Losing weight while breastfeeding for some is an effortless process, while others have to work really hard to lose just a couple pounds. If you've worked really hard, and only have those last 5lbs to lose (or something close!), I know how challenging those last few pounds can be, and how they tend to stick around the belly postpartum. There are some tweaks that I've learned work really well. I've had 4 babies, and breastfed them all, so I've had a lot of practice losing weight while breastfeeding and keeping my milk supply.
I've been helping moms lose weight while breastfeeding (literally thousands), for over 5 years now. I started my fitness career as a Pilates instructor, went on to become a certified nutrition coach and a Pre/Post Natal Fitness Specialist. I've developed nutrition guides, recipe books and workout plans for postpartum mamas, and most importantly I developed Milk Dust. Milk Dust is a protein powder specifically formulated to help breastfeeding mamas lose weight by stopping sugar cravings, providing essential protein and galactagogues for milk supply.
With tools like Milk Dust, you can lose those last 5lbs while still breastfeeding, but you will need to also make some tweaks to your routine. Make sure to consult with a healthcare professional: Before embarking on any weight loss plan, it's crucial to consult with your healthcare provider or a registered dietitian who specializes in postpartum nutrition. They can assess your individual needs, take into account any underlying health conditions, and provide personalized guidance.
Diet changes to make today to lose the last few pounds postpartum:
If you only have a few pounds to lose, then your diet plan is probably working really well, but you've hit a plateu. Without having to drop calories even more, which you can if you are counting, you can make some changes to your overall macro counts, which will really help to drop some of that belly fat, but also keep your calories where they are. If you want a full macro plan, with counts, calories and recipes, I have a great one that will guide you through everything, and make it so easy! The hardest part will be putting your macros and calories into a tracker like My Fitness Pal. With the Milk Dust Macro Plan, you can make the recipes and keep track of your macros without a tracker if you need too!
How to fix your macros to lose the lingering belly fat:
Lower your fat consumption:
This is actually a big deal if you have a few pounds that are really hard to lose. If you consume fat, and your body isn't using all of your calories, then the fat is going to go straight to fat cells. If you lower your fat consumption, then your body will need to use stored fat to get the extra fat nutrients it needs. If you have stored fat, you don't have to eat fat for nutrients. Fat calories are also more than double carbs and protein, so you my naturally reduce your calories slightly, which will help burn that extra weight.
Increase your protein:
Next, you want to increase your protein intake. Protein is thermogenic during digestion, meaning those calories take more calories to digest then other foods. If you lower your fat content and increase your protein intake, you are lowering your calorie consumption just a tiny bit, without feeling like you are eating less at all. Protein is also really important to your milk supply, so it will help keep your supply up!
Using a protein shake like Milk Dust is so helpful because you can blend it with coffee (check out these Proffee recipes!), frozen fruit and frozen veggies, which will keep your fat content down, but help you feel super full! Milk Dust also offers the extra nutrients that are needed to stop sugar cravings, nourish your body postpartum and boost energy levels with amazing superfoods like Chlorella and Spirulina.
LOSE WEIGHT WHILE BREASTFEEDING MEAL PLAN (IT WILL KEEP YOUR MILK!)
Add more steps to your day:
You are probably already following a good workout routine to lose the weight you've lost already, but adding in more steps can really help burn just a few more calories without too much work. Adding more walks in will help get your metabolism going more too, which tends to slow down more and more when you are losing weight. Adding more steps can mean walking 15 minutes in the morning and 15 extra minutes at night. That adds up to 30 minutes of walking total, and it could be a couple thousands steps. This also isn't strenuous, so it won't dramatically affect milk supply or hormone levels, but it can help drop your blood sugar levels and keep them steady too.
WHY CAN'T I LOSE WEIGHT AFTER HAVING A BABY?
Use a metabolism booster:
I really like the Milk Dust Metabolism supplement to increase metabolic rate. It offers a great blend of amazing nutrients and superfoods used to increase metabolic rate. I am personally a fan of Berberine, and I think all the research shows it is an amazing herb for everyone to take.
I also have Milk Dust Super Greens, which also increases metabolic rate through the use of superfoods, vitamins and nutrients. Milk Dust Super Greens doens't have the power of Berberine, but combines many of the same ingredients with milk-boosting herbs as well, so you get an increase in metabolism and milk supply. Some think that Berberine is controversial for breastfeeding, so I put together an article of all the research, so you can read through and decide with your doctor what you think is best!
Eat your last meal earlier:
This may seem like a very simple trick, but eating earlier in the evening helps your body digest and use your dinner before going to sleep. This means that you are technically getting a little longer fasting time before breakfast, which will help your body use more stored fuel during the night. Rather than eating and going to sleep, where your body won't use much energy, you can eat, then take a small walk, tend to the baby or do some chores that will help use the glucose in your blood stream before sleeping. This means that when you fall asleep, your body will hopefully have used much of the glucose from your dinner, and be in a fat-burning mode as you go to bed! If this is hard for you, try drinking tea before bed to give yourself something to sip on, rather than eating.
Drink your coffee black:
This one I KNOW sounds terrible, but when you think about the calories that may be in your coffee, you can save those each morning by drinking your coffee black. If that is too much, try switching to a ligther creamer and no sugar or carbohydrates. This can encourage more fat-burning in the morning, and help you save just a few calories each day, which is all you really need for those final few pounds! If you don't drink coffee, maybe you drink tea or something else that you can swap. If not, look into small things you can swap to save calories, which will add up day after day!
These are 5 tips that will help you lose those last few pounds, that always tend to linger on your belly, without affecting your milk supply at all. The key here is that these tweaks are small, they don't deprive your body of important nutrients, and they add up safely over time.
Keeping track of your food is sometimes all you really need to do to lose the last few pounds. by writing down everything you eat, you will see where those small bites and snacks can add up to be more than you think they are.
I have a lot more resources for you, including recipe books, and products that can help you achieve your goals without sacraficing your milk supply at all!
If you want more help to lose weight, I have a great Breastfeeding Weight Loss + Fitness Pack that has EVERYTHING you need to lose the baby weight safely.
I give you $100 back if you lose 10lbs, so you have nothing to lose!
