Getting back to shape after giving birth to your child can be difficult but not impossible; however, when you are thinking about losing the pregnancy weight postpartum, it is important to keep in mind that there is no magical way of losing the extra pounds quickly and you should not attempt to over strain yourself to get into shape within a month. Losing the extra weight gained during pregnancy is important not only for aesthetical reasons but also for your self-confidence and moreover for your physical and mental wellbeing, but not at the cost of your health. No matter what you do after delivery for losing the extra weight, always keep in mind that after delivery your body is still in its recovering stage and if you are breastfeeding your baby then your physical wellbeing has high impact on the health of your child too.
According to the doctors, postpartum weight loss is a tricky thing because during this span you need to take high care of yourself and ensure the best nourishment for your body and as well as aim for losing weight. It is not really the right time to go on a crash diet to lose weight or to opt for a heavy physical training plan to get into shape. What you need to do for losing extra weight postpartum is regulate your diet in the right way along with proper but not excessive physical exercise. The right combination of these two can be actually helpful for losing the weight in a healthy way, but surely the way is not magical and you will not get into the post-pregnancy figure within a month.
You can lose the pregnancy weight at home by maintaining a high in nutrition but low in fat diet and by including the right type of exercises in proper way into your daily routine.You really do not need fancy machineries for exercising, you can do more or less all the types of exercises that are suitable for you during this period at home with or without some simple tools. This article will give you a clear idea about the diet as well as the exercise regime that you should follow postpartum to lose the pregnancy weight.
Take the right diet to lose weight postpartum
Always keep in mind that postpartum your body is in need of nourishment and hence your diet should include a balanced dose of all the essential nutrients. Your doctor might also suggest you to take vitamin and mineral supplements during this span in order to ensure that your body is not anyway starved of the nutrition it needs. Breastfeeding mothers should opt for a diet plan that includes maximum of 2,200 calories per day, and for non-breast feeding mothers the amount should not be more than 1,800 calories per day, if you are seriously focused at losing the pregnancy weight. Keep the next tips in mind for planning your daily diet,
Pack with protein
Packing up your diet with sufficient quantity of protein is essential in order to ensure that your body gets the required nutrition. Consumption of adequate amount of protein can also be very helpful for fighting hunger as proteins will keep you filled for longer. Fish, eggs, pulses and beans are considered to be the best protein rich food for women after delivery particularly because of their high nutritional content. Fish, particularly the cold water ones like tuna, salmon and sardines are often considered as super foods because they come with loads of DHA, a particular type of Omega-3-fatty acid which can nourish the brain cells and nervous system of your newborn. Eggs, beans and pulses are also good sources of protein and they will give you the highly required calcium as well, which will help in keeping your bones strong.
Focus on vitamins and minerals
This is the time when you should start loving veggies and fruits even if you never liked them before. You lose a lot of Vitamins and minerals through breastfeeding and hence you need these items more now than usual times. Include lots of leafy vegetables, like kale, spinach, turnip greens and the lot in your daily diet. Also do not miss out on the goodness of carrots, broccoli, beans, squash and other vegetables. Including nuts like Almond, walnut and raisins in your daily diet is also a good way of getting the required vitamins and minerals. Fruits like strawberries, oranges, apple, guava, cucumber and grapes should be included in your diet.
Eat small meals
This is a cardinal rule of losing weight and it can go very well even after pregnancy and can be actually more efficient in meeting the nourishment needs of your body postpartum. Stop taking big meals; instead take 5-6 small meals throughout the day. Always ensure that you are not hungry at any time. In case you feel hunger pangs between meals, take a fresh fruit or munch on a few nuts, but do never eat to the full of your stomach and always limit the quantity to a few.
Drink a lot
Dehydration is the worst thing a lactating mother can face. Water helps in maintaining the right fluid balance in the body and it also works to increase the rate of metabolism in the body which can be very helpful for burning the calories. So, do not miss to drink a glass of water at frequent intervals. However, it is said that if you are focusing on losing weight, you should not drink water with your food but space it at least few minutes before and after the meals.
