Here Are 7 Killer Methods of How to Lose Weight While Breastfeeding

Most new moms are very eager to return to their pre pregnancy weight. However, if you are a breastfeeding mom, you may be a little anxious about cutting back or dieting while you are nursing. Well, relax. Not only is it perfectly healthy to diet while nursing, it is also the best time for a new mom to drop that baby weight. In fact, it is easier for a breastfeeding woman to lose lower body fat than a mom who is formula feeding.

1. The body of a breastfeeding mom will take nutrients from the mom to ensure that the milk is best for the baby. If you are worried that cutting calories while you are breastfeeding will take nutrients away from your baby, relax. Actually, the opposite is true. The mom's body will send nutrients to the breast milk first so that the baby gets the most nutrition possible even if it means taking nutrients away from the mom. Actually, unless the mother is severely malnourished, her milk will be fine for feeding her baby.

2. Eat lots of calcium rich foods. Calcium is vital for building strong teeth and bones. However, the proteins that are in cow's milk are harder to digest and can pass through breast milk to baby. They can cause food allergies, although this occurs in a very small percentage of babies. Yogurt and cheese may still be OK if you find a problem with cow's milk, but you do need calcium. Broccoli, nuts, spinach and canned salmon are all great sources of calcium. It also wouldn't hurt to add a calcium supplement to your diet. You need about 1,000 mg of calcium if you are between the ages of 18 and 50, even if you aren't breastfeeding. Another boon for breastfeeding, though, is that nursing mothers do lose some bone mass when they breastfeed, but within a year after weaning, research shows that not only is the bone loss restored, but the bones are stronger. Breastfeeding has been shown to protect women from osteoporosis.

3. Drink lots of water. Drink when you are thirsty, but drink water. Ideally, 6 ounces to 8 ounces is what you should consume. If you drink too much water you actually run the risk of decreasing your milk supply.

4. When breastfeeding, you need to take in 200 to 500 calories in excess of what you needed prior to becoming pregnant to maintain your weight. If you want to lose, you can cut back some, but don't drop your caloric intake below about 1,800 calories a day. Breastfeeding burns quite a few calories and as you nurse you will lose weight.

5. Don't rush it. Don't even try to cut back on calories or do any type of dieting until at least 2 weeks post partum. At about 4 to 6 weeks post partum you can cut back on calories, but maintain a healthy diet and keep taking your prenatal vitamins. Don't try to lose weight too quickly either. A pound or two a week is all you should ever try to lose when you are nursing.

6. Exercise regularly. Moderate exercise has been shown to be very beneficial to nursing mothers. You may need to plan a little more, such as exercising after nursing so your breasts aren't uncomfortable and full, wear a good sports bra and drink a glass of water both before and after your workout. Take it easy until you are released from the doctor. Maybe start out walking.

7. Eat fresh and lean. This really goes without saying. Include plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables into your diet as well as whole grains and lean meats. You should also incorporate fish into your diet at least two times a week. Salmon is a great choice, but go with wild salmon. Farm raised salmon has been shown to have a higher concentration of mercury so you want to steer clear of that.

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How to Lose Pregnancy Weight While Breastfeeding

By reading this article, you will find out how to lose your pregnancy weight while you are breastfeeding. The key to weight loss for anyone is building lean muscle and burning fat. Many mothers don't realize that cutting calories doesn't always result in losing weight. Some women get bad hunger pains and start eating all the wrong foods which spirals them down the wrong path, and in the worst case quitting. You can still eat and lose weight. You don't have to worry about compromising your breast milk quality or supply in the process.

Has breastfeeding helped you lose your pregnancy weight like you had expected? Your body burns about 500 calories a day when it takes the nutrients you eat from your food and putting it into breast milk. What I mean by that is that when you are pregnant, your body builds up extra fat stores to help in this process. This is what I like to call "baby fat". Breastfeeding moms only have to eat about 300-500 additional calories above their pre-pregnancy baseline needs every day because of these fat stores. When you eat this recommended amount of additional calories and are exclusively breastfeeding, your body will get the additional calories it needs from the fat stores. Therefore, you should experience a slow and steady weight loss toward your pre-pregnancy weight just by breastfeeding.

Losing fat is more important than losing pounds. Many of my patient's moms are obsessed with losing a specific number of pounds. I tell them it's not the number of pounds that count, but more importantly it's the amount of fat loss. Fat is lost when the body uses up more calories than it takes in. Everyone has what we call a basal metabolic rate, or commonly referred to as a "metabolism". This is basically the amount of calories your body burns at rest. The main controller of this rate is the amount of lean muscle your body has. So one of the key ingredients to weight loss, is building up lean muscle tissue. You can do this through strength training. Strength training can be lifting weights, using your body weight, or using stretch bands...anything to make the muscles work.

