How to Lose Weight While Breastfeeding

Most of us moms remember catching a glimpse of our postpartum body in all its stretched-out, bulbous glory in the mirror after giving birth and feeling a jolt of astonishment. Most of us want our pre-pregnancy bodies back as soon as possible, but losing those kilograms postpartum—especially while breastfeeding, when you’re constantly hungry—isn’t always an easy job, and although you might be researching the fastest way to lose weight while breastfeeding, this process shouldn’t be rushed.

Everything in the body expands in order to give birth to a baby. Your hips expand, as does your ribcage. It took you nine months to gain that weight, so give yourself at least nine months to lose it and regain your physique.

After you’ve passed the first few weeks after giving birth (your body needs time to heal, after all), you can return to a form you’re happier with. Here are some recommendations on how to lose weight while breastfeeding without affecting your milk supply.

One thing to keep in mind while you read the below article is that your body just achieved something incredible! Allow yourself the same amount of time to heal, recoup, and get back to your pre-pregnancy body (if that is your desire).

Dieting While Breastfeeding

Dieting while breastfeeding is not often recommended by most experts. This is because your body needs extra fuel to produce breast milk—about 500 extra calories per day. It is strongly advised that mothers avoid a particularly restrictive diet—nothing less than 1,500 calories per day—as this will prevent healthy milk production. In general, a daily diet of 1,800 to 2,200 calories is ideal for overall nutrition, recuperation, and breastfeeding.

While some nursing mothers lose weight fast since the act of producing milk burns a lot of calories, others must be more cautious in balancing how much they eat against what they eat to achieve a more homeostatic weight. Continue reading to find out which meals to eat and which to avoid if you want to lose weight while breastfeeding.

Don’t monitor calories if you want to lose weight quickly while breastfeeding; instead, be careful of the quality of the foods you eat. Instead of eating less, which will certainly affect your milk supply, make your meals more nutritious and slightly larger than usual. All you need is some extra protein at each meal, a cup of carbs, and a quarter cup of vegetables. When you swap nutrient-dense foods for others because they are quick and convenient, problems occur.

When you’re tired and between feedings, it’s tempting to reach for the nearby bag of chips or cookies, but cheese, a handful of almonds, or crackers spread with peanut butter are better options. To get your body back on track and keep your breast milk as nutritious as possible, try to load up on the following food groups:

• Fruits, vegetables, and grains for minerals and vitamins. Experts suggest whole wheat, rye, quinoa, millet, and farro.
• Starches provide energy to help your body produce milk. Good options include winter squash, beans, potatoes, pasta, and rice.
• Lean protein from meat, fish, and nuts to help build and repair body tissue.
• Fat. Your diet doesn’t influence how much fat ends up in your milk, but it does impact the type. Olive oil, cheese, eggs, avocados, nuts, and seeds help provide a good balance of monounsaturated and omega-3 fatty acids, which are vital for a baby’s brain development.
• Water. Breast milk is about 90 per cent water, but you don’t have to chug water constantly to stay hydrated (and drinking more won’t produce excess milk). Drink when you’re thirsty and keep an eye on the colour of your urine. If it’s dark, you need to take in more fluids.

Experts recommend limiting the following foods to help you lose weight while breastfeeding:

• Snacks are high in empty calories, such as chips, candy, and soda.
• Sugary foods have been linked to inflammation.
• Alcohol could harm a baby’s development if consumed in excessive quantities through breast milk.

Easing into Postpartum Exercise

The best approach to kickstart your metabolism and lose weight while breastfeeding without affecting the quality or quantity of your breast milk is to be attentive to what you eat, but postpartum exercise should also be part of your routine. It will not only give you more energy, but it will also help you bring your stretched-out abdominal muscles back into form.

It’s not simply the extra pounds; your body tissue changed as well. Many people mistake a drooping belly for fat to be lost, but it is more likely that the muscles need to learn to return to a shorter position in order to be part of the abdominal wall again. Early motherhood’s natural weight-lifting program—lifting your newborn, walking up and down stairs, pushing the stroller—is sufficient to get started in the first two or three weeks after giving birth. Even women who did not suffer tears or an episiotomy require time for their pelvic muscles to heal, according to experts. Your body will begin to transform if you remain active.

Other techniques to tone your muscles and decrease weight after giving birth include:

• Perform Kegel exercises to help strengthen your pelvic muscles faster.
• Pull in your abdominal muscles to help toughen them up.
• Stretch gently (not deeply!) with a resistance band to address the areas of your body stretched by breastfeeding: your shoulders, back, and chest.
• Every day, take a stroll, no matter how short.
• To preserve your abdominal wall, keep the baby close to your body.

