I decided to dust off of my health coach hat to touch on a topic that seems to have a bit of confusion around it: breastfeeding and weight loss.
It’s pretty common knowledge that a woman can burn 500 extra calories a day while breastfeeding. WOOHOO, right? Bring on ALL THE FOOD. But not so fast.
Though some women may have the weight melt off, others hold on to it for a while. Why? Hormones. Isn’t that the answer to everything?
See, while breastfeeding a woman’s body produces prolactin to promote milk production and keep ovulation away. Since ovulation is what produces progesterone in a non-pregnant woman, a woman who isn’t ovulating typically has low levels of progesterone. A breastfeeding mom also has low levels of testosterone. Progesterone and testosterone are fat-burning hormones while prolactin tends to be fat-storing. (source)
Therefore even while eating an appropriate level of calories, it may take longer than you’d think for fat to start burning off due to the hormonal situation in a nursing mom’s body. Additionally, stress can raise prolactin levels and raising a newborn and the glorious lack of sleep that accompanies it can be stress-inducing, amIright?
So what is a mom to do?
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Breastfeeding Hormones and Postpartum Weight Loss
Well, breastfeeding works really well for us so quitting early for the sake of having Gisele’s body (because that’s exactly what my body would look like if I stopped nursing), isn’t going to happen.
However, staying active and choosing the right foods can really help.
High carb foods (especially processed carbs) and dairy can promote a higher insulin response and hinder weight loss efforts.
In that light, my diet (I use that term loosely to describe what I eat through a day because I am most definitely not on a diet) is tailored lately towards lower processed carbs and higher protein, fat and vegetables.
I’m not being hardcore about it. We’ll still have weekly pizza and I’ll eat something if I really want it (restriction is not my thang), but for my everyday meals, I’m eating more that style.
So after that lengthy intro, let’s take a look at what a sample day looks like.
A breakfast smoothie makes for a fresh and filling start to my day. Not to mention, I love that clean up is quick and easy!
Spinach and romaine topped with kalamata olives, boiled egg, carrots, chicken, tomatoes, blue cheese (see, I can’t give up ALL dairy) and onions topped with Garlic Expressions.
About half a can of these. Portion control what?
Oven baked chicken fajita salad with romaine, purple onions, avocado, sour cream (yup, a little dairy again), jalapenos and then smothered in salsa. I went back for seconds.
For more of my meals, you can always follow me on instagram. I officially can’t eat food without snapping a picture first. Is there a 12 step program for that?
What style of eating works best for you?
I find that an anti-restriction approach with a focus on whole foods, which to me means proteins, vegetables, fats, fruit and whole grains (in their real form like brown rice and quinoa, not processed into bread) keeps my body the leanest. Though I do love me some sourdough bread. Moderation, right?
Sarah@creatingbettertomorrow says
I go back and forth on this – do I like to track my food and calories (helpful when pregnant and nursing I’m thinking at times) or does that make me nutso 🙂 and restrict? It is a hard balance! I try to make sure if I am hungry I eat and it is as close to ‘real’ food as it can get, and I’m with ya on dairy I can eat some but not a lot at all or my tummy is none too happy!
Did you find it helpful to see how many cals you were eating when starting breastfeeding? With twins I know I’ll need to eat 1,000 or so extra, and it is hard for me to imagine I would be able to ‘eyeball’ it? ya know?
Brittany Dixon says
I haven’t tracked it at all this time because I honestly don’t have the mental energy, but I did track for a little while when I was breastfeeding Hailey. http://www.ahealthysliceoflife.com/2011/11/21/mastering-my-metabolism-post-baby/
However it lasted only a short amount of time because trying to keep it below 2000 just felt ridiculous (I was SO hungry) so I decided to screw the counting and just listen to what my body told me. That worked a lot better!
Erica { EricaDHouse.com } says
There is no such thing as portion control when it comes to nuts.
Paulina says
That’s so interesting about breastfeeding. I’m nursing a 6 month old and don’t have plans to stop anytime soon.
I try to eat only if I’m hungry and make a good choice at every meal and snack. I don’t make a big deal about it if I want a piece of chocolate or something. And I’m totally making those fajita salads tonight! Need to use up my salad greens before they start wilting 🙂
Jaclyn @ BumpSweat says
I mostly take an anti-restriction approach, unless we’re talking piles of the S.A.D. junk. That’s not to say I don’t enjoy my ice cream, but overall, I’m similar to you in that I follow a whole-foods, somewhat ‘traditional’ diet with an emphasis on good meat, fresh veggies and fruit, nuts, healthy fats, and some soaked grains when the mood strikes. Sourdough’s the best, right?
