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02-20-2013 at 11:18 AM
sdemilio12...
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XP - weight watchers and breastfeeding.

I was wondering if any knows if you are allowed to diet while you breastfeed? I've gained a little over 30lbs so far and I was a little over weight to begin with so I want to get myself healthy again after baby comes.  I just don't want to do something that is going to negatively affect my milk supply. Has anyone done weight watchers while breastfeeding?  It seems like the most realist and healthy diet plan since it isn't too restrictive, it's more about portion control. TIA! 

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02-20-2013 at 11:33 AM
Spacebunny...
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No personal experience with this, but it wouldn't be something I'd try to do.  I guess it also depends on how long you plan to breastfeed.  I nursed DD#1 for almost 2 years and didn't fully wean her until I got KU with this one, and that was the final push (as supporting 3 of us  nutritionally was quite taxing on me!)  During that whole time, I didn't worry about calorie intake or how I looked because I focused on making sure I was eating enough and drinking enough to make plenty of milk for DD.  We planned to have another one (hence this pregnancy) so I just figured I would hold off any "self-improvement" things related to diet until I'd had #2 also (this is our last (planned) pregnancy) and finished nursing her, too.  Any extra flab?  So be it.  It's part of being a mommy and I'm okay with that--but I also didn't put a lot on, either, it was all about being less toned, which I bet I could have addressed with some exercise if I really wanted to.  

I can say that a few times I got quite sick (stomach flu) and dehydrated, it was extra tough because I could tell I wasn't producing enough and DD got extra fussy (even though she wasn't exclusively nursing at that time but also eating food) because she couldn't nurse as much as she wanted.  So, I would personally avoid intentionally doing anything to reduce calories or fluids just for the sake of regaining my figure.   


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02-20-2013 at 11:33 AM
annagrya
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I did weight watchers before getting pregnant and I really liked it.  I don't have experience with breast feeding but I'm planning on going back on the program again after the baby comes (hopefully I'll be breast feeding then).  I'd imagine you could tailor your caloric intake, ww points, to fit your BF needs. 

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02-20-2013 at 11:36 AM
Max'smom
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I don't remember the exact number of points you add but yes you can and I did weight watchers while BFing. They have program information specific for BFing moms.

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02-20-2013 at 11:37 AM
jacmahan
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WW has a specific diet tailored for nursing mothers, but I'd probably ask your doctor about his/her thoughts on the program!

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02-20-2013 at 11:42 AM
PandasMama...
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I tried it and really do not advise any sort of "dieting" while breast feeding. Weight watchers (as most diets are) are based upon your own caloric needs and intake. However, when you BF, your not just using calories for yourself, but for you baby as well and tend to burn an extra 500-1000 a day just by breast feeding alone. So you will need to eat more than what weight watchers would allow in their points system.

Right after I had my first, I thought I would amp up the weight loss and do weight watchers (been doing it on and off for 10+ years and always use it to drop a few pounds now and then) and my milk supply was nearly crushed within the first week. I finally had to just accept that while breast feeding, the best thing to do is stick to a "clean" diet of healthy fats, lots of lean meats, fruits, veggies, and whole grains. I stayed away from refined sugars, white flour, and anything that basically came from a box and just ate when I was hungry...probably close to 2500 - 3000 cals a day and I was able to drop all my pregnancy weight + an extra 20 lbs (50 lbs total) by 8 months PP. 

If your not significantly overweight, I would just suggest to eat clean and eat often. You may be surprised how fast the weight comes off just through BFing.


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02-20-2013 at 11:46 AM
Ljd425
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I'm going to look into it as well..good for you for wanting to be healthy!  It is so important for parents to be healthy for their children and it is bs if anyone tells you you have to ignore your health in order to take care of your children!

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02-20-2013 at 11:49 AM
Ljd425
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WW isn't dieting..it is clean eating and portion control!  I'm sure if you are drinking lots of water and eating fruits and veggies (0 points anyway) and taking your prenatals you will have successful breast feeding!

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02-20-2013 at 11:53 AM
amykins128...
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WW has plans tailored for nursing mothers where you get way more points than a person who is not breastfeeding. I know there are lots of women on the boards who have used the plan and successfully breastfed. I would poke around and ask on a few other boards to see what kind of feedback you get. There are several ladies on the Parenting board who are using WW right now so that might be a good place to start.

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02-20-2013 at 11:58 AM
MrsWindyCi...
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Ljd425:
I'm going to look into it as well..good for you for wanting to be healthy!  It is so important for parents to be healthy for their children and it is bs if anyone tells you you have to ignore your health in order to take care of your children!

I don't think anyone is telling her to "ignore her health." OP is concerned about milk supply--not taking care of her children--which is a legitimate concern when you restrict calories.

