Better Me with BodyByBree
Better Me with BodyByBree
4 Things to Know About Counting Macros & Breastfeeding
Ever wondered how to keep your milk supply robust while tending to your postpartum body's needs? I've got you covered with essential tips that ensure your nutrition is on point, helping you recover fully while keeping your little one thriving. We'll unravel when the optimal time is to start monitoring your macros after giving birth, and why steering clear of a significant calorie deficit is non-negotiable for a healthy lactation journey.
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Are you looking for a space where you will learn to improve your mental strength, emotional health and heal your insecurities from the inside out? Take the first step to living a more meaningful life with the Better Me with Body by Breed podcast. I'm your host, bree. I'm a certified personal trainer, entrepreneur and mother of three. I've helped empower thousands of women to take action through fitness, nutrition, meditation and mental development and aligning thoughts with action. This podcast is for those who are ready to feel inspired and motivated to live a more purposeful life. Let's grow together.
Speaker 1:If you've recently had a baby and you are postpartum, you're probably wanting to feel like yourself now more than ever. Well, counting macros is an incredible tool to help you do that. And, yes, you can even do that while your breasts feeding. In fact, a lot of my clients have seen an increase in their milk supply when they start counting macros because they're eating the proper nutrients of carbs, fats and proteins for their body. In this episode, we will go over my top four tips to help you succeed while counting macros and breastfeeding. Let's get started.
Speaker 1:Welcome to the podcast, friends, today we're talking all about macros and breastfeeding. Now this can be a little bit intimidating because so many moms are nervous to start counting macros while they're still nursing and they don't realize that they can actually do both at the same time. You can still see results and you can have a ton of milk for your baby. It's all about balancing those macros, and I am a pre and postnatal specialist. I work with so many clients who are nursing and they're seeing incredible results. So let's walk through the four main tips that I teach my clients while breastfeeding and tracking macros. I work with women in all different seasons, whether they're currently pregnant, newly, postpartum, years, down the line from their last pregnancy, or they've never been pregnant at all, and what I love so much about my job is that, with each new client, I get to give them tools that they need to find confidence, stability and wellness through simple, easy and accessible steps. Now, when it comes to breastfeeding, I have had more than one client ask me is it safe to count macros while breastfeeding, and how do I know what my regimen should be?
Speaker 1:So if you're wondering those same things, you are not alone, and today I'm going to break down the four main things you need to know when it comes to counting macros as a breastfeeding mom. So number one is focus on fueling your body for recovery, and I know you're probably so eager to get your body back to normal and feel like yourself again. But here's the thing Counting macros is about fueling your body for recovery and preparation right now. So your body just threw a massive transition and I'm so, so proud of you. It was so hard and now it's time for you to give it exactly what it needs to build your strength back up and heal everything postpartum. And you need to provide those nutrients for your little baby.
Speaker 1:So we cannot go into a super big deficit right now or you will lose your milk, and that's what we're trying to avoid. So if you're looking at this as an opportunity to jump back into cutting your baby weight, I hear you, but let's take things a little bit slower. So it's easy to forget that this is the time to rebuild and give yourself grace. So take it day by day, nourish your body, enjoy your time with your newest addition to your family, and when your body is ready for a stricter fitness resume, then we can do even a bigger deficit. So right now, it's kind of teaching you how to find that balance where, yes, you're seeing results, but also we're keeping your milk supply up, and I actually do not suggest my clients to track macros in the first six weeks, because I want you to regulate your milk supply. So eat all the food like eat all the healthy fats, all the carbs, all the protein, because you want a healthy, strong milk supply. Once your milk supply is established, then we'll go in and be like, okay, let's figure out where your maintenance is. We can do a slight deficit, see where you're at, or even maybe you need to up your macros just a little bit because you've been under eating. That's what we do is we'll evaluate everything for you.
Speaker 1:Number two kick the calories up a notch. I cannot stress this enough, but what you were eating before or even during pregnancy is probably not enough to support a hefty and healthy milk supply. So my rule of thumb when training clients is to have them eat about 500 calories above their calorie goal while their breastfeeding so that they can, when they're cleared for working out, see results and provide their body with all of the nutrients that they need. So I do hear from some mom with infants that it can be hard to take care of yourself when you're in that season and, believe me, I've been there. I've done this four times. But finding the time to shower, read a good book, actually make the foods and make a nutritious pat meal a few times a day will make all the difference. Most women actually aren't even eating enough for their milk supply. So you will end up having more energy and you'll keep your milk supply stable. And if you're lifting, then you can create some nice, healthy muscle.
