Is it okay to diet while breastfeeding?

Answer 1

The only diet you should be on while breast feeding is one with lots of fruit and vegies a healthy balanced diet...

Answer 2

I've heard first that it is bad to lose more than 1/2 lb a month while breastfeeding! I heard that It can release toxins into the milk. Just like when pregnant you aren't supposed to burn off fat because it'll release toxins to your baby. Then I heard not to lose more than a lb a week. Then I read in an article in a magazine that it is okay to lose weight as long as it is done the healthy way. I gained alot while pregnant. I did lose maybe 20 lbs the first couple of months after delivery without trying. I read that it is very hard to burn fat for the first 3 months after delivery...something about your fat cells more than doubling in size while pregnant and want to stay that way. Then I found out that you need to walk at least 30 minutes nonstop before you start burning fat off so you would need to walk about 45 minutes to burn 15 minutes of fat. So I started doing that and eating small healthy meals all throughout the day instead of three large meals. It actually seemed to work too! I couldn't believe I lost 5 lbs the first week by just walking 45 minutes a time and eating all throughout the day and not starving myself. This is all just what i've read in many different books that I barrowed from the library and reading online..

Answer 3

Only if your diet consists of eating healthier, not cutting back on calories. My doc told me a breastfeeding woman needs to consume 2500 cals per day, thats 200 more than pregnant women need.

Answer 4

I get so frustrated when people say that you can loose more weight breastfeeding than not because that is just opposite for a lot of women. Don't "diet" just eat more disciplined and well balanced. One day sister, we'll be fit and trim again. For now, lets just be fluffy for our babys' sakes.

Answer 5

When you breastfeed, those extra pounds melt away without drastic dieting. You may be happy to know that compared to formula-feeding mothers, breastfeeding moms show more fat loss by one month postpartum and tend to loose more weight from three to six months postpartum. Even though breastfeeding mothers consume more calories, the energy used in making milk uses up some extra fat stores. In fact, to produce enough milk for your baby you use up an extra 500 calories a day.

If these weight-loss benefits of breastfeeding are not enough, it is safe to diet, as long as you make sure you and your baby receive proper nourishment. You should not lose more than a pound a week. Here are some ways to lose weight safely:

Exercise a lot. In my experience with postpartum weight loss, dieting without exercise rarely keeps the weight off and may deprive you and your new baby of needed nutrients. Crash diets and fad diets often lead to water and muscle loss instead of fat loss, while exercise burns fat and increases your basal metabolic rate (BMR). To burn an extra 300 calories a day, put your baby in a carrier and take a brisk walk for at least an hour every day. Put on some music and dance while you hold your baby in your arms or in a sling, or if you prefer the atmosphere of a gym or a day spa, reserve this as a special outing just for you. With postpartum exercise you can enjoy a couple of extra perks: Exercise produces the body's natural "feel-good hormones" called endorphins, which lessen the severity of postpartum depression, and exercise also elevates production of the milk-making hormone, prolactin.

Eat the right food rather than less food. Go through your present diet and figure out how you can whittle away 200 calories a day of junk food. This would be the equivalent of two chocolate-chip cookies. Eat nutrient-dense foods such as fresh fruits, whole grain cereals, wild rice, non-fat yogurt, non-fat cottage cheese, white-meat chicken or turkey (without skin), salmon, tuna, sweet potatoes, all vegetables, and legumes. Avoid calorie-dense foods like high-fat, high-sugar, packaged foods. I advise all postpartum mothers: Don't go down the aisle in the supermarket that sells package goods (which should be called "packaged bads") like chips, cookies, and snack foods high in junk carbs and unhealthy fats. And stay away from anything with the word "hydrogenated" on the label.

Fill up with fiber. Fiber is calorie-free and filling, and, as an added perk, fiber prevents constipation, which is common during postpartum recovery. Fiber-rich foods are also high in complex carbohydrates, which don't give you the roller coaster effect of blood sugar swings. Foods high in fiber are: whole grain cereals, flaxmeal, apples, prunes, lentils, kidney beans, pears, chickpeas, bran, and sweet potatoes.

Eat a right-fat diet rather than a low-fat diet. Little growing brains need fat. Since your baby gets fat from your breast milk, the last thing you want to do during breastfeeding is not eat enough fat. The best fats for making nourishing milk and losing weight are the omega-3's found in fatty fish (such as salmon and tuna), flax oil, and canola oil. Avoid as much animal fat as possible and certainly avoid any fats that are listed as "hydrogenated" on the label.

Eat a right-carbohydrate diet rather than a low-carbohydrate diet. At least 50 percent of your daily diet should be in the form of complex carbohydrates — whole grains, fruits, and vegetables — which are the best sources of energy. Reduce your intake of fiberless carbohydrates, those found in frostings, sodas, and junk juices (juice drinks full of corn syrup).

The above tips will not only help you loose a lot of unwanted fat, they will also help you feel good in the process.

Answer 6

Yes, you can diet but not starve as milk will be formed from quilty of your food so take good quality food so that you can produce good quilty milk for your child.

Answer 7

No, you need to eat healthily and take in MORE calories.

Answer 8

no you need to eat enough food

Answer 9

be carefull not to lose milk