Being overweight after childbirth is a real headache for most new mothers. According to statistics, only 10% of women return to their "pre-pregnant" form without any extra effort. The rest, in order to lose weight, have to go on a diet and actively play sports. At the same time, doctors during breastfeeding strictly prohibit extreme dietary experiments. After all, the baby should receive from mom's milk the whole set of vitamins and minerals necessary for full development. Therefore, you need to limit yourself in food wisely, adhering to certain rules. Then you can bring the figure into shape without harming the baby.
Is it possible to lose weight after childbirth
The lion's share of women gain weight during pregnancy. There is a simple explanation for this: a pregnant woman naturally increases appetite, and in the later stages, motor activity decreases. In addition, the hormone estrogen affects the figure, the content of which reaches the maximum in the female body during pregnancy. Under the influence of this hormone, a woman's body "rounds", and extra pounds "linger" on the waist, hips and buttocks. After giving birth, these kilograms go away. But not as fast and not in such volumes as we would like. According to statistics, in the first month after giving birth, a young mother naturally loses from 5 to 7 kilograms.
You can lose weight after childbirth, but smoothly and gradually / istockphoto.com
If more excess weight has been gained, the woman begins to be tormented by the question: is it possible for her to lose weight. In fact, losing weight after childbirth is not only possible, but also necessary. After all, the kilograms that did not go away on their own cease to be a "temporary problem" and then remain in the body for a long time. The later you start figure out, the harder it will be to get rid of them. In the long term, being overweight leads to health problems, the most common of which are varicose veins and chronic back pain.
How to lose weight after childbirth correctly
One of the key messages for losing weight for a nursing mother is a smooth and even weight loss over several months. You should not "complete the five-year plan in a day." This will undermine your health and jeopardize the nutritional value of your baby. It is enough to adhere to a few rules of a balanced nutrition system.
Rule 1. Fractional nutrition
One meal should average 300-350g / istockphoto.com
Eating often and little by little is good for any organism. Small meals a couple of hours apart are much more effective for even weight loss than two large meals. Try to eat 5-6 times a day, while the average weight of your dish should be about 300-350 g. So that in general your daily ration "fits" in 1.5 kg. You can and should have light snacks between meals. If possible, try not to eat three to four hours before bed.
Rule 2. Drink plenty of fluids
The drinking regime of a nursing mother is at least two liters of plain water without gas. Teas for lactation, herbal infusions and other liquids exceed this norm. Try to drink water before each feed and do not go overboard with sweeteners with condensed milk. This grandma's recipe will not improve lactation, but it will definitely add a couple of extra pounds to you.
A nursing mother needs to drink at least 2 liters of water per day / istockphoto.com
Rule 3. Don't eat for two
Doctors do not recommend eating for yourself and for your baby even during pregnancy. And even during feeding, this makes no sense. Trust that your body will find the resources to make as much milk as your baby needs. You need to focus not on quantity, but on the quality of your diet.
You shouldn't "save" and finish complementary foods for your baby / istockphoto.com
Rule 4. Keep track of food calories
The daily calorie intake for each person is different, but there is an average figure for an adult with average physical activity. This is 2000-2300 kilocalories per day. Usually, for weight loss, this figure is reduced by a third, to 1300-1500 kcal. For a nursing mother, this is objectively not enough. Try to keep the energy value of your daily diet around 1700-1800 kcal. It is better to reduce this indicator after the introduction of complementary foods.
Rule 5. Control the amount of protein
Half the daily protein should be of animal origin / istockphoto.com
Protein must be present in the menu of a nursing mother. If an ordinary person needs about 1 g of protein per kilogram of weight, then for a woman who is breastfeeding, this figure doubles. That is, based on 65-68 kg of weight per day, you must consume at least 100 g of protein. Please note that this is about pure protein, not protein food. Moreover, at least half of the protein must be of animal origin.
Rule 6. Fat should be less
The opposite is true with fats. Their intake into the body must be adjusted downward. However, you cannot completely give up fat. According to experts, with a daily rate of 1800 kcal, a nursing mother needs to receive about 40-50 g of fat. The fat content should be reduced gradually, and only after your baby begins to actively eat complementary foods. The minimum in this case is 25 g of fat in the daily diet.
Rule 7. Take vitamins
No matter how balanced your diet is, vitamin complexes for nursing mothers will definitely not harm you or your baby. Even more: correctly selected vitamins can accelerate weight loss due to the fact that they normalize metabolism. If you get enough nutrients, it will clearly be easier for you to pacify your appetite and control the amount of food you eat.
Rule 8. Focus on approved foods
Eat vegetables and fruits: fiber improves digestion / istockphoto.com
The list of permitted foods for breastfeeding is based on the optimal combination of benefits for mom and baby. For meat, give preference to lean varieties (chicken, rabbit, turkey, veal). Make sure that the menu contains enough dairy products that saturate the body with calcium. Do not give up cereals: rice, buckwheat, corn or wheat porridge should be present in your diet at least two to three times a week. Seasonal vegetables and fruits - no comment: this is a source of natural vitamins and fiber, which is important for normal digestion.
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