How Many Calories While Breastfeeding

I have heard that breastfeeding consumes 500 calories. You have to be really malnourished not to make good milk, but I wouldn't cut down to nothing. I found that my weight loss increased after a few months, maybe because I added walks with baby, walking her around the house, crawling on the floor, carrying her stuff. Can you join a mom's group for excersize or start taking her out (to the mall if the weather is bad) and see if that helps vs just calorie restriction? I'd eat healthy and get moving.

You might be doing this too soon. For me, breastfeeding alone is a great weight loss program. And since you've lost your baby weight so quickly, it might be for you too. Without trying (and actually eating quite a bit because I constantly feel hungry), I'm 10 lbs below my pre-preg weight and all I did was breastfeed.

Life is long - I'd keep going the way that you are, eating healthy foods when you are hungry. And if those last 10 lbs don't disappear by the time the baby is 1, then start a serious diet.

To actually answer your question, I've heard that breastfeeding takes about 500 calories/day. So if you really want to start counting calories now, you could go to about 2350/day.

You need an additional 600 calories per day when breastfeeding. Sounds like now is not the time to try to lose additional weight. Once you stop breastfeeding you may naturally drop a few additional pounds. I would wait until you are done breastfeeding. What is a few more months in the grand scheme of things? 1450 calories is definitely not enough to sustain a breastfeeding mom!

1450 calories seems like a lot to lose weight, but i guess it depends on your stature. you only need 500 cals/day extra to breastfeed, and as long as it's a healthy 500, which it sounds like you are doing, you should have enough.
try staying on your goal calories and add 500, see if you are still losing, if not then drop it down a little unless it starts affecting your milk production.

My advice would be to see a nutritionist and have them map out for you your caloric needs and how they should be broken down across the food groups. Most insurances cover the visit 100%.

My physician told me 1800 calories was all I needed for breastfeeding. I am 5'4 and weighed 125 at that time if it makes any difference...just to warn you I have never been able to lose the last 6-7 pounds until after I wean - with all 3 of my kids so don't beat yourself up too bad if you find yourself hitting a wall. It will probably come off after you stop bfing.

Hmmm... I would be very careful about limiting calories during breastfeeding, since it could reduce your supply. I bet most of us here took much longer than 4 months to lose the baby weight (mine took just over a year, or a couple of months after stopping breastfeeding).

1450-1850 would be considered a reduced-calorie diet for someone who isn't also BFing. Have you counted your current calorie intake for a few days? I would suggest this. A reduction of 200-400 calories from current will usually cause weight loss.

Personally, I wasn't even able to think about limiting calories while BFing because BFing and caring for baby and working took all the energy I could muster. And I was hungry all the time! Once my baby started walking (running!) the last 10 lbs just vanished as I couldn't ever sit and finish a meal!

My baby is around the same age. I have reached my prepregnancy weight, but I have done so without trying. I am nursing my baby and I simply eat when I am hungry and try to make the best choices. I do allow myself treats because I feel like I crave them, probably because my body is looking for the quick energy the sugar provides.

I know with all of my children, I continued to lose weight well into month 7 of breastfeeding, and I did so without trying. You seem to have lost the weight fairly easily, so that may happen to you also. I know personally there is no way I could cut my calories that much, I would be starving! I am so hungry all the time! So, my suggestion to you is to simply continue nursing and eating when hungry, making smart choices regarding what you eat. I guess you could always try to reduce your calories and see if your supply goes down. Maybe try cutting calories, just cutting fewer than the website suggested. Also, I know calorie counting websites exist that factor in breastfeeding, as I have heard some other mamas talk about them. Maybe you could do some google research to find one that works for you.

Good luck to you!

yes you are just fine. I dieted and exclusively breast feed my baby but like you I wasn't too sure what my calorie intake should be. So I asked my doctor and looked it up on line. Both said you need to eat between 1500 and 1800 calories a day to keep a healthy milk supply and still lose weight. So that was what I did. I stayed right around 1500. And yeah there were some days that I only ate around 1300 or so but majority of the time I stayed around 1500. I lost all my baby weight and more. finally stopping at 107 pounds! I loved it! :) And I continued to nurse my daughter for 13 months. She was healthy, happy and super super fat! So I know I making plenty of good milk. Again eating around 1450 calories a day is perfect! Keep up the good work!