Post Natal Weight Loss

A huge amount of women begin to diet following pregnancy. As carrying a child is traditionally associated with weight gain – and is utterly necessary to ensure a healthy pregnancy and child – the problem arises when the child is born. Suddenly, that weight gain that had once been so crucial is suddenly restrictive. Many new mothers make their new goal post-pregnancy to be to lose weight and return to their pre-pregnancy weight.

Most often, doctors and dietary specialists advocate the following principle; nine months on, nine months off. Essentially, as it takes the standard nine month pregnancy term to gain the weight, losing it will take roughly the same amount of time. You will not snap back into your pre-pregnancy body as soon as your child is born; if only nature was so kind!

Losing weight after pregnancy is a little more challenging than losing weight at any other time in a woman’s life. This is mainly due to the time consumed by having a new child, and the associated exhaustion which leaves many women feeling unable to exercise due to a complete lack of energy.

Most post natal nurses advise a target of 2lbs per week, which may sound frighteningly little if you have bloomed during your pregnancy, but is actually a full stone of loss in less than two months. To do this, follow a low fat and high fibre diet, as the fibre will hopefully help keep energy levels high enough to exercise.

The other step is to enjoy the time as a new mom, and enjoy the weight loss possibilities associated with babies. Walking gently while pushing a stroller burns 150 calories an hour, and allows baby bonding time as well as weight loss. This combined with the aforementioned eating plan should have you back to your pre-pregnancy weight before your child’s first birthday.