After you give birth to your baby, you probably are anxious to start losing the extra weight that you put on over the last nine months. However, most doctors recommend that you wait at least six to eight weeks before trying to lose weight. At your six-week post-partum checkup, you can ask for the go ahead from your physician. Keep in mind that fad diets and fasting are unhealthy ways to lose post-pregnancy weight, and they are not effective at keeping the pounds off.
Step 1
Follow a low-calorie diet. Keep a food diary, and write down the calorie count of everything you eat. Calculate your average daily intake, and then cut 500 calories from your diet.
Step 2
Steer clear of high-calorie foods that can wreak havoc on your weight-loss attempts. Culprits include cookies, candy, chips, brownies, fried foods, fast food and fatty cuts of meat.
Step 3
Watch what you drink. Sodas, fruit juices and coffee drinks can add a lot of extra calories to your diet. Aim to replace most drinks with water; you also can drink unsweetened tea, black coffee and low-fat milk.
Step 4
Reduce portion sizes. According to the Mayo Clinic, you should not skip meals to lose weight after giving birth. Instead, eat smaller meals more frequently over the course of the day.
Step 5
Make time to exercise. As a new mother, you might feel overwhelmed and unable to work regular exercise into your schedule. However, you can include the baby in your workout sessions. Take walks with your baby, take a mother and baby yoga class, or lay your baby next to you during floor exercises.
Tips and Warnings
- As you are cutting calories, don’t adversely affect your health and energy level. According to the Babycenter, women need a minimum of 1,200 calories daily, and breastfeeding women need a minimum of 1,800 calories each day.
Things You'll Need
- Food diary
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