Marjorie says
My smoothie this morning in the vanilla protein powder, spinach, frozen unsweetened mango, banana and unsweetened plain almond milk. While pricey, that protein powder keeps me fuller longer than any other I have tried. I need to try the café latte flavor…yum!
That hormonal stuff makes so much sense!
And your salad looks divine! YUM!
I have a very similar view on food as you. I mostly stick to whole foods, though I am not perfect. But I find that I just feel better when I am eating that way. It fills me up, and I know that I am getting better bang for the buck (nutrition provided for better calorie bargain). Also, I mostly stay away from the “fat free” products, except for maybe Greek yogurt and some skim milk, which makes me slightly different from the traditional Weight Watchers crowd.
Brittany Dixon says
Oh you make me want to get frozen mango for smoothies- that sounds awesome! I agree, they keep me fuller than other ones I have tried, too. Being that you are a coffee lover (I’ve seen your iced ones on instagram) I’d bet you’d like cafe latte 😉
gina says
Interesting. I’ve been exclusively pumping for 9 months, and had to cut out dairy due to my son having a milk protein allergy. I was a dairyaholic for years before, and the lbs have just melted away. I assumed it was from the nursing and not the dairy, but sounds like it truly does make a difference.
Jen says
But what if you’re exclusively breastfeeding but you still ovulate? I think that means I can eat whatever I want, right? 😉 Great info!
Brittany Dixon says
Oh for sure! 😉
Maryea {happy healthy mama} says
My style of eating is very similar to yours. It’s interesting about the breastfeeding hormones. My little guy is 2 1/2 and I’m still breastfeeding. While I let go of most of the baby weight very quickly, the last five pounds have hung around. I wonder if once this extended breastfeeding gig is over the weight will come off more easily. I haven’t tried really to lose it really, because my clothes fit (mostly the same) and I don’t see a huge difference–I just known it’s there because of the scale. Thanks for the food for thought today!
Jodi says
I did that with both kiddos. 5-7 lbs clung until I stopped nursing. Then magically disappeared despite no major changes in diet or exercise… I think our body holds onto them for backup storage! 🙂
Sabrina says
Brittany we ate almost the exact same things yesterday! I had: oatmeal, salad with boiled eggs, olives, avocado, lemon juice and olive oil, protein bar and iced coffee, and then oven baked chicken fajitas. LOL!
Nicole says
Thank you for this post! I’m nursing my 8 week old and very frustrated. The initial 20 pounds I gained came right off, but these last 10 haven’t budged for the last 2 weeks. I’ve been working out for the last two weeks (waited until I got the all clear at my 6 week check-up) and eating healthy. I don’t eat processed carbs, but I will try limiting the dairy to see if that helps. Otherwise, I may just have to embrace these 10 pounds and realize my little guy is so worth it!
jade says
Not to make you discouraged at all, but I’m in the “my body will not lose weight while breast feeding” group. I only gained 30 with my first and the first 20 dropped within a week, but those last 10 stayed on forever, I was still nursing my son when we got preggo with #2. I did find, though, that if I did try to restrict while nursing (and not really restricting persay but just eating like 1800-2000) I would gain while nursing. It wasn’t until I splurged at Christmas that like 5 pounds came off, but then I went back to my old ways and the weight came back on.
Nursing is a finicky business, I absolutely am a little jealous at those that do lose so much weight while nursing that they are below their pre preg weight like instantly as that is not the case for me.
Kate says
Just came across your blog recently and I’m really enjoying it! This is a very timely post because I was starting to feel pretty depressed about my body post-baby. My little guy is 4 months now, exclusively breastfed, and the scale is just.not.budging. After my c-section, I got the all clear to exercise at the 7 week mark and felt like I was finally able to go “full out” with the exercise regiment around 12 or 13 weeks. But the pounds and the inches just won’t budge! I was really starting to get depressed about it (especially since I’m going back to work soon and none of my suit pants fit!) but this helped me to take a deep breath and put it in perspective. I just need to remind myself that if I continue to exercise and eat healthy, eventually things will work themselves out!
Jessica @Myhealthypassion.com says
I love the way your looking at your “Diet”! Its the same philosophy I try to live by! As for the breastfeeding part, I wouldn’t have a clue, not lol! 🙂 Someday! ; )
Jessica says
this is awesome. i really am so tired of people raving like breastfeeding is going to make you into a supermodel. I know its not about me, its about my baby, but I felt like I was doing something wrong to not lose all the baby weight after 6 months of breastfeeding. Thank you for making me feel better and giving me incentive to eat more of the foods you are supposed to eat but not advocating deprivation.
