Having a baby is an exciting and rewarding experience for many people. As a new mother, your body experiences a number of changes.
One of these changes is weight gain. For many mothers, one of their priorities after delivering their baby is losing weight. As with any weight loss program, there are healthy and unhealthy ways of achieving this goal.
It’s important to remember that your body needs time to recover. You should also check with your GP before you start a weight loss program.
Here is the healthiest way to lose weight after pregnancy:
Eat healthily
Make sure that you include plenty of fruits and vegetables in your meals. Drink water throughout the day to stay hydrated. Always make time for breakfast and eat a lot of fibre-rich foods. Make sure that you eat small regular meals throughout the day to keep your energy levels up and to avoid overeating.
Exercise
Start with gentle exercise such as walking, floor exercises and stretching. Always check with your GP first to ensure that you don’t injure yourself. Pace yourself carefully to make sure that you don’t strain yourself too much when starting out. Be patient too as it will take some time for your body to get back into rhythm.
Breastfeed
Breastfeeding is a good way to lose extra baby weight. Wait a few weeks before you try to lose weight though, and make sure that you and your baby have become used to breastfeeding first. This can also help you lose weight if you avoid taking in extra calories required for breastfeeding. Losing between 0.5kg and 1kg a week shouldn’t affect the quality or supply of your milk.
Get enough rest
This may be a tricky one to accomplish, because every baby has their own sleeping patterns, which can wreak havoc on any parent’s life. Try to ensure that you get some much-needed rest when you can. This will also help you avoid bad eating habits.