How many calorie can I survive on? To loose at least 2kilos per month.

Hi, I am a busy mum of 3. Put on 20kilos during my last pregnancy. Got a 8months old who is breastfed and not doing her nights yet. So craving for food all day. Additionally my husband does the shopping and buys all the naughty snacks for the kids (crisps, biscuits etc). My children aged 4 and 7) prefers white pasta I tried brown and they don’t eat it. Yesterday I started aerobic at home in front of TV. Hoping to do 20mn daily. Trying to stay away from unhealthy snacks too although they are in my face all day by having healthy options instead. But with Lack of sleep and breastfeeding feeling hungry all the time. How many calories per day do you reckon I can survive on?

[moreless Administrator 7 stone]

Hi and welcome, Newmum3

I'm not medically qualified, but I don't believe calorie restriction is the best course of action for a nursing mum, it would be far better for you to stick to 3 meals a day, eating only natural products, which is basically, fish, meat, eggs, full fat dairy (nothing labelled low fat, fat free, or diet), vegetables, a small amount of fruit, mainly berries and an even smaller amount of carbohydrates, as they can lead to feelings of hunger and cravings, see this well.blogs.nytimes.com/2013... and steer clear of highly processed foods, including those that claim to be 'healthy'.

This could be your guide phcuk.org/wp-content/upload...

Be kind to yourself, you have a lot on your plate

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[wa2un7 Maintainer]

Welcome to the forum. An administrator will be along and will give you much more informed advice than I can but be assured you will find invaluable support here. Good luck👍

[BridgeGirl Administrator 2 stone]

I suggest you turn that question on its head and make it, "How much can I eat while aiming to lose 2kgs a month?" You can eat really well while losing weight steadily and sustainably. It's about putting the emphasis on what you eat, rather than just how much, and you have good advice from moreless.

At some point, it may be worth having a conversation with your husband about how you're going to work together to ensure a healthy future for your children.

[Hidden in reply to BridgeGirl]

Some may disagree but my husband and I agreed our children need some of these snacks. However if I was shopping I would rather take healthier options. I already addressed this with my husband and it has improved, at least they are not longer eating sugar all day. They also do eat fruits and veg. However having biscuits and crisp around is tempting as they are readily available, especially when the children offer you some too. My question was more about keeping a balance as I breastfeed and I am sleep deprived so I don’t want to cut down too much on my calorie intake and fall apart. With the 20mn aerobic I started yesterday, I am just wondering if the NHS daily calorie intake also applies when one is breastfeeding and cannot sleep as much as needed.

[BridgeGirl Administrator 2 stone in reply to Hidden]

My apologies, it probably sounded more crisp and biscuity than it is

You can get your calorie range from the NHS BMI calculator. My understanding is that you need to add around 500 calories a day when breastfeeding, but do some research on that. The range is likely to be higher than you expect. And you're right, lack of sleep is an added factor in weight loss.

The main point is that you don't have to be restrictive to lose weight - in fact, it can work against you as it slows your metabolism and you end up in an ever-decreasing circle. Making the food choices moreless suggests has a good chance of keeping you feeling full, not hungry, therefore less likely to eat between meals. Also, following that approach you wouldn't need to count anything.

I've seen some members coming up with practical solutions e.g. having a sweets and biscuits tin or drawer that's for other members of the family, out of sight and out of bounds. Maybe something like that would help you. Plus having an alternative such as a few nuts, small piece of cheese or full fat Greek yoghurt if you do need a top up between meals

[Hidden in reply to BridgeGirl]

Thanks we do have a place for snacks but children being children they not only eat it in front of me I also have to clean after them. I will have to be super strong. I am also vegetarian (since birth) and my diet is already healthy as I eat plenty of fruits, veg, nuts and cheese. My issue is the carb... I not only love them but it is hard to be full just on fruits and veg. Age is not on my side neither. Wondering if the 500 calories for baby could be included and if I could go as low as 1000 calories per day? Bearing in mind I am mostly home and apart for household chores only do 20mn aerobic per day.

[bikegrrrl 1lb in reply to Hidden]

In your shoes (and I have been there albeit a long time ago) I would not be trying to restrict my calories so drastically to 1000, that is far, far too few (unless you are very short). Now is the time to concentrate on your baby and your energy levels. The links moreless has given you are very much worth attention.

If you are determined, the NHS BMI calculator can give you a calorie range for losing weight. I have used that together with calorie counting and it works. To account for the breastfeeding, I would add 500 cals to the upper and lower figures. And aim towards the higher figure at first. You need to keep revising the range (i.e. go back to the BMI calculator) as you lose weight.

I know it can be difficult when you are so busy, but could you plan your meals and calorie-count them to be a bit more certain you are eating enough, so that it's not actual hunger that is leading you to snack on less healthy things? When I was actively losing weight, I wrote all my food down in a book the night before and used the Daily Diary on the forum to keep myself on track. Come and have a look there?

Also you could dial the carbs back a bit - maybe have them at one meal a day? And concentrate instead on filling things like eggs, cream, full-fat yogurt etc.

And maybe allow yourself one "treat" snack a day - for say 100 calories - that you can look forward to in the evening?

You can count all of that in to your daily total, and it could be just what you need to keep from guzzling indiscriminately [ask me how I know ...]

I lost weight not just by meal-planning and calorie counting, but also by understanding what makes me tick and what presses my buttons.

Best of luck, and congratulations on your lovely family!

[Slimforsummer Visitor]

Maybe you could try the nhs 12 week diet plan. It includes all food groups but encourages natural and wholemeal foods. The diet works by making small changes to your food and exercise choices every week. For example drinking water instead of fizzy drinks, or making sandwiches half wholemeal and half white and give them a made up name to encourage children to eat them. If you are breast feeding you need all the nutrition from all the food groups and should be eating until you feel satisfied but not stuffed. Breast feeding and not overeating promotes healthy weight loss. Perhaps your health visitor could give you good dietary advice as many of us on here have conflicting views on what constitutes a healthy diet. Good luck.

