Most new moms are eager to lose the baby belly, but many are confused about how to eat while breast-feeding and trying to lose fat at the same time. Fortunately, simply focusing on nutritious foods can help you achieve both goals without resorting to strict diets. To lose belly fat, you'll need to lose weight all over, which nursing moms can achieve without cutting serious calories.
The Importance of Healthy Foods
When you're breast-feeding, it's important to make the most of every calorie. Incidentally, this strategy can also help you lose weight and tighten your belly. Choosing nutritious foods helps gives your body the nourishment it needs, and provides you with nutrients that help you stay full so you feel less hungry throughout the day. Instead of trying to follow a strict diet, focus on eating balanced meals without cutting out any food groups.
What To Eat
The majority of your calories should come from nutrient-rich foods from each major food group. Healthy ideas include fruits and vegetables in every color of the rainbow, low-fat or fat-free dairy like yogurt, milk and cheese, lean proteins like fish, eggs, poultry, lean beef, tofu and beans, whole grains like brown rice, quinoa, air-popped popcorn, oatmeal, barley, whole-wheat pasta and whole-grain bread and heart-healthy fats like nuts, vegetable oils, seeds, olives, avocados and nut butters.
Calorie Intake
Because breast-feeding burns between 200 and 500 calories per day, many women find that they can lose weight without counting calories. First and foremost, you should eat to hunger; your body needs plenty of calories in order to produce breast milk and give you the energy required to care for a baby. If you're eating a healthy diet but haven't lost any weight by the time your baby is 2 months old, try cutting about 100 calories from your daily diet, making sure you're still eating a minimum of 1,500 to 1,800 calories per day, recommends La Leche League.
Eating for Weight Loss
When it comes to breast-feeding and losing weight in a healthy manner, it's not just about what you put in your mouth. Eating small, frequent meals throughout the day keeps your energy levels steady and helps you from becoming overly hungry, which can cause you to reach for the nearest bag of potato chips to satisfy your hunger. As a new mom, you're undoubtedly short on time, but relying too much on packaged and prepared foods can get in the way of weight loss. Instead, take one hour per week to prepare healthy foods and put them in individual-portion containers: wash and chop vegetables and fruit, make up a batch of tuna salad, cook a large pot of pasta or rice, assemble salads, grill a few chicken breasts and mix nuts, seeds and whole-grain cereal to make your own trail mix.
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