APEX PWR | Female Fitness + Nutrition Nook + Supplement Spotlight
Thorne recently answered a question we hear from new moms in Tigard and Beaverton all the time: "I am postpartum 10 months, breastfeeding, and struggling to lose baby weight and build muscle. What's the best way to train while providing for my baby?"
The answer came from Maura MacDonald, MS, RD, CSSD, a Medical Education Specialist at Thorne, and it is about as good a starting point as we have seen:
"It's understandable to want to feel stronger and more like yourself. There truly is no deadline for postpartum recovery or weight loss. A modest calorie deficit can work alongside breastfeeding once milk supply is established."
Maura MacDonald, MS, RD, CSSDMedical Education Specialist, Thorne
This guide takes each part of that answer and puts the research behind it: when to start training, how fast weight can safely come off, how much to eat, how much protein you need, which supplements are worth a conversation with your provider, and what to watch for along the way.
Sooner than most people think, and more gradually than most people want.
The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists says that after a healthy pregnancy and an uncomplicated vaginal birth, many women can start gentle exercise within days, as soon as it is medically safe. After a cesarean or a complicated delivery, your provider sets the timeline. Pelvic floor exercises can usually begin right away.
The longer-term target is the same one recommended for most adults: about 150 minutes of moderate activity a week, with strength training at least two days a week. Ten-minute walks with the stroller count toward it.
The six-week checkup is a useful checkpoint in a gradual build, and plenty of moms are still easing in well after it. Our long-term postpartum fitness plan walks through that progression.
Slower than social media suggests, and that is fine.
According to the scientific report behind the federal Dietary Guidelines, breastfeeding women lose on average about 1.3 to 1.8 pounds a month in the first 4 to 6 months, with wide variation from person to person. Many keep losing gradually as long as they breastfeed.
Can you speed that up without affecting your baby? The best evidence we have says a moderate approach is safe once supply is established. In a randomized trial published in the New England Journal of Medicine, breastfeeding women with a BMI of 25 to 30 cut about 500 calories a day and built up to 45 minutes of daily aerobic exercise, starting four weeks after delivery. They lost about 10 pounds over 10 weeks, roughly a pound a week, and their babies grew normally.
Two caveats. That trial studied women who started with some weight to lose, and a moderate deficit is very different from a crash diet. If your supply dips, your energy crashes, or you are simply exhausted, that is the signal to eat more and ease off.
More than before you were pregnant. Federal guidance estimates about 330 extra calories a day in the first 6 months of breastfeeding and about 400 extra in the second 6 months.
This is the part most postpartum diet plans get wrong. A "1,200 calorie" plan written for a non-breastfeeding adult can be a very large deficit for a nursing mom. Any deficit should be measured against your actual needs, which are higher than they used to be.
Regular moderate exercise does not appear to. In a randomized trial led by Kathryn Dewey at UC Davis and published in the New England Journal of Medicine, breastfeeding women who did regular aerobic exercise produced the same volume of milk as women who did not, with no drop in its protein or fat content. The exercising moms also improved their fitness.
The practical rules are simple: drink water before and after, feed or pump before a session if you are more comfortable, and wear a supportive sports bra.
The recommended dietary allowance during lactation is 1.3 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight per day, or about 25 grams more than before pregnancy. For a 150 pound (68 kg) woman, that is roughly 88 grams a day.
Treat that as a floor. If you are strength training to rebuild muscle, sports nutrition position stands for active adults land higher, and a nutrition coach can set a number that fits your body, your training and your supply.
The easiest way to get there is a real protein source at every meal and snack: eggs, Greek yogurt, cottage cheese, chicken, fish, beans, tofu. Maura's advice on protein powder is the same as ours:
"Protein powder can be a convenient way to meet your protein needs. Look for a third-party-tested option like Thorne Whey Protein or Plant Protein with simple ingredients, and have your provider review the specific formula for breastfeeding."
Maura MacDonald, MS, RD, CSSDMedical Education Specialist, Thorne
Both of those products, Thorne Whey Protein Isolate and Thorne Plant Protein (pea, brown rice and chia), carry NSF Certified for Sport status, which means independent testing for contaminants and banned substances.
Many women do, and it is a good question for your OB or midwife. Federal guidance for health professionals makes three points worth knowing:
If you and your provider decide on supplements, these are the two we point moms to:
Every Thorne product, including the proteins above, is 25% off for life through our Thorne link. Anyone can use it, there is no code, and you do not need to train at APEX.
If your belly "domes" or you can feel a gap along your midline, you are in good company. In a study of 300 first-time mothers published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, 60 percent had diastasis recti at 6 weeks postpartum, 45 percent at 6 months and about 33 percent at 12 months. General exercise and strength training were not significantly associated with still having it at a year.
That is reassuring, but some symptoms deserve a visit to a pelvic health physical therapist before you push your training:
For exercises that rebuild the core in the right order, see our guide to rebuilding your core after birth.
Widely used postnatal running guidelines, written by UK physiotherapists in 2019, suggest aiming for a return between 3 and 6 months after birth, once you can pass a few simple tests without pain, heaviness, dragging or leaking:
Our return to running postpartum guide covers the full progression.
No deadline. A clear sequence: get cleared, rebuild the foundation, feed yourself and the baby, then build strength.
Postpartum weight moves around for reasons that have nothing to do with fat: fluid, milk volume, sleep and stress. A mom who is strength training and eating enough protein can be losing fat and regaining muscle at the same time, while the scale barely moves.
That is why we track body composition instead. A DEXA body composition scan in Tigard separates fat mass, lean mass and bone, so you can see whether you are losing fat or losing the muscle you are working to rebuild.
DEXA scans are not advised during pregnancy, so for most moms the months after birth are the first chance in well over a year to see what is actually going on under the scale. A scan once you are cleared to exercise gives you a starting point. A follow-up a few months into training shows what has changed, in pounds of fat and pounds of muscle.
Yes. The e-lactancia database, a widely used reference on medications and procedures during breastfeeding, rates DEXA as compatible with breastfeeding: the radiation does not pass into breast milk, and you can feed right after your scan.
Making milk temporarily draws calcium from your skeleton. In a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine, bone density in the lower spine dropped about 4 to 5 percent over the first six months of breastfeeding, then rebounded after weaning. A bone density DEXA taken while you are nursing is a snapshot of that temporary phase, and a repeat scan after weaning tells the fuller story. Every bone density DEXA at APEX is reviewed by a physician on our wellness team.
We built our postpartum support around two people who have lived it.
Coach Nicole Hinkle is a mother of four and a Certified Menopause Coaching Specialist through Girls Gone Strong, and she coaches pregnant and postpartum women. She helps moms rebuild strength and confidence after giving birth, starting from where you actually are, whether that is personal training, group training, or remote programming you can do at home around naps and feeds.
Jennie Carolan, MS, holds a master's degree in Food Science and Nutrition and is a postpartum mom herself. She works with your provider's guidance to build a plan that supports your energy and milk supply while moving body composition in the right direction. Her coaching is virtual, so you can work with her from anywhere in the Portland area or beyond. Start with a One-Time Macro Breakdown or ongoing nutrition coaching.
Book a free postpartum consultation with our team in Tigard, minutes from Beaverton off Highway 217, get your post-baby DEXA baseline, or start with nutrition coaching from home.
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