The Prolactin Diet

Okay, supposedly (somebody check this) the only type of person who uses more calories per day than a breastfeeding mother is a soldier in boot camp.

So, first implication is that all mothers should breastfeed, so as to lose the fat they stocked up during pregnancy.   It is true, no, that that is why a pregnant mother stocks up fat in the first place, i.e., to have a store of food energy for her baby?

Does this jibe so far with the personal experiences of mothers out there?  Please chime in.

Okay, according to Jared Diamond¹ and other sources, men are able to breastfeed, too (along with the males of five other primate species, including, I think, chimpanzees and bonobos).  Anyway, I also have personal knowledge that this is true, i.e., I know doodz who have lactated, so I consider this to be a flat fact.

I'm not sure how a dude starts lactating, however, how to get it going.  A woman's hormones are going all over the place when she gives birth (and all during her pregnancy, too, for that matter), but she releases a lot of oxytocine (the love hormone?) to bond with her newborn baby, and also prolactin, as I understand things, which causes her breasts to fill with milk and so on.  Men don't go through this process, so it may not be quite as automatic (but from what I've heard from mothers who've nursed out there, it's not so "automatic" for them, either...anyway...).

Does this jibe with everybody's personal experience so far, again?  Please kick in.  Also, if there are any other dudes out there who have lactated, please chime in as well.

Anyway, presumably getting shot up with prolactin, or some similar (hopefully relatively simple) medical procedure, would trigger lactation, in a woman, but probably (I'm guessing) also in a man.  I need to track down some research to this effect.

Okay, putting two and two together:

1. men and women are both able to lactate

2. a nursing woman uses a legendary amount of calories

3. lactation might be an amazing kind of weight loss program

4. there must be a simple medical procedure which can trigger lactation

So, get yourself shot up with prolactin, maybe a course of treatment, maybe a "one-shot deal", get a breast pump (or borrow a baby off of a friend...who's going on a long holiday, into prison, etc.) and boom! you may lose a lot of weight and maybe have lots of milk, cream, people ice cream, butter, coffee whitener, etc., to use and to give away/sell.

This could open up a whole new market in "dairy goods"!  Check out my earlier post about whale milk, but this could be even better, two birds with one stone, etc.

Another benefit is that if a lot of men started expressing milk in their daily routines, like at the office, probably just at their desks, etc., then it would have the tendency to pave the way for women to do the same.  I don't see why this is not already the case, i.e., women nursing their babies at the office until they get big enough to hand off to the company day care, but it seems to be considered to be "whacky" or something.  It's ironic, and should be the other way 'round, but it seems that's the state of things.

If men did it, it would become more acceptable.  Even if only a few men did it.  Men need encouragement from women to attempt this (and from other men), and women also need to push for this for themselves...

Lactivism!!

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¹Why is Sex Fun?