Building Yourself Back Up

Even if your doctor has given you the all-clear to begin exercising more frequently, you should proceed with caution. The worst thing you can do if you’re super tired is go crazy with high-intensity exercise. Instead of burning excess calories, it may cause you to gain weight. Unless there has been a significant vaginal tear, doctors usually advise mothers to begin regular activity 6 weeks after a vaginal delivery. Doctors often advocate waiting until 8 weeks for women who have had a major vaginal tear or a c-section.

To help you lose weight while breastfeeding, aim for 150 minutes of moderate aerobic activity per week, which equates to 20 to 30 minutes of walking each day. You can also continue activities like yoga or tai chi, especially if you were doing them before the baby. While exercise has no effect on the content of your breast milk, it is recommended to replace any fluid lost via sweating to maintain your milk production. You should also pump or nurse before working out to avoid becoming too engorged.

Signs that you’re pushing your body too hard too soon: You frequently leak urine during workouts while sprinting, leaping, or sneezing, or you have recurring joint pain. Don’t dismiss any of this as ‘Oh, I just had a baby’. These are symptoms that your system isn’t working properly and that you should consult with your doctor again.

The real way to lose weight while breastfeeding? Avoid social media feeds, magazine articles, and TV broadcasts that illustrate how rapidly others lost baby weight, and instead concentrate on your own path. Don’t compare yourself to others. You’ll only drive yourself insane. Everyone loses weight at their own pace. Instead of stressing over numbers on the scale, seek to achieve a state of health, happiness, and strength. Every postpartum body is distinct, but every mama is a warrior!”

Remember that developing a baby and giving birth is no easy task. Your postpartum body is a constant reminder that you did something incredible. If you want to get back to your pre-pregnancy physique, make sure you do it in a way that benefits both you and your baby.

To help you even further we have found some healthy breastfeeding recipes to help you lose weight while breastfeeding. Let us know what you think! Enjoy and good luck mamas, you’ve got this.

Vanilla-Berry Green Lactation Protein Smoothie

Ingredients:

1 cup almond milk

¼ cup water

1 scoop vanilla protein powder

½ avocado

1 cup spinach

1 cup mixed berries

Ice

Method:

Blend and enjoy!

Low-Carb Korean Beef Bowls

Ingredients:

1 lb ground beef

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 carrot, diced

Additional vegetables of choice such as finely diced mushrooms, kale, onion, radishes etc.

1-2 tbsp fresh ginger, grated

3 tbsp soy sauce or tamari

1 packet stevia

2 tbsp toasted sesame oil

4 cups cauliflower rice

Spring onion to garnish

Method:

1. In a large cast iron skillet over medium-high heat, brown ground beef and garlic. Break up meat with a spatula and turn every few minutes until cooked through. Remove from pan, leaving any remaining grease for cooking the vegetables.
2. Add carrots and any additional vegetables to the pan along with the fresh ginger. If your ground beef is very lean, you may need to add some oil to the pan to prevent sticking (coconut oil works well in this recipe). Cook for about 5 minutes or until vegetables are cooked through, meaning soft enough to be easily pierced with a fork.
3. Return ground beef to the pan. Add the soy sauce/tamari, stevia/coconut sugar, and toasted sesame oil. Stir everything together, put the lid on the pan, and simmer for 5 minutes.
4. Serve over cauliflower rice and enjoy!

Sensational Salmon Cakes

Ingredients:

2 lb salmon

1 tsp salt

½ tsp black pepper

1/ tsp garlic powder

Juice from ½ lemon

1 large russet potato, peeled and chopped

1 capsicum, minced

3 spring onions, minced

3-4 slices thick-cut bacon, cooked, chopped

2 eggs

Coconut oil for cooking

Method:

1. In a small pot of salted, boiling water, cook the potatoes until easily pierced with a fork. Drain water. Mash until smooth. Let cool.
2. Once the potatoes are cooled, place all ingredients in a large bowl. (Double-check that any bones have been removed from salmon.)
3. With very clean hands, thoroughly combine all ingredients. Form into patties and set aside (place in the refrigerator unless cooking right away).
4. Heat 2-3 Tbsp coconut oil in a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat.
5. Fry the cakes for 1-2 minutes per side until golden brown. You may need to add additional coconut oil with each batch.
6. Serve with coleslaw, salad, or vegetables, and homemade tartar sauce.