Here’s the link: Topic: Jen Dunlap’s Personal Meeting Room Join Zoom Meeting https://us02web.zoom.us/j/5057184387 See you at 8 am!

Many women are assuming they don't need more than 500 extra calories a day while nursing, *especially* if they are trying to lose weight. But it's not that simple, nor is this number accurate. Tissue healing takes energy. Making the enzymes to digest extra food that won't be staying with your body takes energy. A baby who is active takes a ton of extra energy - not only nursing, but all the carrying and following the baby around. I used to joke that I thought I had a 1000 calorie cushion when I was a young mom, but I never actually calculated anything. This research showed that the average was about 700 calories, and one mother had to consume nearly 4000 calories a day to have an adequate milk supply. Truly, I don't think mothers need to worry about their weight in the 3-6 months postpartum, and should focus on the social and emotional adjustments, sleep, and enjoying their baby. But in our weight-focused culture, it's worth saying that eating enough for milk supply and feeling good postpartum might be a lot more than you are in the habit of eating. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/1200699/?fbclid=IwRlRTSARYXYxleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZAo2NjI4NTY4Mzc5AAEedOz5X2-d6380ZmBRzDrwR09Wk52X2c8nCCqt1w0J8ZbGXe_aJ5B9TtF_Asc_aem_pXJOYLM7EvaAEZ6ZLkYFJA

Key tips to start

On a moms thread where most of the ladies are over 35 and have had many pregnancies, the question of metabolism came up, along the lines of “why don’t the extreme diets work anymore now that I’m older?” And the most likely explanation is that the extreme diets after baby #3 took a nutritional toll and led to long term slowing of thyroid function even if it led to significant weight loss in the short term. Cutting carbs too hard (and “too hard” depends on the person and activity level) tends to slow thyroid function because insulin contributes to thyroid signals. It’s a signal of energy surplus, and your body will not optimize your thyroid when energy supply is too low. There are a number of different ways to find your sweet spot of carbs and optimize metabolism, and I would be happy to walk you through figuring out which 2-3 things will be the simplest and most impactful for you. Every few years I add a few new things, whether a new supplement, food, stretching, circadian rhythm, or another approach I’ve learned. And because of this, without anything extreme, I can wear the same clothes I bought after my 2nd baby. I’m not usually using the level of focus and effort to be my very thinnest fittest self, but I can stay in the normal range with little effort. Here’s a Google doc overview I made for a friend my age. Notice there’s nothing like Whole 30 or 75 Hard or Code Red here. I’ve coached too many ladies who hit the wall with these programs. https://docs.google.com/document/d/1UuOSL_MqqupR4-01AJ3nw3Z7TrgExwsqnqSHqVxHjds/edit?usp=drivesdk