Breastfeeding and weight loss
In pregnancy, your body changed rapidly. One of the things your body did was to lay down some fat stores. These fat stores were for the express purpose of helping to support breastfeeding. If you are trying to lose weight and reduce these fat stores you will want to do this while maintaining your milk supply.
lose weight while breastfeeding
dieting while breastfeeding : If you are trying to lose weight, you will want to figure out how to reduce your calorie intake easily. It takes about 300–500 calories per day to breastfeed for most women. You should factor this in when you are figuring out how many calories you need to consume to lose weight.
If you try to reduce your caloric intake too suddenly, you could have a problem with your milk supply. You might notice a sizeable drop in the amount of milk you produce. This usually happens when a mother is not consuming enough calories, after previously having an adequate supply.
This does not mean you cannot reduce your caloric intake or diet. You just need to do so cautiously and safely. To ensure that you maintain your milk supply, watch what you are doing regarding your dietary changes, and be aware of how your milk supply is responding.
When do you lose the Weight?
If you are really interested in the weight-loss aspects of breastfeeding, you’re in luck. Breastfeeding can help you to lose those stores of maternal fat that are specifically laid down in pregnancy just for the purpose of breastfeeding.
You might hear some mothers say that losing weight while breastfeeding is a myth. This could be because they expect to eat whatever they want, not exercise, generally not take care of their bodies, and yet watch the weight melt away. While some women do lose weight pretty easily while breastfeeding, this is not true for all women.
Some mothers feel like they did not lose their pregnancy weight until after their child was a bit older. This might be due to other hormonal effects of pregnancy wearing off. It could also be due to a change in the mother’s or baby’s eating habits. The best plan for weight loss while breastfeeding is to eat to appetite the first two months. Do not focus on calories or exercise. Rather, focus on your new baby and recovering from pregnancy and childbirth.
After that period of time, you move into the two-to-six-months range for breastfeeding. During this time, breastfeeding mothers tend to lose more weight than mothers who are not breastfeeding, even when the breastfeeding mother is consuming more calories. The typical weight loss, without restricting calories or adding exercise, is about 1–1.5 lbs (.45–.68 kg) during this point.
If you add some exercise to this, you will burn even more calories. At this point, you can also consider reducing the number of calories you consume. This is not harmful to you or your baby. Only rapid weight loss is typically something that would affect your milk supply.
Breastfeeding and weight loss after 6 months : After the six-month mark, you will continue to lose weight from breastfeeding. The amount that you lose will slow a bit. This is normal for all mothers. At this point, the amount of time you spend breastfeeding begins to reduce as baby begins to add solid foods to his diet. Also, keep in mind that as you get closer to your pre-pregnancy weight, those last few extra pounds are always the hardest and slowest to come off. These might be some of the reasons behind the slowdown in weight loss.
I’m hungry all the time!
Breastfeeding is hard work on your body, and most nursing mothers find that yes, they are hungry all the time. (This is great news for those of us who love to eat!) For this reason, some mothers decide to focus on burning calories rather than reducing the amount of food they eat, because mentally and emotionally it can be difficult to remain in a constant state of hunger. The most important thing is not to ignore your body. If it says “Hungry!” then feed it.
Instead of taking a deprivational approach to food, focus on ensuring that what you eat is worth the calories you’re investing. Remember to eat foods that will boost your blood sugar and sustain it, rather than have you suffer from a sugar crash a few hours after eating.
Be sure that you are eating well, even if you are eating often. Remember that your body is working on trying to feed another human being. This takes energy. You need fuel, food, to produce that energy.
Can your diet affect your breast milk?
Of course! While you were pregnant, it may have been difficult to see how the foods you ate directly affected your baby, but now that you are nursing you will certainly be aware. Babies have immature digestive systems and can be sensitive to certain tastes. Each baby is unique; some infants are not supersensitive to what the mother eats, whereas others will not feed after the mother has eaten certain foods.
Culprit foods include onion, garlic, extremely spicy foods, and gassy foods such as cauliflower, cabbage, or broccoli.Nursing mothers who eat these foods may produce milk that will not be tolerated by the baby and that will give Baby stomach cramps. A diet including heavily fried foods and other unhealthy fats may cause your baby to have diarrhea or green stools.
For sensitive babies, keeping a diary of what you eat before a feeding can help you track down possible causes. If you suspect a food of being intolerable to your baby, try it again and monitor your baby’s reaction, unless the first reaction was severe. Extreme reactions could be allergenic in nature, with symptoms such as hives or rashes, eczema, constipation or diarrhea,mucous, or congestion.
What type of fats should I be eating when nursing?
Omega-3 fats should be consumed every day so both you and your baby can receive their benefits. These fats are present in flax oil, freshly ground flaxseeds, and high-quality fish such as herring. The most important omega-3 fatty acid for brain development is docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), which is also found in fatty fish such as salmon, tuna, halibut, sardines, and trout. Some studies have shown that omega-3 fats help remedy postpartum depression as the new mother’s brain is supplied with these essential fats.
breastfeeding and weight loss
ไม่มีความคิดเห็น:
แสดงความคิดเห็น