A Guide to Healthy Postpartum Weightloss
The precious joy of becoming a mother far outweighs the many struggles of life, yet there are so many emotions that come with it. Often you find yourself spending hours cuddling and enjoying the tiny little features of your newborn baby. Eventually though, the reality hormones come and visit you, spreading a sense that you aren’t what you used to be following the birth of your new baby.
This is a struggle for so many mothers,“I’ve gained so much weight and I can’t get it off. I’m not the perfect size for my spouse and I’m this “fat” mom that my kids are embarrassed by” How many of you have experienced this and you begin the weight loss downward spiral? You start on one diet and you lose a pound or two and then jump to the next diet when the first one doesn’t seem to work out so well. This merry-go-round continues for months and months and then you only end up gaining back the weight you lost in the first place. This is normal, especially as your hormones are traveling all over the place and you are struggling to try to get them back to where they should be. First, I want you to focus on a few things that will help you to understand that this is a process, and weight loss as a whole is not an easy road.
Understand That Change Takes Time
Did you wake up one morning and say, “Wow, how did I become so overweight so fast?” Nobody does this, we all know that it takes time for extra pounds to creep up on us and cause us to become uncomfortable with how we are.
Realize that this did not happen overnight, and it does not go away overnight either.
It takes time and dedication to achieve the weight that you were once at. When you were younger you probably were at a weight that you were happy with. Remember, you had a higher metabolism, your hormones and digestive system were functioning well and could break down the food that you were taking in. Your body only had to worry about what you put in and used that as energy. You were much more active and able to burn through all the energy that was needed to meet the demands for more food at the next meal. This cycle continued to repeat over and over and you were able to properly manage your weight. Then the wonderful scenario of being a newlywed came along and the creation of your love with your new husband happened and you became pregnant. Things were going well, but you feel a little sick. You may not feel like you want to eat anything at that point but later in the day you become hungry and end up over-indulging because, in your mind, you need to support the growing baby in your tummy. This continues throughout the entire pregnancy with increased desire to consume because the demands of your little one inside you continued to grow.
The first step in postpartum weight loss is pre-management
Even though these are realistic circumstances and we have good reason to believe that you need to consume more as your baby grows, you also need to keep in mind that the more the baby grows, the more it is taking all the extra energy from you and your body is requiring you to relax more, not expending as much energy. So, when you continue to consume lots of extra food this then leads to excess weight being added to your body and this begins the process of postpartum weight that you eventually have to get off.
The question always comes, how do I address this so it’s effective and not too late? The first recommendation would be to monitor your meals or food intake throughout your pregnancy. Eat small meals throughout the day and limit your intake to good healthy food that your body and the baby can use to grow. Secondly, stay active and keep moving. As you get further along in your pregnancy it is harder to do this, but it’s a must and it’s very safe for your baby as well. Exercise will help better prepare your body for delivery. It also will give you the extra release of enzymes to help continue to keep your metabolism up and burn the excess foods you or your baby aren’t using. You will not harm your body or the baby, but exercise will enhance the baby’s brain development and cardiovascular system by the process of improving your own heart and vascular system.
Getting Back on Track After Giving Birth
The precious gift finally arrives, and as you are regaining your energy you are surrounded by joy and food from wonderful friends and family that only drives your natural desires to eat. Self-control is limited during this time and your hormones are all over the place. Estrogen and Progesterone are trying to find their place after pregnancy and lactation. We can’t change a lot of this, but you have to prepare your body to be able to regulate what you are taking in and consume at a level that is appropriate for yourself and your little one. What we put into our mouth is very important to how we will respond to the extra weight that our bodies are trying to process.
Stick To Basic Nutrition Principles
The first step to proper weight loss after the birth of your baby is to go back to the basics and stick with a simple plan for proper nutrition. I say basics because a complex diet with a busy lifestyle and a newborn is all that a mother can realistically handle. Start with protein, good sources are: chicken, fish, and turkey. Allow yourself to have nuts and seeds as good sources of protein for snacks. The portion should stay the size of the palm of your hand, but make sure you are eating multiple times throughout the day. This will give you enough protein for you and your growing baby. Another simple and easy idea is drinking a good plant-based protein drink that can give you that little extra boost you need. This can be done for a morning snack or afternoon boost. Make sure you get this powder from a reliable source as not all protein powders are of equal value.
Remember this weight did not come on overnight and it will not come off overnight. It takes time to lose weight and your body is going through many changes and if you are changing your diet plan every couple of weeks it can have damaging effects.
