Breastfeeding is a natural and healthy way to feed your baby, but what about weight loss? Breastfeeding can help you lose some weight, but not as much as if you were exclusively pumping breast milk supply for your baby instead of nursing. The average woman can expect to lose around 500-1800 calories per day when breastfeeding which may result in the loss of one pound each week.
A study found that mothers who breastfeed for at least six months lost an average of 7 pounds more than those who did not breastfeed at all. The calorie deficit should result in weight loss under normal circumstances, but it may not be enough to lose all of the baby weight for some mothers. Well, this post will give you some insight into how much weight can you lose while breastfeeding.
In This Article
What amount of weight should lose while breastfeeding?
The weight loss while breastfeeding largely depends on the type of diet you are following. The usual advice is to follow a diet plan for breastfeeding mothers to lose weight. The appropriate amount of weight loss for a breastfeeding mother is between 500g to 1 kg (1.100 lbs – 2.200 lbs) over the year after giving birth. The baby is born, especially in the first months of life, they need nutrients from the milk supply. Breastfeeding mothers must provide nutrients from a sufficient amount of weight while breastfeeding.
The average woman loses up to 30 pounds during the first six months of breastfeeding. This is because while mothers are breastfeeding. They are burning more calories than usual, which causes too much weights loss. Apart from this, it also suppresses appetite due to the increase in the production of prolactin hormone. Breastfeeding women should consult with their doctors about the lose weight while breastfeeding.
In order to produce milk, babies need energy and nutrients as well as healthy foods and minerals such as calcium and iron, etc. Mothers must regularly eat nutritious foods regularly with a variety of food groups. In addition, drinking at least 800cc – 1 liter (24 oz) fluid intake per day is important for breastfeeding mothers. For losing weight, mothers can follow certain measures. Mothers should eat nutritious foods to ensure that they can keep up with the needs of their children during lactation.
Breastfeeding mothers should also avoid a diet with a low caloric density in order to maintain their own health. If you do not eat enough calories, it is likely that the amount of milk will decrease and this may cause a shortage for your baby’s growth. In addition, when your calorie intake is too low you are likely to have hair loss, dry skin, and loss of muscle mass.
Does breastfeeding keep weight on?
Breastfeeding does not directly cause weight gain or loss but is correlated with higher rates of both. This means is that breastfeeding mothers tend to consume more calories than they expend. It’s meaning they are at greater risk for becoming overweight or obese. Conversely, breastfeeding mothers also have less energy expenditure. Because they are not bearing the burden of pregnancy and delivery. So breastfeeding women are better able to maintain their obstetrical muscle mass.
In recent years, it’s been shown that breastfeeding mothers often lose weight gradually after the baby is born. The milk supply volume in a woman’s breast declines by about one-half within a few days after delivery, and typically ceases altogether at six months. The association between breastfeeding and an increase in muscle mass was found to be because maternal eating habits changed as they weaned. Eating more carbs and sweets for instance. This is not related to any effect on metabolism or feelings of fullness that might be associated with nursing babies.
Breastfeeding usually slows the process of losing weight further. And may even cause most women to gain a little weight because milk production burns about 300 calories per day. Pre-pregnancy weight usually does not disappear unless you exercise and eat properly to burn the calories.
If you are breastfeeding, it is especially important for you to eat well-balanced meals in order to meet your caloric needs. So, breastfeeding does not play a role in keeping the muscle mass off and on. As your baby grows and your time for yourself decreases. You may find it hard to make time for yourself and what those 10 pounds may mean to you psychologically as well as physically.
Tips to help you to lose weight during breastfeeding?
Losing weight is not an easy task for any woman. It’s even harder during breastfeeding as the production of breast milk by the mother reduces her energy levels. And it also decreases the appetite of nursing mothers. However, here are some useful tips to lose weight safely during breastfeeding and they are:
- First of all, make a note of the number of calories you need each day for sustaining your body and your baby weight.
- Avoid fatty, fried, and junk food items as they usually contain high levels of calories it will help you lose weight while breastfeeding.
- Include lean protein like skinless chicken breast and lean red meat in your diet and eat plenty of leafy vegetables and whole grains.
- Drink plenty of water throughout the day as it will help in losing extra weight from your body.
- If you want to lose weight, you should feed your baby or express the breast milk before feeding it to your baby. This way you will reduce the daily calorie intake that they consume and also help in burning your stored fat or lose weight faster.
- Eat four to five meals a day and avoid skipping any meal as it will only slow down your metabolism and hinder the weight loss program.
- Include a lot of fruits in your diet. Fruits are high in fiber content and low in calories. But make sure your healthy diet is considered that helps you to stay hydrated.
- Eat small frequent meals throughout the day. This would ensure that your body gets proper nutrition all the time and you don’t need to weight gained during pregnancy.
- Make sure that you eat at least three healthy servings of fruits or vegetables daily. You can also try eating high-fiber foods.
The Conclusion!!
When mothers breastfeed their babies, they often provide more nutrients and fewer calories to themselves which can result in a slower metabolism or lower caloric intake. This means that while many women may safely lose some muscle mass during pregnancy due to eating less food. It’s not guaranteed that they will be able to maintain this same weight after birth. If they continue with normal dieting practices.
Breastfeeding is a natural way to lose weight, but it’s not the only one. Breastfeeding could make you feel hungrier than usual but don’t worry. You should still be able to shed pounds at an appropriate rate without cutting calories. And by focusing on healthy foods high in protein, low carb diets, and fiber while being mindful about the amount of clinical nutrition.
