Pregnancy changes a woman's body in many ways. Though some women seem to bounce back to their pre-pregnancy body in no time, most women take at least six months to lose baby weight after their pregnancy. It's not a good idea to go on a fad diet which cuts out entire food groups or to use diet pills in order to lose weight. Luckily, there are some easy and safe ways that you can safely quicken the rate at which you lose weight after having a baby.
Breastfeeding
Choosing to breastfeed your baby instead of using infant formula is a healthy decision which can help you lose weight faster. According to La Leche League International, moms who breastfeed lose more weight than those who bottle-feed. They also state that breastfeeding women burn an average of 1.3 to 1.6 pounds per month without dieting or exercising.
Cardiovascular Exercise
Cardiovascular exercise burns calories so that you can lose weight quickly. "Fit Pregnancy" magazine states that a lot of new moms skip out on exercise because they are too tired. In reality, once your doctor gives you the go-ahead to exercise, usually about six weeks postpartum, you can start burning calories. "Fit Pregnancy" recommends starting light by taking brisk walks three to five days per week. You can also get a jogging stroller and jog with your baby around the block. Other fun activities like swimming, dancing and participating in aerobics classes will also help you to lose weight.
Weight Lifting
In addition to cardiovascular exercises, it's important that moms who want to lose weight don't skip out on weight lifting either. Weightlifting can be done in a gym with machines or free weights or even at home with resistance bands. "Fit Pregnancy" magazine explains that weight training not only burns calories, but also speeds up your metabolism so that you burn more calories while at rest and can lose weight more easily. If you've never done any weight training before, you may want to hire a personal trainer to help you get started.
Dieting
One of the many benefits of breastfeeding is that you get to eat extra calories to replace the calories you burned producing breast milk. Whether you're breastfeeding or not, it is still important to watch out for extra calories and fat. You don't need to go on a drastically low calorie diet, but Fit Pregnancy recommends eating low-calorie fruits and vegetables as well as lean protein choices like fish and chicken breasts. This will keep you from eating junk foods that cause weight gain. You can still eat as often as you feel physically hungry, but try to avoid the extra calories from juices, condiments, oil, butter and added sugars.
