller.
My experience with nursing each time, was I was on Weight Watchers and eating TWICE THE FOOD ON REGULAR WEIGHT WATCHERS....like a ridiculous amount of food, and the weight was falling off. THAT WAS THE LAST TIME THAT EVER HAPPENED. I ate so much more than you are eating now! Like 2000 calories. I guess everyone is different.
One thing though is wieghing can be tricky when brestfeeding because of course you are retaining a lot of fluids.
Not losing weight!
