Achieving a healthy weight post-baby can be a struggle. It can be a stress-inducing condition for taking care of a newborn and simultaneously recovering from childbirth. Especially the overweight after pregnancy is a major and common problem among the ladies of the whole global. It is an annoying situation and can impact your health a lot. Excess weight should be managed to stay healthy and active. In this article, we’ll give you some amazing tips that will aid you in weight loss after pregnancy. Take a look.
Don’t crash diet
Following a crash diet may be helpful in losing weight but it is not advised after having a baby. After delivering a baby, the mother’s body requires a wide range of nutrients to heal and recover body loss. Eating a low-calorie diet will cause a shortage of nutrients and decrease your energy levels. So, it would be beneficial if you reduce food intake gradually and try to burn calories by moving yourself.
Breastfeed your baby
Breastfeeding your baby up to 6 or more months is beneficial for both mother and baby. Breastfeeding will provide nutrition to the baby, strengthens the baby’s immune system, decrease the risk of various diseases in infant and mother. Research has proven that breastfeeding may aid in postpartum weight loss. However, in the first 3 months of breastfeeding, one may experience no decrease in weight but after that, you’ll start observing that you’re decreasing weight rapidly.
Count the calorie intake
Count the calories from your whole day’s food consumption. It will help you in knowing the amount of food you’re eating and detecting the problem in your eating habits. You can do this by keeping a food diary, sharing your daily calorie intake with a friend who is also monitoring calories, taking pictures of food you’ve consumed, or trying a mobile calorie tracking app. If you find any error in diet habits that can contribute to increasing in weight, then alter that food habits.
Consume high fiber foods
After pregnancy, it’s time to eat healthy grains and veggies every day. Eating foods rich in fiber content can assist you in losing weight. Fiber-rich foods may also make you feel full for a long time or by slowing down digestion and decreasing hunger hormone levels.
Get enough sleep
Taking a proper sleep for 7-8 hours is necessary for repairing damaged cells and tissues to rejuvenate body organs for the next day of work. Several studies have shown that lack of sleep is associated with retaining more weight after pregnancy. For new mothers, getting enough sleep can be a challenge due to the responsibilities of the baby. But try to get uninterrupted sleep for a minimum of 7 hours.
Avoid sugary foods and refined carbs
Sugary foods and refined carbohydrates are packed with high amounts of calories but low in nutrients. These types of foods can increase the risk of being overweight and various other diseases such as heart diseases, diabetes, etc. Some common food items high in sugary and refined carbs are pastries, biscuits, cakes, sweet spreads, white flour, fruit juice, and sugary drinks. These should be avoided.
Prevent highly processed foods
Foods including fast foods, sugary cereals, processed cheeses, candy, cookies, and baked goods, chips, prepackaged foods, or other processed foods should be avoided, and consume homemade foods as much as you can. Processed foods are not healthy for the body and degrade overall health.
Don’t consume alcohol
Alcohol provides excess calories and a lack of nutrition. Alcohol is directly linked with weight gain and may lead to more fat being stored in the surroundings of organs, also termed belly fat. When in the mood for celebration, drink some low sugary and bubbly like unsweetened flavored sparkling water instead of alcohol.
Keep yourself active
Being physically active is one of the best ways to lose excess body weight. Cardio exercises including running, jogging, walking, cycling, etc will aid you in burning calories and protecting your health from a wide range of diseases. Give a minimum of 45 minutes for these activities to keep your weight under control.
Consume plenty of water
Drinking 8-10 glasses of water every day is very beneficial in reducing extra kilos. Take 2 glasses of lukewarm water immediately after waking up and try to add lemon in the water. Water will also remove harmful toxins and waste material from the body.
THE BOTTOM LINE
Getting a good-looking shape after delivering a baby is mandatory to enhance physical appearance. Obesity after pregnancy is a common problem but you can control or lose excess kilos by following the above-given tips.
