Coming to terms with your new shape post-baby can be frustrating. You may want to hit the gym and get your body back posthaste, but take your time. Your body needs to heal after going through the traumatic experience of birth and you're likely exhausted by the care of your newborn. Remember that it took you nine months to gain all of your baby weight and you should plan for it to take just as long to lose it all.
Recovery Timeline
While you're likely anxious to reclaim your body after a long pregnancy, exercising too soon can interrupt the healing process. Always wait until your six-week postpartum checkup to resume regular exercise. Whether you delivered vaginally or via cesarean section, your OB will check your healing and give any recommendations as needed. Dieting before your six-week postpartum checkup is also ill-advised, as you need time to establish a good milk supply if you're breastfeeding your baby.
Weight Loss Recommendations
Never aim to lose more than 1 or 2 lbs. per week with healthy diet and exercise, warns Medline Plus. Restricting your diet or exercising to excess could cause an unsafe drop in weight, which can interrupt breastfeeding. Give your body time to lose weight. While fad diets can seem tempting when they offer fast results, that weight loss is superficial. Instead of looking to pills and products to help you drop weight fast, chose a healthy lifestyle with your baby for lasting weight loss.
Healthy Diet
Your postpartum diet may need to take the caloric needs of breastfeeding into account. Breastfeeding burns calories, so you may find that you're hungrier than usual when providing nourishment for your baby. The best way to combat that hunger is by stashing snack portions of healthy foods in your diaper bag and purse, so you aren't tempted by less healthy fare. Fruit, vegetables, nuts and whole wheat crackers can help keep your appetite at bay while supplying your body with the nutrients it needs.
Daily Exercise
Once your OB gives you the go ahead to start exercising after you've had your baby, it's fine to resume your normal level of fitness. You may find that after nine months on hiatus, it's harder to exercise at your prepregnancy level of intensity. Start slowly and work up to that intensity by combining aerobic workouts with thrice weekly weight lifting. If spending time with your baby prohibits you from going to the gym, look for ways to incorporate your baby into exercise, like in a water aerobics class.
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