The Benefits of a Post Pregnancy Weight Loss Program

Once your new baby arrives, as a new mom you have lots to think about. This includes what to feed your baby, what to do when the baby cries, and of course how to get rid of all the unwanted weight you gained during pregnancy, through a post pregnancy weight loss program.

If you were at a normal weight when you got pregnant, and gained the average of 30 to 35 pounds recommended by your doctor, it will likely take more than a few months to get back in shape. Removing the extra weight slowly is a sure way to keep it off, through proper diet and exercise.

Alternatively, if you were overweight when you got pregnant, or you put on significantly more weight than what was advised by your doctor, losing the weight could take significantly longer – maybe even a year or more. Even so, it is beneficial to slowly remove any additional “baby weight” that would otherwise not go away on its own.

It is essential to follow a post pregnancy weight loss program to get your extra weight off. This is because you could easily end up being overweight or obese later in life. To do this effectively requires patience. In addition, you will need to understand that your body likely changed shape during pregnancy. This means that your tummy might not shrink back to its original size, and your hips are probably slightly wider because of the expansion of your pelvic bones during pregnancy and delivery.

A Gradual Approach

Many doctors and dietitians recommend that a post pregnancy weight loss plan be founded on a gradual approach for losing weight. It is important to recognize that it took nine months to gain the weight, and will likely take that length of time or longer to get back into shape.

It is essential to avoid “dieting” to reach a post pregnancy weight loss goal. This is because dieting tends to make the body feel deprived. Already being stressed out in your new daily role as a mom could in fact create the situation to gain weight instead of lose it. Alternatively, healthy eating and exercising usually allows the extra weight to burn off naturally.

A Well-Balanced Meal Plan

As an alternative the dieting, dietitians often recommend consuming a well-balanced meal plan based on a variety of foods. Whenever feeling hungry, during the day, consider eating carrot sticks, apple slices, and wheat crackers. The diet should also include lean protein, whole grains, and organic fruits and vegetables, along with nonfat dairy products.

No matter what goal weight you choose to achieve through your post pregnancy weight loss program, it is essential not to drop below consuming 1800 calories each day. This is especially true when breast-feeding. This is because the body requires maximum nutrition when nursing. Be sure and select the types of foods that are heavy in nutrients and low in fat and calories.

It is essential to drink enough water every day to speed up the body’s metabolism and prevent it from becoming dehydrated. Most dietitians recommend consuming eight glasses of quality drinking water, or slightly more, if you are breast-feeding.

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The Breastfeeding And Weight Loss Connection

It is tough to deliver a healthy baby and then realize that you still have 20 or 30 pounds of pregnancy weight to lose. You would think that women would only need to gain the amount of weight needed to carry the baby, but that is not what happens. When women are pregnant, they do tend to gain a few extra pounds. Normally, this is nothing to worry about until after you have recovered from delivering your beautiful child.

What Is The Breastfeeding And Weight Loss Connection?

Did you know that breastfeeding and weight loss can go together very well? Of course, there are lots of reasons to consider breast feeding your baby. Your milk naturally delivers the right nutrients and immunities to help keep your baby healthy. Even if you need to supplement with formula, it is better if you can try to supply some of your baby's meals through natural breast feeding.

Breast feeding also gives you an advantage if you want to lose weight. Maybe this is even part of the reason why women need to gain more weight when they are pregnant than just the weight of the baby. If you have to feed your baby every day, the energy to produce that milk has to come from somewhere. Your body will burn fat in order to produce the milk. It is almost like getting an extra exercise routine in each day.

Infants are small, but they are growing very fast. Babies actually need to consume a lot more calories every day than you would think.

-- Typical infants under 6 months in age need 50 to 55 calories per pound of body weight.

-- Babies over 6 months old need about 45 calories per pound of body weight.

So this means that your little 10 pound baby needs over 500 calories a day. At six months of age, she might need to consume 900 to 1,00 calories a day if she weighs close to 20 pounds. If you continue to breastfeed, all of those calories are deducted from you - the source of their nutrition.

Of course, your older baby might also start to consume other sources of nutrition and calories, but even if you can contribute 500 calories a day to your baby, that is taken out of your own body.

Breastfeeding And Weight Loss Does Not Mean Restrictive Diets!

Breastfeeding time is not the time to go on a very restrictive diet. Any new mother will want to make sure that she consumes plenty of healthy food each day so she can deliver the right vitamins, minerals, and energy to her growing child. New moms also need plenty of energy.

If you are not sure what to eat, your doctor or a nutritionist can probably provide you with helpful suggestions or a diet plan.

However, if you do consume a normal health diet, you might find that extra baby fat (on you, not the baby) melting right off as your baby grows bigger and more healthy each day. This is an additional benefit of breastfeeding.