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Breastfeeding Battles the Bulge
A Candid Look at Weight Issues for Moms and Babies
By Kelly Burgess
Curtis and Prorak both agree that a fad diet or extreme diet, such as an extremely low-carbohydrate diet, is probably not the best choice for a nursing mother. Although it probably won't hurt the milk supply, it could hurt the quality. More significantly, it could impact the quality of your life. One commonly noted side effect of very low-carb diets is crankiness. That's not how you want to approach motherhood. Curtis frowns on diets that rely on diet shakes and any other type of severe calorie restrictions for the same reason. In addition, weight loss supplements should never be taken while nursing.
Both experts say that the safest formal diet is Weight Watchers, which has a specific diet for breastfeeding women. Weight Watchers provides a sensible eating plan that allows you to maximize your food quantity while controlling calories.
"After going on Weight Watchers, one girl I was working with told me that she had always thought a serving of spaghetti was a whole plate of spaghetti," Curtis says. "The great thing about it is that it actually teaches you sensible eating strategies that you can adopt for the long term."
Any sensible diet along those lines, whether it counts calories or "points," is safe to try while breastfeeding. There are even books that address the subject, such as Eat Well, Lose Weight While Breastfeeding (Villard, 1992) by Eileen Behan. You should also get your pediatrician's advice and approval.
Above all, accept the fact that you just had a baby. Enjoy this special time. Eat when you're hungry, and drink when you're thirsty. Don't overdo it, but don't try to be superwoman either. Supermom is enough.
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