After the early postpartum season has come to a close and life has gone back to a (new) normal, many women desire to lose the ‘baby weight’ they gained during pregnancy, or start a new health and fitness journey. However, if you’re continuing to breastfeed even as you begin introducing solid foods to your baby, you may be confused about how you can safely and effectively lose weight. You probably know that you need more calories in order to produce milk for your infant, but you also know that losing weight requires being in a calorie deficit. So, how do you safely decrease your daily calorie intake while maintaining your milk supply? Can you go on special diets like Keto and still lactate? And what about exercise—is that safe? Or, can you lose weight just by breastfeeding and doing nothing else?
Everyone experiences postpartum weight loss differently
Before we tackle these questions, it’s important to note that each postpartum woman is different when it comes to weight loss. Some women seem to lose weight effortlessly in the weeks and months following their births as they nurse their babies; others only see a drop once they introduce solid foods; and still others complain that it’s difficult to lose weight until they fully wean their baby. Depending on your health and weight pre-pregnancy and the natural weight loss that occurs immediately postpartum, you may or may not actually need to pruebe to lose weight. So, this brings us to our first important question…
Will I lose weight just from breastfeeding?
Whether you’ll lose weight just from breastfeeding isn’t a simple question—and it doesn’t have a simple answer. Pregnancy, birth, and lactation all have an outsized efecto on the metabolism of a woman, no matter how your metabolic health is before getting pregnant [1]. Researchers have posited that lactation acts as a sort of “reset” to help women go back to their pre-pregnancy baseline metabolism, which is great news for those of us who nurse for months (or years!) following the birth of a baby [2]. However, the more babies you have, the more your risk aumenta for obesity and metabolic disease. Importantly, this is not as much about pregnancy itself, but more about the impacto of having trouble losing weight postpartum [3] [4]. And as any woman with more than one baby can tell you (especially if they’re closely spaced), it’s very easy to get caught in a cycle of gaining weight during pregnancy, and not losing it all before a subsequent pregnancy.
Weight loss with breastfeeding vs. formula feeding
So, is breastfeeding the cure-all “reset” to help us go back to our pre-pregnancy weights? Sometimes. Investigación tiene en general encontrado that while breastfeeding women burn more calories, they also eat more calories, especially in the early postpartum phase [5] [6] [7] [8]. Fascinatingly, however, weight loss for women who are formula feeding seems to be much quicker in the first few months postpartum (as they generally eat far less at that time), but once the first twelve weeks are over, it seems like breastfeeding women do lose weight more easily.
Weight loss for women who are formula feeding seems to be much quicker in the first few months postpartum (as they generally eat far less at that time), but once the first twelve weeks are over, it seems like breastfeeding women do lose weight more easily.
Un estudiar found that by the one year mark, breastfeeding women lost almost 5 pounds more on average than their non-nursing counterparts [8]. Other estudios conflict with this, however, finding that while women who breastfed in the past are typically slightly thinner at age 45, much of this probably has less to do with the breastfeeding and more to do with the other healthy choices that same demographic makes [9].
The ultimate answer to postpartum weight loss? It depends
What can we make of this? Well, breastfeeding may help you lose a few extra pounds more than you would otherwise, but the increase in energy input (more food) you need may counteract the increased energy output from lactation. In other words, research doesn’t yet understand why some women lose weight more easily than others while breastfeeding, but it is quite possible that just breastfeeding alone won’t do much for your weight loss.
Research doesn’t yet understand why some women lose weight more easily than others while breastfeeding, but it is quite possible that just breastfeeding alone won’t do much for your weight loss.
What’s considered unsafe while breastfeeding?
Before we get into the specific strategies for weight loss and whether or not they are helpful, it’s important to mention calorie restriction or dieting in the first twelve weeks postpartum is not recommended. During this early postpartum period, it’s important to focus on nourishing your body and beginning to heal—both of which can and should be done by eating well and beginning to gently move your body.
If you want to breastfeed (which has many benefits for women y their babies), you must also make sure that you’re eating enough to establish (and then not lose) a healthy milk supply. Generally, 1,800 calories is seen as the absolute minimum number of calories that a breastfeeding woman can eat in a day without the concern of her milk supply dropping—but again, in the early postpartum weeks, this is likely (woefully, woefully) inadequate (read more on that subject here).
However, if you’re beyond the first 12 weeks postpartum and want to start intentionally losing weight, keep in mind that the additional calories needed to continue breastfeeding will probably make weight loss a slower process than it otherwise would be, as it’s considerado seguro to lose only about one pound per week while nursing (and even that may prove too much too fast, and you may have to increase your caloric intake if you notice your supply dropping). Even at 12 weeks or more postpartum, attempting to lose weight by more drastic measures (multi-day fasts or extreme calorie restriction, for example) can be harmful for you and your baby, as your body burns at least 500 calories just from breastfeeding alone.
The evidence on weight loss methods while breastfeeding
Here’s a quick overview of some of the most popular methods of weight loss and whether or not they are safe (and effective) while lactating (all of which assume you are at least 12 weeks or more postpartum).
Calorie restriction
One of the most common methods of weight loss is known as CICO: calories in, calories out. It’s basic science that weight loss necessitates consuming fewer calories than you burn, but this can be done in a number of ways. Simply counting your calories and making sure that they fall under your total daily energy expenditure (TDEE) is a basic weight loss method that many people like because it gives you the freedom to eat what you’d like within some defined limits.
