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Breastfeeding  & Weight Loss

Losing weight after pregnancy is a very personal decision and some women don’t even think about it for more than 12 months after birth whereas others start to think about it a few months post birth.

No mother should ever feel pressure to lose their baby weight and the most important thing is to do what you want to do and when you want to do it and to live a healthier life as possible without feeling pressure to lose weight by a set time.

But what if you are breastfeeding and want to start losing weight? Is it safe? Can it be done? The answer is yes, but only if you do it in a safe and healthy way. Also – come mums actually lose weight when breastfeeding so you may find that breastfeeding naturally helps with your weight loss.

There are many diets on the market that advocate dramatic weight loss, cutting out food groups, severely restricting your calories and over doing the protein – and some of these diets claim to have you lose 5kg a week – which is not healthy for the body and not healthy for a breastfeeding mum.  A lot of the dramatic weight loss diets and pills that are out there also contain caffeine and weight loss accelerants which are again not healthy.

So what is a healthy way to lose weight when breastfeeding?

A weight loss of around 500g – 1kg a week is a good weight loss and if it is achieved through following a sensible and healthy eating plan plus combined with light exercise such as a daily walk you will lose weight and all the extra nutrients you are eating can actually help your milk supply – as well as give you energy.

A balanced diet should always be followed and processed and junk food should be cut out of the diet. 

The extra point to note is that breastfeeding mums do need extra calories too – around 300 extra a day – so it is important to snack regularly and fill your diet full of foods which are good for you and your baby.

It is also important to include lots of protein, calcium, iron,  iodine and enough water in your diet to give your milk supply a nutritional boost.

If you would like to know more about losing weight when breastfeeding then please take a look at the 28 Day Breastfeeding Friendly Diet & Exercise Plan which is created by leading nutritionists and post pregnancy experts.

And if you are trying to shape up an need some extra motivation this winter then please use the FREE weight loss members area which lets you track your weight loss, BMI, daily exercise and measurements

This article was written by Rhian Allen, Founder of Lose Baby Weight. For more motivation, advice, recipes and exercise plans visit http://www.losebabyweight.com.au and for daily motivation join the Lose Baby Weight Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/losebabyweight.com.au