losing baby fat

Question
Hi, my name is Christina, I'm 32 years old, and I have a 4 month old baby,for the second time.I gain weight after I had the baby, maybe because I'm breastfeeding  her.Now I'm 155 pounds,5.7"  and I tray to lose 25 pounds I gain since I had the baby , but is impossible,nothing work.Please help me to find  the right diet .Thank you in advance,
   Cristina

Answer
Hi Cristina,
I commend you on breastfeeding.  I believe it is the best source of nutrition your newborns and babies.  If you continue to breastfeed, be aware that you may drop overall weight slightly faster than a mom who is not breastfeeding.  This is partially due to the increase in caloric requirements (approximately 500 extra calories per day).  However, when breastfeeding, the extra abdominal fat tends to be the last to go and may not disappear completely until you wean.  Abdominal fat stores are the most easily accessible fat stores on a woman's body.  Nature had this in mind so that nursing mothers would have an easy store of energy to be quickly converted to milk for their babies.  You may notice that you will lose fat in other "problem" areas (thighs, buttocks) before the lower abdominal area due to this.  

If you are not doing any exercise, I would heartily recommend adding some walking or other cardiovascular activity to your day.  Also, Abdominal exercises are also great.  But, remember, you cannot spot reduce.  Abdominal exercises will strengthen your abdominal muscles but will do little for the fat layer on top which hides those beautiful muscles.  To get rid of that fat layer you will need to do cardiovascular exercise, eat six small meals consisting of whole foods (veggies, fruits, lean proteins), drink plenty of water and make sure you have a small, consistent caloric deficit on a daily basis.  

What do I mean by a small, consistent caloric deficit???  Weigh yourself every morning before eating and you should lose approximately 1-2 pounds per week; any more might result in muscle loss and droopy skin.  If you are nursing, remember, you probably need 1800 to 2000 calories and plenty of water so that you don't lose weight too quickly and lower your milk supply.  Also, pick your favorite pair of jeans or similar clothing and try on the same day each week in the morning to get an idea of where your weight is coming from.  Keep this up for 12 weeks and I'll bet you will see a significant difference in your weight.  You will most likely see enough changes by 6 weeks that you will be encouraged to keep it up!

Remember, the body will only lose weight if there is a caloric deficit - if less calories are going in than are being utilized by the body.  If you try my approach for a few weeks and see no drop on the scale then that is a sign that you need to reduce your caloric intake.  Reduce calories slowly until the scale starts to drop.  You want to be careful not cut calories drastically as it can lessen the milk supply.

Please give this approach a try and let me know how it is working.  I am confident that with a little focus on your caloric intake and some regular exercise, that your weight will come right back down to where you were before the pregnancy!  You can do it, just give yourself time to see the changes.  After all, it took 9 months to produce that wonderful baby!  Congratulations on your new blessing.

Best of health,
Dr. Bret
doctoremery.com

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