5 Ways to safely lose weight after having a baby
When you were pregnant, things moved around, stretched along and grew together inside you to give birth to a living being – your little one. It took an entire 9-month period to make this happen and you should expect just as long to go back to your regular ‘normal’.
Take things gently, let things move forward at their own pace, do not rush the process. Taking care of a newborn, adjusting to your new normal life, recovering from childbirth, is a lot! That’s the reason we ask you to take things slowly.
There are many ‘weight loss plans to lose weight fast’ floating around on the internet, but rapid weight loss is NOT healthy. Instead, direct your energy towards creating a better, healthier, and happier self! We have just the thing to get you started, read on!
Set realistic weight-loss goals
We can’t stress enough how important the word ‘realistic’ is to that sentence.
Drastic postpartum weight loss is unrealistic and can only be achieved through unhealthy and harmful means.
Losing weight too soon after childbirth can only prolong your body’s healing process and worsen your health. We recommend just letting your body do its thing until your 6-week checkup before trying anything.
Eat well-balanced meals
Instead of trendy diets, that ask you to starve and cut short on various foods, eat a healthy, well-balanced meal, especially for new moms who need extra energy. A diet that cuts short calorie intake can only leave you tired and stressed and can cause you to gain more weight than when you started.
Always have some of these in your diet:
- Fruits and vegetables.
- Lean proteins such as fish and chicken.
- Whole grains such as oats, barley, quinoa, daliya, etc.
- Low fat dairy products.
- Healthy fats from seeds and nuts.
If ever you crave junk food or any food that doesn’t come under the above-mentioned categories, you can always have it, but in moderation.
Portion control
Pretty self-explanatory. Eating healthy is always about eating right and avoiding overeating.
But no matter how much you are controlling your portion, try not to dip below 1800 calories intake a day, especially if you are breastfeeding. If your body doesn’t get enough calories, it will end up producing less milk for your baby, which means you are dragging your growing baby along with you into dieting!
Make time for exercise — but ease into it slowly
Exercising can not only support your weight loss but also give you a much-needed energy boost. Studies have found that mothers who managed a healthy diet along with exercising lose more weight than mothers who only diet.
With an uncomplicated vaginal birth, you can start doing light exercises like walking around the house 2 weeks after childbirth. You can gradually increase the intensity of the exercises when you feel like it, but always listen to your body and stop if you feel any pain.
But if you had a complicated birth or a C-section birth, your doctor could point you towards the right course of action.
Don’t forget about self-care
Being a new mother can be a challenging role and a lot of work. New mothers sacrifice so much for their baby that they forget all about themselves. We want to remind you again that your health is just as important as your baby’s.
If you are feeling depressed or anxious, reach out to your loved ones. You can also ask them to help you with cleaning the house, preparing meals, doing the laundry, etc. so you can have some time for yourself.
Returning to your normal weight after childbirth is important for your health and well-being, but weight loss after delivery isn’t an easy task and can take its time. Following these tips should help you lose weight easily and healthily for both you and your baby. Good luck on your postpartum weight loss journey! 😊
