Every mother looks for effective ways of weight loss after pregnancy and there's no wonder about it. It's understandable to want to get rid of the extra pounds gained during pregnancy. That change in appearance can seriously mess with your hormones and make you feel terrible after childbirth.
But you have to understand that it is all-natural and will settle down to the original after you give it some focus and time. You'll recover your body if you adopt safe and effective weight loss preferences and ways.
So, here we're at your service with healthy and rapid ways of losing weight after pregnancy. Let's dive into them without any further ado!
When to Focus on Postpartum Weight Loss?
The stage immediately after giving birth isn’t the most appropriate time to lose weight. This can be unhealthy and unsafe for your body.
It will take some time for your body to heal before you can begin to work towards a healthy body. Until then, making safe food choices, exercising, and minimizing stress can help you control your weight and regain your strength, working towards a steady weight loss.
1. Breastfeeding Helps Weight Loss
It is recommended that lactating mothers increase their normal calorie intake by adding an extra 200 to 300 calories to their diet per day. That's why taking care of lactating mother's diet is more important.
While breastfeeding, a change in your diet might not affect milk production. However, if your diet is inadequate or unhealthy in any way, it can lead to a drop in your energy level. This will make you feel weak and fatigued.
Research shows that breastfeeding mothers burn (on average) 500 calories a day. This is equivalent to 45-60 minutes of medium-intensity workout.
Because of this, it's a common misconception that mothers who breastfeed will gain more weight even after pregnancy. But the reality is quite the opposite, breastfeeding helps reduce postpartum weight.
How does it Help with Weight-Loss?
Breastfeeding causes contractions in the uterus and stops bleeding. The uterus contraction helps the belly go back to its normal size.
While breastfeeding, you use fat cells stored in your body during pregnancy and extra calories from your diet. While incorporating the extra calorie intake into your diet, you are eating more, but not gaining weight.
Breastfeeding means you have to make healthy choices. Substitute highly processed foods like burgers and pizzas, sugary drinks, and desserts with leafy greens, fresh fruits, and water.
Water is essential in keeping you hydrated while breastfeeding, and it can also help with losing weight in the long run.
On a side note, breastfeeding has many other amazing benefits besides weight loss. It helps in reducing the risk of cancer and diabetes, regulates hormones better, and provides several health benefits to your child.
The number of calories you will need will drop as your child gets older. Limiting calorie intake when your baby turns 6 months old and starts feeding on solids can further help you to reduce weight, as long as you eat in moderation.
Remember, that you don’t have to deprive yourself of the food you crave, treating yourself once in a while is healthy!
Know more about Breastfeeding Basics Here!
2. Exercising Helps Postpartum Weight-Loss
Low-intensity workouts are doable and effective after childbirth. Some research has also shown that regular exercise can reduce the risk of postnatal depression, which is a common condition many mothers experience.
Exercising will not just help you regain your preferred body shape and size but can also become a protective shield against pain, the same way exercise helps with period cramps.
How does it Help with Weight-loss?
Exercising increases physical strength and endurance, giving you more energy to help cater to your and your baby’s needs. However, not all sorts of exercises are recommended right after giving birth.
To start, only take postpartum workout programs. Going all out and exercising heavily may cause excessive bleeding. It's best to wait until seven days have passed after postpartum bleeding. If you’ve given birth by cesarean, ask your doctor when the best time is for you to start exercising.
Major Types of Exercises
Kegel Exercises
Kegel exercises are good for strengthening pelvic muscles. After labor, your pelvic muscles need a re-boost to properly help function your bladder and avoid urinary incontinence.
If these muscles are neglected you might end up in a poor situation while running, walking, laughing, or coughing.
Your bladder is weak and so is your pelvic floor (due to all that pushing during labor), therefore, kegel exercises are highly recommended to do after you’ve delivered your baby.
Ball Exercises
Ball exercises are also light exercises that are helpful in tightening your core and strengthening your pelvic muscles.
Move the ball forward and backward by using your posterior, letting the pelvis move with it while keeping the shoulders still. Move the ball from side to side to exercise your waist muscles.
3. Don't Use Girdles
Using girdles after childbirth to tighten your belly can be dangerous. Girdles are beneficial only in certain medical conditions help tighten and are custom-made to fit the patient's body. You should only use one with the approval of your doctor.
When it comes to the postnatal term, wearing a girdle or a corset:
Will make your belly muscles weak, resulting in a flabby belly. This is because they are being supported with the girdle.
Your body becomes more vulnerable to the accumulation of fat in the stomach area because of the compression. Fat accumulates in areas of the body where there is little to no movement.
It can cause stagnation in the circulation of blood within that area.
Wearing girdles may also lead to indigestion or constipation. The pressure of the girdle on the abdomen will hinder the activity of the intestines.
It prevents the evaporation of sweat from this part of the body, putting your skin at risk for rashes or other diseases.
Note: In some cultures, mothers use a cloth belly wrap to help heal after birth. This practice has been proven to be helpful for some. If you do opt for this, be careful to not keep your stomach wrapped all day, every day. This can damage your body. Make sure you do your research and consult your doctor.
A Piece of Pie for You
It is best to stick to natural, healthy methods in getting your body back in shape. Extreme measures will only make it harder for you to recover. A healthy diet, exercising regularly, and giving your body time to heal are best for your well-being. It may be hard for you to manage since your baby needs more of your attention at the moment, but remember that self-care is important.
Nursing your baby well and making conscious decisions about your meals will help you shed those pounds quicker and better.
Enjoy the journey of becoming a new mom.
Try not to overstress in regard to your weight. Keep in mind that this will take time.
There is no definition of a perfect body, only a good one in which you are comfortable.
Your body will most likely never be the same again, and that is completely understandable. Make sure you aren’t aiming for a ‘perfect’ one because those don’t exist. With careful exercise though, you can still get a healthy body that you are happy with.
Takeaway
With the right and proven way, it's too easy to lose weight after pregnancy. You only have to take care of what measures you're taking if they are good for you and your body. We've made this task easier for you by having all healthy ways compiled for you up here.
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