Another thing you can do to burn more calories is cardio. Don't start frowning yet. This doesn't necessarily mean you have to go running outside or on a treadmill, but you can if you want. All you have to do is be more active than usual for 30-60 minutes a day, 3-5 days a week. It doesn't have to be done all at once either. You can break it up into chunks of 10-15 minutes if you have to. Get creative with it. Park your car at the far end of the lot instead of in front of the door. Take the stairs instead of the elevator. Take the baby in a stroll at the park or around the block. Walking is an excellent and simple way to burn calories. Remember that slow and steady is the key to success. 30 minutes a day for 3 times a week is pretty doable. So start by doing a little bit of cardio each day and then the next week do a little more. Next thing you know, your doing 1 hour of cardio straight for 5 days a week. Imagine how many calories that burns!!

Losing weight while breastfeeding is not as simple as just eating less. Many breastfeeding mothers who don't lose weight are not eating enough calories. They have the intentions of losing weight, but they are not meeting their breastfeeding needs. This ultimately leads to frustration. The problem with cutting calories is that if you cut too much, your body goes into "starvation mode" and it holds onto fat because it doesn't think it's going to get enough calories. Many times, just simply eating mere 300-500 calories more can get you over the hump and into the fat-burning path back to your pre-pregnancy weight. A friend of mine recently had a baby and unfortunately ran into this same problem of not eating enough. She wanted to lose weight and though if she ate less then the weight should come off because she's breastfeeding, but it didn't. She asked for some advice and come to find out she was eating twice a day and about 800 calories a day. I told her she wasn't eating enough. She said I was crazy. Then I told her to eat at least 1500 calories a day and adjust the calories from there. She told me I didn't know what I was talking about. I eventually convinced her to take my advice. Low and behold the weight started coming off in no time!!

Eating 1 or 2 meals a day can cause starvation as well. When you're in starvation mode, your body slows down its metabolic rate. This means your burning less fat and that's also why many times people are feeling like they have no energy or maybe tired all the time. When your tired you eat more as well because you have more cravings.

Eating throughout the day will stop food cravings which cause so many people to quit. This is another one of the biggest reasons post-pregnancy mothers don't lose weight and get discouraged. When you go for long periods of time in between meals, your blood sugar levels drop. When they are low, your body starts to get cravings for quick supplies of sugar. Of course, these are all the bad things for anyone trying to lose weight...cookies, chips, fried food, etc. A simple solution is to eat every 3-4 hours, just like your baby. A great rule of thumb is to eat roughly 300 calories (doesn't have to be exact) and drink 8 ounces of fluids after every feeding. Eat a balance of carbohydrates (fruits/veggies/whole grains) and proteins (beans/nuts/seeds/lean meats/low fat dairy) at each meal or snack.

The quality and supply of your breast milk does not suffer if you do the right things. As long as you are eating and drinking fluids throughout the day your body will signal to continue making breast milk. The supply goes dry when you start cutting back too much on the amount of food and fluids you take in.

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How to Lose Weight While Breastfeeding Your Baby

One of the things new mothers want to do right after giving birth is to lose their pregnancy fat. If you are breastfeeding, you might want to know if you can safely diet. Knowing that baby gets all his nutrition from the mother, it is only natural to think that dieting will hinder a baby's growth and development. Fortunately, it is possible to lose weight while breastfeeding.

Mothers who breastfeed will be happy to know that breastfeeding actually helps you shed pounds. In fact, pregnancy fat is nature's way of preparing the body for lactation. With breastfeeding, the fat is burned to produce breast milk. This helps you regain your pre-pregnancy weight more quickly.

If you want to start a diet program, it is best to wait at least two months to make sure that milk production is firmly established. Your body has to produce enough milk that the baby needs during the first 8 weeks. In addition, waiting two months will give your body sufficient time to recover from the stress of having a baby.

Doctors recommend that you take in 200-500 calories more than what you normally need to maintain your weight while you are nursing. Your body uses up body fat while you are nursing. That makes it easier to lose the fat on your hips and thighs. Mothers who breastfeed lose weight faster than mothers who bottle feed their baby.

Avoid quick-fix diets while breastfeeding, such as liquid diets, low carbohydrate diets, or weight-loss medication. They are not good for you or the baby. Breastfeeding mothers need a healthy diet of whole grains, protein, fruits and vegetables.

If you want to lose weight while breastfeeding, limit it to one or two pounds per week. Drastic weight loss can affect your milk supply. Besides, it is best to shed extra weight gradually. Remember that you gained weight over a period of nine months. Expect to take 9 to 12 months to lose the excess fat.

Moderate exercise while breastfeeding can also help you lose weight. Exercise will help tone and build your muscles and fight postpartum depression. Most medical experts recommend that a vigorous exercise regimen should not start until six weeks after childbirth, at the very least. This should give your body enough time to heal.

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