Hi all!
I am a mommy of 2 kids and I have been successfully breastfeeding my 8 1/2 month old daughter since she was born. I started keto in June of this year and didn’t experience any negative side affects with my supply, etc BUT I have noticed that I am losing weight at a MUCH slower rate than I ever have previously. Like 1/2 pound per week, if that. I feel really good and eat in the 25-35 carbs/day range. It’s just really discouraging to look at the scale and see no movement. I’m not super close to my goal. I’m still 20 pounds overweight according to the BMI. I do like to bake a lot of keto breads (yum) but I limit myself to 2 slices per day (no more than 8 net carbs). I also eat really healthy and don’t ever buy take out and cook all the food I eat. I haven’t ever cheated on my diet, but on one occasion I ate half a pint of Halo Top. Haven’t went near it since (too tempting for me).
Are there any other breastfeeding moms that have experienced this?
What was your rate of loss during the time you were doing keto and breastfeeding?
Any feedback would be highly appreciated!
A breastfeeding mom on Keto
Serena Williams stopped breastfeeding her baby at 6 months because she needed to lose weight to play tennis. Once she did, the weight started coming off.
Contrary to popular belief, breastfeeding slows the metabolism for many women. It’s your body’s way of preserving energy stores so that you can continue to feed your baby when food is scarce. This is quite normal. 1/2lb/week of weight loss is healthy. KCKO.
I wasn’t doing keto back then but was losing weight. I was at my skinniest as an adult then. Could it be your just not eating enough?
Thanks for your input. I am pretty sure I am eating enough. I take in about 1900-2000 calories per day. My lowest days are usually 1700. but I do quite a bit of snacking.
Thank you! I am a bit reassured. As long as I am feeling good and the scale is going in a downward trend, I can live with that. And I surely am eating way better than if I was when I was BF & not doing keto.
Lots of women find this trend when they’re relatively close to their goal weight (and 20lbs is relatively close) so it might not have anything to do with breastfeeding. Also please be sure you’re taking measurements! On keto, women in particular tend do do some really nice recomposition which makes scale weight nearly meaningless. I’m borderline overweight according to my BMI but am in size zero jeans (vanity sizing, but still - I’m definitely leaner than my weight would indicate).
The one bf thing I would watch out for is to be careful not to undereat. The slowdown in metabolism if we’re not getting enough food is likely to be even more pronounced when your body is trying to nourish two of you!
Just things to consider are:
How long will you breastfeed (can you wait to maybe lose wait at a faster pace?)?
Is your current intake enough to maintain your milk supply
Are your hormones regulating or still super wonky from pregnancy and postpartum?
Body composition versus actual weight?
Energy levels with current intake?