Postpartum Weight Loss Tips
After carrying a baby for close to 10 months, your body has undergone tremendous physical changes. Despite an average weight gain of 30 pounds, many women unrealistically expect to fit into their pre-pregnancy jeans a week after delivering. Unfortunately, this is seldom the case.
Remember, by carrying and delivering a baby, your body has accomplished something incredible–although, unfortunately, the process can put on pounds in undesirable ways. The average weight gain during pregnancy is 25 to 35 pounds. During the birth, new moms lose about 12.5 to 14 pounds. This leaves about 12 to 21 pounds of excess weight to be losti n the post-natal period.
The 12 to 21 pounds can seem like an impossible challenge. The good news is that by following a few tips, you can expect to lose 2 pounds per week and get back to your pre-pregnancy weight before you know it.
1. Ignore the saying “It took 9 months to put on, so give yourself 9 months to take it off.” If you gained 35 pounds, and you lose 2 pounds per week, that weight can be off in 4 1/2 months. The sooner you get the weight off, the healthier you will feel. The sooner you get back to feeling good about yourself, the more energy you will have to focus on your beautiful new baby.
2. With that said, DO NOT CRASH DIET! Post Pregnancy is not the time to go on a crash diet, liquid diet, Atkins or any other low-carb diet. New moms need energy to take care of their newborns. Constant feeding, diaper changes and making silly faces at your baby while averaging 3-4 hours sleep in the first few weeks requires ENERGY. And where do moms get that energy? Well, from foods, and specifically carbohydrates. Carbohydrates provide your body with glucose which the body uses to function. Cut out carbs and you are setting yourself up for a quick crash and burn.
3. Cutting out simple carbs like white bread products (white bread, white rice, and refined pasta) is a good idea since these foods are often filled with empty calories and they don’t provide you with long term energy. Instead, focus on adding COMPLEX carbohydrates to your diet to fill you up on nutritious foods that do not contain many calories (plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables plus whole grains like brown rice, whole wheat breads and beans). Salads with chicken or fish, and bean soups are a great way to add complex carbohydrates to your diet and they fill you up for few calories while providing you with the long-term energy needed to take care of you and your family’s needs.
4. Focus on adding the “F”-word to your diet, which is the dirty little secret to losing weight and keeping it off: FIBER! When it comes to shedding pounds, nothing works like fiber. That is because fiber is indigestible therefore it contains zero calories. You can fill up on foods high in fiber while maintaining a low caloric intake, thus enabling you to lose weight without being hungry. Plus, foods high in fiber are also filled with valuable vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. Aim
for 25-35g of fiber a day.
Some examples of high fiber food include:
F-Factor High Fiber Skinnys 18g fiber
1/3 cup garbanzo beans 8g fiber
1 cup raspberries 8g fiber
1 cup Broccoli 4g fiber
1 F-Factor Bar 12g fiber
1 slice whole wheat bread 6g fiber
