How to Lose Weight After Pregnancy

Diet Plays a Big Part in Losing Weight

There are basically two ways to lose weight after pregnancy. First, you can eat fewer calories than you burn and second, you can burn more than you eat. That sounds a bit confusing, but really it boils down to diet and exercise.

Diet is probably the easiest thing to tackle after you have a baby. It can be tough to figure out which meals to make and keep track of your calories though when you're sleep-deprived and worn to a frazzle! My suggestion? Make a meal plan. It eliminates the need to stress out over what to make for dinner and it lets you plan ahead and do all your shopping once a week, which is really all you can ask of yourself right after having a baby.

When meal planning, make sure that you go for simple, tasty meals. That will help you stay on track and actually make the meals and eat them. If it's easier to grab the ice cream then chances are you'll be doing that.

If you aren't sure how to go about planning your meals, there are lots of resources online and at your local library. Look for easy meals that you can buy the ingredients for ahead of time and don't forget to figure out the portions and calories for each meal, as well. It can be easy to overeat, so make sure you're measuring properly!

You should allow your body a few weeks to recover after giving birth, too. While you can certainly learn about how to lose weight after pregnancy, don't forget that your body just went through a huge trauma and you need to rest up and replace the minerals and nutrients that were used up by your baby during the past 9 months. Without this break, you'll end up sick and even more worn out than a new mom should be.

Exercising After Your Baby is Born

When you can start exercising after pregnancy will really depend on the type of birth you had and your general health. Most women are cleared by their doctors six weeks after a vaginal birth, but if you had a difficult delivery or a C-section, it could take longer. It's important not to rush into exercising again, until your body is physically ready.

There are a number of reasons to wait. If you have stitches, you don't want to pull them out by accident. Also, your joints will still be very loose after giving birth and it will be much easier to injure yourself if you aren't careful. However, that applies to formal exercise programs.

What can you do right after the baby? Well, if you had a natural delivery, chances are you can go for walks pretty soon after the birth. If you had stitches you might want to wait a few days for the pain and swelling to go down before going for a little stroll around the block. As you feel better, you can take your baby to the park and go for longer walks. This is a great way to get some gentle exercise and fresh air, as well as introducing your little one to a healthy lifestyle right from the start.

Once you've been cleared by the doctor, you can go ahead and do pretty much as much exercise as you feel comfortable with. If something hurts, stop. Otherwise, you can enjoy your old fitness routine, perhaps with the addition of a baby! There are many gyms that offer mom and baby classes where your little one is used as motivation and a weight to help get you back in shape. Also, look into stroller fitness classes in your area as these can be an excellent way to get out and about.