Lose weights. Here’s one common postpartum myth that needs debunking: Breastfeeding makes weight loss effortless. Although postpartum weight loss may come quickly for some breastfeeding moms, others may need to be more conscious of their diets if they want to shed extra pounds gained during pregnancy. Here’s what you need to know about losing weight while breastfeeding.
Does breastfeeding make you lose weights?
Although numerous studies suggest that breastfeeding helps with weight loss after pregnancy, it’s not always a guarantee for every breastfeeding mom.
Your body burns extra calories to make every ounce of breast milk you produce. Since exclusive breastfeeding can help your body burn an extra 500 to 700 calories per day compared to your baseline metabolism, it may help you burn through some of the extra energy stores (fatty tissues) that you automatically stocked during pregnancy in preparation for breastfeeding. Others hypothesize that breastfeeding weight loss might also be partly linked to breastfeeding moms being extra conscientious of their dietary choices as they continue to consciously eat for two.
That said, some studies have found that breastfeeding has no noticeable effect on weight loss. Breastfeeding ramps up your appetite – which is a good thing, because it helps sustain your body’s milk-making needs. But if you end up eating more calories than you burn, you’ll retain or even gain weight.
In addition, many new moms may struggle with sleep deprivation and postpartum fatigue, stress or postpartum depression, or low thyroid hormone levels, all of which can all make losing weight while breastfeeding more challenging and possibly contribute to postpartum weight gain.
Is it safe to go on a diet while breastfeeding?
If you’re considering going on a diet while breastfeeding, wait until at least two months postpartum, to ensure your milk supply is well-established. After this point, it’s possible to start a diet without compromising your health or your baby’s, as long as you’re getting enough calories and are eating a variety of nutrient-packed foods. Keep in mind that while drastically cutting calories and exercising vigorously may help you quickly drop pounds, losing weight too quickly can reduce your milk supply.
To safely lose weights while breastfeeding, you’ll need to eat at least 1,800 calories per day and aim to lose at most 1 pound per week. The number of calories you’ll need depends on your age, body mass index (BMI), activity level, and whether you’re exclusively breastfeeding or supplementing with formula.
A healthy breastfeeding diet should include a variety of foods from each food group, including low-fat protein, colorful fruits and veggies, whole grains, and healthy fats from plant-based foods.
If you ultimately find that 1,800 calories per day isn’t resulting in weight loss, moderate postpartum exercise may help. Regular aerobic exercise hasn’t been found to affect milk production or composition. As your baby starts eating solids at around 6 months of age, you can start to cut more calories as necessary to lose weight, since they’ll start receiving nutrients from other sources.
The bottom line: It’s best to work toward gradual weight loss while breastfeeding by eating three wholesome meals per day, choosing healthy snacks when you’re hungry, including moderate exercise in your daily routine, prioritizing sleep, and making sure you drink enough fluids. If postpartum weight loss is a priority to you, it’s important to do it slowly and safely.
Meal replacement shakes and breastfeeding
If you’re a breastfeeding mom, think of meal replacement shakes as snacks and not actual meals. These products are typically packed with vitamin and mineral supplements, and they’ve been shown to help people with obesity lose weight. However, any type of supplement simply can’t replace the nutrients and vitamins your body needs and gets from a healthy, balanced diet – especially when you’re responsible for feeding a second little human.
Studies on meal replacement shakes do offer one helpful takeaway for breastfeeding moms: Beyond calorie restriction, one of the reasons meal replacement shakes may help people lose weight is that they tend to be high in protein. And high-protein diets have been found to help control appetite while maintaining muscle mass during weight loss. Ensuring you get plenty of low-fat protein in an otherwise balanced diet can ultimately help you to lose weight safely while breastfeeding.
Is it safe to go on a Keto diet while breastfeeding?
The ketogenic diet may be safe to try while breastfeeding, and there’s no evidence that a low-carb diet reduces milk supply. That said, it’s always best to get the opinion of a health professional, such as your OB or a registered dietitian, before starting any weight loss diet while you’re breastfeeding.
On the keto diet, you’ll get about 90 percent of your daily calories from fat, which requires significantly cutting back on both carbs and protein. This eating pattern eventually forces your body into ketosis, where it burns stored fat instead of glucose (carbs) for energy and produces ketones.
The keto diet bans empty calories from processed carbohydrates, such as sweets and refined grains, that can make you hungrier and more likely to overindulge. High dietary fat intake on the plan can also make you feel more satisfied at each meal. Both of these factors may help control your appetite, which can lead you to eat fewer calories and lose weight.
However, feeling fuller at each meal may lead you to cut back on too many calories, which could lead to issues with your milk supply. You could also be at risk for nutrient deficiencies if you’re not eating a variety of plant-based foods. And some research suggests that lactation may rarely increase the risk of ketoacidosis. This potentially life-threatening condition occurs during ketosis when ketones build up to dangerous levels in the body.
So, unless you’ve cleared the plan with your healthcare provider, you’re likely safer saving keto or other restrictive diets until after you’ve finished breastfeeding.
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