The Secrets to Weight Loss After Pregnancy

Sarah is a pregnant mother of three who continues to breast-feed
her 18-month-old. After each of her pregnancies, she has had
difficulty losing weight. With all of her responsibilities,
weight loss isn’t a priority. Still, she wishes that, once this
pregnancy is over, she will be able to return to her
pre-marriage weight. The average woman gains more than 25 pounds
during her pregnancy. The procedure of childbirth may result in
a weight loss of up to 14 pounds, which means that new moms
still have considerable weight to lose once they leave the
hospital. However, some women simply assume that this “baby fat”
will never go away. Yet, it is entirely possible to lose weight
during the post-partum period. A number of medical experts
recommend easing into a weight loss program after the birth of
your baby. This means that you will not start dieting until
about three months following birth. You should combine a low-fat
diet with moderate exercise in order to achieve weight loss.
Don’t expect instant results. It will take you a good nine
months to get back to your weight prior to pregnancy. A go-slow
approach is best because you need to give your body time to
recover after childbirth. Certainly, you might be able to lose
weight faster, but you might be sacrificing valuable nutrients
as a result. Interestingly enough, breastfeeding actually
enhances weight loss. The American College of Obstetricians and
Gynecologists has found that breastfeeding leads to the release
of hormones which enable your uterus to return to its normal
size. However, breastfeeding alone won’t bring down your weight.
You need to combine it with a sensible diet and a moderate
exercise program. Keep in mind that you need to have at least
1800 calories a day while breastfeeding in order to keep
yourself and your baby healthy. Still, stay clear of junk food
during this period. You should rely on food with high
nutritional value to maintain the proper level of calories each
day. There are many good reasons to exercise during the
post-partum period. In addition to helping to accelerate weight
reduction, exercise can help alleviate post-partum depression,
improve your mood, and boost your confidence. Exercise can also
“clear your head” so that you’re better able to meet the demands
of motherhood. You might consider joining a “Mommy and Me”
exercise class so that your baby can exercise right along with
you. Another helpful hint is to enlist the help of a friend or
relative to act as your exercise buddy so that you’ll have some
emotional support while exercising. An added bonus of exercise
is that it should boost your energy level, which is quite
important when battling the fatigue which comes from caring for
a newborn. Your diet should generally be low-fat but not
fat-free; vitamin rich; and high-fiber. Under no circumstances
should you go on a fad diet. Such a diet could be quite harmful
to your health and could actually slow your recovery from
childbirth. It’s a good idea to set weight-loss goals, but don’t
go overboard. Recognize that there’s a limit to the amount of
weight you can lose during a given period of time. You may see a
number of actress-moms gracing the covers of magazines shortly
after the birth of their children. They appear svelte and
elegant, totally devoid of baby fat. In the accompanying
article, they may even talk about exercising right after
childbirth. Such articles send new mothers a dangerous message:
that you must do all you can to become thin as quickly as
possible after your baby is born. Such a philosophy is not only
ridiculous, it’s also unhealthy. As a result, you’ll need to
“tune out” such messages from the media and stay the course with
your own gradual weight loss plan. The time right after the
birth of a child can be quite challenging, taxing both your
physical and emotional strength. While it is certainly a good
idea to eat healthy, you’ll need to pace yourself as far as
weight loss is concerned. Over time, you should be able to lose
the weight you gained during your pregnancy. In fact, you might
find that you’re actually healthier after your baby is born.

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