Take It Easy Mama : Setting Reasonable Goals for Weight Loss After Giving Birth
By Jan Pierce
From the moment you learned the good news , you ’ ve had the weight issue in the back of your mind . You were thrilled to be giving birth but a little worried about losing the weight afterward . And if this was your first pregnancy , there are a few more questions about how it all happens .
The truth is , many women do stay a few pounds heavier after birth . The entire birth process affects every part of your body and some long-term body changes are normal . The good news is you can lose most of the weight and get back to tip-top fitness .
Take It Easy
The first six weeks after giving birth are days to rest , enjoy , learn to know the new member of the family and let your body gain strength . After all , you ’ ve been busy for nine months creating a whole new person !
Post-partum fitness expert , Renee M Jeffreys says , “ Most women ’ s bodies aren ’ t ready for serious exercise until six weeks after birth , and more if they underwent a Cesarean section .” No you won ’ t just be sitting around eating bonbons , you ’ ll be tending baby fulltime , missing nighttime sleep and looking for opportunities to nap when baby does .
If you ’ re breastfeeding you can take encouragement from the fact that although you need to eat more to maintain your breast milk , you ’ ll also burn 600-800 calories a day just breastfeeding . Many women begin to lose pregnancy weight through breastfeeding alone . Once you stop breastfeeding you ’ ll need to adjust your calorie intake .
Another way to take care of your post-partum body is through healthy diet . Avoid those empty calorie sodas and chips and take in plenty of fiber by eating healthy snacks such as whole grain crackers , veggies and lean proteins . This is not a time to say “ anything goes ” diet-wise . Get off to a good start on your return to a target weight .
6 | FLORIDA Baby MAGAZINE