One of the principal changes to a woman’s body is pregnancy and throughout this incredible time the body goes through many changes including unavoidable weight gain. The typical amount of weight gained during pregnancy varies from woman to woman but most pregnant women add around 22-28lb, gaining most of the weight after week 20. This is entirely normal as your body is storing fat ready to make breast milk for when the baby is born.
Unfortunately, when the baby is born the weight doesn’t automatically drop off and some women can find it somewhat difficult to get back to their original size. The majority of women lose around 10 pounds after the baby is born but the extra weight gain around the belly can be the most stubborn to lose.
It can be very overwhelming to even think about losing that extra baby weight, especially with a new born but the most significant thing to remember is to keep healthy and lose weight steadily.
Following are some helpful hints and tips to help you lose those extra pounds safely.
Drink plenty of fluids
Drinking water is always imperative for health but even more so post-pregnancy when hoping to lose weight. It will aid in removal of unwanted fluids after the pregnancy and eradicating toxins from the body. Drinking water to satisfy your thirst is better then caffeinated or carbonated drinks, especially when breast feeding as you pass on nutrients to your baby this way.
Considering weight loss, occasionally hunger can be confused as dehydration, therefore drink a glass of water instead of eating straight away and wait to see if you’re still hungry. Many calories can be saved this way which all adds up when trying to lose weight. Aim to drink around 10 glasses of water a day.
Stay away from junk food
Just like drinks, the foods and nutrients that are consumed are transferred to the baby during breast feeding. Thus it is significant to shun fatty, unhealthy foods and aspire to eat a balanced assortment of nutritious organic produce from all the major food groups. Avoid ready meals, takeaways and meals that haven’t been made from scratch.
Eat unlimited amounts of fruit and vegetables
Fresh fruit and vegetables offer a wide array of vitamins and minerals that are essential for a healthy lifestyle and also superb to keep energy levels up after pregnancy and during breast feeding. Fresh fruit and vegetables contain very little calories so are brilliant when trying to lose weight as they also keep you feeling fuller for longer.
Stay away from white foods
Eliminate all white refined foods from your cupboards and replace them with wholegrain bread, cereals, pasta, rice and brown sugar. Wholegrain is very fibrous and can help reduce cholesterol, reduce the risk of heart disease, cancer and reduce blood glucose.
Read the labels
Countless products obtainable in our supermarkets allege health benefits and we have all probably bought a product because it promises to ‘reduce cholesterol’ or be ‘low in fat’. What could be better than foods that can help us lose weight just by eating them? Unfortunately, these dazzling claims on the packaging of said products can often be misleading and detrimental to weight loss.
When looking deeper at the labels of ‘low fat’ products often the sugar is greater which is just as unhealthy and calorific.
When shopping, pledge to take a longer look at the labels to verify the nutritious composition and plump for products that are truly low in fat, sugar and calories.
Start exercising when you feel up for it
Ahead of starting an exercise regime after pregnancy get checked over by your midwife and be sure your body is ready. Be sure not to over do it by starting slowly and growing the amount of exercise you do gradually. Walking is a great way to get back into exercising and can be done with your newborn in the pram. Try 10 minutes of walking to begin with and progressively build up to 20minutes. Over time you can look forward to long walks that can help burn calories and tone up your body.
Breastfeeding: The natural way to lose weight after pregnancy
Breastfeeding is an admirable way to burn calories and fat after pregnancy. An average day of breastfeeding burns around 500 calories. Not only is breastfeeding paramount for burning calories it also creates a special bond between mother and baby, protects babies from infections and diseases and can also help protect mothers against ovarian and breast cancer.
Avoid faddy diets
Your baby weight took 9 months to accumulate during pregnancy so please don’t expect to lose it over night! Many faddy diets shout astonishing claims of super fast weight loss but really should be avoided. Instead favour a healthy well balanced diet with exercise built-in to lose weight and tone-up gradually and sensibly. Pay attention to your own body and with time and effort you will start to see the results you desire!
