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Healthy Weight Lost After Pregnancy
April 8, 2009 | Leave a Comment
Weight loss after pregnancy is not generally a problem but just how much weight you can lose depends on many things. Obviously just how much you lose after the birth will depend on how much the baby weighs and that of the amniotic fluid and placenta.
As hormone levels in the woman’s body return a level of normality she will begin to lose more pounds but you have to remember that around an extra 7 pounds of fat are put on during her pregnancy. Energy is stored in this excess fat ready for breast feeding the baby but how quickly each woman loses weight is dependent on factors like genetics, the mother’s health, how much exercise they get and the type of food they eat.
After all, it did take nine moths to put the weight on and you cannot expect to lose it all overnight but having said that some women are fortunate enough to lose almost all of this weight within a matter of months after the birth. Often the last few pounds are the hardest to lose and that may be because the body often holds onto a little weight to ensure the baby has sufficient milk but even this is not a certainty as every woman experiences this differently.
Nevertheless with a good nutritional diet plan and regular physical activity there is no reason why normal weight or close to it should not return within the year. Many women in fact will be back to their original weight within a year of having their child providing they follow good dietary and exercise regimes. However, some women will lose their pregnancy weight in as little as six to twelve weeks.
What it is not taken into account is the number of physical changes that happen to woman once she has given birth and will alter some things she may have taken for granted. In order to lose weight after pregnancy both safely, and effectively; a new mother should undertake a program of slow and steady dieting along with exercise that will produce long-term beneficial results.
One aspect that must be considered is the health of the mother and baby as additional fat during the breastfeeding stage is used to provide extra energy. A mother’s metabolic rate and hormone levels prior to the pregnancy will gradually return over a period of about 6 months but it is always worth remembering that giving birth can cause permanent changes.
The initial weight loss after birth of around fourteen pounds will just about put a dent in the total of up to thirty five pounds in weight that was gained during the pregnancy. With perhaps another twenty pounds or more to lose the mother should follow the previous steps and attempt to lose the weight slowly but steadily within the following six to eight months.
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