Have you ever gotten on the scale right after giving birth and noticed how much weight you instantly lose? It’s like 10-12 pounds right off the bat!
So that makes you eager to think that the rest will come off just as quickly. You think…..
Don’t get back on that scale too quickly to save some disappointment. Don’t bother with those pre-pregnancy jeans in your hospital bag either because it just won’t happen.
Then you’ll wonder how to lose baby weight as quickly as you did right at first. Some mothers seem to do it without even trying, yet others seem to hang onto every single ounce.
What gives for you?
How To Lose Baby Weight
Every body is different in how it will lose weight. You are different than your mother, your sister, and your friends. You can all do the exact same regimen and routines to lose weight and end up with different results.
Only you will know what your body will do after having gone through some post-partum time for up to a year. But there are THREE things that will up your odds of those pounds not sticking around.
- Breastfeed
- Exercise
- Healthy Diet
There’s no magic pill here, or meditation vibes that will serve a miraculous result from what you already know. I would also add a fourth factor in losing your baby weight-TIME. Things don’t happen overnight. But they can happen more effectively and serve you better long term when you allow your body to take its time.
Breastfeed
Not only is it the best thing for your baby, it’s the best thing for you to do for yourself after pregnancy. Your body has been storing fat, nutrients, tons of goodness for 9 months all for this very point in time. Where does it all go?
It comes out in your milk and fluffs up your baby. One day within the first month you’ll realize that your little angel is no longer a bag of bones, rather a chunky little cuddle monkey because they’ve taken on your fat.
You naturally burn an extra 500-800 calories A DAY just by breastfeeding. That’s the same as approximately exercising for an hour-an HOUR! So you don’t have to even lift a finger to get an hour’s worth of calorie burn, just by breastfeeding.
Neat.
Another superb incentive to go with breast is best.
Exercise
Yes, exercising can seem like the worst after adding in sleep deprivation and just plain recovering from delivery. And you certainly should NOT if you’re not feeling up to it. But once your after-birth bleeding stops and you’re somewhat back to a schedule with your family, adding some decent exercise into that schedule will maximize your body’s ability to lose excess pounds.
If you were smart to keep exercising through pregnancy it will be easier to continue afterward. Don’t worry about jumping into the same old routines, just take it slow and pace yourself. You can start with some basic post-delivery exercises here.
But even just simple things will make a huge difference in helping your body gain it’s strength back on top of losing extra pounds. If getting your blood pumping for dedicated amounts of time doesn’t work well right now, try a few of these things:
- Walking - put your baby in the stroller and just stroll around the block, walk around the yard a few times while baby is napping, or take to the stair case for 10 minutes each day. Trust me, it adds up.
- Wear Your Baby - carrying them does a terrible number on your back, so simply wear them more often and you’ll still have your arms available to use. When you’re carrying the extra weight of your baby, you’re burning more calories too.
- *You can get a sling on the Free page quick and easy. I’ve used the same one for all my boys.
- Yoga With Baby - while you’re watching your favorite show, get down on the floor and do some basic stretching and poses instead of sitting. You can have your baby right there on the floor with you, holding them in poses that allow it, and building extra muscle while you’re at it.
Now do NOT over do it! With your body changing very quickly in a short amount of time (again), your metabolism can fluctuate a lot.
- You may find yourself faint and hypoglycemic at times as your body gets used to the regular flow of milk generation.
- You may have moments of increased energy due to simple cabin fever of staying home more than you may normally be used to. But then your energy drops like a rock quickly from pushing yourself too hard.
- You may crash during nap time or at the end of the day if you don’t have decent stretches of sleep back yet, exacerbated by exercise.
So pay attention to your body, your energy levels, and any other signs and symptoms that may mean you’re doing too much. But remember that doing at least SOMETHING will help you gain MORE energy back too.
Healthy Diet
The other day at work, I heard our gym trainer say that “weight loss starts and end in the kitchen.” You can run you behind off (quite literally) and not lose much weight at all if you’re still taking in more from your diet that you can burn off.
Many women, myself included, will have weeks at a time where they will rationalize the fact that since the baby is out of them, eating more unhealthy foods can be okay. You’ll have your first real cravings come back after giving birth and realize that you can have that deli sandwich now or the fattening burger and fries without feeling as guilty.
My problem has been the holidays; Halloween came quickly with the gobs of candy. And now Thanksgiving and Christmas are right around the corner with their goodies and treats waiting for me to indulge.
You can have MORE than your needed daily calories in a SINGLE MEAL if you’re not careful. Then when this happens consistently, guess what happens? Your breastfeeding and even exercise doesn’t make up the difference anymore.
Make sure to:
- keep half of your plate produce-fruits and veggies
- choose lean protein over starch as much as possible
- water, water, water-just drink it; you’re going to need more while breastfeeding anyway
It’s simple. You already know what’s healthy and what’s not.
Now Don’t Lose Your Mind
Things will take time. Most women will carry baby weight for up to a year and beyond, even when they’re doing all the right things. You may become frustrated that things aren’t happening just as quickly as they did at the beginning after having your baby.
Just be prepared-you will likely never hit your exact pre-pregnancy weight again.
It’s completely normal to hang onto a few pounds at the very least after having children. It’s just the fact of natural progression through life, most of the time. I’ve naturally hung onto a few pounds after each baby and I’ve done the same things I’ve always done. But I don’t let those few tiny numbers on a scale get to me either.
A few extra pounds is NOT something to take on a drastic diet for. We are meant to be curvy and cute. There was a time in the world’s history when curvy women were the desired models of female society. It was nothing to be laughed at or ashamed of. And it shouldn’t be that way now.
