During pregnancy, the average woman gains 30 pounds. When they give birth to a baby that weighs 8 pounds and they lose another 10 to 12 pounds gained as a result of increased blood volume, placenta, and amniotic fluid, the average woman is still left with 10 pounds. This is more weight than they had when they first conceived. Consequently, it is important to come up with a strategy for pregnancy weight loss. In this case, it is advisable to consider the following:
Breastfeeding
If you breastfeed your baby, you have a better chance of losing 500 calories every day. This helps ensure that your baby is nourished and at the same time, it promotes pregnancy weight loss. However, dieting plans should not be taken overboard while nursing because the baby needs calories and selecting strict diet plans can affect your milk supply.
Establish eating habits that are healthy.
Eating healthy is not easy after giving birth and yet, it is extremely important to ensure that you adhere to a healthy diet. If you want to achieve pregnancy weight loss, it is advisable to keep a steady supply of vegetables, fruits, and other snacks that are healthy. This will ensure that when hunger pang strikes, you would have something healthy to eat. In addition to this, you should also plan your meals ahead of time in order to ensure you don’t opt for unhealthy foods at the last minute.
Exercise.
By exercising regularly, you can enjoy pregnancy weight loss and at the same time, reduce the possibility of suffering from depression. While it is not possible to take up aerobic exercises immediately and especially after undergoing C-section, you should start doing simple workouts. Start with walking or swimming daily. Walking is an excellent idea and this is because you can carry your baby during the walks. Once you are certain that physical activity is okay with you, you can start doing additional workout that include lifting weights or aerobics.
Dr. Eric Berg
08/30/2023
