Losing weight after pregnancy can be difficult and stressful at the same time. You are taking care of your newborn while you are still adjusting to new routines. Plus, you are still recovering. How can you juggle them all while you are trying to get back in shape after pregnancy? How to lose weight after pregnancy is written for those who are struggling with weight issues after childbirth and hope to gain back your pre- pregnancy body weight. Read more and find out.
The good news is, most women lose 50% of their baby weight six weeks after childbirth. That’s a good start to promote momentum. With a healthy diet and daily exercise, you can shed those pounds in no time.
What is Baby Weight?
During pregnancy, the weight you gained consists of the baby, placenta, amniotic fluid, breast tissue, blood, uterus enlargement, and extra fat stores. Unfortunately, half of the pregnant women gain more than the recommended amount of weight during pregnancy, resulting in health issues.
Being overweight can heighten the risk of diabetes and heart disease and increase complications during pregnancy. Whether you are still pregnant or just gave birth, it is essential to plan and work on your pre-pregnancy weight twelve months after delivery.
How to lose weight after pregnancy?
A Healthy Diet After Pregnancy
Keep your calorie intake between 1,800 – 2,200 calories each day to support both you and your child. 500 more if you are breastfeeding. You may not be eating for two anymore, but your body still needs to restore essential nutrients.
The first half of your plate must consist of fruits and vegetables, while the other half should include whole grains such as bread, oatmeal, or brown rice. It would help if you got enough protein from seafood, lean meat, and eggs, which are rich sources of protein. One thousand milligrams of calcium each day is also recommended. Here’s an example of a daily meal plan from healthline.com.
| Breakfast: | Veggie scramble: 1 egg + 2 egg whites 1 cup leftover cooked vegetables 1 slice whole wheat toast 1 oz. cheese |
| Snacks: | 1 apple 1 string cheese 1 handful Shelled pistachios |
| Lunch: | 4 oz. chicken or fish ½ cup cooked brown rice 2 cups cooked vegetables 1 – 2 tbsp olive oil for cooking |
| Snacks: | Protein bar (aim for 15+ grams of protein and <10 grams of sugar) |
| Dinner Salad | 2 cups leafy greens 2 cups chopped veggies 2 tbsp dressing 3 oz. protein of choice (can add in additional nuts, seeds, dried fruit) |
| Dessert | 5 oz. yogurt ½ cup berries ¼ cup granola |
Effective Tips to Lose Weight After Pregnancy
Never Try to Crash Diet.
Your body needs a lot of nutrition to recover from childbirth, so again, never, crash diet. It will only leave you more tired, which will not be good, especially at this period when you need to take care of your baby. If you think your weight is already stable, it is safe to decrease your calorie intake by 500 calories.
Go Breastfeeding If You Can.
Aside from all the benefits your baby can get from breastfeeding, there were researches that show how breastfeeding can support weight loss after pregnancy. When you are breastfeeding, you are using fat cells stored in your body to fuel your milk production. It’s an effective way to lose weight after pregnancy – a win-win situation!
Check Your Daily Calorie Intake.
Be mindful of what you eat. If possible, keep a food diary where you can record the food you have in one day. Photos are a good reminder, so you can take photos too. There are
mobile calorie-tracking apps that can help, or better if you can find an accountability partner who can do this with you.
Eat more Fiber and Protein.
What’s good about fiber food is that it makes you feel fuller. It also helps you with digestion and prevents constipation. Examples of foods high in soluble fiber are black beans, avocados, sweet potatoes, broccoli, pears, apricots, carrots, apples, and barley.
Opt for protein that can boost your metabolism. It has a more significant thermic effect than other nutrients, meaning your body is using more energy and calories to digest it.
Avoid Carbs and Sugar.
Donuts are tempting because they’re delicious, but they’re very low in nutrients. Watch out for what you put in your grocery cart. Avoid sugary drinks, fruit juices, cakes, biscuits, and pastries. Avoiding this group will help a lot in your weight loss.
Go for Healthy Snacks.
I recommend keeping healthy snacks handy. Prepare and stock them in the fridge. You can cut vegetables and prepare hummus for dipping. Or why not make homemade granola? This will do wonders with your diet than eating chips.
Say NO to Alcohol.
Alcohol can only provide you with extra calories you don’t need right now. Although red wine has some health benefits, it can still lead to more fats getting stored in your body, which we know as fat.
Get Enough Sleep.
Not getting enough sleep can, unfortunately, affect your weight. Those people who lack sleep are retaining more weight whether they are pregnant or not. Getting enough sleep can indeed be a struggle, but creating the right sleep environment and taking turns with your partner are examples of how you can get better sleep.
Exercise!
This is one way to promote better sleep, and it can help relieve stress, especially after giving birth. Try to start by walking around the park and then try running rounds around the neighborhood. Allocate at least half an hour a day for sweating it out.
Team Up.
Call other mamas or your partner who can go on a diet with you. Staying in touch with people can help you keep your positive outlook as you go along the process. You’ll push each other up when there’s a need to.
Take Your Time
Mamas, you don’t have to rush. Before trying to lose weight after pregnancy, you have to make sure that your body has fully recovered first from giving birth. Your body needs time to heal.
If you are breastfeeding, normalize your milk supply before cutting down the calorie intake. If you are ready, remember that consistency is the key. It does not matter how slow, as long as you are sticking to better diet and exercising. Do something about it every day, and you’ll get there sooner than you know!
Related post “The benefits of breastfeeding for mother and baby“