If you’re doing these few simple things, you’re doing the best thing for you and your baby. Just make sure that things aren’t worse off without a little post-partum care.
Remember To Recover With Your Miracle Essentials Bundle
Have you had trouble losing your baby weight? Did it drive you crazy?
britney m says
Just had a baby 9 months ago and I always find myself going back to the Lady Soma Detox to lose weight quickly. I tried to do it “naturally’ but this gives you that extra boost you need. I saw results by Day 3. There was only some mid side effects on Day 2 - but it was worth dropping the 5-10lbs
What sort of a detox was it, Britney?
Ryan says
Wow Sarah!
I had absolutely no idea that you could lose so much calories just by breast feeding your baby, that’s unreal!
I’ve met a few post pregnant women in my life who always seem to complain about baby fat, so maybe I should direct them here in future!
Diet is so, so important when it comes to fat loss in any regime. Positive affirmations such as ‘I will lose this baby fat’ or ‘I am a being full of energy’ every morning will also help to ensure that the mind is on the same track when tackling the body.
Hi Ryan. Everything about our mind controls our body. People seem to think that if they do one thing to appease a symptom in one part of the body that it will be the ultimate solution. But that’s the wrong way to approach it.
Our brain and mind control our body to a very large extent. So we need to get on board with them and approach things like weight loss from an entire perspective, not just what is found in the mirror.
I like how you suggest regimens. Even those that exclude the words ‘fat’ and ‘weight’ are even more positive because the person saying them isn’t focusing on fat and weight. Try, “I am thinner and healthier today, and I’ll be thinner and healthier tomorrow,” or something like that.
Thanks for commenting and sharing!
meherbani says
I can appreciate how you mention not losing your mind!
I gained too much weight with both my pregnancies and it seems forever till I lost it.
I think I am still carrying around baby weight and my kids are well into their 20’s!
I like your site and how easy it is to navigate.
Great work.
Remember, it took nine months to put it on. So it will take at least nine months to take it off. But hanging onto a little extra is just fine. 🙂
Ehab says
Hello there,
Wonderful post and well written, losing weight always an headache for me and my wife as i am always going to gym and trying to be in form, my wife also at the last stages of her pregnancy and this article will be very useful for her especially the breast feeding part will make her so happy we never knew that burns around 500 calories, Thanks for sharing.
You’re welcome, Ehab! Let you wife know I can help her with any questions she may have. Good luck with the little one!
Gamboloyd says
Hi Sarah,
Great article. My daughter has just had her first and is slightly concerned about her weight so I have directed her to this page as she obviously won’t listen to her father.
She does breastfeed and is aware of the health benefits, but doesn’t breastfeeding also help the uterus contract too?
Excellent article, I think I’ll pin this and tweet it too - Martyn
Hi Martyn! Congratulations on your grand baby, that must be exciting for you!
You’re absolutely right. Nursing immediately after birth stimulates the same hormones that contract the uterus. Your daughter may have complained about cramps the few days after having her baby. They’re very strong and come on suddenly when nursing.
That’s why I suggest all new mommies pack a heating pad in their Should I Pack My Hospital Bag? See What’s In Mine for that very reason.
Thanks for sharing!
Stanley says
Sarah,
Thank you for wiring this article as I often hear my wife complain to me regarding the excess fat and weight after giving birth to my son.
I am wondering will you be exploring about other methods that quite a number of mummies are subscribing or paying to companies for sliming their bodies. Is it effective?
I know you mention about breast-feeding, exercise and diet. My wife has not seen tremendous result via exercises and diet…..
Hope to hear from you regarding other methods.
Cheers,
Stanley
Hi Stanley. Honestly, I don’t even want to touch the idea of reviewing other products and/or programs designed to losing weight because results are so variable. Our bodies change so much after having children that it can take years to understand them again. I know that I’m still trying to figure out things for myself.
It can be frustrating to not see those pounds come off. Women’s bodies learn to hold onto nutrients and other things over time for the intent of transferring it to our children. But if one method of diet and exercise isn’t working for your wife, then the hard thing to hear is that the only option is to change her diet and exercise again to see if it makes a difference.
Diets and exercise routines benefit individuals very differently and what will work for one person will not work for another. The frustration is having to experiment to see what will work, and you can’t know until you do.
One confusion many people make is they think that cardio exercise like running will burn more calories than strength training. But the exact opposite is true. When we build muscle, our bodies work far longer and harder to build that muscle back up, that more calories are burnt that through cardio exercise.
I don’t know your wife’s exercise routine, Stanley. But I would suggest she focus more on strength training (core circuit, cross-fit, weight lifting). Let me know if you have any other questions. Thanks!
Sammy says
Thanks for the post. I can totally understand. Someone still gave up their seat to in a bus after six months i gave birth to my son. I couldn’t agree more that it is very difficult to lose baby weight. Diet is the most important part. You have to change your eating portion. You cannot still eating like your baby is still in your stomach and wish to go back to your previous body size. I have started to see some result now after i control my meal portion.
It’s easier to put it in than to take it out for some people. That’s great you’ve been finding some results now with you portions. Just remember to have half of your plate produce, and the other half needs to be more protein than carbs. Lean protein like chicken or fish too. I’ve also had many people tell me that if they simply dish up their meals on a smaller plate it really helps control their portion sizes too. Give that a try and see how things go. I know with the holidays here it’s so hard to not overdo it. But we can always exercise more if we really want that extra slice of cake. (And I’m not opposed to doing either 🙂 )
Thanks for your comment, Sammy! Have a great Thanksgiving!