August 18, 2008
New moms combine exercise and diet
One of the first things a woman starts thinking about after the pleasure of having her child and seeing that her baby is healthy is how she is going to get her figure back and lose weight after pregnancy. The pressure is always on as every day there are pictures of some famous mother who has regained her figure within a few short months of giving birth. Of course the reasons behind their astounding weight loss after pregnancy is the likes of special clinics, personal trainers and time are never mentioned when publicizing these marvelous feats.
It is an unfair comparison because weight loss after pregnancy this way is not possible for the vast majority of mothers. During this time the new mother's focus should be on eating a healthy diet and remembering that her body needs to recover from both the term of the pregnancy, and the delivery itself. This sort of diet will enable her to regain her strength and also improve her energy levels so it should not exceed 2,000 calories per day; the food she eats should consist of:
*50 percent carbohydrates *Protein should be almost a third of daily intake *A tenth as fat
This will typically allow for a few of the mothers favorite foods which she should be allowed to enjoy after everything she has been through. Despite the amount of time a mother will spend with her new born baby, she still needs to look after herself to regain her metabolic rate and stamina level she had before the pregnancy so moderate exercise is necessary. Exercise is also a good way to improve moods providing it is not overdone and will help to ensure you do not begin to see it as a chore.
How quickly you experience weight loss after pregnancy at this stage will depend on many things including how much you gained during the previous nine months. Don't forget that changes to your body will take place after you have given birth which will affect how quickly you will lose any pounds you have gained. The order of the day is that losing weight after pregnancy will be more consistent and healthy if it is achieved slowly but surely through a healthy diet and regular physical activity.
Your body did not go out of shape over night and you cannot expect it to return that simply so it is important you do not lose sight of this as slowly and surely is much better for you long term. However, there is no need to feel down and if you were to lose about one pound in weight per week, that would be approximately how much you put on during the pregnancy and a good target to aim for. However, it is important to remember that if you are breastfeeding then those last stubborn pounds may not be lost until you stop!
Filed under Weight Loss by Upbeat Body