[Hidden in reply to Slimforsummer]

Hi thanks I already eat wholemeal bread but when cooking my children and husband don’t like wholemeal pasta and rice so I cook white for everybody. We never drink fizzy at mine and I only drink water and herbal teas. Having small children exercice would be mostly dancing, aerobics and exercice in front of TV which I started yesterday.

[Cosmo501 Restart May 2024]

Big hugs! I really sympathise! I can see you’ve had some great advice above. All these wonderful Admins also pointed me in the right direction at the start of the year. I ended up stopping trying to reduce my calorie intake, and instead ate lots more, increasing all the good veggies and healthy fats like olive oil, cheese, avocado, salmon etc. Seemed a big step to take at the time, but it definitely stopped me feeling hungry and reaching for any of the rest of the family snacks, and helped change around the focus of my food intake.

Hang in there!! Try not to worry too much about the pregnancy weight. It went on, and it will come off in time. Unless it’s causing you adverse health effects, just be gentle on yourself to get through this exhausting phase.

Wishing you well! X

[Hidden in reply to Cosmo501]

Thanks....all of these are naturally already part of my vegetarian diet olive oil, cheese, avocado, boiled eggs. I just want my body back!

[Cosmo501 Restart May 2024 in reply to Hidden]

Yes! I didn’t read all your replies until after I’d posted, sorry!

I really get your frustration though. I actually put on 30kg while breastfeeding my wee one 😱. So exhausted, I was eating healthily for sure, but too many heavy carbs and too much fruit, and fruit juice ... and added to the mix the odd packet of Oreos or something similar just to keep my eyelids open! 😭 When I really dialled back the carbs and increased the healthy fats things started to move back in the right direction. My wee one is now a busy toddler, although is still b/feeding once a day. Once he reached that stage in March I really started to focus on this weight loss thing! So, since March, as of today, 20kg have melted away again. Relief. Still 10kg to go, but I’m heading the right way at least.

Keep hanging around here, loads of supportive people and useful information.

You’ll get there. Take care xx

[Hidden in reply to Cosmo501]

Whoa! Congratulation on your little one and on the weight lost. You are an inspiration. I only want to loose the 20kilos gained during pregnancy so will increase on veg and cut on carb to see if it works.

[Zipped-Mouth in reply to Hidden]

Hi and welcome, can I ask how old is the one that you are nursing?

I would suggest (this is my personal opinion, I am not medically trained just a mother) just eat as healthily as you can for now and once you get the nursing over with and your sleep pattern back then fully focus on getting your body back - yes do some exercise when you can but look after yourself whilst nursing and having so little sleep

Wishing you all the best as you have a very busy time just now

[Hidden in reply to Zipped-Mouth]

I just want to try and loose 2kilos per months so I feel good in 10months (next summer). Went on holiday and felt like a whale in the water. My little one is 8months and is breastfed on demand. She started eating but is still fed at night and during the day as often as she needs. Hoping she does her night fully by the time she turns 1. I feel like if I slept more I would crave less and be able to stick to 3 meals a day.

[Zipped-Mouth in reply to Hidden]

It's hard going when you feed on demand and you need more sleep, however saying that I salute you for continuing with her now 8 months old (I was unlucky and only managed to feed mine for 4 months )

2 kilos (4lbs a month) is a good slow and steady amount to lose, but lack of sleep won't be helping

Wishing you all the best

[Hidden in reply to Zipped-Mouth]

Thanks for your wishes, breastfed my first 2 children for 2 years each but this time with the 3rd find it harder to rest/nap as I also look after the first 2. Hopefully I will find a balance. Started reducing calories today (mostly removing some carb and not giving in temptations such as biscuits and crisp), increased water/tea intake with the 20mn/day aerobic I started yesterday will see if I loose some weight.

[Zipped-Mouth in reply to Hidden]

Yes it is harder as you have the other two to look after as well

Well done on your start - Don't reduce the calories too much, here's 2 suggestions

1 - if you weren't counting calories, why not eat normally like you did last week and count the calories so you can see how many you really were eating

2 - if you were counting calories before just eat normally (healthy) stop eating the biscuits and cakes and see how that goes before reducing the calories

Note these are just suggestions I am not telling you what to do

Looking forward to chatting with you and seeing how you get on

[Hidden in reply to Zipped-Mouth]

I was not counting calories but decided to cut the cakes, biscuits and juice. Also to increase veg and reduce carb. I started counting calories today with these above changes breakfast and morning snack alone were 600 calories. Going to have boiled eggs and veg later on and a dark chocolate (95% cacao) snacks. Just drinking more water to keep me going today... very hard but feasible.

[Zipped-Mouth in reply to Hidden]

Definitely need to drink plenty of water

Boiled eggs and veg sounds good enjoy

Wishing you all the best and hope to see you on the Daily diary - this is also a good place to look at what others are eating and steal some ideas

[Hidden in reply to Zipped-Mouth]

How to access the daily dairy? Sorry I am new to this platform. Thanks

[IndigoBlue61 in reply to Hidden]

Follow the links Moreless gave you earlier Newmum13 and you’ll find everything 😊

healthunlocked.com/nhsweigh...

[PippiRuns 3kg]

I guess that depends on a lot of factors. Your height, age, how much you move about, the size of your child, etc.

I would suggest you use the NHS calculator nhs.uk/live-well/healthy-we... , aim for the middle of your calorie range and then add 300-500 calories for as long as you are exclusively breastfeeding.