Losing weight is a concern for many mothers after the birth of a baby. Mothers may ask if it is possible to lose weight and breastfeed. During pregnancy, women gain extra pounds to store energy for producing breast milk. For some women, breastfeeding makes it easier to lose weight, since additional calories are used. Mothers who do not breastfeed will need to rely totally on diet and exercise to burn additional calories.
Dr. Judith Roepke, a nutritionist at Ball State University in Indiana and a member of LLLI’s Health Advisory Council, feels that the ideal time to lose weight is during lactation.