Rebecca says
This is helpful! I’m breastfeeding my 4 week old and have been disappointed in my weight loss so far. I know it’s a process but I’m anxious to feel comfortable in my body again. I had read Westin a Price’s nutrition recommendations for nursing moms…and they recommend eating full fat milk and yogurt….so now I’m confused on the dairy thing….
Kathleen Ojo @ My Ojos says
Great post! I found that breastfeeding and a speedy return to exercise (I ran a half marathon at 4 months postpartum) helped me loose all the weight I gained while pregnant pretty quickly – I was 150lbs before, gained 40, and was back to 150 when my baby was about 6 months old. This is still overweight for me (I’m very short!) so I was hoping that extended breastfeeding would help me finally lose the last 10-15lbs, but it didn’t work that way. 150 is where my body wants to stay! I am very comfortable with that, though. I was eating nutritious foods, taking care of my baby, managing a very difficult life transition (mommyhood, returning to work, etc) and still managed to stay very active. Breastfeeding is amazing, but don’t go into it with inflated expectations. It may or may not do great things for your body physically, but the act of breastfeeding my baby definitely increased my love and respect for my own body and its capabilities, regardless of my size 🙂
Kristin P says
I follow pretty much the same mentality as you when it comes to my diet. My little guy is almost 6 months and our breastfeeding journey is still going strong. I gained 20 pounds while pregnant, lost 15 of it right away, but then gained back 5 more due to the insatiable hunger in the first month or so (I ate all.the.time.). Once I went back to work, I cleaned up my diet and stick to fresh whole foods and try to limit processed stuff and junk. My body is still hanging on to these last 5 pounds and I don’t think they’re going anywhere until I’m done nursing. Things still feel soft and I’m finding it much more difficult to get as toned as I was pre-baby, and I attribute that to the hormones and hanging on to a little layer of fat. A couple weeks ago I was super busy and didn’t eat as many snacks as usual and I noticed a dip in my supply (I pump while at work), so I know I’m normally eating as much as my body needs to make enough milk. I’m not focusing on the scale and instead working on trying to get strong again, which is helping me a lot mentally. You’re doing a great job!
megan says
I eat a high carbohydrate diet, just lots of fruit, vegetables, whole grains, etc while breastfeeding. Lots.of.beans,.Lots.of.nuts, lots.of.pasta! I feel best.this way but sometimes feel odd.about it in the paleo world, ha.
Domi @ Eat, Pray, Lift says
This is so interesting to me! I don’t have kids, but whenever I’ve thought about the possibility, the post-baby weight-loss issue tripped me up. I figure I have struggled enough with disordered thinking/habits regarding food and exercise, and I can’t imagine how it would be to deal with not only the weight gain/loss of having a kid (or more than one!) but also with the whole being-a-mom deal. You seem to have found a great balance, not just in food/exercise but in mama-ing and also self-care.
Also, I’m really nerdy about the hormone/weight loss relationship, and have been really researching that lately, so this was fascinating. Thanks for sharing!
Jillian @ Baby Doodah! says
When I breastfed, I was under this grand impression that I was going to drop weight like water run. HA! I got that idea bc of a girl I knew who nursed and lost a ton of weight. She still ate like crap but just nursed and pumped. Sadly, this did not happen for me. I maintained, but really wished I had lost.
Since I stopped nursing about 10 months ago, I’ve gained weight back bc I never corrected my eating. I’m getting better, but I need to be GREAT!
Thanks for sharing the reality!
sarah (the SHU box) says
I’m not sure I buy progesterone as a fat-burning hormone (it’s high in pregnancy, for one, and progesterone meds like Depo Provera cause weight gain!) BUT I do think that high prolactin makes us hold onto weight — probably for evolutionary reasons 🙂 I also think your diet looks great. I think that moderation in carb intake (not LOW carb per se, but not emphasizing carbs and keeping to maybe 30-40% of intake or less) is the way to go for most people, honestly!
I have found that with baby #2 it’s been a lot slower to drop weight! Not sure if it’s just a different lifestyle with 2 or a hormonal thing (body more “used” to the few extra pounds)? I’m being pretty relaxed about it b/c I do think that it will be easier to lose once the breastfeeding/pumping stops or lessens. We’ll see 🙂
Brittany Dixon says
Oh yes, you are the expert!! I totally should have asked you about this. And I’m with you, baby #2 weight sure is sticky. I know it will come off in time so I’m not overly concerned except I don’t want to have to buy an entire new fall wardrobe (even if we are being honest, with my fashion sense that means one pair of jeans and some t-shirts- HA).
