15 tips to help you lose weight after pregnancy
These are useful indications for adopting a lifestyle that can help you lose weight after pregnancy. We always recommend contacting a good nutritionist to be followed step by step in achieving the desired weight, correctly and personalized to your condition.
One of the recurring thoughts of new mothers is how to lose weight after pregnancy and regain pre-pregnancy weight and fitness.
It is a journey that should not be undertaken in a hurry, your body has done an enormous job, it has made a new life grow within itself by nourishing it and bringing it to light . A considerable effort, a physical and emotional commitment that needs time to be metabolized and overcome.
So be kind if you can’t lose weight after pregnancy in the time you expected. So be thankful and happy for all that you have done. But above all give yourself some time.
Postpartum is a period that can be particularly stressful, taking care of the newborn is very demanding and will absorb much of your time.
It is certainly important to return to a healthy weight after childbirth, not only for an aesthetic question but above all for the general well-being of the woman, but it must not be the absolute priority and must not create further stress.
Weight gain during pregnancy
The guidelines recommend weight gains contained in certain reference intervals during pregnancy based on one’s body mass index present at the beginning of the pregnancy.
According to research published in the American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology , pregnancy weight gain is weight due to:
- the child
- the placenta
- the amniotic fluid
- the breast tissue
- the blood
- the increase of the uterus
- the extra fat deposits
The extra fat serves as an energy reserve for childbirth and breastfeeding . However, excessive weight gain can cause excess accumulation of fatty tissue.
Nearly half of pregnant women gain more weight than recommended by international guidelines.
The consequences of not being able to lose weight after pregnancy can have repercussions on a possible subsequent pregnancy (increasing the risk of complications such as the risk of gestational diabetes) or in any case on the general health of the woman (increased risk of cardiovascular disease and diabetes).
How to lose those extra kilograms that were accumulated during pregnancy?
These are only useful indications for adopting a lifestyle that can help you lose weight after pregnancy. We always recommend contacting a good nutritionist to be followed step by step in achieving the desired weight, correctly and personalized to your condition.
1. Set yourself realistic goals
You will surely follow some famous new mothers who show themselves with a “flat stomach” a few weeks after giving birth. Despite what the magazines and celebrity mom stories would have you believe, losing post-pregnancy weight takes time.
In a 2015 study , 75 percent of women weighed more one year after giving birth than they did before pregnancy. Of these women, 47% weighed at least 4.5 kg more at 1 year postpartum and 25% weighed 9 kg more.
Of course, with a good meal plan coupled with exercise, you should be able to achieve the best goal for your health.
2. Don’t go on a crash diet
Crash diets are low-calorie diets that aim to make you lose a large amount of weight in the shortest time possible. But is this the right way to lose weight after pregnancy? Not exactly.
After giving birth, your body needs good nutrition to heal and recover. Also, if you are breastfeeding, you will need more calories than normal.
A low-calorie diet is likely to deprive you of important nutrients and will likely make you feel tired. This is the complete opposite of what a new mother needs when she is caring for a newborn and maybe she is also suffering from lack of sleep.
Assuming your weight is stable, and you have those extra 5-10kg that you can’t lose, if you decrease your calorie intake by about 500 calories per day, this will stimulate about 0.5kg of weight loss per week. . This weight loss, according to the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, is considered safe for breastfeeding women
Compared to non-breastfeeding women, exclusively breastfeeding women consume 400 to 500 calories per day to produce the full amount of milk most babies need from birth to 6 months. Two-thirds of these calories should come from meals and snacks containing foods from all five food groups. The calories left over from the weight gained during pregnancy.
Breastfeeding weight loss varies among mothers depending on physical activity, the amount of weight gained during pregnancy, and how much breast milk is produced.
Warning : Women who eat fewer than 1,800 calories a day can reduce the amount of milk their bodies produce . Stress, anxiety and tiredness can also reduce milk production. So give precedence to your well-being : relax and sit down to eat three meals a day. Make sure you drink plenty of fluids and choose healthy snacks between meals. Even moderate-intensity physical activity, such as brisk walking, is good for you and does not reduce milk volume.
