Pregnancy and childbirth are natural physiological processes that occur with a woman. After discharge from the hospital with the baby, troubled times begin when there is no time to sleep, eat and put yourself in order. Constant colic, restless baby sleep and frequent feeding do not leave time for a young mother to take care of herself. But most often during pregnancy a lot of extra pounds are gained due to the restructuring of the hormonal background and the fact that you need to eat for two. Weight loss after childbirth (reviews confirm this) is becoming an urgent need: mothers gain from 8 to 20 extra pounds for the entire period of pregnancy.
Troubled times
There are parents who are lucky with the kids: they only sleep and eat, they are not at all tormented by colic. In this case, the mother has much more time for herself, and losing weight after childbirth will become easier for her. In addition to household chores - washing, cleaning, cooking and ironing diapers - a young parent will have a couple of hours to exercise, correct her diet and organize time.
First of all, it is worth understanding that it is not necessary to rush with weight loss - you need to let the internal organs return to normal, restore the hormonal background, relax and gain strength after childbirth, which in any case is stress for the body.
How much after childbirth can I play sports?
Many mothers are tormented by the question: what exercises for weight loss after childbirth can be done and after how much? First you need to evaluate your condition, consult a doctor and wait for the postpartum discharge to stop.
Doctors say that the best time for the introduction of physical exercises is 3-4 months after birth. There is no discharge, and weight loss after childbirth can be safe and effective. But there is a sport that can be practiced immediately after childbirth:
- swimming (with special tampons to avoid infection and infection);
- yoga (light exercises that do not require a large level of stretching);
- Pilates;
- breathing exercises (after consultation with a doctor).
For weight loss after childbirth at home, you can use the mat and do yoga on it if the baby cannot be left with her grandmother. You can also buy a pair of dumbbells and pump muscle mass.
You always need to listen to your feelings and, at the first feeling of discomfort, urgently stop exercising and consult a doctor or relax with fatigue. Not a single flat stomach is worth the complications that can be obtained from overload.
Weight loss after childbirth
The diets of young mothers may differ depending on whether they are breastfeeding or not. A nursing mother must follow a stricter diet to avoid an allergic reaction in her baby. Artificial feeding mothers need not worry about this.
If the lactating woman and her baby are not allergic to the usual foods, you can carefully include them in the diet, monitoring the condition of the baby. At the first allergic reaction - itching, sneezing, redness of the skin - it is worth immediately removing the product from the diet and consult a specialist. You may need to take special tests to show which product is allergic to.
If the baby eats the mixture, then the mother can breathe out calmly - she can use all kinds of weight loss and diets that are pleasing to the soul. But in this article the safest and most useful will be considered:
- Proper nutrition.
- Vegetarianism.
- Separate (or fractional) food.
- Veganism.
This is not a diet, but a food system, some stick to them all their lives. With their help, you can gain weight, lose or maintain - it all depends on your goal and the number of calories consumed. Below will be a general description of each system and tips so that the postpartum diet for weight loss is most effective.
Proper nutrition
The most common way to lose weight. The basis is that you need to count the calories eaten and spent, write all this in the food diary and not go beyond your daily allowance.
For weight loss, you need to calculate your calorie rate using a special program or formula, subtract 15-20% from it and eat, without going beyond this number. You can lose from 3 to 5 kg per month, and the weight will not return. And if the complex of weight loss after childbirth will include sports, then you will also tighten the body, and kilograms will melt faster!
Allowed foods with proper nutrition:
- cereals, pasta from durum wheat;
- low starch vegetables;
- fruit with a low concentration of sucrose;
- lean meat: turkey, chicken, beef;
- fish: red, white, canned fish (tuna, squid, shrimp);
- whole grain bread, bread rolls;
- dark chocolate with a cocoa content of 71%;
- dried fruits, nuts, honey as a dessert.
Prohibited Products:
- fast food;
- chips;
- carbonated soft drinks and packaged juices;
- chocolates with a low cocoa content (milk, white);
- flour products (white bread, rolls, fried pies);
- starchy vegetables: pumpkin, potatoes, eggplant (possible in small quantities).
Once every two weeks it’s worth arranging a cheat for yourself - letting you eat whatever you want. This is done so that the body does not take weight loss for a hunger strike and does not begin to store all the food received in fat. Let your body know that no one is starving.
Vegetarianism
More and more people are abandoning meat, based on improving health status, moral motives and the financial side of the issue. This method of losing weight after childbirth is not suitable for a nursing mother - the baby should receive all the necessary substances, including vitamin B12 and iron in the right amount, except for cases of allergy to animal products (then you should follow the vegan diet, which will be described below).
Vegetarians refuse meat and sometimes fish, some allow themselves a couple of times a week if they are short of protein. It is worth remembering that meat is not the richest protein product - much more than it is in sesame, beans and legumes, it is worth leaning on them, but only in the morning so that carbohydrates do not deposit on the waist and hips. Do not neglect vitamins - if it is really necessary, it will benefit not only the figure, but also the hair with nails.
Veganism
Veganism differs from vegetarianism in that vegans do not consume any animal products. Prohibited:
- dairy products (milk, cottage cheese, cheese, dairy products, condensed milk, etc.);
- meat products, including offal, semi-finished products and fish;
- gelatin (it is made from the tendons of cows, which makes it a product of animal origin);
- eggs, butter, mayonnaise.
