Hellobee Boards

Arent you breastfeeding?

@PrincessBaby: I did the green smoothie thing for a while and want to get back on it! It was variations of this: http://kimberlysnyder.net/blog/ggs/
When I'm doing the smoothie I have a hardboiled egg and fruit for breakfast with the smoothie. Nuts and small salad with the smoothie for lunch and then a normal family dinner (minus any extra starch or carbs). It was a good way to eat healthy during the workday and still enjoy dinner with DH & DS when I got home.

ETA: while breastfeeding I'd eat my extra calories in greek yogurt or a piece of cheese to get in some dairy and extra protein

South beach worked for me, but they allow a lot of aspartame and I love sugar free gum and diet coke so I went crazy, which I don't think helped me lose weight. I lost 15 pounds in 3 months but I was working out twice a day too.

Have you considered the Paleo diet? That's what I've been doing and I breastfeed. I just eat a lot more eggs, veggies, avocado and meat, and I've lost 7 pounds since starting the 1st. I feel so much better too. I've cut out bread, dairy and gluten.

I did South Beach years ago and did lose weight, but it wasn't really sustainable for me. I had no energy whatsoever and there is no way I could have taken care of a baby, much less breastfed. I think something like Paleo would be more sustainable since you can have some healthy carbs with it.
But if BFing is important to you, which from your posts I think it is, I would be very careful about any restrictive diet plans. I know WW does have accommodations for BFing, but don't know anything more than that.

I would highly recommend a meeting with a nutritionist before trying any sort of diet while breastfeeding.

Your diet isn't something you should be messing around or experimenting with while you are the only source of nutrition for your child - everything you eat affects her too. Her health is far more important than losing weight fast. There will be time for that later.

Cutting out processed foods and sugar is one thing, restricting carbs is quite another. You NEED a minimum carb load everyday to keep producing quality milk, so cutting carbs right now could be detrimental. Look into a nutritional plan that is specifically designed for breastfeeding moms, like weight watchers, or put off the dieting altogether.

I wouldn't consider any diet until at least six weeks postpartum and then only weight watchers if you care about continuing BF.

@PrincessBaby: so it's no lentils, rice, all other type of grains and dairy so it sounds difficult but for me, I don't like the taste of "want-to-be" healthy foods (like steel cut oatmeal) so it's not too hard. It's about eating earthy foods to fuel your body, and it's a way of living more than a diet. From what I've read lol because I'm only a few weeks into it.

An example of my daily eating...
breakfast: 2-3 eggs, a half avocado
snack: green tea and cashews
lunch: big salad with chicken, bacon, lemon, sea salt and pepper + extra virgin olive oil
snack: baked kale chips and a berry, banana, coconut milk smoothie
Dinner: ground beef stuffed bell peppers

I eat big portions and I'm not that hungry. I use a ton of herbs and seasoning so I'm not missing flavor. Pinterest has a ton of good recipes as well. I also bought a few iBooks on Paleo eating that have explained the basics like Everyday Paleo is a good one. There's a Paleo support thread on here too!

I did 30 days strict paleo while BF when LO was 2 mo (except I did eat oatmeal 3-4x/week). Lost 17 lb which was the remainder of my baby weight with no effect on my milk production. I didn't restrict calories at all (ate what i wanted as long as it was paleo-approved) and ran 3-4 mi 3x/week. Since then I haven't been as strict with the diet, but weight is stable. Worked wonders for me! And LO is healthy as can be

The only way carb-cutting worked for me was on a flexible plan I came up with over time. Atkins made me feel lethargic and gross, and I couldn't handle the lack of fruit on South Beach. Instead, I cut all processed carbs (sugar, bread, most grains, etc). However, I still ate beans, quinoa occasionally for the protein, and a ton of fruit, veggies, and lean protein.
Dairy is also awesome for low-carb (but I'm allergic, so I stayed away).

@Amelieisme: You started your diet at 2 months pp (8 weeks) which can make a HUGE difference in terms of BF/milk supply. If I read correctly, @PrincessBaby is only 5 weeks pp, and she has not yet had a chance to fully establish her milk supply.

@PrincessBaby: I totally agree with @WinnieBee and @MediaGirl. You really need to be careful to take good care of yourself . . . you should be kind to your body.

@Rainbow Sprinkles: @HLK208: AGREED. Paleo is so much healthier and you will lose weight. Probably more slowly, but healthy.

I do a modified diet but the big differences is that there are NO grains and NO sugar. We use healthy sweeteners, pure maple syrup, raw honey, coconut sugar, dates, molasses, maple sugar and sucanat.

Here is my day of paleo:
Quinoa "cereal: with banana, blueberries, coconut milk and a tad of maple syrup

OR I like avocado and egg with a little amino acids and toasted sesame oil
also love to make a green smoothie to compliment breakfast. Some days it can be a replacement depending what I add to it.

Lunch: salmon mixed with lemon, seasoning, yogurt, celery and herbs and served in an avocado half

Dinner: crockpot pot roast (carrots, celery, potatoes, onions and meat), or peppered cauliflower tempeh with steak side salad and homemade dressing.

I never liked eating salads until I started paleo and making my own salad dressings.

With paleo I get all the nutrients I need by eating wholesome healthy food, but I'm healthy and full! I've had no issues with milk supply at all.

@PrincessBaby: I agree you should be kind to your body and your baby. But the idea that it means that you can't eat healthy and exercise to me is a little off. Glad to hear its going well for you so far!

@MsLipGloss: The OP started with a plan to start the Atkins diet. I am encouraging a healthier alternative.