10 Tips to Lose Post Pregnancy Weight Fast

Weight gain during pregnancy is inevitable. In fact, it’s healthy and essential for the growth and development of your baby. But after having a baby, most new moms want to get back into shape. That’s where the trouble comes.

Where do you start? New moms have a lot on their plate already and losing weight brings in a whole new list of actions on your to-do list.

Luckily, if you follow our top 10 tips to lose post pregnancy weight fast, you’ll quickly see the pounds melt off!

1. Start Early

The best way to lose post pregnancy weight fast is to start early… and by early we mean during pregnancy. When you have a healthy pregnancy and avoid extra weight gain, it is much easier for you to lose weight post-delivery.

Every woman is different, but eating for two is not a justification for that extra serving. In fact, eating for two is a myth that has been debunked countless times. Instead, you only need to add an extra 200-500 calories a day depending on your trimester, age and starting weight.

For more information on how to safely gain weight during your pregnancy, and avoid unhealthy weight gain, read this article from WebMD.

2. Focus on Portion Sizes

One of the best ways to lose weight is to focus on serving sizes. Over the years, restaurants and fast food chains have brainwashed us into thinking that a serving size is much bigger than it actually is. In reality, one single restaurant meal usually provides more calories than we need for an entire day!

In order to slim down, focus on eating smaller meals more frequently throughout the day. It’s easy to measure the correct serving size for most foods just by using your hand. Check out an easy to follow reference guide here.

If you do go out to dinner, ask for a to-go box when your food comes out and put at least half of it away immediately. Leftover food on our plates prompts us to eat more and everyone knows… out of sight, out of mind.

3. Avoid Dieting

In addition to focusing on portion sizes, avoid dieting all together. Diets make you feel deprived, stressed and actually cause you to gain weight2. Instead, focus on eating whole, nutrient dense foods.

Keep Snacks Handy

As a busy new mom, it will seem impossible to stay on top of everything. That’s why we recommend having easy, grab and go healthy snacks in your home. Stock up on baby carrots, apples, wheat crackers and other fruits and vegetables that is ready to eat. This way, when you’re busy, you’ll be more likely to grab something healthy.

Try and take some time and preparing healthy snacks for the whole week!

Load up on Super Foods

In addition to healthy snacks, aim for eating as many super foods as possible. These are often high in nutrients, but low in calories and will help give you the energy that you need as a new mom. Check out some of our favorite super foods here.

Fiber Rich Foods

The key to not overeating is a diet that’s high in fiber. Fiber will help you feel full faster and longer and is great for your digestive system. Keep healthy, fiber rich foods around your home and aim for about 25g per day.

Healthy Proteins

Healthy proteins are essential in weight loss. It helps boost your metabolism, makes you feel full longer and gives you a great source of energy5. Eat healthy sources of protein throughout the day and you’ll start noticing a difference fast.

Stay Nourished

While we know that you want to get that baby weight off fast, don’t do anything crazy. Your body still needs calories, especially if you’re breastfeeding. Aim for consuming at least 1,800 calories a day in order to stay well nourished.

4. Stay Hydrated

Regardless of if you’re a new mom trying to lose extra pounds or the mother of a two-year old finally ready to shed off baby weight for good, you’re going to need to drink water… lots of it.

Drinking water is vital to your weight loss efforts as dehydration can actually make you retain more water. Plus, breastfeeding moms need to stay hydrated in order to replace the fluids they lose while nursing5.

Since every single body is different, avoid the generic “8 glasses a day” rule. Instead, keep an eye on the color of your urine throughout the day. If you›re drinking enough fluids, it should be relatively clear and you’ll be visiting the bathroom every 3-4 hours. If not, drink more.

5. Exercise

Exercise is extremely important to new moms because in addition to weight loss, it helps with sleeping problems, depression, relieving stress and more.

As with any weight loss effort, exercise will help you shed those post pregnancy pounds fast. Aim to incorporate both cardiovascular activities and strength training in order to see the best results.

Cardio

As a new mom, we know how busy you are. It can be hard enough to clean your kitchen let alone find time for cardio. Luckily, it doesn›t have to be.

You don’t need to hit the trails and run 8 miles to get in a good workout. Just get up and get moving. Take your baby out for a walk on a nice day, find an activity that you love and do it from home or join a class tailored for new moms and their babies.

A little goes a long way, so as long as you find a way to move everyday, consider it a win.

Strength Training

This one is a little harder to incorporate, but well worth it in the long run. Weight training speeds up your metabolism and helps to tone and tighten those problem areas. It is a great way to take your routine to the next level.

While we doubt that you’ll hit the gym with a newborn in tow, it’s easier than ever to get creative at home. Use your baby for fun and easy at-home workouts. Start off with these basic moves and get creative as you go. Your baby will love it!

6. Stay Positive

It doesn›t matter if you›ve just started out or you’re 3 months down the road, you need to stay positive. The process can be grueling and you may not feel like you’re making any progress, but if you’re honest with yourself and are exercising regularly, you will lose weight.

For some moms, weight falls off right away and for others it takes some time for your body to adjust. Trust the process and avoid stress, which can actually increase weight gain in most people. Beat the stress fat and keep working towards your goal.

7. Get Enough Sleep

We know, we know… you just had a baby, how are you expected to get enough sleep? This might help. Not getting enough sleep can actually decrease the likelihood of you losing weight.

Lack of sleep takes a huge toll on your body, so try to sleep as often as possible post-delivery. Nap when your baby naps, go to bed early and try to find a schedule in those first few months. It gets better, trust us!

8. Ask for Help

All of the above can be difficult, especially if you feel like you’re on your own. Don’t be afraid to ask for you help if you need it. Talk to your partner about splitting duties, take turns getting up at night and seek a personal trainer if you think it will help.

Whenever you think you need help, remember that it never hurts to ask.

9. Team Up

Going through the process of losing weight alone is sometimes daunting and lonely. There will be days you will struggle and cry and stress and hate it, but when you have a friend to team up with you stop feeling so alone.

Find a group of new moms, either in a class or in your social circle, and join forces. Make goals together and hold each other accountable. Have healthy lunch/play dates and help bring each other up. It’s always easier with someone by your side.

10. Breastfeed

Finally, one of the best ways to shed those post-pregnancy pounds is to breastfeed. Not only is breastfeeding good for your baby, it’s good for you too. In fact, breastfeeding can burn up to about 500 calories per day! It also stimulates the release of hormones that contribute to shrinking your uterus back to its regular size, which means bye-bye post-baby belly.

If you›re a working mom, breastfeed when you’re able to and make sure that you get a good breast pump to compliment feedings.

Conclusion

If you follow the above tips, and are honest with yourself while doing it, you will start to lose your post pregnancy weight. It will take time and dedication, but as long as you trust the process and keep your stress at bay, you’ll get there. If you’re having a difficult time eating well or getting in enough exercise, talk to your doctor about creating a plan that will work for you. In order to keep up with your breast pumping, head on over to Byram Healthcare to browse our selection of pumps. Thanks to the Affordable Care Act, you’re eligible to receive an electric breast pump covered by your insurance provider!

If you have any other tips or tricks up your sleeve for post pregnancy weight loss, or to share your success stories, visit our Facebook page and leave a comment today!