how to lose weight after pregnancy: 7 tips & 9 rules

Hold your horses! Why losing weight after childbirth is harmful

During pregnancy, all kilograms are gained without exception. The only question is which ones are really superfluous.

Breastfeeding makes the baby pounds sizzle

Breastfeeding is a real miracle aid when losing weight after pregnancy. Each day, the mom has an additional calorie requirement of about 400 to 500 kcal. This means that you can eat normally and gradually take off on your own. But: If you are breastfeeding, you should definitely not make crash diets or starve.

Otherwise you and the baby will not be supplied with all the nutrients. In addition, the body attacks the fat reserves. Perfect in itself, but pollutants are incorporated into the fat cells. These are released when the body goes to the fat reserves and enters the baby's body via breast milk.

How quickly losing weight after pregnancy works varies greatly from woman to woman. On average, you should expect a good nine months until you have your old weight again. And even then it may well be that the abdomen is not quite as tight as before pregnancy.

How weight goes away after childbirth

With most of the extra pounds, the young mother says goodbye on her baby's birthday. Let's count:

fertile water - 800 to 1500 grams,

The placenta is 400 to 600 grams,

energy costs during childbirth - 600 grams,

- a newborn - minus 3 to 4 kilograms.

Total about 5-6 kilograms. Perhaps, seeing the result on the scales, you will be disappointed, but do not rush to get upset. You'll be even slimmer in the coming weeks. About 3-3.5 kilograms will disappear due to a reduction in the volume of circulating blood, tissue and intercellular fluid. Another kilogram will go away due to the return of the uterus to its former size.

It turns out that the excess "fat" if you have recovered within the framework of your norm, will remain quite a bit - about 3 to 4 kilograms. You need them for speedy physical recovery after childbirth and successful breastfeeding, so you should not go on a diet. At least two months (that's how long the postpartum period lasts) you need a diverse and full diet. Even if you don't breastfeed, it's too early to cut calories. But when these two months pass, you can revise your diet.

Here are the top 7 tips to help you lose weight after pregnancy:

1. Don't stress yourself

No one expects a fresh-faced mom to get rid of all baby bumps a few weeks or months after birth. During the 9 months long pregnancy, the body of the mother-to-be has undergone numerous important changes. It is only natural that you do not return to your body "from the past" in the first weeks after childbirth. So: Just no stress! Don't set too high goals, look forward to the offspring and enjoy the first months with the baby.

2. Pay attention to regular meals

A baby turns your life upside down. Getting a routine is hard. Many mums eat very irregularly and especially things that go fast and get fed up. This often means plenty of unnecessary calories. In addition, this not exactly healthy diet does not necessarily help the young mother to be prepared for the strenuous everyday life with baby.

If you want to speed up weight loss after pregnancy, the first thing you want to do is structure your meals better. You are less likely to suffer from cravings when you eat three large and two small meals.

3. Cook sit yourself as often as possible

Ready meals, sweets, cakes or sandwiches: all this is fast and is therefore eaten by many mums. However, these foods contain some extra calories. Make it easier for you to lose weight after pregnancy and try to cook yourself as often as possible.

This is difficult, because most people lack time and energy. Still take your time, stretch your partner, and then cook fast, simple dishes in larger portions that you just need to freeze. Here are some ideas for simple, fast recipes

4. Don't snugg constantly in between

Those who breastfeed can eat a good 500 kcal more a day: Many mums like to use chocolate bars and co. as a snack in between. Stop it if you want to get rid of your baby bumps. The calorie content of small bars is often underestimated. Take a look at the nutritional information! Prefer healthy snacks such as natural yoghurt with fruit, vegetable sticks or a sandwich.

5. Move regularly

Few mothers have time to go to sport. You don't even have to run to the gym if you want to speed up weight loss after pregnancy. Starts about six weeks after birth with a regression course. This is important for strengthening the pelvic floor muscles. Check with your doctor or midwife to see if you are ready for sports. Otherwise, pay attention to sufficient exercise in everyday life.

Takes longer walks every day. If the baby is a bit older and you feel like doing sports, you should work with your partner to find time slots where you can go jogging or going to the gym. By the way, DVDs or workouts from the Internet are also great, which you can do at any time in the living room in front of TV or PC when the baby is asleep.

6. Create space to relax

The child is finally asleep: now we are cleaning, washing, tidying up ... Of course you want to use this time, but just sit down on the sofa. Stress is poison if you want to lose weight. If there are constantly stress hormones in the body, fat is increasingly stored on the abdomen - and that's what you really want to get rid of.

Therefore, take regular relaxation breaks and time just for you. Come down, relax. Then the pounds disappear all by themselves.

Sport, nutrition, relaxation... That takes you too long? Then in the meantime some cool styling tricks can help you to cover up your stomach! You will see that you immediately feel better about worlds!

7. Try to get as much sleep as possible

Sweets provide fast energy: that's why they are especially popular when you are tired. Many freshly baked mums eat a lot of sweets - and struggle to lose weight after pregnancy. It's best not to have big supplies at home, which helps.

More importantly, try to get as much sleep as possible. That's hard with a baby - no question. But try to sleep with the child as often as possible. It doesn't matter if the housework is left behind.

Rules for losing weight if you don't breastfeed: 9 important rules

Try to avoid the most common mistakes that are often made in the pursuit of the hornet's waist.

- "Don't try to lose weight as soon as possible. It's bad for your health. The extra pounds should go away gradually. Normally - 0.5 - 1 kilogram per week.

- "Don't starve. If you don't get the calories you need to keep your body healthy, they start to stock up. The exchange of substances slows down, and the arrow of the scales freezes on the same figure every day. However, the danger of a low-calorie diet is not only in this. Severely limiting yourself in food, you risk to earn depression, gastrointestinal disorders, gout (joint disease), osteoporosis (fragile bones), heart problems.

- "Eat full. Your diet should include carbohydrates, fats, and proteins.

- Avoid extremes. For example, the exclusion from the daily menu of carbohydrates (bread, cereals, potatoes, sweets) can lead to metabolic disorders, increased cholesterol and uric acid. Reflection in the mirror at the same time will not please: you will get rid of excess weight due to the loss of water and glycogen (a backup source of glucose in the body), but your volumes will remain the same. Once you switch the carbohydrates back into your diet, the lost weight (by replenishing glycogen and water) will return to you.

- Reduce the amount of animal fats in the diet (sausages, sausages, butter, cheeses) and eliminate "fast" carbohydrates (remove from the menu cakes, candy, ice cream). But leave cereals and vegetables on the menu.

- "Keep an eye on adequate intake of vitamins and minerals. During pregnancy you have lost a lot of iron and calcium, so your food must contain these elements. If a woman nursing iron reserves need to be restored for six months, the mother who does not breastfeed the baby - about 3 months.

- "Give up alcoholic beverages. They are not only very caloric, but also prevent the oxidation of fat in the body.

- "Keep up. Don't skip meals, eat for hours.

- Eat the most high-calorie dishes in the morning and afternoon,for the evening leave less caloric food. If you go to bed at 21 hours, plan dinner 3 hours before bedtime.

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