Eager to get back into shape now
that you're no longer pregnant? For long-term success – and to keep yourself
feeling good along the way – keep these tips in mind.
Your body needs time to recover from labor and
delivery. Give yourself until your six-week
postpartum checkup before you start watching your calorie intake and
actively trying to slim down. And if you're breastfeeding, experts recommend
that you wait until your baby is at least 2 months old before you try to lose
weight. (If you're a nursing mom, you may also want to read our article on a
healthy breastfeeding diet.)
Starting a diet too soon after giving birth can
delay your recovery and make you feel more tired – and you need all the energy
you can muster to adjust to life with your newborn. In addition, if you're
nursing, dieting can affect
your milk supply. If you're patient and give your body a chance to do its
work, you may be surprised at how much weight you lose naturally, especially
if you're breastfeeding.
Be realistic about weight loss
Keep in mind that you may not be able to return
to your exact
pre-pregnancy weight or shape. For many women, pregnancy causes permanent
changes such as a softer
belly, slightly wider hips, and a larger waistline. With this in mind, you
might want to adjust your goals a bit. For a reality check, see our photo
gallery of real
post-baby bellies.
Embrace exercise
There's no magic pill to help you lose weight: A
healthy diet combined with regular exercise is the best way to shed the pounds
– and to keep them off. And it's important to exercise while trying to lose
weight to ensure you're losing fat instead of muscle.
Once you're ready to begin losing weight, start
by eating a little less and being
more active – even if you're just taking a quick walk around the block with
your baby in the stroller.
Find out whether
your body is ready for exercise and visit our postpartum
fitness area for information on getting back into shape.
Lose weight slowly
Don't go on a strict, restrictive diet. Women
need a minimum of 1,200 calories a day to stay healthy, and most women
need more than that – between 1,500 and 2,200 calories a day – to keep up their
energy and prevent mood swings. And if you're nursing, you need a bare minimum
of 1,800 calories a day (most nursing moms need more like 2,000 to 2,700
calories) to nourish both yourself and your baby.
If you're breastfeeding, you'll want to make sure
to take it slow – losing weight too quickly can cause a decrease in your milk
supply.
Too-rapid weight loss can also release toxins
that are stored in your body fat into the bloodstream – and into your milk
supply. (Toxins that can make it into your bloodstream include environmental
contaminants like the heavy metals lead and mercury, persistent organic
pollutants like PCBs and dioxins, and solvents.)
Weight loss of about a pound and a half a week is
safe and won't affect your milk supply if you're nursing. To achieve this, cut
out 500 calories a day from your current diet (without dipping below the safe
minimum) by either decreasing your food intake or increasing your activity
level.
Eat up – and take your time!
With a new baby and schedule, it can be hard to
find the time to eat. But skipping meals can make energy levels lag – and it
won't help you lose weight. Many moms find that eating five to six small meals
a day with healthy snacks in between (rather than three larger meals) fits
their appetite and schedule better. (A small meal might be half a sandwich,
some carrot sticks, fruit, and a glass of milk.)
Don't skip meals in an attempt to lose weight –
it won't help, because you'll be more likely to eat more at other meals. And
you'll also probably feel tired and grouchy.
Even if you've never been much of a breakfast
person, keep in mind that eating breakfast can help keep you from feeling
famished – and tired – later in the morning, and it can give you the energy to
be more active.
In addition, numerous studies show that skipping
breakfast can sabotage your weight loss efforts. According to the National
Weight Control Registry, which has tallied the successful strategies of dieters
who have lost an average of 66 pounds and kept it off for 5.5 years, 78 percent
of the dieters eat breakfast daily.Slow your eating down, too, if possible.
When you take your time eating, you'll notice that it's easier to tell when you
feel full – and you're less likely to overeat.
Be choosy about foods and drinks
Research shows that consuming low-fat milk and
dairy products and choosing whole grain products like whole wheat bread and
whole grain cereal can help you lose weight. Other good choices include
low-fat, high-fiber foods such as fruits (like apples, oranges, and berries)
and raw vegetables (like carrots, jicama, and red pepper strips) for healthy
snacks.
Other ways to squeeze in more fruits and veggies:
Make fruit (or veggie) smoothies, use fruit or vegetable salsas or vegetable
reduction sauces (sauces made from puréed vegetables) over fish or chicken, add
shredded carrots to your sandwich, try grilled vegetables, and try puréed
vegetable soups. (Puréeing your soup makes it creamy without having to add
cream, which is high in calories and saturated fat. It's also a great way to
eat veggies you might not ordinarily eat on their own.)
Fat has twice as many calories as carbohydrates
or proteins, so trimming the extra fat from your diet is probably the easiest
way to cut calories. Look for low-fat or fat-free dairy products (you don't
need to drink whole
milk in order to make quality breast milk!), choose broiled or baked rather
than fried foods, and limit your intake of sweets, which have extra calories
from sugar and fat.
Keep in mind, though, that fat is an important
nutrient, so your goal isn't to eliminate it from your diet. In fact, including
some fat at each meal will help you stay full and keep you from overeating
carbohydrates. (Too many calories from any source – fat, protein, or
carbs – can lead to weight gain or keep you from accomplishing weight
loss.)
The trick is to choose "good" fats
rather than "bad" fats. The best fats are mono- and polyunsaturated
fats, like those in canola oil, olive oil, avocado, olives, nuts and seeds, and
fatty fish like salmon. The oils to avoid are saturated and trans fats, which
can contribute to heart disease and perhaps diabetes, and can be transferred to
breast milk, too.
Saturated fats are found in meats and dairy
products, and trans fats are typically found in many fried foods, snack foods,
and baked goods. (Food labels specify which kinds of fats the products
contain.)
Finally, although you should be drinking about 8
or 9 cups of fluids each day, watch what you drink – a surprising number of
calories can be hidden in juice, soda, and coffee drinks.
Daily food plan for healthy post-baby weight loss
The food plan below adds up to 2,200 calories a
day for breastfeeding moms. For non-breastfeeding moms, it totals 1,800
calories a day. Use this as a rough guide – your individual calorie needs will
vary depending on your weight, metabolism, and activity level, and also on how
much you're breastfeeding.
View and print daily food
plan.
Source; www.babycenter.com
