please help!-breastfeeding and dieting

[Phemomena]

well, not dieting but eating better...

i thought i'd ask some of you who may have gone through it...

i'm trying to get myself back into my pre-preg shape... my daughter is 8m old now, so i think it's time i get back into shape...

presently i'm about 5'4'', 128lbs, bf is pretty high for me (>20%, probably as high as 25%)... i'm increasing my activity and cutting out the junk food that i've been indulging in lately... i won't be able to get to a gym for awhile so hardcore training is not really feasible ... i've been hiking, doing chin-ups, push-ups, crunches and don't laugh, tai-bo... hehe....

when i found out i was pregnant i was about 18% (up from a nice hard ox induced 14%), and 124lbs (down from 126-127)...

i'd like to get back down below 20% bf by christmas... (i figure i have to take things slowly and am giving myself plenty of time...) i know when i get that low w/o training hard that my weight will be down below 115lb, not excited about that, but i'll deal with it... might be higher now that i got these milk-bags

now i'd like someone to help me plan a diet that is good for me and my little leach... (i'm only really feeding her at nap/bed times, so all and all 4-5 times a day depending on how many times she wakes up)... I also express for her cereal in the morning... i'd like to keep feeding her for at least another 3-4 months (and i don't sense that she's ready to wean any time in the near future (but there's no way in hell i'm going to feed her when she's old enought to ask for it though )...

soooooo... any words of wisdom from anyone who's lived through it... (also any advice on the addition of teeth to the equation... even when she's not biting me those top ones hurt like hell when she's anxious....)

i'll post what i'm eating now in a bit, i have some stuff i have to get done while she's napping

thanks in advance all
phem and leach

 

[SouthernBell]

thanks in advance all

phem and leach

cute!

I am sorry I couldn't be of much help on the breast feeding I was unable to becuase of the medication I had to take post prego.

SB

 

[sheez_ripped]

phem

just a standard bodybuilding diet should be fine...protein, good complex carbs....skim milk...try to stay away from processed foods...just eat plenty of calories and often...

i breastfed and was in gym when he was 6 wks...and plain diet worked best for him cause he was colicky...no broccoli or cauliflower...i made that mistake...but oatmeal, natty peanut butter, chicken, sweet potatoes, all good....

i would say spatts cutting diet would be good...

 

[Phemomena]

where has spatts hidden her diet now?... i know the basics, but i need some ideas, my diet was pretty boring when i was training, i need some variety....

need to buy egg whites... i'm going to be a gas machine again... luckily i'm living in farm land and i can pick organic veggies grown in our garden.... the wax beans this year are amazing! (and i don't like beans too much)

leach isn't picky, she'll eat regardless of what i eat... is there anything that i really should avoid that would piss her off bad? any supplements i can take that'll help me and not hurt her? (are protein shakes okay?)

 

[wend]

I breastfed for almost six years straight! (Weaned the first one after the second one came along.) I actually gained weight AFTER I weaned my youngest...remember, that leach is sucking the fat right off of you, as long as you don't take in more calories than you need.

My kids weren't picky, either. I could even eat spicy foods. Protein shakes should be fine. (I have heard that about the broccoli...and garlic, too.)

Some say that the babies don't like the taste of b-milk after a hard workout, but I never noticed them turning it down.

Also, if your supply slows down before you want it to, you can add some fennel or fenugreek to your oatmeal and it'll boost it back up.

And congrats! As trying as this stage can be, it's kinda magical, too. (And the immune factors you're passing along to your little one will serve her well now and later in life.)

 

[Sassy69]

Hey Phem!!!!! And Leach!!!

Here's a link to the infamous spatts' cutting diet - write down the link to the URL for it too!

http://boards.elitefitness.com/forum/showthread.php?threadid=232071&highlight=spatts+cutting+diet

 

[Gymgurl]

I would say just stick to the basics and you will be fine. Just watch your milk supply. You will notice because you might not feel as full and "the leach" will not be satisfied. I was one of the unlucky ones that never lost weight until I was done breastfeeding!

Good luck and congrats on making a great choice for "the leach"!!

 

[gingersnap]

I'm sorry I don't have much advice but blessings to you! I breast fed two precious little boys who are now teenagers getting into my liquor cabinet....UGH!....enjoy, enjoy and don't fret too much about your body right now you will have the rest of your life to work on it, just cherish this time!

 

[Puddles]

Following the typical bb diet should be very good for your baby! I can't imagine protein shakes having anything bad in them, but I'd check with the pediatrician before adding in supplements...everything you consume is passed on into the breastmilk.

As for the teeth...lol...try not to let the little one get too hungry and that will help with the hard sucking. When my daughter bit down on me I'd let out a little high pitched "ouch!" and she was startled and let go. If the baby's clamping down hard, you can stick your finger into the corner of her mouth to loosen the grip. Use some cocoa butter around your nipple area before and after nursing too. Aside from that, just grin and bear it. I nursed mine for about 14 months. Hubby referred to nursing as "titty milk" and when she was about 12 mos. old she started trying to say it...sounded like "tiki tika" so I figured it was time to cut down. The week we stopped was easy...I was down to twice a day (just before nap and bed time) and she had a stuffy nose from a cold so we just didn't nurse for a few days. I dried up without a problem.

Good luck and enjoy! Before you know it she'll be a "big girl" and you'll be remembering this stuff fondly.

 

[RottenWillow]

Definitely going to be Enfamil for me!