Diet Program for Nursing Moms

One of the best breastfeeding benefit I truly enjoyed was burning 500 extra calories as a nursing mom. I didn't gain much weight when I was pregnant (I think just about 23 lbs). After I gave birth, I also didn't diet - in fact my appetite even increased and I was eating more than Stan. However, thanks to Naima's voracious nursing I didn't gain any weight.

I was quite intrigued by this write-up I read sometime in June about The Sexy Chef. Run by sisters Rachel (yes the singer!) and Barni Alejandro, The Sexy Chef is a health food delivery service based on the South Beach Diet. They recently a new program for 2010 called "Body after Baby".

The program focuses on the mother’s body after childbirth and going back to its pre-pregnancy form without sacrificing health, not even breastfeeding.

The Sexy Chef first gained popularity with its South Beach Diet delivery program and has opened outlets and kiosks in gyms serving healthy food.
Partnering with nutritionist Nadine Tengco, Rachel and Barni say that Body After Baby’s three goals are to regain the mother’s energy, help her sleep better and lose pregnancy weight.
Based on the book of the same title by Jackie Keller, the program focuses on the mother’s nutrition, as it considers her motherly duties.
The program’s foods are designed around the moringa plant, more commonly known as malunggay, chosen for its high-calcium content (four times more than milk).
For breastfeeding mothers, a moringa-fortified diet is available to encourage lactation. Body After Baby “supports the natural process of losing weight, which is what your body wants to do after pregnancy,” Tengco explains. Weight loss, she says, is different from healthy eating and is truly a matter of science.

I was lucky enough to have my uncle cook for me and Stan right after I gave birth. I'm not sure how it is with other moms but definitely, dieting and meal planning were the last things on my mind soon after I had Naima. I was particularly intrigued with their special program for nursing moms:

Body After Baby also has a diet program specifically for breastfeeding mothers, since their intake differs from that of non-lactating mothers.

I checked their website but the new program was not yet up. I also called them to obtain a menu but was informed it is not yet available. There is no indication about the price of the program but I was browsing over their other menus and the South Beach Diet Program was priced at P875 per day (for 14 days) while the Pounds Away Program was P14,000 for 2 weeks (or about P1,000 per day).

Some moms complain that they didn't really lose weight even if their babies were nursing 24/7. I guess every mom's body is tailored differently. And if you eat a lot of junk even when nursing, the 500 extra calories burned won't make much a difference and you definitely won't lose or will even gain weight.

In my case, I have to admit, I haven't watched what I'm eating these past 2 years. I'm not much of a sweets person but I've increased by carbo intake (when I was nursing) because I kept thinking I can't eat less - my milk supply will dwindle. Now that Naima is 32 months and not nursing much, the heavy eating has caught up with me and I really do need do start dieting. However, the prices for the Sexy Chef's programs seem to be pretty steep and gives me a big push towards making my own diet program instead. But for those interested in Body after Baby and have cash to spare, you can contact them at 721-7399.