The one advice everybody is sure to give pregnant women is what to eat and which food will help baby’s development and baby’s health. After pregnancy, there seems to be no one advising now, how to lose that weight gained during pregnancy.
You for sure would like to get back in shape and not keep those extra kilos on your body for long. You have many doubts on when to start working out again and what are the ways to lose weight safely. This article is attempts to answers some of your doubts regarding pregnancy and weight loss.
Don’t start too early
Just a few days after you have delivered, you are thinking about wearing your gym shoes and getting back in shape. But experts believe that losing weight too soon is not recommended. As mother of a newborn you require lot of energy and it will be unfair both to you and your baby if you are starving yourself and stressing too much on exercises. It is advised that you don’ start exercises until 6 weeks after delivery.
You will lose some of it naturally
Out of the 7-16 kilos that you have put on during pregnancy, 5 kilos will include the amniotic fluid, the placenta, extra bodily fluids and the blood supply; another 3 kilos will be the baby‘s weight so most of this weight is lost after delivery. So you lose almost half of this weight naturally during delivery.
Don’t Starve
Experts recommend that 1200-1800 calories intake if you are breastfeeding. So don’t starve. You need to eat nutritious food to provide your baby with nutritious milk. Your body will also require energy to come out of the physical scars of pregnancy and get back in the shape you were in. So don’t starve yourself and eat healthy food.
You should lose it gradually
When it took you around 9 months to put on weight, you should not expect yourself to lose all the weight gained during the initial few days of delivery. It will take you as much as time to lose weight as much it took you to gain it
Breastfeeding helps…
If you nurse your child, then rejoice, you are most likely to lose weight that way. It is said on an average you lose 500 calories every day by breastfeeding.
Avoid major exercises during the first 6 weeks because,
During pregnancy a hormone called as ‘relaxin’ is produced in the body, which helps in facilitating delivery but it also causes loosening of ligaments till at least few weeks after the pregnancy which makes it prone to injuries that is why you should avoid exercises in the first 6 weeks after delivery.
Food options
You should not really take measures to control you weight when you are nursing but the food choices that you make can determine how much fat you put on.
Some tricks that can help you are:
- Keep away from junk food
- Binge on fruits and vegetables that are high on fiber which keep you full for long and gives you nutrition.
- Small meals are the way to go. They will keep your metabolism in place and help in digestion.
Now about the exercises,
Dieting after pregnancy is not recommended but you should be able to do mild exercises that will keep you fit and agile. But make sure you consult your doctor before you start any exercises especially if you had a complicated or a Caesarian section delivery.