Breastfeed your newborn
Losing weight postpartum will take you less “work” than usual times particularly if you are breastfeeding your child. According to the latest studies, breastfeeding can be very effective in melting off the extra calories of the body. Depending on the amount of milk produced, breastfeeding can burn up to 500 calories a day. So, if you are focusing on losing the extra pounds, concentrate on production of more breast milk and breastfeed your newborn as often as you can. It is believed that herbs like chamomile, fenugreek seeds, and fennel might help in more breast milk production and hence including these herbs and spices in your daily diet is surely a good way to produce more breastmilk which will naturally burn more calories.
Keep it moving
The right diet coupled with breastfeeding is important for losing the pregnancy weight postpartum but it only makes one part of the weight loss regimen. You need to incorporate strength as well as aerobic exercises in your daily routine to burn the stored up extra calories. The good thing is that, exercising will not only help you in losing weight postpartum but will also help you to relieve stress and depression. During exercising, the feel good hormone is secreted in the body, which can deal any kind of mental issues efficiently. So, give yourself a dose of the “feel-good hormone” daily and it will also ensure that you get back in shape with time.
According to experts, you need to devote at least 150minutes a week for physical exercising in order to get back in shape post-pregnancy. If you cannot devote more than 10 minutes time for physical exercising at a stretch, you can always divide it into 10 minutes slots across the day. Going out on a walk with your baby or lugging around the newborn for the whole day might seem like enough of exercise during this time, but apart from that you also need to opt for some strength training in your daily routine to lose weight postpartum. Using light weights can make your exercising more effective. Free hands and aerobics are also a good way to go. However, always ensure that you should not over strain your body in any way and before you start with any kind of physical exercises for losing weight it is important to consult with your doctor, because in case you had a C-section, it is most expected that there will be restrictions about the movements you should make.
Yoga is often considered as one of the best ways of losing weight after pregnancy, because it does not stress your body but helps in burning calorie and getting into shape. However, you might not be able to opt for all the yogasanas right after pregnancy and you need to discuss it with your doctor and your trainer before you start.
You need to sleep
With a newborn baby at hand getting adequate sleep can be a real challenge for any new mother, but depriving yourself from sleep can be a reason for not losing enough weight even after following the above measures. New mothers who sleep 5 hours or even less during the night are more likely to hold back the pregnancy weight even after delivery. Lack of sleep releases stress hormones in the body, which can work towards promoting weight gain. So, it is best suggested to get some help and make it a point to sleep adequately after pregnancy, otherwise it can hamper your whole weight loss program.
Include a fat burning drink in your daily diet
A fat burning drink can be highly helpful to lose the extra weight quickly after pregnancy. These drinks are easy to prepare and need no special ingredient. These drinks are known for their ability to boost up the natural metabolism rate of your body which can be highly effective to lose the extra weight and to get back into shape. You can easily prepare a fat burning drink by mixing 1/2 spoon of ginger juice, 1/2 spoon piper dust and 1 spoon honey in 1 glass of warm water. Drink this mixture the first thing in the morning and also the last thing at night, at least 1 hour before going to bed. This drink will not only help you to lose weight but will also give you more energy.
Bank on fish oil supplements and flax seeds
When you are trying to lose weight postpartum, it is natural for you to look out for the easier options. Taking fish oil supplements and including flax seeds in your daily diet can actually work as an easy way to lose weight. The Omega-3-fatty acids present in fish oil and flax seeds are claimed to burn more calories during exercise. So, including more of these can actually boost your weight loss plan. However, while taking the flax seeds, make sure that you chew them really well.
Get the right time for sleep
While getting adequate sleep is necessary to ensure that you lose the extra weight quickly, it is also important to maintain the right gap between your meals and your sleep. Going to bed in a full stomach is never going to help your weight loss regimen in any way. So, make it a point to have your big meals at least 3 hours before going to bed and any short meals, like a glass of milk, at least 1.5 hours before you fall asleep.
