Targeting to shred off some weight? Perhaps, you’ve heard about how breastfeeding contributes to postpartum weight loss for some women. While this carries some truth in it, it’s still important to know that there are things you need to be mindful of when trying to lose weight while breastfeeding.
Breastfeeding demands an extra intake of approximately 500 calories a day to serve as fuel for breastmilk. With this, it’s not surprising that medical experts are not recommending mothers to go on restrictive diets while breastfeeding their babies.
Luckily, for those who are serious about wanting to get back in shape, there are still ways to melt away a few pounds even while breastfeeding. Read on to learn about how you can lose weight while breastfeeding.
Be Mindful of the Quality, Not the Quantity
Believe it or not, when it comes to trying to shed off some weight while breastfeeding, it’s not the amount that accounts.
Since your body requires additional calories to be able to generate breastmilk, it’s not advisable to try and minimize your calorie intake. Instead, it’s best to limit the food you eat to healthy and nutritious ones.
Among the best bets for your next meal, include fruits, vegetables, and grains, as well as a few starches. Your body will also need a good source of lean protein to help build and repair the body, so be sure to take some meat, fish, and nuts from time to time.
By limiting your meals to these types of food, you won’t just be able to get your post-pregnancy body back faster, but you can also ensure that your baby is getting the nourishment they deserve by keeping your breastmilk as nutritious as possible.
Put Your Body to Work
As you might have guessed, working out remains a major factor in weight loss – even after pregnancy. However, since your body is still on the recovering mode, you might need to keep an eye on what specific type of exercise is safe after pregnancy that you’ll adopt.
Generally, you’ll have to wait for about six to eight months after giving birth before you can get back to your usual intense day-to-day workout routine.
Still, to keep your body active and help tone your muscles after giving birth, you’ll still need to do some moderate exercises, specifically those that relate to cardio and weight-bearing.
Among the most suitable physical activities, you might want to take, include walking, gentle stretching (with the use of a resistance band, if you can), and a few Kegel exercises.
Get a Decent Amount of Sleep
Another factor many moms tend to overlook when trying to get past their post-pregnancy weight is the amount of sleep their getting. Unknown to many, the lack of sleep often leads to weight gain.
Specifically, this is because sleep deprivation leads to increased levels of a hunger hormone. Along with this, the stress caused by the lack of sleep also decreases the level of the fullness hormone in the body, called leptin.
With this, getting as much sleep as you can after giving birth is important to stick to your food limit and maintain healthy eating habits.
The Bottom Line
Missing your pre-pregnancy body? While seeing the face of your newborn is a bliss, getting a glimpse of your postpartum body might be a different case. Fortunately, there are still ways to get back on shape even while breastfeeding.
Be sure to keep these healthy and effective weight loss methods in mind as you start your journey to getting your old body back.
