I am a breast feeding mother. I'm losing so much weight i.e gone underweight. How can I increase my weight.

Question

Hi, underweight can have multiple reasons like hereditary, stress ,hyperthyroidism or other hormonal imbalance. Lactation leads to weight loss if not supported with a healthy diet. Weight is a sum total of bone, water, muscle and fat. You need to gain muscle to get healthy. Have a well balanced diet. Eat 6-8 meals a day. Have carbohydrate and protein rich food combinations like banana or mango milkshake, mix nuts and dryfruit chikkis, soya or paneer veg rolls etc. Include high biological value proteins which are very well absorbed like- milk, curd, paneer, meat, fish, eggs etc. Include essential fats like almonds, walnut, flaxseeds etc. Eat on waking up and do have a bed time meal like milk and light snack. Do not fast or overeat as this will not help. Exercise for 30-40 minutes about 3-4 days a week. Weight training is the preferred form of activity as it will help in muscle growth and weight gain.

Geetanjali Ahuja Mengi · Accepted Answer

Hi, underweight can have multiple reasons like hereditary, stress ,hyperthyroidism or other hormonal imbalance. Lactation leads to weight loss if not supported with a healthy diet. Weight is a sum total of bone, water, muscle and fat. You need to gain muscle to get healthy. Have a well balanced diet. Eat 6-8 meals a day. Have carbohydrate and protein rich food combinations like banana or mango milkshake, mix nuts and dryfruit chikkis, soya or paneer veg rolls etc. Include high biological value proteins which are very well absorbed like- milk, curd, paneer, meat, fish, eggs etc. Include essential fats like almonds, walnut, flaxseeds etc. Eat on waking up and do have a bed time meal like milk and light snack. Do not fast or overeat as this will not help. Exercise for 30-40 minutes about 3-4 days a week. Weight training is the preferred form of activity as it will help in muscle growth and weight gain.

Nikita Tanwar · Answer

Hi, losing weight while breastfeeding is quite normal. You can discuss with your doctor to find any other underlying cause as he/she will suggest you some test if needed. Whereas diet is concerned have good quality protein in every meal, try to eat in every 2-3 hours. Try to include good quality fats in your diet like cold pressed coconut oil and nuts. You can have homemade pinni which is healthy also. Try to have snacks in between like makhana or fruits or banana smoothie. Try to improve the nutritional value of the meal and not just quantity. Try to include some strength training exercise to build muscle, but that should be again discussed with experts as it depends whether you had normal or c-section delivery.