Intermittent Fasting Tips For Breastfeeding Moms | Hea Boosters

Being a mother has been a blessing to me. I slowly started realising how much my body has changed and how much I have learnt about my body. From seeing my body accommodate the new person to being in labor for seventeen hours, to not being able to help my baby latch on to my nipples, every time I thought it cannot take anymore, my body proved me wrong.

Therefore, when I thought of losing the weight that I gained through the journey, I knew my body wouldn’t fail me even this time. I had tried intermittent fasting earlier and wanted to try it again after I delivered my little one. For me, intermittent fasting proved to be another blessing that I have experienced. This practice has allowed me to recover my physical and mental wellbeing and I have lost a decent amount of weight.

Types of intermittent fasting routine:

Before you start intermittent fasting, you must learn which method is suitable for you and whether you’ll be able to fast for that period while taking care of your baby or not. Below we have mentioned five different types of intermittent fasting methods.



5:2: You eat a standard eating routine five days every week and for two days, you limit your food intake to 500-600 calories.
8:16/10:16: You eat for 8-10 hours per day and for the next 14-16 hours you have to fast.
Fasting at Alternate Day: As the name suggests, you have to eat on every alternate day.
Eat-Stop-Eat: Again in this form of IT fasting, you go 24 hours without any type of food a few times per week.
Champion Diet: You eat greatly around evening time and eat less during the day.

Tips for breastfeeding moms who want to try intermittent fasting:

1. Take your postnatal vitamins:

When you start breastfeeding, there are certain postnatal vitamins that you need to take to recover. These postnatal vitamins can prevent the nutritional gaps that may harm new mothers and their infants. Multivitamins enriched with vitamin c, vitamin d, folate and nutrients like iron and DHA can help moms fulfill their recommended daily vitamin requirements.

2. Include healthy fats, veggies, and lean proteins in your diet:

Intermittent fasting limits your feeding time. Therefore, it is important to ensure that you have well-balanced, nutritious meals. Practicing good eating habits including fats, protein, and vegetables will be vital to getting legitimate sustenance and fighting off hunger. Including sufficient protein in every dinner or snack has helped me with getting the outcomes I've needed.

3. Do not stress over your feeding window:

Listening to your body is extremely important, if you have been awake all night or are tired from feeding your baby, then break your fast. It is important to note that shortening your feeding window will not have an effect on your milk supply. It is more important how much you eat during this window.

4. Start slowly:

Be considerate, I know precisely how you feel. You need to lose weight in a healthy manner and in the process, appreciate how much your body has already done. Do not worry, intermittent fasting is anything but a convenient solution for weight reduction. It's an instrument you can use to improve your physical wellbeing. So, your main motive while intermittent fasting should be improving your wellbeing while taking care of your baby's.

5. Hydrate enough:

Breast milk is 80% water, therefore, feeding your baby makes you thirsty. Hence, drinking 4-5 liters of water everyday is essential along with other fluids like coconut water, smoothies or milkshakes. Since I'm never without my trusty water flask, it hasn't been an issue. You need to drink a good amount of water for production and easy flow of your milk. What's more, besides, it additionally helps in keeping unexplained hunger pangs in control, it is also good for your skin.

6. Do not over exercise:

Yes, working out can help you tone and help you lose weight. There are a few exercises new moms can do to keep them energised throughout the day. At the same time, you need to understand that your body is changing and adjusting to the new eating pattern, don't exaggerate your body by adding an excessive amount of physical activity routine toward the start. While it is important to work out consistently, gradually increasing your workout activities is the best way to move forward.

7. Plan your meals ahead of time:

In case you're truly hungry, which happens to most of us, we run wild in the kitchen to satiate the beast in us without any proper planning and end up eating unhealthy food. If you are in any way similar to me, your impulse is to eat everything including foods that make you feel exhausted. Which may later leave you feeling lethargic, slow, and sleepy, then you need to consider a meal plan. If you have a proper meal plan, then chances are you are likely to follow IF with great success.

Conclusion:

A large portion of us surrenders when things start to get tough. It is easy to surrender and quit, but you need to learn to get back up each time you fall and there isn't anything you can't achieve.

These tips for intermittent fasting while breastfeeding have assisted me successfully in returning to an ideal weight while taking care of myself and my little munchkin. I trust that you find that these tips can easily be modified and altered according to your plans and are essential to follow when it comes to improving your physical well-being. So, don’t wait any longer and give intermittent fasting a try.