Login or Register

The Best Way to Lose the Baby Fat After Labor

Aug 18, 2011 | By Angela Ogunjimi
The Best Way to Lose the Baby Fat After Labor
Photo Credit Hemera Technologies/AbleStock.com/Getty Images

Giving birth is the first bit of weight you'll shed from your pregnancy weight gain. The weight of your baby, placenta and additional fluids and blood can take as much as half of your weight gain away, provided you gained a reasonable amount of weight during your pregnancy. The more weight you gain during your pregnancy, the more weight you'll have to lose afterward. It's also likely that extra weight will become permanent without proactive measures on your part. As soon as you're cleared by your doctor, gradually get more active and start eating fewer calories.

Breastfeed

Breastfeed your baby for as long as possible. La Leche League International reports that breastfeeding mothers lose more weight, body fat and hip and thigh circumference by 3 months postpartum than bottle-feeding moms. In a review of research, the organization notes that continuing beyond the first 4 to 6 months offers additional weight-loss benefits. Study results published in the "American Journal of Clinical Nutrition" in 2008 found that breastfeeding helped prevent retention of pregnancy weight gain. The authors concluded that if your pregnancy weight gain is around 25 pounds, breastfeeding could help you eliminate pregnancy weight retention in about 6 months.

Breastfeeding burns an extra 400 to 600 calories daily. However, you need to consume extra calories to make enough milk. Therefore, the weight loss is in the cumulative effect of nursing along with your other weight-loss efforts. In addition to losing weight at a faster clip, nursing helps lower your risk of breast and ovarian cancer, as well as osteoporosis, Harvard University Medical School reports.

Exercise

With your doctor's approval, start to get moving more. Working out vigorously too soon can prolong postpartum bleeding as well as aggravate recovery if you've had a Cesarean section or episiotomy. But the idea is to layer weight-loss boosters with each other. So for example, you can nurse, cut back on calories and some get physical activity. Start slowly and work out with your baby --- go for walks and graduate to a jogging stroller when appropriate, for example. Add some strength training when you can. Muscle is metabolically more active than other tissue, meaning it takes more calories to build up, tear down and repair muscle. If you're new to strength training, do activities that require only the resistance of your body weight, such as pushups, squats and lunges. Lifting your baby up and down may help your biceps and shoulders, too. Try to get at least 30 minutes of activity as many days of the week as you can.

Eat Well

Watch your caloric intake. The physics of weight loss are pretty simple. To have less energy --- meaning fewer pounds --- stored in your body, you must maintain a difference between how much goes in and how much goes out. You'll be busy with your new baby, but avoid empty calories and midnight refrigerator raids. Snack on fresh fruits and vegetables and incorporate more fiber and substitute healthy fats like polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats for saturated fats. For example, use olive oil instead of butter and eat fish sometimes instead of beef or poultry. Do your best to sleep enough, which will help you rein in your appetite. Avoid diet pills, which will set you up for an energy crisis down the road and may get into your breast milk if you are nursing.

Partner Up

Get some social support. Work out with a buddy and hold each other accountable with eating and weight-loss goals. New moms who are also trying to lose weight can make ideal partners because your schedules will be similar. A partner will also help with the isolation of caring for a newborn.

References

Article reviewed by Will McCahill Last updated on: Aug 18, 2011

Must see: Photo Galleries

Member Comments