Postnatal Weight Loss Tips

Well, it’s been just over 39 weeks now and I am almost at the end of my first pregnancy. This has been such an interesting ride for me – going from a focus on weight loss and exercise to focusing on how to nurture my pregnant body and baby. Honestly, I have found many similarities between the two. After all, healthy weight loss is all about eating a well-balanced diet and getting plenty of exercise and this is also what you should strive to do for a healthy pregnancy (although exercise may not be possible for all moms-to-be).

Most of these postnatal weight loss tips can benefit anyone wanting to lose weight (including husbands needing to lose pregnancy weight as well).

With the end now in sight, I have started to make a post-pregnancy weight loss plan. I would love to get back to losing weight instead of gaining and I am feeling really motivated to start as soon as I can. After much research, I have come up with the top 10 postnatal weight loss tips that are out there. They all seem very sensible and I plan to follow them as best I can and keep you updated on my progress because I know there are many women out there also wondering how to lose weight after pregnancy.

PostNatal Weight Loss Tips

• Make small changes – Losing weight, as with anyone, is a process of making small changes in order to add up to a big weight loss. The more slowly you change your habits, the easier it will be to stick with the new lifestyle you’ve created.
• Breastfeed if you can – It’s been shown that breastfeeding alone can burn up to 500 calories per day. If it’s possible for you to breastfeed, this can help you to lose weight (refer to the article “Breastfeeding and Weight Loss” for more info).
• Small bouts of exercise add up – While you might not have a lot of spare time, you can fit in short bursts of exercise in your day. Even just three 15 minute bouts of exercise will add up to 45 minutes of activity – and more calories burned.
• Drink plenty of water – Staying hydrated will not only help you to keep your hunger at bay, but it will also help to keep you energized for keeping up with your new child. Try to drink at least eight glasses of water a day.
• Add fiber to your diet – When you are having troubles maintaining your hormones and your stress levels after having a child, your digestion can suffer. In order to avoid these troubles, make sure to add more fiber to your diet – fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. This will help your digestion stay on track, and it will also allow you to quell your cravings since fiber can make you feel full for long periods of time.
• Eat regularly – Taking in enough calories (especially when breastfeeding) is essential to weight loss. While you might be tempted to cut as many calories as possible, slowing down too much can cause your body to think it’s going into a starvation mode. You need to eat every few hours to keep your metabolism running and to make sure you are continuing to burn calories.
• Get rest – While it might not be possible to get a full night’s sleep, the more you can sleep, the easier it will be for you to lose weight. Make sure you are sharing baby responsibilities with someone else so that you can both get the sleep you need to be the best parents possible.
• Add protein to your meals – When you add more protein to your diet, you will be able to keep your blood sugar level constant, which not only keeps your metabolism high, but it will also prevent you from getting hungry (for more information, read the post “Weight Loss Benefits of Protein“).
• Have convenient foods available – Since you might not have a lot of time to make meals, it will help you to have convenient foods available – low fat frozen dinners, vegetables you can steam in the bag, pre-cut and pre-washed vegetables, etc.
• Add dairy to your diet – Finally, dairy has been shown to help people burn fat more easily when they are dieting. Try to add one to two servings of low fat dairy to your diet each day. (Some nursing babies may be lactose intolerant. If you or your partner are lactose intolerant you may want to avoid consuming dairy products while breastfeeding.)

Other Related Posts and Articles you May Find Interesting: “Weight Loss and Pregnancy Do Not Mix”, “Losing Weight After Pregnancy”, and “Post-Pregnancy Dieting”.