From conception, pregnancy up to childbirth, every woman will gain a lot of weight, probably as much as 30 to 40 pounds. Though a little of the weight will naturally be lost after childbirth, every woman would like to embark on a weight loss program to lose the rest of the weight. It takes close to one year to put on all this weight and every woman should not be in a hurry. Expect it to take even longer. Crash programs will only lead to losing water weight as opposed to the real baby fat weight that you should lose over a considerable time period.
Steps to follow:
Do not be in a hurry. Wait for up to three months. During this time, natural weight loss still does take place. Maintain a healthy lifestyle so that your menstrual cycle can become normal again. At a reasonable time, speak to your doctor or gynecologist concerning your dieting and exercising schedules.
Fight off food craving and monitor your intake of calories. To lose the recommended two to three pounds a week, you will have to slash your intake of calories by 500.
Eat a well-balanced diet. Starving or undereating does not lead to weight loss but rather denies you the good health you need. Avoid fatty foods and focus on low-fat high-nutritional value foods like vegetables, whole grains, fruits, low-fat dairy products, and lean proteins.
Eat several well-balanced meals a day. Avoid fried foods in the house like fast foods, sweets, meats, fried chicken, bacon, and sausages.
Exercise regularly each day. If you did not exercise during pregnancy then start slowly with walks, then jogging before embarking on an intensive exercise.
Dr. Eric Berg
08/31/2023
