Community » Get Advice » Diet and Nutrition » Breastfeeding and Dieting?

Hi, Im new to FitClick and Im also a new mom. I had my daughter 3 months ago and I plann on breastfeeding her till shes atleast 6months maybe a year well Im struggling with my weight I want to start dieting now. I did research and I only found 1 program that was safe for nursing mothers, but it was expensive. So im here Ive decided to eat healthy and workout with out any aides just naturally. So if any one here has any advice or tips Id be greatful.

Laura

it's a little tricky to go on a full diet while still breastfeeding -- you need to keep up your calories and nutrients for the baby. the best thing to do to lose weight is to continue breastfeeding as long as you can -- that's a lot of extra calories that you're sending out.

try asking your doctor what a good caloric level is for you and then track what you eat and stay at or under that level (a little). combined with exercise and breastfeeding, you should start shedding weight

Every nutritionally sound weight-loss program sets daily calories between 1200 and 1800 calories a day (depending on your activity level and desired loss rate). Add 500 calories a day if pregnant or breastfeeding... so your range is 1700-2300.

When dividing up your calories into nutrient goals, I'd suggest protein be 20% (double the minimum), and fat be 15% (half the maximum). The rest can be any kind of carbohydrates, but the higher the fiber, the more full you'll feel. A wide variety of fruits and vegetables provide fiber along with vitamins and minerals you both need. If you don't like vegetables, keep taking prenatal vitamins until you wean.

DO NOT TAKE DIET PILLS or any thing else the doctor hasn't okay'd for the baby to take. I googled "how many calories for breastfeeding?" and the first couple of sites were pretty detailed! You can also contact your local chapter of La Leche League.