The Battle against the Body
Most doctors recommend that pregnant mothers gain between 25 and 35 pounds during pregnancy for singles, and up to 45 pounds for multiples. But, in addition to the baby’s weight, the placenta, amniotic fluids, the enlarged uterus and breasts, and extra blood add about another 15 pounds, and extra fat stores about another seven pounds. (1)
“Pregnancy represents the biggest change in a woman’s body since puberty ... After the baby is born, the stress from sleeplessness and total responsibility for a new human being can intensify the dismay many mothers feel about their physical appearance ... Most women want to return to their pre-pregnancy body as quickly as possible and end up disappointed and depressed when the extra weight seems not only to linger, but also remains distributed differently.” (1)
While the baby weight, placenta, fluids and blood are lost either immediately or relatively shortly after delivery, the fat stores do not automatically disappear. (1)
In fact, these are new fat cells added during the last three months of pregnancy that can shrink with exercise and diet, but will always be there. Add all this to a society that reveres thinness and additional pressure from friends and perhaps relatives, and first-time mothers in particular as well as “experienced” mothers can be overwhelmed with discouragement about their bodies.
Easy Tips for Quick Weight Loss after Birth
• Breastfeed – Breastfeeding “is an easy way to burn an extra 500-600 calories a day ... ‘Breastfeeding mothers tend to lose more weight when their babies are three to six months old than formula-feeding mothers who consume fewer calories.’” (1) However, it is essential that mothers still pay close attention to their diet.
• Don’t diet right away – Women should not diet for at least the first six weeks to allow the body sufficient time to recover from childbirth and establish a good supply of milk. (1)
• Maintain balanced diet – “Restricting calories and going on a crash diet to fit into your jeans is not going to help. Good nutrition is essential, as are sleep and physical activity ... A healthy diet can help you overcome some of the fatigue associated with newborns.” (2)
Low-calorie diets may help get the weight off quickly, but it can also lead to the loss of lean muscle tissue, making it harder to lose weight, and it can zap a mother’s energy. (2)
Start by curbing a few hundred calories a day. Consult with your family doctor and the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s website to determine the right number of calories for you. (2)
• Be patient – It took nine months to put the weight on. Give yourself some time to make the appropriate changes. “Getting fit and staying fit requires a lifetime commitment to healthful eating and exercise, and this kind of change doesn’t happen overnight.” (1)
• Set realistic goals – Don’t expect to get down to your high school weight again. Work first, perhaps, to get out of maternity clothes and into normal clothes.
Start small, and add more goals, perhaps bigger ones, later. Aim to lose 1 to 2 pounds per week. But, remember, baby steps and realistic goals that take your busy baby care schedule into account will help keep discouragement away.
• Water, water, water – Not only is drinking water good for your milk supply, keeping your body hydrated keeps your body from storing fat and retaining water, and flushes out toxins.
• Keep exercise simple – Walking is something that most every mother can do and can be done with baby in a stroller or a sling. But, again, start small and simple.
Don’t expect to walk a few miles at the outset. Work up to the longer distance. Aim to start with two 15-minute walks.
• Sleep – “Studies show that at six months after giving birth, moms who got less than six hours of sleep per night had more difficulty losing weight than moms who slept more than six hours ... Do everything you can to get enough sleep.” (2)
Sources:
1. Postpartum Body Image and Weight Loss. Zahorick, Marie. New Beginnings. Vol. 17 No. 6, September-October 2000, pp. 156-59, 145. Web. Accessed: Jan 6, 2013.
http://www.llli.org/nb/nbsepoct00p156.html
2. Expert Q&A: Losing the Baby Weight: An interview with Elizabeth Ward, MS, RD. WebMD. Web. Accessed: Jan 6, 2013.
http://www.webmd.com/diet/features/expert-qa-losing-baby-weight
3. 8 Tips for Losing Weight After Pregnancy. Watson, Stephanie. WebMD. Web. Accessed: Jan 6, 2013.
http://www.webmd.com/baby/features/8-tips-for-losing-weight-after-pregnancy
4. Losing weight after pregnancy. National Institutes of Health. Web. Accessed: Jan 6, 2013.
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/patientinstructions/000586.htm
Reviewed January 6, 2014
by Michele Blacksberg RN
Edited by Jody Smith
Description: “Pregnancy represents the biggest change in a woman’s body since puberty…. After the baby is born, the stress from sleeplessness and total responsibility for a new human being can intensify the dismay many mothers feel about their physical appearance…. Most women want to return to their pre-pregnancy body as quickly as possible and end up disappointed and depressed when the extra weight seems not only to linger, but also remains distributed differently.” (1)
Page Title: Easy Tips for Quick Weight Loss after Birth