Getting back into shape post-pregnancy
So how do you achieve weight loss without getting discouraged or inversely getting too carried away? By taking your time and gradually getting back to a more regular balanced diet and physical exercise.
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After giving birth, your body is transformed: the pelvis has enlarged to help the baby pass through, the uterus has grown in volume explaining why your stomach is still inflated for several weeks, the body has stocked reserves with a view to breastfeeding, tissues are distended.
Contrary to what you see shouted out on the covers of Hello! and People magazines, getting your pre-pregnancy body back is a gradual process – unless of course you have a personal fitness coach, in-house masseur, live-in cook, cleaner and nanny (and sometimes even a great cosmetic surgeon)! Get the picture?
‘Normal’ women usually need about 5 to 6 months for all these tissues to regain their original tonicity and about 9 months to get our figures back. On average, women have between 3 to 6 kilos to lose once they return home after the birth, not talking about the more extreme cases that can go well into double figures. If you find yourself in a heavier double-digit case, it’s better to consult your doctor.
When should you start post-pregnancy dieting?
Your baby doesn’t leave you time to get into serious dieting straight away and this is probably a good thing. What with shopping, breast-feeding or bottle-feeding, baby’s care and interrupted nights, you need all the strength and energy you can get.
If you’re breast-feeding, dieting is absolutely out of the question as you will risk dietary deficiencies and increased fatigue. But as an added bonus, breast-feeding helps to get rid of extra calories and favours weight loss.
That does not mean however, that you should give in to every temptation. Eat normally, without excess and by putting the emphasis on calcium (dairy products), iron (grilled fish and meat) and folates (green leafy vegetables); and drink more than a litre and a half of mineral water a day.
In all cases, the golden rule is to wait a few weeks before starting a diet. Take the time to recharge your batteries and find your ‘cruising speed’ with your baby.
Post-pregnancy eating: get back to a balanced diet
During your pregnancy, you may have treated yourself, never saying no to any of your little cravings. Now it’s time to change these habits. But your life has probably been totally turned upside down with the arrival of baby: you eat standing up, a quick snack, a few bits of toast here and there when you can. This of course leaves the door open to excesses and less than optimal nutrition.
This is not the time for making yourself feel guilty though, so try instead to regulate your appetite and gently and gradually put yourself on right path for losing that extra baby weight.
- Avoid the munchies: Snacking is very tempting when you’re at home all day. Feeling a bit tired or blue, you go straight to the kitchen cupboard. Crisps, biscuits and chocolate bars are very rich in fast sugars and fats, so try to avoid them by filling your fruit bowl instead. In case of a little hunger pang, eat fruit and drink water, this will make you feel full for longer. You can take a morning and afternoon snack, for example a yoghurt and piece of fruit, or a slice of wholemeal bread with some cottage cheese, or why not, a couple of squares of dark chocolate.
- Eat regular meals: This is the best way to eat properly and lose weight. There’s no need to spend hours cooking though. Use your freezer: frozen vegetables, fish fillets, white meats and even a back up stock of ready-to-go low-fat meals. Opt for low-fat cooking methods: steaming, grilling, baking wrapped in greaseproof paper/aluminium foil and turn to carbohydrates and pulses which will provide fibre and slow sugars, making you feel full for several hours.
- Fix yourself a reasonable objective: If you have 6 to 8 kilos to lose, don’t hound yourself trying to get rid of it all before going back to work. Slim at your own pace. A weight loss of 500g per week is a reasonable objective, easy to follow in the long term. Don’t forget that your metabolism needs time to get over all the changes it has been through during the pregnancy, this is not the time to mistreat your body by starting on a diet that is too strict or which will leave you with vitamin and mineral deficiencies, especially if you have to go back to work!
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Copyright © 2010 Doctissimo
Posted 23.03.2011
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