Creating An Effective Weight Loss Plan For New Mothers

It’s normal to gain weight during and after pregnancy. It doesn’t mean you’ve neglected your body. In fact, you must gain weight during your pregnancy. A woman with an average weight should gain 25 to 35 pounds postpartum. Underweight moms should gain, even more, 28 to 40 pounds, if they can.

If you were already overweight when you got pregnant, you shouldn’t have gained more than 25 pounds, ideally. But weight is one of the hardest things to control when you’re pregnant. Hence, don’t be hard on yourself if you gain too much or too little. As long as your body has provided nutrition and life to your baby, you’ve done an awesome job.

But at one point, all new moms would start to crave their old bodies back. When this happens, you may feel the “mom guilt” because your instincts tell you that you should only think of your baby. But you deserve a Mommy Makeover after going through labor and delivery. Wanting to look good doesn’t make you any less of a mom.

So don’t be ashamed to try any of these diets or procedures:

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Weight loss plan for new moms

1. Postpartum diet

A postpartum diet isn’t any different from any healthy eating plan. Fill your plate with these foods to speed up your recovery and prep your body for weight loss:

  • Fruits and vegetables
  • Whole grains
  • Lean or low-fat protein (e.g., lean beef, fish, poultry)
  • Low-fat or fat-free dairy (e.g., yogurt, cheese, eggs)

Increase your intake of the following to make your breast milk support your baby’s brain development:

  • Iodine
  • Choline
  • Omega-3 fatty acids

Here’s an example of an ideal postpartum diet plan:

  • Breakfast: oatmeal with low-fat milk, topped with a high-fiber and vitamin-rich fruit
  • Lunch: light tuna with celery and hard-boiled egg, whole grain bread, lettuce, and tomato slices
  • Dinner: chicken or beef stir-fry with veggies like broccoli, cabbage, red bell pepper, and carrots
  • Snacks: Greek yogurt, apple slices, popcorn, or vegetable smoothie

Following this meal plan will get you back in shape in no time while also nourishing your baby.

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2. Postnatal exercises

Don’t rush to go back to the gym or engage in vigorous activity. Postnatal exercises are mostly easy Yoga poses that you can do at home. A fully-body intense workout can wait until your important muscle groups have recovered from pregnancy and delivery.

Every day, do these poses and movements for 30 seconds up to a minute:

  • Cat-cow poses
  • Kegels
  • Diaphragmatic breathing
  • Walking (10-15 minutes)
  • Swiss ball bird-dog holds
  • Swiss ball glute bridge
  • Planks
  • Side planks with leg lifts

Combined with a healthy diet, your pre-pregnancy body should be back faster than you’d expect. However, each body works differently. Just because other women lost weight fast doesn’t mean you would, too. So instead of focusing on the scale, focus on how you feel and how your body strengthens with each exercise. You’d shed the excess fat at your own pace.

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3. Non-invasive fat loss procedures

If diet and exercise aren’t working as fast as you’d like, consider getting a non-invasive fat loss procedure. It’s one of the best things you can do for yourself if you want your confidence back. Effective reduction treatments for belly fat are affordable, painless, and safe.

There are various types of these procedures. One of the popular ones is called radiofrequency therapy, or simply RF. It’s mainly for tightening the skin, but it can break down some fat, too. As such, its biggest benefit is trimming down your belly fat and firming up the wrinkles you got from being pregnant. It’s a quicker way to get your pre-pregnancy belly back than surgical liposuction. Liposuction may remove more fat, but it won’t firm up your skin.

CoolSculpting, or fat freezing, is a popular procedure as well. It applies cold temperatures to your subcutaneous fat so that its cells will crystallize and naturally get out of your body.

4. Tummy tuck

A tummy tuck is popular among moms who give birth via C-section. However, it’s an invasive procedure with a long downtime, so doctors advise waiting six months after giving birth before getting it.

Liposuction isn’t the same as a tummy tuck. But you can get liposuction with a tummy tuck. It would remove your excess belly fat and tighten the skin at the same time. However, it’s not a magic solution to weight loss. You still need to eat healthily and exercise to maintain a lean physique.

In addition, a tummy tuck may leave scars. If you are prone to keloids, consider if the appearance of scars will bother you. But you can ask your doctor to place the scar in areas where it won’t be seen.

Not many moms can get a mommy makeover. If you’re lucky enough to be able to have it, don’t let the chance go to waste. Looking good while caring for a kid should be normalized.

Creating An Effective Weight Loss Plan For New Mothers
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