Last day while scrolling through Facebook I saw a friend’s post about how she was body-shamed by someone for her post-pregnancy body. A woman after giving birth has already enough on her plate and then these kinds of comments can affect her severely. Everyone on that post reassured her of her worth and gave her the courage to deal with such situations.
The struggle to attain pre-pregnancy weight and body can leave many breathless. But there are ways to win at this while maintaining your and your child’s health. Consulting a nutritionist will help you a bundle in this process.
Today we are giving some effective tips employing which women can lose baby weight and improve their health.
Be Consistent and Realistic
We all marvel at certain celebrities and their post-birth bodies but things are different from this. There is no overnight regime that can fit into your pre-pregnancy jeans. But being realistic and patient will help you to get back in shape. A consistent healthy routine and exercise are what you need the most. With all this remember that this is a time taking a journey. It can take anywhere from 9 to 12 months to lose all the baby weight. If you gained more than the recommended amount of weight during pre-pregnancy, it might take longer. Also, women who were already overweight when they conceived have to work harder and for a longer interval.
While different people may gain and lose a different amount of weight after pregnancy, the most important point here is to get back into a healthy range of weight.
No Crash Diets Allowed!
You have done a wonderful job delivering a precious life to this world. Your body has been through a lot. This is not the time to restrict your nutrition and follow crash diet plans. These diets aim at losing a large amount of weight in the shortest time period. Calorie and nutrition restriction is not what your body deserves now. Recovering from birth and breastfeeding need energy and more than usual calories as well. A crash diet is going to make you tired and drained. With the additional responsibilities, new routine, and lack of sleep, this will probably be the last thing you will want.
Breastfeeding Helps
If you choose to breastfeed your infant, it will benefit both of you. Besides many other perks, it aids in weight loss as well. By breastfeeding you are giving your baby the best start of life. What’s more? Breastfeeding has several benefits for you including protection from breast and ovarian cancer, lowered chances of type-2 diabetes, and diminished risk of postnatal depression. Even if you are breastfeeding, you may not experience any weight loss in the first three months due to limited physical activity and increased caloric intake. Adding in exercise is a great way to kick start shedding pounds. Always consult your gynecologist before starting any type of exercise after delivery.
Add Fiber to Your Diet
Many studies suggest that eating high-fiber foods helps in weight loss. Fiber slows down the process of digestion and makes you feel full for longer. Along with these effects on digestion, it also keeps hunger hormones from being released, both of these mechanisms help in weight loss.
Proteins are Essential
Good quality protein plays an important role in weight loss. It boosts metabolism, reduces hunger, and resultant caloric intake as well. The body has to use more energy to process protein as compared to other nutrients. You can gain good quality protein from foods like lean meat, eggs, nuts, legumes, fish, and seeds.
Snack Healthily
During the first few months of parenthood, you will be up and eating at most uncertain times than usual. To avoid unhealthy and junk foods keep a stock of healthy snacks. These can be nuts, fruits, and yogurt. Keep unhealthy foods and snacks out of sight and preferably out of the house.
Although after delivering a baby all eyes are on you and people must pester you to eat everything and anything. From panjirees to ice cream, if you think you are allowed to eat everything, you are not. Mindful eating post-pregnancy is more important than ever because good nutrition at this stage will also affect your baby’s health.
You will be surprised to know that losing weight after delivery is a lot easier than losing weight otherwise because the pregnancy fat gain is not yellow fat. But for many, this too can be tough. With handling a newborn baby, breastfeeding, and the unforeseen body changes, losing weight can be quite tough, but you can do it with the help of a nutritionist.