Again, if you are attempting calorie restriction while breastfeeding, it’s important not to restrict to under 1,800 calories at the bare minimum. Typical TDEE calculators se no account for the calories burned while lactating, so you need to use a breastfeeding specific calculator like éste from the Infant Risk Center.
Generally, calorie restriction is an eficaz weight loss strategy while breastfeeding, with studies showing that, when done properly, it does not harm milk supply [10]. It’s important to also note that if you’re undertaking this method, you’ll need to decrease your amount of calories as you begin to wean your baby (which begins when you start feeding solids) and the amount you are lactating begins naturally decreasing as a result.
Generally, calorie restriction is an effective weight loss strategy while breastfeeding, with studies showing that, when done properly, it does not harm milk supply.
Ejercicio
Moving your body is essential no matter if you are pregnant, breastfeeding, or otherwise. For weight loss specifically, exercise largely works in the same method as calorie restriction—it changes the CICO ratio so there are now more calories going ‘out’ than going ‘in.’ However, exercise has many more benefits than simply increasing the amount of calories that you burn. Strength training specifically has been shown to increase insulin sensitivity, meaning that having more muscle on your body helps to control your blood sugar (which in turns helps with more weight loss!) [11]. Postpartum exercise also has numerous other beneficios, such as a decrease in pelvic floor issues and acting as a safeguard against depresión posparto (PPD) [12].
As for the question of exercising while breastfeeding, studies have se muestra that moderate (30-45 minutes per day) exercise is both safe and effective for weight loss [13]. Exercise helps women not only lose weight while they lactate, but it also may increase antioxidant properties and improve the lipid and hormonal profiles of breastmilk.
Exercise helps women not only lose weight while they lactate, but it also may increase antioxidant properties and improve the lipid and hormonal profiles of breastmilk.
Ayuno intermitente
Intermittent fasting (IF), typically understood, is lengthening the gaps between meals to restrict eating into a certain eating ‘window.’ Fasting boasts many beneficios in reducing inflammation, helping insulin resistance, and protecting against chronic disease [14]. While fasting may be undertaken for cycling women with some consideration for the hormonal shifts that occur during the menstrual cycle (and there is good pruebas to show that IF can improve fertility in some cases), it’s not necessarily the best idea to undertake IF while breastfeeding.
Again, health guidance does not recommend any level of fasting done during the early days of breastfeeding when milk supply is being established and the baby is nursing frequently. However, the guidance is less clear in the later stages of breastfeeding (such as at 4+ months postpartum). There just isn’t a lot of information yet on intermittent fasting as a weight loss or health strategy while breastfeeding—and, on that note, we need better information on it for all women, as its benefits have largely been studied in men.
Evidence from religious fasting
That being said, there are a few studies that look at religious fasting while breastfeeding, such as during Ramadan or Yom Kippur. This estudiar shows that women fasting for religious reasons generally did not experience any sort of change in their milk supply or milk nutrient composition as they fasted, which means that it may be a safe practice for their babies, but it doesn’t necessarily tell us about the health of the mothers themselves [15]. Another smaller estudiar which compared fasting and nonfasting mothers during Ramadan also did not show a difference in the milk compositions between the two groups [16].
Due to the overall lack of information on IF for weight loss purposes during lactation, it’s a good idea to speak to your medical professional if you are planning on doing any kind of fasting while breastfeeding—and if you do decide to try it, a gentle overnight fast may be a good place to start. (Think: nothing to eat después de 7 PM, and nothing to eat until 7 AM the next day). However, it’s also important to note that all of the major religions that practice fasting (such as Catholicism, Islamy Judaism) all say that any woman who is pregnant or nursing is exempt from religious fasting requirements.
Keto diets
Another popular method of weight loss is eating a Ketogenic diet, which is definido as limiting daily intake of carbs to 20-50g. Following Keto can be a éxito weight loss strategy, especially for those who have síndrome metabólico or Type 2 Diabetes [17].
However, Keto diets are not necessarily a safe option for those who are currently breastfeeding. Limiting carbs to an extreme degree, such as in the Keto diet, can cause a condition called lactational ketosis (LKA). Diabetic ketoacidosis is a condition where the lack of insulin being produced in the body causes a buildup of acid, known as ketones, in the blood. This is most common in Type 1 Diabetics and can be life-threatening. For women who are breastfeeding, it is possible to experience ketoacidosis when the body does not have enough carbohydrates to use as fuel, since a lactating woman’s body is also pulling from the influx of carbohydrates to create breastmilk. Due to the increased energy demands of lactation, breastfeeding women are much more likely to go into a state of ketoacidosis than women who are not nursing.
Existen varios casos of LKA in the scientific literature, though it is a rare diagnosis [18] [19]. Due to the life-threatening nature of LKA, Keto while breastfeeding is No recomendado. It es safe, however, to count macronutrients and eat a higher protein and fat diet with moderate carbohydrates (especially focusing on high-quality, whole-food carbohydrates).
Due to the life-threatening nature of LKA, Keto while breastfeeding is not recommended. It es safe, however, to count macronutrients and eat a higher protein and fat diet with moderate carbohydrates (especially focusing on high-quality, whole-food carbohydrates).
The bottom line on weight loss while breastfeeding
Though any method of dieting is unsafe during the early postpartum months, there are a few options for breastfeeding women who want to jumpstart their weight loss in the later postpartum months—as long as one understands that a gentle, slow-and-steady, sustainable approach to weight loss is best for moms y their babies. Getting to a healthy weight postpartum is crucial in setting up your long-term health and avoiding chronic illness later in life, and it’s empowering to know that there are options for weight loss if it is something you want or need while continuing to breastfeed [4].
