How to Weaken After Birth? Weight Loss After Pregnancy

Many women try hard to lose weight in a healthy way after pregnancy. Caring for a newborn baby, adjusting to a new routine is a stressful process. 

However, after the birth, you will need to return to a healthy weight, especially if you plan to get pregnant again in the future.

In the article "Losing weight after birth", "postpartum weakening ways", "postpartum weight loss techniques"will be mentioned.

Why Do I Still Look Pregnant?

You recently had a baby but are you still pregnant? The reasons why you still appear pregnant are:

Think of your belly like a balloon. As your baby grows, your tummy stretches slowly. When your baby goes out, the balloon will not burst. Instead, the air inside the balloon is slowly released. And if you noticed, the balloons tend to hold some air when they shrink and even if most of the air is outside.

After your baby is born, hormonal changes in the body cause the uterus to gradually return to its pre-pregnancy shape. However, it takes 7-8 weeks for the uterus to return to its normal size.

The excess food you consume to feed your baby during your pregnancy is stored in the form of fat.

What is Baby Weight?

It is the recommended amount for a healthy person to gain weight in the range of 11.5-16 kg during pregnancy. 

This weight gain consists of the baby, the placenta, amniotic fluid, breast tissue, more blood, uterine enlargement, and extra fat stores. The extra fat acts as an energy reserve for birth and breastfeeding.

However, more weight gain will result in too much fat. This is what people often call "baby's weight".

During pregnancy, more than half of women gain more than the recommended amount of weight. The negative consequences of this excess weight gain are as follows:

- The risk of being overweight in the future increases.

- Diabetes and heart disease risk increases.

- The risk of complications is higher in later pregnancies.

There is a higher health risk for women with gestational diabetes.

Here is what should be applied to return to a healthy weight range as soon as possible. postpartum weight loss methods...

Postpartum Weight Loss Methods

Be realistic

Many famous mothers start to appear on television shortly after birth with their old weaknesses. Although this creates the perception that weight can be easily lost after birth, you should be aware that postpartum weight loss may take time. 

One study found that women gained an average of 12-0,5kg more weight 3 months after giving birth.

In another study conducted on 831 women, it was found that 40.3% gained 2,5 kilograms more than the weight they gained during pregnancy. In addition, 14-20% of women gained 5 kg more.

Based on how much weight you gained during pregnancy, it is realistic to estimate that you could lose about 4,5 kg in one to two years.

Of course, by following a good diet and exercise, you can achieve any weight loss you desire. While the amount of weight you lose after childbirth may vary, the most important thing is to return to a healthy weight range.

Avoid shock diets

Shock dietsare very low-calorie diets aimed at losing large amounts of weight in the shortest possible time. 

After giving birth, the body needs to be fed well for recovery. In addition, if you are breastfeeding, you will need more calories than usual.

On a low-calorie diet, important nutrients may not be available and will likely make you feel tired. This is the opposite of what you need when caring for the newborn.

Assuming your weight is still stable, a safe weight loss of about 500 kg per week should be achieved by reducing calorie intake by about 0.5 calories per day.

For example, a woman who eats 2.000 calories a day can eat 300 fewer calories and burn an extra 200 calories through exercise, resulting in a total reduction of 500 calories.

Studies conducted for breastfeeding women found that losing this amount of weight had no negative effects on milk production or baby's growth.

Feed your baby breast milk

Breast milkprovides many benefits for mother and baby; these include:

Provides nourishment

Breast milk contains all the nutrients needed for the growth of the baby.

Supports the baby's immune system 

Breast milk contains important antibodies that help the baby fight against viruses and bacteria.

Reduces the size of the uterus

Breastfeeding helps the lining of the uterus and returns to its normal size more quickly after birth.

It reduces the risk of developing diseases in babies

Breastfed babies have a lower risk of lung, skin, obesity, diabetes, leukemia and sudden infant death syndrome, among other diseases.

Reduces the mother's risk of illness

Type 2 diabetes, breast cancer, ovarian cancer and postpartum depression risks are lower.

In addition, breastfeeding has been reported to support the mother's weight loss. One study of 4.922 breastfeeding women found that participants lost an average of 1.68kg more weight six months after giving birth compared to women without breast milk. Other research has yielded similar results.

Count calories

Counting calories can help you find out how much you are eating and where problem areas in your diet may be. 

Moreover, it helps make sure you are getting enough calories to provide the energy and nutrition you need.

You can do this by keeping a food diary, using a reminder app, or taking pictures of what you eat. 

