Losing The Baby Weight Part 3

As many of you know I have been trying very hard to lose the baby weight I gained from pregnancy. I have been posting blogs on the subject periodically. (See Part 1 and Part 2)

Losing weight after having a baby can be difficult and takes some hard work, but it is even more difficult if you are like me and trying to breastfeed. I have had many people tell me that breastfeeding will make the extra weight just "melt off". Well, that has not seemed to be the case with me so far and I felt frustrated about dieting...I mean how do I even start? Many people out there say that you have to be very careful when you are dieting and breastfeeding. If you cut your calorie intake too much it can make you quit producing milk. Luckily, I stumbled across this great book.

It's called: Eat Well, Lose Weight While Breastfeeding: The Complete Nutrition Book for Nursing Mothers, Including a Healthy Guide to the Weight Loss Your Doctor Promised by Eileen Behan

This book really helped to reassure me that I can lose the weight with just a little food control and exercise. The writer is a registered dietitian and offers many helpful tips on breastfeeding, balancing life and motherhood, workout routines, menus, and just overall reassurance that you can lose this weight. She talks about how many studies have "found that breastfeeding mothers could successfully nurse their babies on far fewer calories then was were usually recommended." Which reassured me that cutting calories would be fine for my baby and for me to keep nursing.

What really struck me about this book is that she talks about the "500 extra calories per day" myth. It's the idea that when you are breastfeeding you need to eat an extra 500 calories per day, when in fact studies have shown that for some women this is far too many calories. In addition to several studies about calorie intake, she dispels the myths that there is a long list of foods which need to be avoided during breastfeeding and encourages mothers not to focus on what they shouldn't eat, but "instead, emphasize all the good foods you can have."

Anyways, I feel this book is a must for a breastfeeding Mom who wants to start losing the baby weight. It's an easy read and provides the needed resources to promote weight loss, breastfeeding, healthy eating, happy motherhood, and a happy life. I am happy to say that with counting calories and some exercise I have lost nine pounds in the last 30 days. I am hoping to keep the weigh loss going and might soon be back to my pre-baby clothes!

~Beth