Category: Weight Loss

how can i get my body back?

5/29/2019

With temps hovering in the 90s most days, summer is undeniably here, and here to stay! Trying to keep cool in this heat usually means wearing less clothes, or... a swim suit (gasp!) If you recently had a baby (and by "recently", I mean "ever"), and the thought of putting on a swim suit makes you sweat more than the southern sun at noon, read on!

Your body has done amazing things in the last year or so! You grew an entire human being and you are now keeping that tiny human alive. But maybe you miss your old self, your old clothes, your old shape, and you are wondering how to get yourself back. Here are some tips to get you feeling like your old self again.

Eat up! Yes, keep eating! I’m personally not a big fan of diets, but this is an extra bad time to attempt weight loss by cutting calories. Continue to eat plenty of high quality calories, including proteins, healthy fats, and yes, carbohydrates. Fruits, veggies, lean meats, nuts, avocado, beans, eggs, and oatmeal provide great flavors, tons of nutrition, and fill you up. If you are breastfeeding, avocado may be especially beneficial as a source of healthy fats and the oatmeal may help increase your supply. I recommend that breastfeeding mothers resist the temptation to go on a juice fast or any other restrictive diet. Breastfeeding will use about 500 calories a day, so you can safely lose about a pound a week without ever feeling hungry!
Drink up! Your body may need more than you used to drink, so drink to thirst. No need to force fluids, your body will tell you when it is thirsty. Take a water bottle with you when you leave the house and have one nearby when you breastfeed or pump.
Cut the garbage! Most of it, anyway. Treats can be very satisfying and make you feel happy and normal, and there’s no need to eliminate every non-perfect food. Plan for a treat after a meal, and take the time to savor and enjoy it. But mindlessly eating piles of garbage food will probably just make you feel yucky and guilty.
Get some exercise! A little fresh air can make a huge difference in how you feel mentally and physically. Once your OB has cleared you for normal activity, take a walk! Light and moderate exercise is safe and healthy while breastfeeding, and it is a fun way to spend time with your baby. In Greensboro, there are mom-and-me exercise groups that provide friendship, fun, and support for moms of young babies. If you would like more information about these groups, please reach out to me and I can get you in touch with them!
Be as kind to yourself as you are to your best friend! Self talk matters, so be mindful of what messages you tell yourself about your body and your abilities. Would you tell a friend the things you tell yourself? Most likely you are telling your friends things like, “you are amazing”, and “you are beautiful”, and “you’re a superhero because you just had a baby and you are keeping it alive with your breast milk!” The truths that you speak to your BFF apply to you as well, so be sure to speak truth to yourself!

Bonus tip: To get the perfect beach body:

Have a body.
Go to the beach!
There it is… the perfect beach body!

0 Comments

Losing weight while breastfeeding

1/7/2019

2 Comments

How Can I Get This Baby Weight Off Safely?

Safe weight loss is healthy and realistic for breastfeeding women. Breastfeeding uses calories stored up during pregnancy, and a breastfeeding mother will lose 1-2 pounds a month with a normal, healthy diet (eating to hunger) and normal activity. If you want to lose weight faster, you can safely lose 1 pound a week through changes in diet and moderate exercise.

A weight loss of 1 pound a week with a healthy diet (at least 1500 to 1800 high quality calories) and moderate exercise has no effect on the fat content of the breast milk or on the baby’s growth. When you make healthy nutritional choices like eating lean meat, and cutting sugary or salty, high-fat junk food, refined flour, and high calorie drinks, you will experience healthy weight loss. Small changes can make a big difference. For example, cutting out a can of soda per day eliminates 140 calories, or 14 pounds a year!

You may begin a moderate exercise program after getting clearance from your OB or midwife 6 to 8 weeks after delivery. You can safely cut 500 calories from your diet and add a moderate 45 minute exercise routine 4 days a week and lose weight without affecting the quality of your breast milk or the growth of your baby.

I recommend slow, healthy, natural weigh loss through healthy nutrition and moderate exercise. If you have questions, or would like a personalized plan, I can help you! Call or email me if you would like to discuss healthy postpartum weight loss.

This article from the New York Times has more information.

2 Comments

how can i get my body back?

Losing weight while breastfeeding

How Can I Get This Baby Weight Off Safely?

Author

Categories