Baby Weight: Tips for Losing Those Extra Pounds

Carrying a baby for nine months is joyous and beautiful. It can also be hard on your body. Pregnancy can lead to unusual cravings, stretch marks, morning sickness and weight gain. Of course, none of that matters when you feel them move. 

Once your baby arrives and you’ve settled into the mom-life, you might start thinking about how to lose the extra weight you put on throughout the pregnancy. 

What Is Baby Weight?

It’s important to know that baby weight isn’t just a bunch of extra pounds that you put on when you were expecting. It’s a lot more involved than that. In fact, pregnancy weight gain consists of all the following:

  • The baby
  • The placenta
  • Breast tissue
  • Blood
  • Amniotic fluid
  • Extra fat stores
  • An enlargement of the uterus 

While you may be worried about getting rid of that baby weight off as soon as possible, you can try some other solutions in the meantime. You could put on some shaper shorts under your clothing to make you feel better.  Then get ready to meet your weight goals. 

Set Realistic Goals 

Setting realistic goals is the first step in losing that baby weight in a healthy way. Despite what you might have seen in movies or in celebrity gossip magazines, losing those extra pounds from being pregnant takes time

Realistically, the time it takes is according to how much weight you gained throughout your pregnancy. However, with a healthy diet and an active lifestyle, you will lose that weight over time. 

Never Go On a Crash Diet 

Crash diets are dangerous and not a healthy way to lose weight at all. You need your energy up and to be in good shape to take care of your baby, a crash diet isn’t going to help you do that. The diets tend to be very low in calories and strive for you to lose the most weight in the shortest time possible.

Your body needs only good nutrition to help you recover from childbirth and take care of your baby. Going on a low-calorie diet is likely to prevent you from getting the nutrients you need, especially if you’re breast-feeding, which could in turn hurt you and your newborn. 

Monitor Your Calorie Intake in a Safe Way 

While you don’t need to go on a crash diet, there are ways that you can monitor your calorie intake to help you lose the weight you want to. Monitoring can also help you to ensure you’re getting the energy and nutrients you need from the food you eat. 

You can monitor your calories in the following ways:

  • Keep a food diary
  • Take pictures of the food you eat
  • Use a mobile calorie tracking app
  • Find a weight loss buddy so you can work together 

Eat an Abundance of Healthy Proteins

Proteins will not only give you energy but keep you healthy as you shed those pounds also. These nutrients can boost your metabolism, reduce your calorie intake, and decrease your appetite. Some foods that are full of protein are below for your perusal. 

  • Eggs
  • Lean meats
  • Low-mercury fish
  • Dairy 
  • Nuts
  • Seeds

Keep Your Patience

While you’re probably in a hurry to lose that baby weight, you have to know that losing weight takes time. Concentrate on your infant instead, keep your patience intact, eat healthily, and exercise regularly and the weight will fall off in good time.

These are just a few tips to help you lose your baby weight after the little one is born. Remember, shedding those pounds takes time and you need to stay healthy, not only for your baby but for yourself as well.