Five Easy Ways To Lose Weight Postpartum
Five Easy Ways To Lose Weight Postpartum
After having a baby you have probably noticed that your body didn’t just bounce right back to how it was before you became pregnant. It usually takes some effort to lose weight postpartum.
You may even still look three to five months pregnant!
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And, you have probably been searching for ways to lose the baby weight fast. However, there are conflicting articles on what you should and shouldn’t do during the first six weeks after giving birth to your newborn.
Some people will tell you not to do any exercise or even think about losing weight during the first six weeks; while you see others having lost all their baby weight before their postpartum checkup!
How do they do it? And, how can you lose some of the baby before you get the ‘okay’ from your doctor?
Well, there are a few things you can do, check out five things you can do to lose the baby weight below!
Related Posts:
How to Survive your first 3 months with a Newborn
What Mama’s Need to Have for a Smoother Postpartum Recovery
Eating While Breastfeeding: 31 Recipes That Make it Possible!
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Easy Way to Lose Weight Postpartum #1: Breastfeed
If you are able and willing to breastfeed your infant, do it!
When you’re breastfeeding and producing milk for your infant, you are burning calories.
This may be why you feel starving all the time. Sure, you were just growing a baby inside of you and may have felt hungry all the time then, but, the hungry feeling you get while breastfeeding can feel even more extreme.
While breastfeeding, it’s also important to eat more filling foods, so you’re not eating literally twenty-four-seven.
This means less processed foods with little to no nutrients and more foods that will actually satiate your hunger.
These foods are generally whole foods, such as brown rice, sweet potatoes, etc. The kind of food that will make you feel full will also help you feel better (physically, and by knowing you are, in no doubt, providing nutrients to your infant), and they won’t be stored as more fat! It’s a win-win-win!
Check out How to Make a Vegan Buddha Bowl with Tofu, it has both brown rice and sweet potatoes in it, along with tofu and broccoli!
Easy Way to Lose Weight Postpartum #2: Drink More Water
A lot of weight that you can lose postpartum (or even during delivery) is water weight.
You can help yourself lose this weight by drinking even more water!
This may seem counter productive at first. But, in order to lose water weight, your body can’t fear not getting more water in the near future. Your body is scared it won’t get more, so it hangs on to every last bit of water you give it. Which is why you need to keep drinking water all day long!
Plus, drinking more water is beneficial for breastfeeding and helping you produce enough milk for your infant, as well as give you more energy!
Easy Way to Lose Weight Postpartum #3: Eat Well
While you may not be able to move around all that much at first, or do the postpartum body bootcamp you’re looking forward to yet; you can still lose weight by eating well.
Focus on getting more fruits, veggies, healthy fats, healthy proteins, and whole grains in your diet.
If you were able to make healthy freezer meals before your baby was born, than you’re one step ahead! If not, there is still hope!
Green smoothies with chia seeds and soy milk will give you plenty of proteins and other nutrients to help you heal and get through your mornings. While salads or soups with plenty of leafy greens and some added proteins like beans or quinoa will satiate you through the early afternoon!
Be sure to make some healthy snacks for yourself, as well as a healthy dinner. You may even find that limiting, or avoiding, animal products, such as meat and dairy products, will help you lose the weight. Just be sure to speak with your doctor before changing your diet, ask if you’ll need to take any vitamins, and don’t forget to keep taking your prenatal vitamin if breastfeeding!
Easy Way to Lose Weight Postpartum #4: Let Your Body Heal
One of the best things you can do to drop the baby weight fast is by allowing time for your body to heal.
You just gave birth to another human being!! That’s a big deal.
Ever hear the saying that it takes a village to raise a child?
Well, that same village would have helped a new mom heal after childbirth. Whether it be by making her meals, helping with the newborn (or her other children), and most importantly by letting her rest as much as possible!
If a family member or friend offers you help, do yourself a favor and accept it. The more you can rest and heal, the sooner you can get moving again!
After I gave birth to my third child I was lucky enough to have my husband home with me, he took paternity leave. It was great, I felt completely healed and ready to do anything again 2 weeks after giving birth. And, I’m pretty sure it’s because all I did for those first 2 weeks was rest. I barely got off the couch and I slept as much as I possibly could.
Easy Way to Lose Weight Postpartum #5: Go For Family Walks
Once you feel healed enough, start going on family walks, or walks with friends. Just be sure to go with someone else, other than your infant, in case you get tired and they need to run back and get the car so you can have a ride home!
But, start with even simpler activities and be sure to always go at your own pace.
Start with walking around your own home or doing some household chores. You may not have your nesting energy any more, but it’s a good idea to start moving a little each day when you feel ready to,
If you start feeling tired, sit down or take a nap. There’s a reason why maternity leave exists (even if it doesn’t pay well).
Remember, it took you nine months to put on this weight, it’s not all going to come off in just a couple of weeks!
Leave a comment with your favorite way to easily lose weight before your postpartum check up.