Losing Weight Postpartum

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 a myriad of issues to attend to, weight reduction is not her highest priority. However, she still longs to return to the weight she was at before having children.

Most women gain more than twelve kilograms during pregnancy. During child birth, six kilograms of weight will be shed, which means there is still quite a bit of weight to lose subsequent to child birth. Some women are under the assumption that the excess weight can not be shed. However, it is well within the realm of possibility to lose this extra weight. That being said, it is not advisable to attempt to achieve quick weight loss subsequent to child birth.

Most physicians do not recommend losing weight to quickly postpartum. 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 realize rapid weight loss, but you might be sacrificing valuable nutrients as a result.

Interestingly enough, breastfeeding actually enhances weight loss. Physicians have learned that breastfeeding, prompts your body to release oxytocin, a hormone that causes the uterus to contract and return to its size prior to pregnancy. However, breastfeeding alone won’t bring down your weight. You must still have an excellent, low calorie diet and engage in regular exercise. 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. However, you should avoid junk food, like soda and chips, during this time. Only eat foods that are high in nutrition to obtain the calories you need.

There are many good reasons to exercise during the post-partum period. Exercising postpartum will help get your body back in shape and improve your mental state. An exercise routine will improve your psychological outlook, and boost your energy levels to better equip you to deal with the demands of caring for a baby. You might consider joining a “Mommy and Me” exercise class so that your baby can exercise right along with you. If you have any friend who are postpartum, an exercise buddy can help motivate you. 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. Don’t resort to any type of dietary extremes. These types of diets can do damage to your health and impede your postpartum recovery. It’s a good idea to set weight-loss goals, but don’t go overboard. Understand, that it is not practical, or healthy, to lose weight too quickly, at this point.

The period of time subsequent to giving birth is very physically and emotionally challenging. You must engage in a healthy diet, and take your time in getting your weight back down to normal. Over time, you should be able to lose the weight you gained during your pregnancy. If you play your cards right, you may actually feel and look better than prior to your pregnancy.

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