Every woman who has been pregnant will know that it is not entirely easy to lose weight after birth. One may at first think that things will just go back to normal and just a bit of waiting is necessary, but this is a big mistake and should never be assumed. Weight loss after pregnancy does not just come, but has to be worked upon. Just as with every other diet, however, with a newborn baby at home this is a lot harder than it would be if you were alone. Good thing that there are many ingenious tricks that have been thought out to help new mothers lose the extra pounds after their pregnancy.
What would make weight loss after pregnancy so difficult?
If it is hard enough to lose weight without being pregnant and without a newborn baby at home, then it will really be hard afterwards. A baby needs supervision and care all day and night and that every day. That can be quite a tiring job and that means that once it is quiet for a few hours that the mother will do something else with her time, like sleep or take a bath. Then there is of course the household, shopping and other responsibilities that have to be completed and attended to. All this makes things difficult to think about eating right and losing weight once the pregnancy is over with.
Eating right is always essential to losing weight, but shopping and cooking for a healthy diet also takes its time and that is usually lacking for a few years after a pregnancy. A normal woman needs an average of 2,000 calories each day, but a woman breastfeeding will need a small amount more, like 200 or 300. The problem is that the vitamins and minerals needed practically doubles which makes eating right even more important, and tricky. The physical aspects of a pregnancy also make losing weight afterwards quite a hard task to do. The stomach is what gets larger and afterwards, it is that stubborn lower stomach fat that also does not go away on its own. This can be adverse to your health and it has been proven that a high amount of such fat leads to a higher risk of heart disease in women. Generally speaking, in order for everything in a woman’s body to get back to normal after birth, exercise is mandatory. Exercise is the only possibility and even though time is very much a shortage during such days, time will have to be made.
What can be done to achieve weight loss goals?
If something is not easy to do, that still does not mean it is impossible to do. Even with a new baby and a lot of stress and chores there are still little things that can make a difference and result in weight loss after pregnancy. Eating right should be taken seriously and you should consider before birth what you should eat afterwards. Just by cutting down portions, cooking grease free and eating only foods rich in fiber, vitamins and minerals it should be possible to lose a couple pounds each week. The time needed for preparation is usually the biggest obstacle; however, it has to be done regardless of whether or not you have time. The best thing to do is wait until the baby is sleeping and goes into the kitchen and prepare a large amount of good foods. You then cook what is needed for your family for that day, but the other prepared amounts can be put into freezer bags and then frozen. This way, whenever you need a quick meal, you will have your healthy, nutritious meals frozen and they only then have to be cooked. Avoiding snacking is also important. Chocolate, chips and things like that will not help you lose weight after pregnancy and the main reason they are chosen by women is that they are convenient to eat. Then again, so are bananas or apples. A simple trick is to just have a plate of pre-cut fruits and vegetables and keep that handy. This way it is also convenient to grab, but will provide essential nutrients and few calories along with no fat.
Exercise has to be done after a pregnancy. Not just to lose weight, but also to build the body back to a normal condition. You will have to work on the back, stomach muscles and overall try to get back flexibility and strength. Movement is important and although enough walking can be done just by taking the baby out in the stroller, that alone is not sufficient to get rid of the dangerous stomach fat. This requires that you do sit ups and other exercises at least three or four times each week. This also needs to be done from the start since waiting too long will only mean more stomach fat build up to fight which will just make things seem more impossible. There are also special exercises aimed at strengthening the lower back, an area that can hurt after pregnancy, but these also work on other body parts that tend to collect fatty deposits. Having the self-discipline to do this kind of exercising is not something everyone has. Claiming not to have time will also not be of any help. A good idea is to have someone take care of the baby and you should go to a class that specializes and is aimed at women trying to lose weight after a pregnancy.
There is much to be grateful for once a pregnancy has been successful and there is a healthy baby at home, but the extra weight is never appreciated. This has to be worked upon and there are many places and ways to do so. Time is a key consideration though, since the longer you wait the harder it will be to lose the extra pounds. Taking the time to eat right and to do physical activities will help you to not only lose the weight left over from the pregnancy, but also to feel better and be able to do more each day.