OP, I haven't tried it. I know WW has a BFing program. I did WW a long time ago and while it worked in the beginning, it just wasn't for me. It was way too calorie restrictive (as soon as I stopped doing it and started eating more calories, I lost weight). I would definitely be hesitant to do it while BFing, but I also had a mediocre at best milk supply, and I could easily tell it was affected on days I ate less. I am not one of those women who can eat a ton and BF and lose a lot of weight (*tear*), but for me personally being restrictive with calories went on the back burner when I was BFing. I eat healthy and clean in general, which was more important to me, so it's not like I was ignoring my health. 


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02-20-2013 at 12:57 PM
MelTwe
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I did weight watchers and loved it before I got pregnant. It really forces you to look at your food choices and choose the healthy foods because you are allowed to eat more of them.

I plan on trying it while breastfeeding, and if it is too restrictive, you can manually adjust your points allowed, increasing your points to suit your BF needs, and still lose weight. It's still a useful tool to get on track for healthy eating habits. I really miss the recipe builder.

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02-20-2013 at 1:07 PM
SevenThree...
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I exclusively BF both children 12+ months without any formula supplements.  I found that whenever I started to watch what I ate or cut back, my supply went down, so I figured I just needed to eat w/o abandone for one year and then start to diet post nursing. BUT< that said I have heard people have had success with it.  Not sure if they supplemented with formula though???

 

 


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02-20-2013 at 1:07 PM
luvbug6315
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My best friend did WW while BF and had no issues. She didn't start it right away but waited until her milk supply was well established. I believe she started about 2 months after giving birth and you do get extra points because u are BF and WW takes that into account. She was successful in dropping the weight she wanted and BF for almost 2 years. So I say, yes, it can be done. I plan on joining after my LO arrives and my milk is established as well. 
 
02-20-2013 at 1:35 PM
Tiny2013
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When you start to calculate where you should be with points one f the questions asks if you are nursing. They adjust your intake accordingly.
 
02-20-2013 at 1:57 PM
FutureMrsT...
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I would first talk to your doctor about if your weight is unhealthy, if you overweight then moderate dieting is ok, I would give myself some time to get the hang of breast feeding first though, then worry about dieting. know that you wont be able to follow the weight watchers plan exactly because you will need about 500 extra calories a day for baby. there's probably a way to adjust it though. I did weight watchers pre pregnancy and it as extremely helpful with the tools they provide.

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02-20-2013 at 2:24 PM
HZ2012
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Max'smom:
I don't remember the exact number of points you add but yes you can and I did weight watchers while BFing. They have program information specific for BFing moms.

 

This exactly. I'm a long time WW member (not BF) but have always seen the info/been in meetings with BF Moms.  

 
02-20-2013 at 2:27 PM
MrsJ723
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amykins1283:
WW has plans tailored for nursing mothers where you get way more points than a person who is not breastfeeding.

This. I'm not sure how many extra points, but I know they ask you when you sign up if you are nursing and they take it into consideration when determining your daily points.


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02-20-2013 at 8:38 PM
JSS1002
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WEight watchers has a great program for nursing moms!

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02-20-2013 at 8:50 PM
watermelle...
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yes, I did WW with my last son while I was BFing. This was the WW points plus program (in 2011) and since then they've introduced points plus 2012 and now a newer program (can't remember the name).

When I did it in 2011, I got 29 pts a day and an extra 14 for EBFing. You get less once you start wearing or when your LO starts solids. It worked well for me last time and I'm planning on going back in March.


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02-21-2013 at 5:35 AM
Lolalipsy
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PandasMama0626:

I tried it and really do not advise any sort of "dieting" while breast feeding. Weight watchers (as most diets are) are based upon your own caloric needs and intake. However, when you BF, your not just using calories for yourself, but for you baby as well and tend to burn an extra 500-1000 a day just by breast feeding alone. So you will need to eat more than what weight watchers would allow in their points system.

Right after I had my first, I thought I would amp up the weight loss and do weight watchers (been doing it on and off for 10+ years and always use it to drop a few pounds now and then) and my milk supply was nearly crushed within the first week. I finally had to just accept that while breast feeding, the best thing to do is stick to a "clean" diet of healthy fats, lots of lean meats, fruits, veggies, and whole grains. I stayed away from refined sugars, white flour, and anything that basically came from a box and just ate when I was hungry...probably close to 2500 - 3000 cals a day and I was able to drop all my pregnancy weight + an extra 20 lbs (50 lbs total) by 8 months PP. 

If your not significantly overweight, I would just suggest to eat clean and eat often. You may be surprised how fast the weight comes off just through BFing.

 

This sounds good to me. Eating plenty but of all the right things. This sounds sustainable.


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02-21-2013 at 2:37 PM
jteneback
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I started WW at 8 weeks post-partum last time when my milk supply was well established and my weight loss slowed down and I had no issues.  You get a LOT of points, I think I got like 23 extra a day or something. 

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