- Being a mom is always a beautiful phase of woman’s life.
- The first six weeks postpartum is considered as recovery period where your body has stretched and stressed to the maximum and needs to regroup.
- Aim at having five smaller meals rather than three large meals with the correct combination of complex carbohydrates and protein and drink good ounces of water every day. Try to avoid alcohol and caffeine which can also affect your moods and are very difficult to sleep.
The new guest is here, new responsibilities, the new bundle of joys. Lots to think about: how to feed the baby, what to do if the baby cries. Amidst all these newly found role and responsibilities, we, mothers, also have a worry that how can we come back to the normal weight that we were before or how to get rid of extra pounds that we gained during pregnancy. I know its sometimes frustrating and depressing that our body passed through a big turmoil but it’s a positive change of motherhood, it is essential that we be patient and not compare with our friends or celebrities. “How did she do it?”, “Is it possible for me to do the same?”, “Can I come back to my former self?” These questions may haunt the mothers but one thing that we need to know is that patience is always the key towards the healthy approach to weight loss. It took 9 months to bring a marvelous change in your body; hence you need to take time to get back to shape.
Tips For Weight Loss After Pregnancy
Keeping these in mind we need to know how to successfully get back into shape without causing any harm to your body:
1. Do Not Think Of Dieting So Soon
Your body is now in the process of recovery from labor and delivery.You need to have foods that would compensate for the losses during delivery and also improve the milk flow. Hence dieting will only discourage the weight loss goals and will stress your body more. Hence eat a healthy well-balanced diet with healthy snacks like carrot sticks, apple slices or walnut and almond kernels. How much ever you have the urge to lose weight, the calories intake for that day should go below 1800 calories. Listen to your body needs and eat well whenever you feel hungry. You don’t need to feel depressed that you are feeling hungry more and hence eating too much because you need to eat well to recover well and be healthy.
2. Breastfeed
Breastfeeding is very much beneficial for kids as it helps in boosting immunity, is easily digestible and many other health benefits. It is also beneficial for the mothers as exclusive breastfeeding helps to reach the pre-baby weight faster than for mothers who start bottle feeding the child early. Breastfeeding helps to burns 330 calories a day and these extra calories will be burned from the fat stores that have been laid down in the body during pregnancy. However, if you are breastfeeding, it doesn’t mean that you can have anything that you put hands on.
3. Have Foods That Are Dense In Nutrients
When you are a new mother, your body needs nutrients to the highest level. It is necessary to choose foods that are dense in nutrients and low in calories and fat. Fish is rich in Omega 3 fatty acids that are essential for the healthy nervous system. Have cold water fish like salmon, sardines & tuna. Apart from this, have calcium-rich foods like milk and yogurt which is good for bones. Prefer protein-rich foods like lean meat, beans, nuts and pulses that can improve the muscle tissue and keep us full longer.
4. Keep Moving
Diet may be just one part of the weight loss regime; even exercise also plays an important role. You don’t have to seriously hit the gym the moment you have delivered the baby. You can start exercising after six weeks of delivery so that you have recovered well after the delivery. Sometimes its difficult to even find time to do exercise as you tend to be busy with the baby and her schedule. Taking long walks by pushing the baby in the pram and then increasing the pace will also work. Whenever you get time, you can start with simple and gentle pelvic floor exercise, stretching or walking. You can try even pram based exercises or join group classes where you can meet other moms who can share their experiences and lighten your mood. However, before you start exercises, you can take approval of the doctor, especially if you had C section.
5. Get Some Sleep
Getting the proper amount of sleep is necessary for weight loss, but let us be realistic, getting proper sleep after the baby is a dream which cannot be true for the mothers.You need to be alert when the baby wakes up in the night; hence strange sleep cycle can upset the metabolism and makes it difficult to lose weight that you gained during pregnancy. Take nap whenever your baby sleeps, you don’t need to worry about the housework that is pending. Short naps will help you keep your energy levels in check and also keep the cravings at bay and will reduce the long-term sleep deficit.
6. Keep Healthy Snacks In Hands
Sugary snacks can always cause the spike in the blood sugar level and would just temporarily fill the stomach without improving the satiety value. Stock up fresh fruits with yogurt or low-fat milk as it improves the calcium content in the body. Apart from this, boiled eggs, whole wheat cracker or oats pancake can fill you up positively and improve the digestibility due to its high fiber content.
7. Keep A Watch On Calories And Fat
Avoid empty caloric foods or diet plans that skip an entire food group. Your plate should bring a balance of nutrients consisting of lean protein, whole grain, fresh fruits and veggies, healthy fat containing foods and low-fat dairy products. Dieting immediately after the delivery is not advisable as it can adversely affect your health. When all the nutrients are spread efficiently throughout the day in the form of small frequent meals then they get metabolized well in the body and are less likely to be stored as fat.
8.Get Into Groups
Sometimes working out or going through the weight loss process alone becomes boring and we may tend to not continue with the process. Hence getting into activities in groups of other new mothers of your area or nearby area. Going for walks and classes together will make you chirpy and willing to do more.
Hence after childbirth, let losing weight not be your only worry or stress, just try to be healthy and active and let the weight loss process take its own course. Motherhood makes every woman beautiful, enjoy the phase well. If finding difficulty in choosing the right foods for the right time, you can always consult a nutritionist.
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