Is it possible I need waaay more calories while breastfeeding?

I know "they" say 500 extra calories a day (who ARE they anyway lol).

When I eat just 500 a day, I either stay the same or GAIN weight, NEVER lose.

When I eat more than that, I LOSE weight!

So is it possible I need more than the extra 500? (And how can I get my mom to shut up about how much food I eat?? Whenever I eat the amount I try to do to lose weight, she says stuff about me never losing the weight and eating too much.)

Mystic: Right, confusing isn't it? But, the scale shows the ten pound difference.

You can easily need 3500 - 4000 calories a day, while breastfeeding! But of course this is healthy calories, not pie and cake; and plenty of pure water is essential to breastfeeding. You CAN lose weight while doing this, and it will actually come off more easily than while dieting, and the great benefit is that you will also produce plenty of milk for your baby.

You should get this book--"Lean & Free 2000 Plus" by Dana Thornock. You can get it used on amazon.com for under $5.

If you undereat while nursing, your body goes into survival mode, and holds on to every single calorie and turns it into fat--it's because your body is not only trying to keep you alive, but your baby as well. You have to convince your body that is there is no famine (that is how the body perceives dieting.)

Just don't respond to your mom, and let her see how healthy you and your baby are when you eat right. Good luck!

not sure if I understand your question completely, but I'll try. Basically your body uses a certain amount of energy every day in the form of calories(units of energy) to function depending on your activity levels and metabolism that number can very from person to person. Whatever that number is if you don't get enough your body can go into a shut down/starvation mode where it hordes calories in the form of fat, its a natural reaction, your body "thinks" your starving so it trys to save energy. So if you are the type that has a high metabolism and gererally very active then your body is "used to" burning more calories in a normal day if you cut back on these calories is gets "freaked out" and goes into hording mode. this assumes you are eating healthy and not "empty" calories.

I'm not paying attention to calories while breastfeeding. It's just one more thing to stress about, which I don't have time for. I eat like a pig, my eating habits have hardly changed since giving birth, and I'm losing weight, weighing less than I did before I was pregnant even.
There's no way I could run on only 500 extra calories, I wouldn't have enough energy to do anything, and would be hungry all the time.

Now it's been 11 years since I nursed, but if I remember correctly, I thought you burned nearly 1000 calories nursing, in the beginning. So yes I think it's possible you could need more.

Anyway, you do what you feel is best for you. As for your Mom, well hate to say it, but once a mother always a mother. You can't make her stop mothering you, but tell her you're a big girl now and you appreciate her concern, and you've heard what she's said, but you're going to do what YOU feel is best.

It's not extra calories you need, it's extra nutrients.
That will depend on the food you are eating.
You need nutrient dense food. That means more nutrients per serving.
Example: You could get 500 calories from eating beef fat (full of very dangerous trans fats) or get the 500 calories from drinking grape-seed oil which has good omega fatty acids & no trans fats.

I'm not suggesting you drink that much grape seed oil. Only showing how different foods contain differing nutrients.

Well, you can get your mom to shut up about it by not being around her as much, or flat out telling her that she is adding to your stress- you're not a child- and to not tell you how to eat.

I guess if you are losing weight by eating more then you're lucky and keep doing whatever works. :-)

Well what do you eat exactly?

What kind of food and snacks? and how often?

There are definite guide lines for everything - but it really depends on you.

So what are you putting "more" of into your body?

cause losing more weight while eating more is very possible.

I'm confused when you eat only 500 "extra" calories a day you gain weight? But when you eat more than the 500 "extra" you loose weight?

http://www.kellymom.com/nutrition/mom/mo...
Do breastfeeding mothers need extra calories?

In general, you should simply listen to your body and eat to appetite - this is usually all you need to do to get the calories you need. When exclusively nursing a young baby, it is very common to feel hungry much of the time... listen to your body. Mothers of older babies may feel hungrier when baby temporarily increases his or her milk intake (for example, during a growth spurt)... again, listen to your body. Counting calories is rarely necessary unless you are having problems maintaining a healthy weight.
If you really want (or need) to count calories...

Studies have shown that most healthy breastfeeding women maintain an abundant milk supply while taking in 1800-2200 (or more) calories per day. Consuming less than 1500-1800 calories per day (most women should stay at the high end of this range) may put your milk supply at risk, as may a sudden drop in caloric intake. (See Can I diet while breastfeeding? for more information on calorie restriction).

A mother's "baseline" need for calories (not including lactation) depends upon her activity level, weight and nutritional status. A mother who is less active, has more fat stores, and/or eats foods higher in nutritional value may need fewer calories than a mom who is more active, has fewer fat stores, and/or eats more processed foods. This link from the Children's Nutrition Research Center at Baylor College of Medicine has more information (including a handy calculator) on determining your individual caloric needs: Research helps fine-tune a woman's true caloric needs.

An exclusively breastfeeding mother, on average, needs to take in 300-500 calories per day above what was needed to maintain pre-pregnancy weight. Since the recommended added calories during the last two trimesters of pregnancy is 300 calories/day, an exclusively breastfeeding mother will typically need either the same amount of calories she was getting at the end of pregnancy, or up to 200 additional calories per day. That's the equivalent of adding 1-2 healthy snacks per day.

Per Breastfeeding and Human Lactation (Riordan, 2004, p. 438), "The amount of energy needed by lactating mothers continues to be debated. The lactating mother need not maintain a markedly higher caloric intake than that maintained prior to pregnancy: in most cases, 400-500 calories in excess of that which is needed to maintain the mother's body weight is sufficient."

http://www.kellymom.com/newman/12more_bf...
2. A breastfeeding mother has to eat more in order to make enough milk.

Not true! Women on even very low calorie diets usually make enough milk, at least until the mother's calorie intake becomes critically low for a prolonged period of time. Generally, the baby will get what he needs. Some women worry that if they eat poorly for a few days this also will affect their milk. There is no need for concern. Such variations will not affect milk supply or quality. It is commonly said that women need to eat 500 extra calories a day in order to breastfeed. This is not true. Some women do eat more when they breastfeed, but others do not, and some even eat less, without any harm done to the mother or baby or the milk supply. The mother should eat a balanced diet dictated by her appetite. Rules about eating just make breastfeeding unnecessarily complicated.
3. A breastfeeding mother has to drink lots of fluids.

Not true! The mother should drink according to her thirst. Some mothers feel they are thirsty all the time, but many others do not drink more than usual. The mother's body knows if she needs more fluids, and tells her by making her feel thirsty. Do not believe that you have to drink at least a certain number of glasses a day. Rules about drinking just make breastfeeding unnecessarily complicated.