Nancy says
I’m trying to control portions when it comes to eating bread, cakes or other cookings. But I never control my portions of green salads, vegetables and fruits 🙂
This is the best style of eating for me at present when I’m preparing for pregnancy.
Amanda says
Thank you, I almost Googled “breastfeeding made me gain weight” last night but decided I better sleep instead. It probably also explains why I’m loosing all my hair (but the grey ones stay!?!).
I started keeping track on myfitnesspal. But I just got frustrated and stopped. So I’m trying to make better food choices and incorporate mini-workout sessions before work when I feel rested (enough). A part of me thinks “why bother” until I’m done breastfeeding, but I’m trying to remind myself that making better choices now will help me lose when I am done, which I hope is still a few more months out.
Christine says
Thank you for this post! I am expecting my first in November and I have (or had) this mentality that I will lose the weight fast if I can successfully breastfeed. I’m glad I read this post because now I won’t be lined up for disappointment if all the weight does not come off.
Peter says
Thank you! That ended up being great therefore easy to make.
Chantal says
I have to say, that Greek salad you made looks FANTASTIC. I need that.
Destinee says
I am currently 6 months pregnant, with my first and do plan on breast feeding. I haven’t gained an extreme amount of weight and my doctor says I am fine where I am at, but is there anything you can recommend prior to help with the weight loss after while breast feeding, or increasing milk?
Destinee says
Hey I’m also a Dixon! Also, where I am located its not 1 am, lol.
Asheli says
It’s weird – two of my kids I lost weight immediately with. The other two … not so fast. There were other similarities in my “emotional” state as well so I wonder if it isn’t a hormonal thing? Also you’ve made me hungry! Your meals look yummy!
Katie says
Thank you for mythbusting! I’m 4.5 months PP, I eat a pretty darn healthy diet and don’t drink my calories, I exercise moderately to rigorously 4+ times a week – and it’s still so HARD to lose that baby weight! I’m still 15 pounds above my pre-pregnancy weight, and no matter how much exercise I add in or how I begin to shave calories from my daily diet, it ain’t coming off. I wish people would stop saying that tired quip, “Oh breastfeeding helps you lose the weight doesn’t it?” because then I feel guilty and judged for not looking slimmer or fitting into my non-maternity jeans. I’ll definitely be passing your article on to those busybodies.
P.S. Is progesterone available in an OTC pill form? = )
Alicia says
It’s totally been my experience that I can’t lose weight when I’m breastfeeding unless I really track what I eat and exercise a lot. I think that’s just the way I am with my hormones and I’ve just had to work really hard at it!! With both my babies I could diet and exercise and I’ve always had a great supply no problem. I think it also depends on how much weight you need to lose. I used WW and their plan for nursing mothers and was able to get below even my prepregnancy weight. I try to eat lean proteins and not eat too much sweets or carbs.
Aimee says
No matter what I eat or do, until I have weaned and my hormones go back to normal I will retain 30 pounds of fluid/fat. Everything is affected: my eyesight, I develop keratosis pilaris. I have swelling EVERYWHERE…They really need to realize breastfeeding really affects different women in different biology. Now I just wish I knew HOW LONG it was going to take for my body to get back to normal???!!!
Michelle Moyer says
So glad I found this article! I have always been in pretty good shape and remained that way thru my pregnancy – walking 3 miles and lifting regularly almost up until my little guy was born. Post Pregnancy I started doing some light workouts about 6-8 weeks later and have continued to work out 2-4 times a week, with walking daily. I eat reasonably healthy most days with the occasional dinner out or ice cream. The baby weight was gone and my weight was semi-constant for about 3-4 months but around 5 months, I really started to feel like my body composition was shifting to less muscular and more flab. My legs/lower half seem to be getting bigger regardless of how I eat or workout. I want to fit into my pre-pregancy shorts and pants! I haven’t taken eating or working out to an extreme (don’t want to completely ruin my supply) but I feel terrible about this extra “padding”. The more articles I read where woman are commenting to “get moving and eat better and the pounds will fall off” just seem degrading. I know how to eat and how to work out, but at this point neither is having the usual results. Its nice to know I’m not the only one fighting against my hormones. However, I am asking my body to make milk and its been doing that pretty well for the last 10 months… so its not a total loss. 🙂 Thank you for the information. I will stay the course and will hopefully be rewarded with something similar to my previous body eventually. The fajita salad is such a good idea! I will make that this week 🙂