3. Breastfeed if you can
The World Health Organization (WHO) and all health organizations and associations recommend breastfeeding. Breastfeeding the baby exclusively during the first 6 months of life (or much longer) has many advantages for both the woman and the baby:
- Provides nutrition : mother’s milk contains all the nutrients a baby needs to grow healthy in the first 6 months of life
- Supports the baby’s immune system : Breast milk also contains important antibodies that help the baby fight off viruses and bacteria.
- Reduces risk of disease in infants : Breastfed infants have a lower risk of asthma, obesity, type 1 diabetes, respiratory disease, ear infections, sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), and gastrointestinal infections.
- Reduces the risk of mother’s disease: Breastfeeding women have lower risks of high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, breast cancer and ovarian cancer.
- research has shown that breastfeeding can support postpartum weight loss.
Does breastfeeding help you lose weight after pregnancy? Recall that in the first 3 months of breastfeeding, there may be no weight loss or even weight gain. This is due to the increased need and caloric intake, but also to the reduced physical activity during breastfeeding.
4. Monitor your calorie intake
If you notice that your meal plan doesn’t help you lose weight after pregnancy, try monitoring the calories you introduce , to understand what and how much you are eating and what you can change. It is also used to understand if you are taking in enough calories and nutrients to provide you with the energy and everything you need to stay healthy.
How to keep track of calories?
- compiling a food diary, written or photographic
- using a calorie tracker app
You can share your calorie intake with another mom who is on your journey to compare and support you.
Using these techniques can help you reduce portion sizes and choose healthier foods, which in turn aids in weight loss.
We reiterate once again the importance of being followed by a nutritionist who can give you the correct indications for eating well and losing weight.
5. Eat foods rich in fiber
Eating foods rich in fiber would help in losing weight after pregnancy.
For example, in a 2019 study of 345 people, an increase of 4 grams of fiber compared to what the participants ate before the study led to an average weight loss of 1.5 kg in 6 months.
According to a 2015 clinical study , foods rich in soluble fibers (legumes, oats, barley, avocados, figs, plums, apples with peel, berries, broccoli, etc.) can give a sense of satiety by slowing down digestion and reducing hunger hormone levels.
These effects on digestion may therefore help reduce calorie intake, although overall study results are mixed.
6. Stock up on protein
According to research published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition , including protein in your diet can boost your metabolism, decrease your appetite and reduce your calorie intake.
Studies show that protein has a greater “thermal” effect than other nutrients. This means that the body uses more energy to digest it than other types of food, which results in more calories burned.
Research also shows that protein is also capable of suppressing appetite by increasing the satiety hormones GLP and GLP-1, as well as reducing the hunger hormone ghrelin.
Healthy protein sources include:
- lean meats
- egg
- low-mercury fish
- legumes
- Nuts and seeds
- dairy products
7. Keep healthy snacks on hand
The foods around you can have a big effect on what you choose to eat. When looking for something to nibble in the pantry, you need to be able to choose a healthy alternative (like fruit or yogurt).
Research has shown that just keeping fruit handy is associated with a lower body mass index (BMI).
Similarly, a comparative study showed that having junk foods on the kitchen counter is associated with weight gain.
In conclusion, avoid keeping junk foods or foods rich in sugars and fats at home and within easy reach.
8. Avoid added sugars and refined carbohydrates
While they may be tempting, sugar and refined carbohydrates are high in calories and usually low in nutrients. Better to prefer healthy alternatives.
Research associates a high intake of added sugars and refined carbohydrates with weight gain, diabetes, heart disease, some cancers and even cognitive decline .
Common sources of added sugars include:
- sugary drinks
- fruit juices
- any type of refined sugar
- cakes
- cookies
- pastries
When choosing food at the supermarket, read food labels. If sugar is one of the first ingredients on the list, it’s probably best to avoid buying it.
It’s easy to reduce your sugar intake by avoiding processed foods and favoring whole foods, vegetables, legumes, fruits, meats, fish, eggs, nuts, and yogurt.
9. Avoid highly processed foods
Processed foods are for example canned foods, cured meats, snacks, ready meals…
These should be preferred unprocessed ones that have more protein, fiber and less sugar.
Processed foods are often high in sugar, fat, salt and calories, which can thwart weight loss efforts.
