How To Lose Weight After Delivery | Hea Boosters
Being a mom is one of the most exciting things, when you hold your baby for the first time, when they say their first words, when you see them walk for the first time but not motherhood has its own set of challenges. Now that your baby is here, you can sometimes wonder if it is even possible to return to your pre-pregnancy weight.
A lot of your friends must have told you that yes, it is possible but how do you go about that? There are certain factors that could contribute to weight loss, like breastfeeding, but this isn’t enough. Breastfeeding can help you lose around 500 - 700 calories which isn’t a bad start, but you shouldn’t solely rely on it to get to your pre-baby body.
Breastfeeding also requires that you take about 300 - 500 calories more than your normal diet before your delivery. With several types of diets and fasts that are doing rounds in the market like intermittent fasting or keto, this entire plan may feel chaotic. These several new options often leave a new mom confused on what diet plans to follow that help them effectively lose weight and still produce healthy milk for their baby.
Well, there are simple steps discussed below that will help you lose weight at a good and healthy pace. You may already be familiar with some of these, especially if you’ve engaged in some form of diet and exercise plan before.
Tips to lose weight after delivery:
1. Know your meals:
You need to take in more wholesome carbs, lean protein, and healthy fats. This will ensure that you are not lacking all the basic nutrients while shedding those pounds. It’s essential to have a balance of all three meal forms along with some healthy snacks.
For wholesome carbs, it is essential to get a good portion of these in your meals for the day. You need to spread it out throughout your meal for the day, having an adequate amount for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. These consist of:
- Fruits
- Vegetables
- Sweet and baked potatoes
- Oatmeal
- Brown rice
- Pasta or whole-grain bread
- Beans
- Legumes
You can have a green smoothie for breakfast, consisting of some vegetables, banana, almond milk, strawberries, and some blueberries. This makes for a wholesome meal to start your day. Note that these should make up a large portion of your calorie intake while trying to lose weight. You should also incorporate a good serving portion of vegetables into your lunch and dinner, and have some fruits as healthy snacks during the day.
While it’s essential to add protein to your diet, you should look out for foods high in lean protein. Lean protein can be found in foods like chicken, beans, fish, and protein powder. Add some of these like a piece of fish to your lunch or dinner to complete your meal. You can also add some protein powder to your morning smoothie to ensure it’s packed with all the nutrients needed.
You may be scared of adding anything fatty to your diet, considering you’re trying to lose weight. However, healthy fats are also necessary if you want to lose weight and remain healthy for your baby as well. Foods that are a good source of healthy fat include:
- Walnuts
- Olives
- Avocados
- Almonds, etc
Having a healthy balance of all these in your meal for the day should total up to an average of 1800 calories a day. You should also remember to drink lots of water throughout the day. It is recommended that you drink about 8 glasses a day to keep your organs hydrated and functioning properly.
2. Prep your meals:
Now that you have an idea of the kinds of foods to eat or include in your meals, you should plan your meals for the day in advance. This saves you time and also helps you have the right portion at specific times of the day. It prevents you from overeating or grabbing a bite to eat because you’re too tired to start preparing anything.
Prepped meals ensure you always have the right things to eat at the right time. You also never have to skip a meal which can lead to serious hunger cravings. You can also plan your in-between meals that consist of healthy snacks. These could be fruits, a smoothie, or any healthy snack you have planned.
3. Exercise moderately:
What’s a diet plan without including some workouts! It’s essential to include some moderate exercise into your daily routine to facilitate your weight loss. Since you just had a baby, you don’t want to do anything too strenuous that may cause harm.
You can do some cardio workouts and some other weight loss training every alternate day. Consult your doctor and fitness trainer before you chalk out your workout schedule.
4. Staying hydrated:
Breastmilk is essentially 87% water, which means you may feel thirsty or feel dehydrated while breastfeeding your little one. It is totally normal and there is nothing to be worried about. However, if you are looking to shred some extra kilos, staying hydrated can help you feel fuller for longer and also it improves the digestive system so that fats are eliminated from the body more efficiently. Water keeps you away from bloating too!
Losing weight may not seem easy initially as you have several things going on in your mind and your body takes some time to adjust to the new timetable. Please remember to be patient with yourself, understand how far your body has come. Remember that you have to care for yourself and your baby, so take things easy and slow.