The best diet for those who want to lose weight after pregnancy
Losing weight after childbirth is a pressing problem for most women who have experienced the joy of motherhood. Weight gain during pregnancy is a physiological feature of the body of the expectant mother. The female sex hormone estrogen creates fatty deposits in parts of the back, legs, abdomen, buttocks, protecting the baby from injury, helping the mother to provide baby milk and energy for recovery. During pregnancy, a woman gains about 10-12 extra pounds. Often the increase in body weight is much more – 20-30 pounds.
One of the main mistakes that girls make when trying to lose weight after pregnancy is the desire to quickly return to the past shape. But healthy weight loss will last the same amount of time as the weight gain during pregnancy – 6-9 months. Sometimes you will need more time, depending on your diet and the intensity of your physical activity.
Losing weight after childbirth is a pressing problem for most women.
When breastfeeding, a woman should eat regularly, correctly, fully. Using a diet is strictly prohibited. Diets put the body into a state of stress, forcing it to produce a reserve of calories. Irrational nutrition breaks the metabolism, undermines the health of the nursing mother, and consequently the health of the baby.
Weight loss methods that should not be used
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Rigid diets
The desire to lose weight after childbirth can quickly force a young mother to sit on a “hard” diet with severe restrictions on calories and choice of products. But even if you are not afraid of the consequences for your health, you should keep in mind that such experiments with diet are contraindicated while breastfeeding, because the quality and quantity of milk depends directly on the diet of the mother, and therefore how nutritious the child will be.
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Taking drugs and food supplements for losing weight
The use of drugs and dietary supplements is a frequent choice when trying to lose weight on your own. The desire to drink the magic pill and lose weight is understandable. But the risks that women take in the pursuit of slimness, associated with uncontrolled intake of drugs for weight loss, can’t be explained, especially for breastfeeding women. In addition to the negative consequences that this can cause to the health of the mother, it is important to understand that the components of medicines and dietary supplements can penetrate the breast milk, and therefore – get into the body of the baby, leading to unpredictable consequences.
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Taking diuretics and laxatives for weight loss
There is an opinion that diuretics and laxatives help to lose weight after childbirth. But the use of such means without indications leads only to dehydration of the body, a significant loss of micro-and macronutrients, which can cause disorders in all systems and organs.
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Sedentary lifestyle
Fatigue from household chores and caring for the baby prompts many moms to neglect physical activity and even entrust walks with the child to relatives. But young mothers should find time in the daily routine for physical activity: do 15-30 minute exercises, walk with the baby, and it is important not only for slimness. Physical activity after childbirth has a positive impact on the psycho-emotional state of the mother – it improves mood, sleep, and normalizes appetite.
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Refusal from breastfeeding
Some women, to lose weight as quickly as possible, try to wean their child from the breast. However, breastfeeding is very important both for the health of your baby and of the mother. And, if you are breastfeeding, it does not mean that you have to give up weight normalization. Effective weight loss after childbirth and while breastfeeding without compromising the health of mom and baby is quite possible.
For breastfeeding, the body of the mother spends about 500-800 kcal daily.
Keep a calorie balance
The desire to get into shape as soon as possible after childbirth is quite natural and understandable. But do not rush with radical measures to lose weight after childbirth. Only a few young mothers manage to regain their previous figure in 1-2 months, others need a little more time for this.
For breastfeeding, the body of the mother spends about 500-800 kcal daily, so the normal caloric intake should be about 2500-2700 kcal. If the diet is poor, the milk may not contain enough nutrients your baby needs, and it may decrease dramatically, up to the cessation of lactation. Milk that does not contain the right nutrients can cause problems with the digestion of the baby, lead to a compromised immune system, affect physical and mental development.
However, there is also the other extreme – overfeeding. Some young mothers think that they need to eat “for two”. In reality, it is important to eat a balanced diet, to make sure that the diet contains essential nutrients, and not to overeat.
The diet for a breastfeeding mom who wants to lose weight
There is no universal diet for weight loss after childbirth, suitable for every woman. The individuality of each body requires an individual approach.
The optimal menu for losing weight after childbirth will depend on many factors: whether you are breastfeeding, your health, the number of extra pounds, the state of your hormonal system, and more. Taking into account all these facts and developing the most effective and safe diet for weight loss will help to consult a specialist – a nutritionist.
Let’s take a look at what a young mother can eat to provide herself and her baby with nutrients and at the same time lose weight:
- Dried fruits and compotes from them
- Fruits – apples, pears, plums, apricots
- Lean meat, poultry, fish
- Stewed vegetables, fresh green vegetables
- Kefir, cheese, milk
- Oatmeal
Moms who, for one reason or another, had to choose artificial nutrition for their baby, first, need to buy a quality and organic baby formula. Which will supply a small body with vitamins, minerals, probiotics, and prebiotics. And then of course take care of your diet. Eat small portions, but often (5-6 times a day). Consume more fresh fruits and vegetables. Do not give up lean fish and meat. Among cereals, it is better to give preference to rice, buckwheat, corn flakes, and bulgur.
Consequently, to lose weight after childbirth, it is very important to increase physical activity, which decreased significantly during pregnancy. It is necessary to do it properly, under the supervision of a doctor, a specialist in physical activity – an instructor, a trainer. In the postpartum period, it is very difficult for a woman to make herself do physical exercises on her own. Therefore, control, motivation from experts is very necessary and effective. And, of course, to stick to a balanced and sensible diet.