Eat Those Veggies
The next step is the most important and that’s to eat vegetables as often (and as many) as you can. One cannot get enough vegetables in their diet. It would take me days and days to explain the benefits that vegetables have on the body from antioxidants and phytonutrients to empowering your growing baby’s brain health. The best source for proper brain development begins with a variety of colorful vegetables and some fruits. This brings up another point, only consume fruit after you have consumed 2-3 servings of vegetables. Even though fruit is a wonderful antioxidant and aids in fighting off sickness, we consume way too much of it and it has the negative effect of producing inflammation. Moderation is the best to consider and if you follow the basic rule of 2-3 vegetables before you eat any fruit, you will be successful in multiple ways. Please keep in mind that staying away from fruits higher in acidity will help for a better sleeping baby.
Consume Healthy Fats
One last concept is the point to introduce the proper fat which will give your heart and brain the power they need and again help your child be able to develop. Great sources are avocados, olive oil, and coconut oil. Stay away from all processed foods and sugar and diminish dairy/ grains in your meal plan. These will slow your progress and provide the proper environment for you and your child to become ill and not grow the best. Many times, when mamma gets sick, it brings down the immune system for a longer periods of time and also brings down the immune system of your child. In addition, most weight loss management plans go by the wayside when we are sick and so often is extremely hard, if not impossible, to bring ourselves back from it and begin the journey again.
Stay Hydrated
There are two more concepts I want you to consider as you think about setting yourself up for the best weight loss you can. Water!! We never consume enough water and if we would implement water in our day it would aid in the reduction of unwanted food intake. It is also important to remember that if you are nursing you are putting out lots of your water along with good nutrients from your body. If you do not consume enough water for yourself and your baby is taking most of it, it will begin to rob water from other areas of the body. This will put your body into emergency mode, and you will begin to store extra fat instead of using it to function with and it will increase cravings and drive you to consume much more food than you normally would. Dehydration also has damaging effects on the kidneys, liver, digestive tract, brain, and many other areas which will not allow you to also give the best nutrients to your baby. If you do anything in your weight loss desires, add water as your starter and I think you will see changes right away. Drinking half your bodyweight in ounces is a good starting goal.
Get Moving
Finally, I always leave the worst till last. Yes, you knew it was coming! The dreaded exercise. It’s a must if you want to reach your weight loss goals. Sure, there are lots of diets that tell you that you don’t need to do this, but it is a must and needs to be a part of your daily routine. I often hear that as a busy mom they don’t have time to exercise and still take care of the baby. I understand that, but that sounds to me like they don’t have time to take care of themselves.
If you don’t take care of yourself who will take care of your baby when you are down and sick?
What about that much-needed bonding time with the baby’s father or other siblings? Could you sneak off for a little fast-paced walk for a short time while someone else is cuddling your baby? I understand you need sleep and often this will be the balance between sleep and getting things done around your house. But again, go back to the thought that if you are not well then you cannot serve your little one or the rest of your family.
A good balance between sleep and exercise is essential to maintaining good health and proper weight loss. I would recommend starting with 10 minutes of exercise. This can be done around your house. You can try running up and down the stairs, running in place or walking quickly around your house for 10 minutes. Then as you progress add another 10 minutes at a different time to improve your weight loss. Do you have 10 minutes in the morning and 10 minutes at night that you could dedicate to doing this? What if you did it right before your spouse leaves the house in the morning or when they are rocking or playing with the little one? The biggest problem today is that we all have excuses as to why we cannot exercise, and it catches up to us. Make sure you do not fall into this category and put attention on your baby but also yourself in achieving your weight loss goal.
Key Takeaways
Follow a basic nutrition plan and stick with it the entire time until you reach your goal. Switching plans and fad diets will get you nowhere
Cut out all sugar, processed foods, and limit your grains and dairy to a minimum
Eat vegetables, Vegetables, Vegetables, and a little fruit
Eat lean meats
Increase water intake to half your body weight
Exercise by starting off slow and increasing with time
Get plenty of sleep
If you follow these simple guidelines and commit to improving your health along with the health of your child, you will see results. Deviating and lack of willpower will lead you down a path that will leave you discouraged and unable to attain the weight loss progress. Each one of you can succeed in removing that unwanted baby fat from your body. Don’t feel bad if you need to reach out to other mothers and use them as a support system and help you with this process. At the end of each day, evaluate how you did and what you put in your mouth and what activities you have done. Remember you are feeding yourself, but also your little one as well. What goes into your mouth will essentially go into their mouth. As you snuggle them one last time before bed, remember why you’re doing what you are doing! It will be well worth it!