Gaining weight during pregnancy is natural, but it becomes very difficult to lose weight after having a baby. Post-pregnancy comes with a lot of responsibilities, and losing weight after pregnancy is a real struggle. Taking care of your health after delivering the baby is very important. In this article, we will discuss what is baby weight and how to lose baby weight after pregnancy naturally.
What is Baby Weight?
The average healthy weight gain during pregnancy is between 23-35 pounds. This weight consists of breast tissue, baby, amniotic fluid, placenta, blood, fat stores, and uterus enlargement. It is common to gain extra fat during weight gain, and this called baby weight.
Gaining too much baby weight can have some negative consequences.
· Increased risk of diabetes.
· Increased risk of heart diseases.
· Risk of getting overweight.
· Risk of complications in pregnancy.
Losing the baby weight after pregnancy is very important to minimize health risks in the future.
Tips on how to lose baby weight after pregnancy:-
· Set realistic goals– losing weight after pregnancy and achieving the pre-baby weight takes time. On average, a woman loses 10 pounds (4.5 kg’s) in between 2 weeks to two years. Don’t expect to get back to pre-baby weight in 1-2 months. It will take time to get back to a healthy weight.
· Count your calorie intake– start making notes of how many calories you consume every day. This will help you in keeping notes of what are the healthy and unhealthy foods in your diet. It is important to get enough calories after pregnancy to get the required energy and nutrition. Limit your portion size and eat healthy foods and healthy snacks to curb the craving. This process of losing weight after the baby will become a lot easier through this process.
· Breastfeeding- breastfeeding is necessary for both the baby and the mother. But did you know breastfeeding helps in melting off those pounds you put on during pregnancy?
Benefits of breastfeeding:-
1. Provides nutrition to the baby- Breast Milk contains healthy nutrients that help in the growth and development of the baby in the first 6-7 months.
2. Reduces uterus size- breastfeeding releases hormones in the body, which shrinks the uterus and pregnancy belly.
3. Strengthens the baby’s immune system- breast milk has antibodies that strengthen the baby’s immune system and help them fight with bacteria and viruses. It also minimizes the risk of certain diseases in a baby like leukemia, skin conditions, obesity, and many others.
4. Reduces the risk of diseases in mothers- women who breastfeed their babies have a lower risk of getting breast cancer, type 2 diabetes, postnatal depression, and ovarian cancer.
Breastfeeding burns up to 500 calories per day. You may not notice any difference in the first three months due to a lack of physical activities and more calorie intake for lactation. After three months, you will start losing weight. Losing weight after baby does not sound that difficult now, right?
· Consume healthy, protein-rich foods- Consuming a protein-rich diet will reduce calorie intake by curbing your craving and appetite, and it also boosts metabolism. Our body requires more energy to digest protein-rich foods, which means more calorie burn. Protein increases the feeling of fullness, which means you are less likely to eat the in-between meal snacks. Some of the healthy protein-rich foods are eggs, legumes, meat, nuts, fish, dairy, and seeds.
· Avoid processed foods– Avoid consuming processed food as much as possible. Packed and processed foods have high sugar, salt, and unhealthy fat content. Full foods like chips, cookies, chocolates, candies, and ready to eat meal mix make up for a large part of nutrition intake in one’s life nowadays. These food items will ruin all your efforts of losing weight after the baby. Replace these with healthy food items with multi-grains, fresh fruits, and vegetables, and try healthy recipes whenever you can to curb the craving.
· Start working out and exercising– exercise is very important if you are planning on losing baby weight after pregnancy. Start running, jogging, or cycling if you can. Cardio will help you lose calories and provides numerous health benefits. Exercise will minimize the risk of diseases as well as will keep you fit. If you have the time to join the gym, you can start resistance training, which will fasten the weight loss process.
These are some of the points that you should follow to lose the baby weight. Also, drink more water to stay hydrated and don’t try intermittent fasting or any crash diets. Getting enough sleep is also very important. Sleep when the baby is sleeping. Get your body the needed rest. Losing the baby weight after pregnancy is difficult but not impossible. Follow these tips, and you will start noticing the difference. It is important to stay in a healthy weight range. Enjoy being a new mom.
Read More:- Eating the right food during pregnancy is very important. Learn about what foods to avoid during pregnancy.