Speaker 1:So don't be afraid if we up your calories just a little bit while your breastfeeding, to keep that milk supply and still see results. That's why it's important also to have a pre and post-natal specialist walk you through how to do this, because I can't tell you how many moms I have seen come to me and say this is what a previous trainer gave me. It's way too low. They're like I'm losing my milk supply, I feel exhausted, I'm sleep deprived, I can't keep this up. I'm like, yeah, because you're eating 1400 calories. That's why, like this is way too low for you. So, moral of the story, it's okay to eat a little bit higher, okay.
Speaker 1:Number three what you eat matters, okay. So you know how. Earlier I said that you want to aim for about 500 calories more than what you were currently eating or your maintenance level. Now, that is still true, but I'm not talking about 500 calories of everything and anything. Right, I'm all for a treat here and there and the definition of moderation and everything, but counting your macros and feeling your body with nutrients. Dense foods will keep your energy up, it'll improve your sleep, it'll sustain your milk supply, it'll help keep your metabolism running at a healthy rate. So we do want to make sure that you're eating a balance of healthy carbs, fats and proteins. So what you eat does matter.
Speaker 1:And whole foods, like you know, whole greens, flax, seeds, healthy fats and almonds and avocado, oats, eggs, coconut oil all of these are going to help your body produce a healthy milk supply. So you have to think of it as okay. What quality of milk do I want? And those are the nutrients that I'm going to eat for my baby. It's so easy to just resort to, you know, toast or cereal or donuts or whatever is quick and easy. Because, let me tell you, when you are sleep deprived and you're really low on energy, guess what your body is going to crave? Those quick digesting carbs, which are usually simple carbs that spike your insulin and then make you crash. So I want you to avoid the urge to reach straight for those quick carbs and try to get something a little more sustaining, like you know protein pancakes or oats or eggs, or something that's going to actually help you feel better. Now, if you are looking for some inspiration on how to add these ingredients to your meals, my nourish cookbook has a ton of super delicious and easy recipes that are macro-friendly and packed with protein. So if you have a question on that and you're looking for some easy ideas, especially after you have a baby no one likes to cook super hard I have really easy, macro-friendly recipes in my nourish cookbook on my website, bodybybreedcom.
Speaker 1:Number four think long term. So, lastly, if you've never counted macros before and you're going to start during your breastfeeding journey, I want you to think about it as a long-term, sustainable goal. Counting macros is a great way to reach your fitness goals, and I'm all about supporting women on that path, but it's also a fabulous way to understand your body better and ensure that you're checking all the necessary boxes. So I always want my clients to understand and see the bigger picture outside of just wanting to hit a certain number on the scale or up your lifts by X amount. So right now you might be having your macros be a little higher than you're used to, but when you're done nursing, then we'll start tapering them down even more. So that's where making sure that you have a plan and you have a long-term plan that's sustainable, that will help you, because you really do not want to fall into the all or nothing mentality where you're kind of doing this yo-yo diet and you're doing extreme and then you're starving and so then you binge on the weekends. That's what we're trying to avoid. So keeping this long-term goal and knowing that it needs to be sustainable for a long period of time is going to help you definitely with your mentality.
Speaker 1:Now I do have a free postpartum core repair guide that walks you through specific breathing exercises and movements to repair diastasis recti. So if you are interested in that, you can head to my website under freebies, bodybybreedcom, and go to freebies and click on the postpartum core repair freebie. That's gonna help you a lot because there is so much that goes into repairing your core with diastasis recti and pelvic floor and if you are a new mom, I promise you're gonna wanna go do that. So, lastly, let's find your macro count together. We all have a unique macro count that supports everyday function, efficiency and wellness, and I can help you find that. So if you need support calculating your specific macronutrient numbers for your body and your diet history, my team and I would love to sit down and develop a customized macro count for you. So if you're interested in that, again on my website, bodybybreedcom, you can purchase a $30 macro count and we can make sure that you're fueling your body and you're eating enough so that you're still seeing the milk supply. If you're wanting more accountability, we have our postpartum program where I am actually training you, so you can look at all of those options on my website. Hopefully this was helpful.
Speaker 1:I'm gonna go through the four main tips one more time. We have focus on fueling your body. For recovery, you may need to kick up the calories a notch. What you eat does matter. Make sure those are nutrients, dense foods and think long term so that you can be consistent. All right, mamas, I hope you have an amazing day. I'm here for you. If you have any questions, please let me know and I will catch you back here next time.
Speaker 1:Thank you for joining us in today's episode. If you liked the content and wanna hear more, remember to hit that subscribe button and write a review. As a small business owner, I appreciate it more than you know. If you are looking for a program to help with self-confidence, to lose weight, get in shape and work on your mental, physical and emotional health, check out my training programs on wwwbodybibreecom. My team and I helped to hold you accountable through the BodyBibree app, where you log in to see all your workouts, custom meal plan made specifically for you and your needs, and communication through the messenger. You are never alone when you're on the BodyBibree training program. Click the link in the show notes to get more information on how to transform your life from the inside out. Thank you.
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