Get Fit and Lose Weight After Pregnancy

Recovering after pregnancy and childbirth is a gradual process, and the best skill you can learn to is patience. Your body has been growing and storing and getting ready to birth and then sustain a baby for the last nine months, so you need to give it the time and respect it deserves. 

Your body has also been accumulating brown fat and storing it for breastfeeding reserves during the later months of your pregnancy so you can’t be too hasty to get rid of it.

Iron Supplements

Continue taking your iron supplements after childbirth, especially if you are nursing or if you had a significant blood loss during the birth. Low levels of iron are associated with fatigue, low energy levels and anemia. Many iron supplements can cause constipation which is really uncomfortable, especially if you have had a caesarian section so supplement your diet with linseed for a natural digestive aid.

Many doctors recommend that you continue to take your prenatal supplements for the first six weeks after the baby’s birth as an added nutritional boost.

Get Your Sleep

Yes, it’s definitely easier said than done but it’s crucial. Being a new mom is demanding and tiring, whether it’s your first child or your fourth! Make sure you get enough rest to keep up with your newfound responsibilities. A lack of sleep can complicate your attempts at weight loss if your body is constantly secreting adrenaline or cortisol and feeling tired and tense all the time.

Healthy Snacking

Following a healthy diet is especially difficult when your world turns upside down and you suddenly have to accommodate a new little person in your life. Make sure you are always well stocked on healthy snacks for those emergency moments. Low fat plain yoghurt, avocado and raw nuts should be included in your diet. Reduce your caffeine intake, or cut it out altogether. Apples and bananas are breast feeding-friendly fruits; many others contain a lot of fructose and might make your baby gassy.

Sweets and chocolates are not only high in calories and fat but they can also cause gas in your baby. Chocolate also contains caffeine, which won’t go down well with your little’s one digestive system.

Try and eat low-GI carbohydrates to give you sustained energy. Oats are brilliant, as is wild brown rice which you can warm up when you need to. Potatoes are also highly nutritious and worth incorporating but refined carbs can cause gas and discomfort for the baby if you are nursing, so stay away.

Eating regularly is important to help you get fit and lose weight after pregnancy, so you do not starve yourself and end up over-eating or snacking on unhealthy choices.

Slowly Does It

You should wait until your six-week check up with your doctor to see if you can start an exercise program. Most women can start exercising at this time, but it is always best to check that your body has recovered and that you will cope with the strain.

Walking is the easiest form of exercise, and doesn’t require any equipment. A gentle stroll for 40-minutes three times a week will burn calories, ease stress and taking baby out in the stroller will give her some fresh air and often soothe her to sleep. And you don’t need a doctor’s go-ahead to walk.

Once you have recovered consider gentle, low impact exercises like cycling and swimming. Pilates will help you to recover your core strength and yoga can help you to unwind and de-stress.