From the moment you become pregnant, baby weight begins to add to your body. The important thing to know about baby weight, however, is that it’s not all fat! Baby weight is made up of placenta, blood volume, fluid – you name it and baby weight is made up of it!
Every mother wants to get rid of the excess baby weight once their baby is born, but it’s important to remember that it takes nine months for your body to change with a pregnancy, and you have to give your body a chance to get back to normal – so a nine month timeframe is not unrealistic.
There are plenty of ways that you can lose the additional weight you’ve accumulated from being pregnant and having a baby, from adding a fatburner to your diet, to getting a personal trainer to help you to stay accountable with your workouts.
5 Ways to Lose Weight after Baby comes!
A new mother needs as much energy as possible, especially when you are breastfeeding, so losing weight has to be a gradual and targeted thing that you do. I’ll also add that you do not need to lose any weight if you don’t want to, but if you are ready to get back into the swing of things, we’ve got five ways to boost your post-baby weight loss.
Eat Regularly.
Yes, you are in the pursuit of weight loss, but that doesn’t mean that you necessarily have to eat less through the day. You have to keep your energy levels up, and that means eating smaller, regular meals which are packed with the right vitamins and minerals and proteins. You’re going to be caught up with the new baby, but you should still try to eat, and the best thing you can do is keep prepped meals in the refrigerator to grab and go.
Drink Water.
Staying hydrated while breastfeeding is so important for milk production, but it’s also going to help you to lose weight. Preventing dehydration should be a priority of yours if you are looking to lose baby weight. You can improve your metabolism this way and flush out the toxins from your body.
Count Calories.
This is a great way to lose weight but you should get some advice from your doctor before you cut any calories – especially when you are breastfeeding. For at least the first six weeks, you shouldn’t be cutting any calories at all as your body heals and repairs itself.
After this, speaking to your doctor about your nutrition will help you to know whether you are going about it the right way. A good way to cut calories without damaging your health is to swap all snacks to fruit, vegetables and proteins.
Movement.
After birth, it’s likely you won’t be interested in exercise, and you shouldn’t be doing anything more strenuous than walking for at least 12 weeks. Walking with the pushchair or the baby in a carrier on your front is a good way to get started with moving once more when you are trying to lose the baby weight. Half an hour per day gets you out of the house and helps your mental health, too.
Sleep.
Okay, so this may be a stretch with a newborn, but sleeping can help you with losing weight. Insomnia leads you to snacking on high sugar foods, and this can lead to weight gain. Trying to sleep as much as possible will help you to shed more weight.