Among these foods we find:
- ready foods
- prepackaged foods
- french fries
- biscuits and baked goods
- candies
- canned foods
Additionally, research has associated the consumption of processed foods with more addictive eating behaviors.
You can reduce the amount of processed foods you eat, replace them with fresh, whole, nutrient-dense foods.
10. No alcohol
Research has shown that small amounts of alcohol, like a glass of red wine, have some health benefits ( these benefits don’t apply to pregnancy when alcohol is completely off-limits).
When it comes to weight loss, alcohol provides extra calories.
Additionally, alcohol may be related to weight gain and can lead to more fat being stored around the organs, also known as visceral fat.
When you feel like celebrating, choose an unsweetened flavored sparkling water.
11. Get moving
Physical activity can bring many benefits, but above all it can promote weight loss. Activities like walking, jogging, running, cycling, help you not only burn calories but get various health benefits in general.
Exercise improves heart health, reduces the risk and severity of diabetes, and may reduce the risk of several types of cancer.
An analysis of eight studies showed that exercise helps most when combined with good nutrition.
For example, the analysis showed that people who combined diet and exercise lost an average of 1.72 kg more than those who dieted alone.
Aerobic exercise is especially important for fat loss and heart health. So even just a walk is beneficial to improve weight and health.
After giving birth, your pelvic and abdominal areas need time to heal , especially if you had a cesarean delivery.
How soon after giving birth can you start exercising safely?
It depends on how you gave birth, if there were any complications, how fit you were before and during pregnancy, and how you feel in general. Your doctor is the only point of reference to decide the timing.
After your doctor has given you the all clear for physical activity, you can start your activity. The CDC recommends that postpartum women get at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic physical activity (such as brisk walking) spread out over the week.
12. Endurance training
Resistance training such as weight lifting will help you lose weight and maintain muscle mass.
Research has shown that a combination of diet and resistance training has been found to be the most effective method for reducing weight and improving heart health.
In the first months after giving birth, finding time to exercise with a baby can be difficult, but there are gyms that offer classes for mothers and babies (live but also online!).
There are also dedicated YouTube channels and mobile apps that can help you.
You can also do simple bodyweight exercises at home , which can be modified to suit your skill level.
13. Hydrate yourself enough
Drinking water instead of sugary drinks is vital for anyone trying to lose weight.
According to a 2016 study , drinking water can increase feelings of fullness and boost metabolism, leading to weight loss.
However, not all researchers agree. Another study suggests that there is no conclusive correlation between water consumption and weight loss.
However, for women who are breastfeeding, there’s no question that staying hydrated is important to replace fluids lost through milk production.
A common recommendation is to drink eight 250ml glasses, which equals about 2 litres. However, women who are breastfeeding or exercise vigorously may need more fluids.
Plain water is best, but unsweetened sparkling water occasionally can vary your usual routine.
14. Get enough sleep
We know it’s hard but try to do what you can to get enough sleep
Lack of sleep can negatively affect your weight. A review has shown that lack of sleep is related to maintaining excess weight after pregnancy.
This association may also apply to adults in general. A review of 11 studies found a significant correlation between poor sleep and obesity.
For new mothers, getting enough sleep can be a challenge. Strategies that can help include asking family and friends for help and limiting your caffeine intake.
Never forget that your health is just as important as your baby’s, so get help if you can’t get enough rest.
15. Ask for help
Parenting is complicated. Sleep deprivation and stress can be overwhelming, with 1 in 9 new mothers suffering from postpartum depression .
While achieving a healthy weight after pregnancy is important, it shouldn’t be a source of undue stress and anxiety. The best advice is to make small changes that can be sustained in the long run.
If you’re feeling depressed or anxious or just struggling to cope, don’t be afraid to ask for help. Ask friends and relatives for help, ask them to help you with household chores, with meals, to hold the baby for a few hours, to allow you to rest or exercise or simply to take care of yourself.
Kathryn Barlow is an OB/GYN doctor, which is the medical specialty that deals with the care of women's reproductive health, including pregnancy and childbirth.
Obstetricians provide care to women during pregnancy, labor, and delivery, while gynecologists focus on the health of the female reproductive system, including the ovaries, uterus, vagina, and breasts. OB/GYN doctors are trained to provide medical and surgical care for a wide range of conditions related to women's reproductive health.