How to lose weight after pregnancy

One of the best ways to maintain weight is through a well balanced and nutritious diet. Contrary to the popular belief, crash diets are not a healthy way to lose weight. Most crash diets ask you to cut down majorly on calories which don’t even supply for your daily nutritional requirements. If anything, they can help you achieve an undernourished state in the long run and I am sure that’s not what you are looking for.

Instead of gorging in big portions, you can reduce the portion size of your meals by taking more frequent meals. This would keep you satiated and provide you with a constant source of energy throughout the day. Let us have a look at all the dietary changes you can make to lose pregnancy weight quickly.

Add more fibre-rich foods, to your diet. This would not only help in regulating bowel movement but also enable the elimination of extra cholesterol from the body. Some common fibre rich foods include whole grains, wheat bran, flax seeds, and fresh fruits.

Protein-rich foods also facilitate weight loss. Studies have suggested the positive association between increased protein intake and weight loss. However, too much protein isn’t good for the body, so a moderate increase in dietary proteins is recommended.

It is advisable that you cut down on fat and junk food and increase the consumption of low-fat milk.

Reducing the total carbohydrate intake might also help you lose that stubborn weight fast.

Keep yourself hydrated

A hydrated body is a healthy body. Studies indicate that taking the required amount of water per day would improve metabolism, thereby, promoting weight loss. Water is a calorie-free drink. Drinking water, instead of any other beverage would reduce your total calorie intake and prevent obesity, as demonstrated by various researchers. Additionally, water is needed to soften the dietary fibres and keep them from blocking the intestines.

It is best to stay away from carbonated drinks since most of them contain added sugars which offer just empty calories without any nutritional value. This causes you to gain weight.

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Along with a balanced diet, a regular exercise regimen is very essential to burn away excess fat and improve muscle strength. Proper exercise can be started 6 weeks after a normal delivery or 10-12 weeks after a C-section unless recommended otherwise by your doctor. However, you can opt for some easy and gentle exercises right after delivery. Some of these include:

• Brisk walking
• Stretching your neck around and sideways to ease shoulder and neck pain.
• Gently stretching your one arm towards the roof and then bending it a bit over your head while keeping the other arm towards the floor.
• Sitting on a chair and turning sideways while holding the back of the chair with the opposite side hand.
• You can also include exercise in your daily routine by walking faster while fetching the groceries or taking staircase instead of the elevator.
• However, it must not be overdone, especially if you did not exercise before pregnancy or had a cesarean delivery. Whatever be the case, you must start with a 15-minute routine and gradually increase it at your own pace.
• Also, if you face any kind of pain or discomfort, you must stop immediately and talk to your gynaecologist

Apart from the above-mentioned exercises, you can opt for some abdominal and pelvic floor exercises. Here is how to do them -

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Abdominal muscle exercises

Abdominal muscles run in a parallel sheet across your abdomen. To make more room for the growing baby, these muscles split apart during pregnancy and it is important to bring them together to reduce that pregnancy belly. However, it is strongly recommended that you avoid vigorous exercise right after delivery since these muscles are quite weak at this time and need more time to heal.

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Measuring abdominal separation at home

• Lie down on a flat surface with a support for your head.
• Bend your knees and put your fingers over your belly button.
• Now raise your upper body (head and shoulders) off the floor.
• You might or might not notice a gap under your fingers.

If you do notice a separation of more than 2 to 3 fingers wide, it is best to consult with a gynae about the right kind of exercise and any other precautionary measures that need to be taken to bring these muscles back to normal. Supporting band or some kind of abdominal support is generally recommended in these cases to protect the lower back.

However, if you don’t find any such problem, you can start abdominal exercises without much worry.

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Easy tummy tucking exercise

• Stand in a comfortable position.
• Take a few normal breaths.
• With an exhale, pull in your tummy towards your back.
• Holding these muscles, keep breathing normally for a few seconds.
• Relax and repeat.
• Depending on your stamina, you can do 5 to 10 repetitions at a time.
• But if it’s straining a lot, it is better to go slow and gradually increase.

The best part about this exercise is that you can do it sitting, standing or even lying down.

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Pelvic floor exercises

Pelvic floor muscles are the set of muscles that support the urethra, anus and vagina. These muscles tend to weaken during pregnancy and lead to loss of bladder control and leakage of urine coming with a cough or a sneeze. It may also decrease sexual desire.

Regular pelvic floor exercises help strengthen your pelvic muscles, thus remedying this problem. Here is how to perform an easy pelvic floor exercise:

• Pull up your pelvic floor muscles towards the upper abdomen.
• As you do this, push them in towards your back and gradually tighten them.
• Keep holding it in for a while before relaxing.
• It’s okay if you can’t hold for long. Start from a few seconds and then gradually increase the time.
• You can do about 3 to 5 repetitions of this squeeze 2 to 3 times a day.

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How to recognise pelvic floor muscles

These are the set of muscles you hold on to when trying not to pee.

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Breastfeeding is generally considered to be useful in losing weight post delivery. According to the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, USA, some part of the pregnancy fat is used by the body to provide for the extra calories needed while breastfeeding. However, weight loss would depend on the physical and physiological condition of the mother along with the total weight gain during pregnancy.

When it comes to scientific proofs, the evidence mostly in its favour.

A study published by the Food and Nutrition Bulletin suggests that exclusive breastfeeding plays a significant role in postpartum weight loss.

In a review article published in the International Journal of Obesity, four out of five studies were found to be supporting the positive association between breastfeeding and weight loss

However, a recent study indicated that regular breastfeeding does not have a very significant effect on weight loss.

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There are a few other things you can keep in mind while looking forward to losing pregnancy weight quickly:

Dos  

• Follow a healthy lifestyle.
• Quit alcohol and smoking.
• Eat loads of green leafy vegetables and fresh fruits.
• Take frequent meals.
• Refer to a doctor immediately if you notice any kind of discomfort after exercising.
• Keep yourself hydrated.
• Try including your baby in the exercise routine, you can walk the pram at a brisk pace.
• Join an exercise class.
• Do yoga
• Practice mindfulness
• Rest
• Cesarean takes more time to heal. Ask your doctor to know the right time before beginning to working out.
• Get enough sleep
• Join a dance class or just bust a move at home (Again without straining your body much).
• Since your body size has changed so much, you might need to go shopping for new training shoes and a sports bra to support your back and your breasts. This will help in avoiding back pain.
• If you notice leakage and back pain even after three months of delivery, it's best that you refer to a doctor.

Don’ts

• Crash diet.
• Skip breakfast.
• Overdo on exercises, take it at your own pace.
• Do strenuous exercise right after delivery.
• Be stressed.
• Consume sweetened beverages and carbonated drinks.
• Binge on junk food.
• Get out of bed with a jerk (it puts a strain on your abdominal muscles).
• Compare yourself to celebrity moms. Everybody has their own body type. What’s easier for them might take a while for you or vice versa.

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Losing weight after pregnancy is not as difficult with the right food habits and regular exercise. But, one needs to be a bit realistic and not expect a miracle. It took you almost a year to put on those extra kilos. So, you must know it is not going away just like that. Set your goals and work on them, one day at a time.

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