Postpartum Weight Loss by Week
Weight loss is one of the most common phrases that gets thrown around on the internet. The reason for this is not far-fetched; it’s all about achieving a healthy weight, and this takes some effort. However, since everyone's weight loss routine may vary in some ways, this article will be focusing on postpartum weight loss.
Worried about your body weight after that baby bump has gone down upon welcoming your little princess or prince? You should read on to get an insight into what your postpartum weight loss routine ought to be like. It’s worth your time if you wish to maintain a trim shape after pregnancy.
First things first, you need to understand that postpartum weight loss occurs naturally – but to what extent? It’s somewhat difficult or impossible for any new mom to regain her exact preconception weight after even some weeks. That said, it may take between 6 – 12 months to attain something close to the weight you had before pregnancy. Again, you will need to put in some efforts to accelerate the weight loss process after pregnancy, and this article will shed light on how to go about that.
The sequence of postpartum weight loss by week
So, let’s now see how you, as a new mom will get to lose weight week-by-week – after giving birth:
Week #1: Right after the delivery of your baby, you’re expected to lose about 13 pounds. This entails the weight of the baby, as well as that of the placenta and amniotic fluid. Do note that the postpartum weight loss may vary based on the number of babies.
Week #2 – 6: Within this period, you will lose around 3–5 pounds, or half of your pregnancy weight so to say.
The rate of postpartum weight loss will certainly drop with every passing week, and you may not even get to notice any weight loss after some time – say, 12 weeks postpartum. Nonetheless, you can get to steadily lose 1 pound of postpartum weight every week through some lifestyle tweaks.
Postpartum weight loss tips
You can lose weight at a slightly accelerated rate after pregnancy without endangering your health as a new mom. The following tips will be helpful in this regard:
Physical exercises
You might have heard certain misinformation about how nursing moms need to abstain from all forms of physical exercise. But the truth is that there are exercises you can engage in even right after the birth of your baby – not to throw caution to the wind; you should speak with your doctor before doing exercises if you went through a cesarean section. You can plan these exercises around the time your baby will be taking his/her nap, or you can just ensure that s/he is well-fed before you do your routine.
A daily 20-minute run of activities like abdominal contraction, walking, and Kegels for the first few weeks. The process should be gradual; you do not have to belabor yourself while doing these exercises. In time, you can start incorporating strength training, long walks, biking, swimming into your exercise routine.
Watch your dietary intake
It’s often said that nursing moms have to eat more as they are breastfeeding their babies. This is not necessarily the case; all you need to ensure is consuming healthy diets, having a blend of whole grains, vegetables, fruits, and lean protein. And, in case you’re considering edibles to snack on; Greek yogurt, mixed or spiced nuts, air-popped popcorn, and stringed cheese will serve as healthy choices.
On the other hand, while your desire to lose those ‘baby weight’ is quite understandable, you should avoid crash diets. Though crash diet results in the shedding of a substantial amount of weight in the quickest possible time, it is not advisable for a nursing mom who is expected to breastfeed her baby. Your diet needs to be highly nutritious to curtail reoccurring incidences of fatigue – that could arise with the intake of crash diets.
Steer clear of added sugar and processed foods
This is still related to dietary intake, but it is worth treating apart because the craving for such edibles is ever-present for nursing moms. Added sugar and processed foods have not only been implicated in the manifestation of some diseases, but they also pose a weight-adding impact. This makes them unhealthy choices for anyone who is looking to lose some postpartum weight. Moreover, you would not like to take one step forward – as you commit to other weight loss routines – and several (steps) backward by rooting for such foods. So, as a new mom, you should avoid foods/beverages like cakes, pastries, biscuits, fruit juice, sugary drinks, and so on.
Calorie monitoring
You may need to get a calorie-reading device to keep up with the reduction in calories as you get on with your postpartum weight loss routine. This will contribute to you staying within the zone of postpartum weight loss. The recommended postpartum weight loss by week as recommended by the researchers at The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics is 1.1 pounds. This can be actualized with a weekly calorie reduction of 3,500 – that means 500 calories being cut out on daily basis.
Having adequate sleep is vital
Well, the jury is already out there – adequate sleep for nursing moms is nearly impossible with the baby around. But then, you should consider working around by enlisting the help of a family member and also avoid taking coffee. It was reported in a study that sleep deprivation among nursing moms contributed to postpartum weight gain or its retention.
Breastfeeding helps
Some of the calories you get from eating are released to your baby as you breastfeed him/her. Plus, as it were, the fat gained while you were pregnant is stored in your body, and this also gets used up during breastfeeding. It is against this backdrop that breastfeeding can promote your postpartum weight loss objective. Apart from this, breastfeeding could yet help in some other ways. For instance, research showed that moms that breastfed their babies exclusively had more sleep at night than those who did not.
Always remember the dos and don’ts:
Dos
Healthy diet
Exercise
Adequate sleep
Breastfeeding
Monitoring of calories
Don’ts
Sugary foods/drinks
Alcohol
Crash diet
Processed foods