This blog post is all about Nutrition & Exercises to Lose Baby Weight After Pregnancy. Losing weight after pregnancy can be a struggle. It can be stressful, especially since you have to take care of a newborn, adjusting to a new routine, and recover from childbirth, so there are lots of things to do before you give yourself some time to exercise.
However, some advice from experts at HealthCanal claimed that starting a regular exercise program soon after giving birth is good for the body and reduces postpartum depression. In addition, it’s essential to lose pregnancy weight after delivery, especially if you plan to become pregnant again.
Nutrition & Exercises to Lose Baby Weight After Pregnancy
Every pregnancy and delivery is different for every woman; therefore, check with a certified personal trainer before engaging in high-impact exercises. Meanwhile, some light moves can help your body get ready for regular exercise.
7 Exercises to Lose Baby Weight
You must understand that postpartum weight loss might not happen as quickly as you would expect. It took nine months for your belly to expand to keep your baby safe; hence, it will take some time for your body to lose the extra baby weight.
However, certain exercises can help lose belly fat and aid weight loss after pregnancy. Let’s get to learn them below!
Walking
It may sound like a workout, but gentle walking is a kind of physical activity that can do wonders for the body, especially when bringing a baby along in the front pack. For variation, you can try brisk walking or walking in a zigzag pattern. However, you should not include the baby in this activity until you’ve mastered it.
Forearm plank
For new moms who wish to return to their pre-pregnancy weight, plank exercise helps them achieve it. Doing planks burn calories as they target multiple muscles at once, benefitting the body’s core strength.
Sit-ups
If you’ve had a vaginal delivery, then it’s safe to start light exercise that targets the abdominal area. Sit-ups are an excellent postpartum ab workout that minimizes the stress on your lower back muscles and midline. However, take it easy on your ab muscles and avoid doing it first for the first few months to ensure that all your weight loss efforts are not in vain.
Flutter kicks
Doing flutter kicks can get rid of all the extra pounds around your tummy. It targets the core muscles and improves the legs’ flexibility. When doing flutter kicks, raise your left leg, then down while the right leg is raised. As you can feel, this exercise can tone up belly fat.
Push-ups
After several months to a year of giving birth, you can do strength training, like push-ups. They are a good way to strengthen and tone your upper body to make it easier for you to carry your growing baby. Before starting your fitness routine, you must wear a supportive bra and nursing pads if you’re breastfeeding in case your breast milk leaks.
Squats
It’s normal to experience weight gain after giving birth. However, don’t rush into losing weight; just start at your own pace whenever you feel comfortable and fully recovered. But one of the strength training exercises you can do in the early months is squats.
Pregnancy can make your butt flat, but squats can restore your glutes. Squeezing your buttocks forward and holding them for a minute can transform your butt and tighten your thighs.
Burpees
I HATE burpees BUT if you’re tired of trying an exercise that targets the entire body to lose belly fat after pregnancy, it’s time to go for burpees, unfortunately! This exercise is a great cardio workout that targets every single body muscle. Aside from promoting weight loss, it also helps muscle strengthening and toning.
When Can You Start Exercising??
Giving birth isn’t easy, so giving your body time to recover is SO important. While your baby grows and grows, you may have noticed that lots of things have changed, like your posture.
That is because your center of gravity has shifted a bit and your stomach muscles are stretching more and more. All the important muscles and ligaments that support your uterus, bowel, and bladder are weakened. That is normal but it does change things in your body for sure.
You can easily avoid injury by following these helpful guidelines (This is for both, a vaginal or cesarean delivery):
*After vaginal delivery: If everything was uncomplicated (your pregnancy AND birth), you could start doing basic exercises a few days after giving birth. Just make sure your body is ready and you feel good enough to do so.
*After a C-Section: Keep in mind that it takes six weeks to heal if you’ve had a c-section. You should not do any exercise routines until your first checkup with your doctor. Avoid exercises that pressure the belly, such as crunches, and sit-ups.
*Then, after 6 (even up to 8) weeks or after you’ve been cleared by your doctor, you can start doing low-impact exercises.
Postpartum Diet: Key Nutrients to Lose Weight & Stay Energized
For nine months, the food you eat helps you keep energized and the baby. However, your diet is important after giving birth because it helps the body recover and gives you the energy to take care of your baby.
During the postpartum period, follow a healthy diet by filling up on healthy sources, such as:
*Protein
*Fruit
*Vegetables
*Fiber-rich carbs
*Healthy fats like nuts, avocados, and seeds
Limit your calorie intake and avoid eating refined carbs as they contain more calories, especially if you have a health condition like diabetes; you have to follow a different dietary pattern.
Here are other nutrition tips to follow:
Drink plenty of fluids
Your body needs lots of fluid, especially if you’re breastfeeding. Drink LOTS of water and healthy juices.
Eat foods that are rich in protein
Protein-rich foods help you recover quicker and help your body to become strong again. Aside from that, eating protein-rich foods helps in milk production, especially if you’re breastfeeding.
Limit highly processed foods
Consuming cookies, donuts, potato chips, and french fries is okay sometimes. However, limit your intake and don’t let them replace healthy foods in your diet.
Do not take diet pills
Talk to your doctor about if you want to lose weight after your baby is born. Losing weight too early can affect your milk production. In addition, taking diet pills during postpartum is not recommended because they may contain ingredients that can be passed through breast milk.
Based on the information provided by Blanca Garcia, RDN, avoid taking diet pills if you’re pregnant or lactating. Nevertheless, you can look for natural options to lose weight, such as visiting your local gym or eating a healthy diet.
**Always consult your doctor before taking any dietary supplements, especially if you’ve just given birth.
Weight gain after pregnancy is common, and there’s nothing wrong with it. However, getting back in shape benefits your health and future pregnancies, so it’s worth losing weight.
A healthy diet and regular exercise is the ultimate and most effective way to lose belly fat. Make sure to talk to your doctor if you’re ready to do some exercise. There are plenty of ways to lose that baby weight including using a weight loss mlm. There are so many good ones out there that actually work, you just have to do your research.
I hope you found my post about ‘Nutrition & Exercises to Lose Baby Weight After Pregnancy’, helpful. Do you have anything to add? If so, leave me a comment below. Thank you!