Kim Kardashian recently announced she has started the Atkins Diet to help her lose her pregnancy weight safely and slowly while breastfeeding her new baby son, Saint. I’m excited that Kim has decided to return as an Atkins Ambassador for her weight-loss journey. Clearly Atkins is a program that has worked for her in the past. She will be eating a wide variety of foods including proteins such as fish, chicken, eggs and meat, lots of colorful vegetables, low-glycemic fruits like berries, cantaloupe, dairy such as Greek yogurt and some chees, and healthy fats like, nuts, avocados and olive oil.She is also enjoying Atkins shakes, snack bars and frozen meals as convenient options when she is busy and on the go.
When it comes to Atkins, we advise breastfeeding mothers to start with Atkins 40™, which is what Kim is doing. If you, too, are thinking of using Atkins as a way to lose pregnancy weight while breastfeeding your baby, your goal is to lose weight gradually by keeping your daily carb consumption around 40 grams of net carbs or above. Breastfeeding a baby requires a reasonable amount of calories, so you should see a gradual weight loss. The issue is that too rapid a weight loss, combined with the concomitant release of toxins stored in fat cells, might also be transmitted into breast milk. Until you wean your child, losing only 2 pounds a week should be your goal.
If you start losing more than 2 pounds per week while breastfeeding, you may need to add an extra snack (up to an extra 500 calories a day, for a total calorie intake of 2,000 to 2,200 calories) and/or increase your net carbs to slow weight loss down. You can safely drop to 1,800 calories a day once your baby is two months old. Remember that you are using your own calories (which comes from your body’s reserves, including the weight you gained during pregnancy) to feed your baby, and cutting calories too early or drastically may interfere with milk production.
Take the time to truly appreciate this magical, although most likely sleepless, time with your baby. Be patient and stick with Atkins 40™. The weight will come off slowly and steadily.
Kim’s Sample Atkins 40™ Meal Plan
Breakfast
½ cup rolled oats
¼ cup strawberries
¼ cup pecans
Snack
½ cup red peppers
5 cherry tomatoes
2 tablespoons Italian dressing
Lunch
2 cups romaine lettuce
2 tablespoons Caesar dressing
4-6 ounces salmon
Snack
½ peach
½ cup cottage cheese
Dinner
4-6 ounces grilled chicken
6 stalks asparagus
1 medium tomato
2 ounces fresh mozzarella
2 basil leaves
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 teaspoon balsamic vinaigrette
Kim’s meal plan focuses on whole food, but Atkins Harvest Trail Bars are quick, satisfying snacks filled with simple ingredients that she’ll sometimes eat when she’s on the go or wants to satisfy her sweet tooth.
Looking for more post-pregnancy nutrition and exercise tips? Learn how to stay positive, plus tips for getting active and other ways to help you on your journey to lose your baby weight.