Many useful mobile apps help measure the calories of what you eat. Using these techniques can help reduce portion sizes and choose healthier foods that provide weight loss.

Eat foods high in fiber

Eating foods high in fiber will help you lose weight. For example, a study of 1,114 adults found that consuming 10 grams of soluble fiber per day resulted in a 3.7% reduction in belly fat over a five-year period.

Soluble fiber helps to feel full for longer by slowing digestion and reducing hunger hormone levels. 

Also, soluble fiber is fermented into short-chain fatty acids in the gut. This increases the levels of the satiety hormones cholecystokinin (CCK), glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) and peptide YY (PYY). These effects on digestion generally reduce calorie intake.

Eat healthy proteins

Eating protein in the diet speeds up the metabolism, reduces appetite and calorie intake. Studies show that protein has more thermal effects than other nutrients.

This means the body consumes more energy than other foods, which means it burns more calories.

Protein also increases the satiety hormones GLP-1, PYY and CCK and the hunger hormone ghrelini By reducing it, it suppresses the appetite. 

For example, one study found that those who ate a 30% protein diet a day consumed 441 fewer calories compared to a diet containing less protein. Healthy protein sources include lean meats, eggs, fish, legumes, nuts, seeds, and milk.

Eat healthy snacks

Food in your home can have a big impact on what you eat. Studies show that obese individuals' homes are filled with less healthy food than household food for people with a healthy weight range.

Such as vegetables, nuts, fruit, and yogurt healthy snacksBy keeping them at home, you can consume them when you feel hungry.

Avoid added sugar and refined carbohydrates

Sugar and refined carbohydrates are high in calories and generally low in nutrients. Accordingly, high intake of added sugar and refined carbohydrates is associated with an increased risk of weight, diabetes, heart disease, and some cancers.

Common sources of sugar include sweetened drinks, fruit juice, all kinds of candy, sweets, cakes, biscuits, pastries, and other baked goods.

When choosing groceries, read their labels. If sugar is one of the first items on the list, it's probably better to stay away from that product.

Sugar intake can be reduced by avoiding processed foods and consuming natural foods such as vegetables, legumes, fruits, meat, fish, eggs, nuts and yogurt.

Avoid processed foods

Processed foods are high in sugar, unhealthy fats, salt and calories, all of which can interfere with your weight loss efforts.

These foods include fast food meals and packaged foods such as chips, cookies, baked goods, candy, ready meals. Also, processed foods are more addictive.

You can reduce the amount of processed foods by replacing them with fresh and nutrient-dense foods.

Stay away from alcohol

Alcohol is very high in calories. In addition, it is associated with weight gain and can lead to more fat being stored around organs, also known as the cause of belly fat.

Alcohol can cause a temporary decrease in breast milk volume in nursing mothers. Also, alcohol can be transferred to your baby with breast milk.

Therefore, stay away from alcohol while breastfeeding and during the weight loss process.

Create an exercise program

Exercises such as cardio, walking, running, cycling, and interval training help burn calories and have numerous health benefits. Workout plannercan improve heart health, reduce the risk and severity of diabetes, and reduce the risk of various types of cancer.

Although exercising alone does not help with weight loss, you will achieve more effective results if you combine it with a balanced diet.

For enough water

Drinking enough water is vital for anyone trying to lose weight. Researchers found that overweight women who drank 1 liter or more of water a day lost an extra 12 kg in 2 months.

Drinking water reduces appetite and calorie intake. For breastfeeding women, water consumption is particularly important to replace fluids lost by milk production.

Although some women who are breastfeeding or exercising a lot need more, aiming to drink at least 2 liters of water per day will help with weight loss.

Get enough sleep

Insomnia negatively affects body weight. A review of mothers and sleep showed that insomnia was linked to more weight gain after pregnancy.

This relationship may also apply to adults in general. Eight out of 13 studies in adults found that insomnia is associated with weight gain.

For new mothers, getting enough sleep can be difficult. Strategies that can help include sleeping while your baby is asleep and seeking help from family and friends.

Ask for Help

Being a new mother is a very difficult and demanding situation. Insomnia and stress can be overwhelming, and 15% of mothers experience post-pregnancy depression.

If you're feeling overwhelmed or anxious, or struggling to cope, don't be afraid to get help. Seek help from your friends and family.

If you need more help, you can seek help from a doctor, dietician or a psychologist.

As a result;

It is common to gain extra weight after pregnancy. However, returning to a healthy weight is beneficial for your health and future pregnancies.

Postpartum weight lossThe best and most successful way of s is a healthy diet, breastfeeding and exercise.