Post-Pregnancy Weight Loss

Women generally gain 25-40 pounds during pregnancy. They will naturally lose half of that weight after birth in most cases, but what remains of it can prove very difficult to lose.

Some of the excess weight gained during a pregnancy will be due to water retention, and this is the weight that disappears naturally. You can find out if some of your excess weight is due to this by checking to see if your fingers, ankles and feet are swollen; if they are, then you have not yet reached your natural post-pregnancy weight.

Once the water weight has naturally shed itself, what remains is what you must work on to remove, as it will otherwise just remain. Here are some tips from a mother who used them personally to lose her pregnancy weight...

1. Start getting back on your feet and doing some light walking as soon as you are able to. Walking around the house or garden for 15 minutes a day will not only burn calories, but will also make full exercising in a month or two easier to deal with, as you will have built up to it.

2. Breastfeed if possible, as doing so not only benefits your baby, but also helps to lose those excess pounds. In fact, it has been reported that breastfeeding burns about 500 calories a day.

3. Drink twelve 8-ounce glasses of water a day, as this helps to flush out your colon. If you have a hard time drinking plain water, add lemon or lime juice (pure juice and not sugary substitutes) to the water.

4. You will be hungry so snack on non-fattening and low fat snacks (Nuts, raisins, whole-wheat crackers, etc.) as well as fruits and vegetables. Snacking on these will give you a feeling of fullness, meaning that you will be less likely to snack on fattening and sugary foods.

5. Opt for lean meat varieties (skinless chicken, turkey, white fish, etc.) in place of fatty meats, such as pork and beef. You need the proteins that meat provides, so try not to cut meat out of your diet altogether.

6. Have the whole family adopt a healthier diet. It is much more difficult to eat healthily when those around you are eating unhealthily, so ask your family to support you by eating the same foods as you are, at least for a few weeks.

Following these guidelines will ensure that you will almost certainly lose the extra weight that you gained during your pregnancy. The time to see results will vary though, so do not give up if after a few weeks you have not seen as much progress as you would like to have done.

Remember that losing weight the healthy way, is the best way, and that only taking such an approach will ensure that the weight loss is long-term. Whilst diet pills or skipping meals may seem like an easy option, they will in fact set you back in the long run, as you your weight will yo-yo, and you will be more susceptible to sickness.

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