This is a more strict food system, with which it is necessary to strictly consider the balance of proteins, fats and carbohydrates entering the body. A large amount of protein in this case can be obtained from soy protein, tofu cheese and beans, but you also need to eat them in the morning (except for cheese, it does not contain carbohydrates). Here you can’t do without additional vitamins at all, you should still get them in a pharmacy, after consulting with your doctor first.
Desserts based on this type of nutrition are fruits, dried fruits, nuts, agar-agar jelly, a variety of juices, smoothies and fruit drinks. Some exercises for losing weight in the abdomen after childbirth include power loads, in which case you definitely need to drink cocktails with soy protein to get protein - the building material for muscles.
Fractional nutrition
The essence of fractional nutrition is the separation of carbohydrate, protein and fatty foods. You can not combine proteins and carbohydrates together, but individually with fats and fiber, they will produce a completely different effect on the body. For weight loss after giving birth to a nursing mother, this diet is perfect: it improves digestion, the state of the body as a whole, and gives lightness.
In the morning, you should combine carbohydrates with fiber and fats, for example, eat oatmeal with a piece of butter and herbs. After two hours, you can eat a boiled egg with a tomato or a slice of boiled breast with vegetable salad.
The principle of fractional nutrition:
- Do not combine proteins and carbohydrates. Between their intake should pass at least one and a half to two hours.
- Carbohydrates should be eaten in the morning, protein food - for dinner or before bedtime.
For a more effective diet, you can also count calories, but this is not necessary - you will lose weight due to proper metabolism. At first, you can overcome hunger - do not be afraid and leave the system, the body will quickly rebuild and say “thank you” for the lightness presented for the stomach and intestines.
Postpartum Weight Loss Exercises
In addition to choosing a nutritional system or diet, you also need to include exercise. You must perform them regularly and avoid overloading: in a nursing mother, this can lead to a loss of milk. During training, you should drink enough water to avoid dehydration and loss of strength. Below are the main exercises for weight loss after childbirth.
Home workout for abdominal muscles
It is not necessary to engage in the gym - a young mother may simply not have the opportunity to do so. Not all young parents can sit with their children grandmothers or relatives. The following is a set of exercises for weight loss after childbirth at home:
- Warm up. It is always necessary to start and end a workout with a warm-up workout. This will help to avoid injuries and overstrain of joints and muscles. Stretch, stretch your neck, shoulders, arms, torso and legs, moving from top to bottom. Take 10-15 minutes to do this.
- Cardio training. Due to active perspiration, fat is burned, which contributes to more effective weight loss. Cardio includes running, jumping, swimming, stretching, cycling and gymnastics. These exercises should be devoted from 20 to 40 minutes at a time.
- Power training. Effective for losing weight after birth and gaining muscle mass. For exercises use dumbbells, weight training equipment. At home, you can swing the press, push ups, stand on the bar (it starts with thirty seconds, gradually increasing the time). You need to do strength exercises after cardio training, giving them half an hour.
- You need to finish the workout also with a warm-up and breathing exercises. Stand straight, feet shoulder width apart. As you inhale, slowly raise your hands up, and as you exhale, lower them. Repeat 10-15 times, this will improve cerebral blood flow.
Of course, to lose weight after giving birth at home is not necessary to exercise, but it will speed up the process and significantly improve your health.
Useful Tips
- Get involved with the baby. He will be pleased with your attention, and you can pump up the muscles of the "living dumbbell".
- How you start your day can have a huge impact on the rest of it. No matter how tired you are, take a few minutes in the morning to get ready. Take a shower for five minutes and do makeup. When we talk about makeup, we mean a light make-up - a little eyeliner, lip gloss, and you are beautiful! This is necessary in order not to go into postpartum depression and not to gain even more extra pounds.
- Talk with your doctor about starting a workout. Take your time. Wait for your doctor’s green light before starting exercise. A good portion of fitness will not only help you lose all the gained fat mass, but also make you feel better.
- Sleep is the biggest sacrifice made with the birth of a child. Sleep deprivation does not just knock you down, but it can also cause weight gain. Try to sleep when you can.
- You should eat well after childbirth, not only to look beautiful, it helps in breastfeeding. You also need to make sure that you drink enough water. This is one of many ways to look good after giving birth.
If your friends and family are ready to help you, free a few hours and go to the beauty salon. Make a fashionable haircut, makeup, pedicure and manicure - this should be enough to keep you in shape for several months! These were some of the basic steps you can take to be the most charming and attractive. But there are some more tips that you need to follow in order to get the look of an “updated mom”!
Dark circles under the eyes can make you look older than your age. But because of sleep deprivation, dark circles are very common among young mothers. The problem of water retention in the body can trigger this problem. Use a herbal pillow during sleep, minimize fluid intake before bedtime. Use circles of fresh cucumber or potatoes to refresh your eyes, use a concealer.
Just because you are a mother does not mean that you are secondary! You matter! In fact, the happier you feel, the better your maternal skills will be. A positive outlook can make life after having a baby much easier. So, try these tips and look perfect!