Gaining weight during pregnancy is inevitable and healthy, but many women find that they have gained more than a baby after they give birth. If you still look pregnant when you have already had your baby, and your abdomen is much less toned than you would like, you may wonder how to go about losing weight after pregnancy. Most women would love to shed those baby pounds as soon as possible, but recovering from pregnancy and getting your body back should be a gradual process.
Of course, the weight loss process started as soon as you went into labor. Your baby, the placenta, and the amniotic fluid weigh quite a bit! But whether you gained a lot of extra pounds during your pregnancy, or only a little, your body is likely to look different than it did while you were still contemplating how to get pregnant. Beside a larger weight, the most common complaint among new mothers is a rough-looking abdomen. There is little you an do about stretch marks, but you can work on obtaining a more toned tummy. How?
Eating a healthy and balanced diet and regular physical exercise form the foundation for anyone who wants to lose weight. Newly postpartum mothers should take it easy for the first six weeks of their baby’s life – which is usually when lochia (postpartum bleeding) comes to an end, and breastfeeding moms’ milk supply has been established. At that point, you can safely lose around 1.6 pounds a week. Starvation diets or any iet that excludes food groups are not recommended, and the quality of the calories that you do eat is at least as important as your total amount of calories. Fat should make up 15 to 25 percent of the calories you consume each day, and no more than that.
Add regular physical activity in the mix, and you will make progress quickly! Note that I’ve used the phrase ”physical activity” instead of exercise or work-outs. When you have a small baby, going to the gym or doing an aerobics class can be Mission Impossible. After my first pregnancy, I got my figure back by jogging with my baby in her stroller and doing short, military style power work-outs at home. And when the second came along, I had my very own calorie-burning machine: A toddler!
Along with cardio-exercises like running, walking, or swimming, you’ll need to do abdominal exercises if you want a toned tummy again. But, there is no reason you couldn’t achieve your desired weight loss after pregnancy and a flat tummy in the comfort of your own home, while your baby is taking a nap or your partner is holding her. Persistence is key, and you can get there! Good luck!
Olivia is a mother of two who blogs about fertility, pregnancy and babies at Trying To Conceive.
