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The Secrets to Weight Loss After Pregnancy

Sarah is a pregnant mother of three who continues to breast-feedher 18-month-old. After each of her pregnancies| she has haddifficulty losing weight. With all of her responsibilities|weight loss isnt a priority. Still| she wishes that| once thispregnancy is over| she will be able to return to herpre-marriage weight. The average woman gains more than 25 poundsduring her pregnancy. The procedure of childbirth may result ina weight loss of up to 14 pounds| which means that new momsstill have considerable weight to lose once they leave thehospital. However| some women simply assume that this "baby fat"will never go away. Yet| it is entirely possible to lose weightduring the post-partum period. A number of medical expertsrecommend easing into a weight loss program after the birth ofyour baby. This means that you will not start dieting untilabout three months following birth. You should combine a low-fatdiet with moderate exercise in order to achieve weight loss.Dont expect instant results. It will take you a good ninemonths to get back to your weight prior to pregnancy. A go-slowapproach is best because you need to give your body time torecover after childbirth. Certainly| you might be able to loseweight faster| but you might be sacrificing valuable nutrientsas a result. Interestingly enough| breastfeeding actuallyenhances weight loss. The American College of Obstetricians andGynecologists has found that breastfeeding leads to the releaseof hormones which enable your uterus to return to its normalsize. However| breastfeeding alone wont bring down your weight.You need to combine it with a sensible diet and a moderateexercise program. Keep in mind that you need to have at least1800 calories a day while breastfeeding in order to keepyourself and your baby healthy. Still| stay clear of junk foodduring this period. You should rely on food with highnutritional value to maintain the proper level of calories eachday. There are many good reasons to exercise during thepost-partum period. In addition to helping to accelerate weightreduction| exercise can help alleviate post-partum depression|improve your mood| and boost your confidence. Exercise can also"clear your head" so that youre better able to meet the demandsof motherhood. You might consider joining a "Mommy and Me"exercise class so that your baby can exercise right along withyou. Another helpful hint is to enlist the help of a friend orrelative to act as your exercise buddy so that youll have someemotional support while exercising. An added bonus of exerciseis that it should boost your energy level| which is quiteimportant when battling the fatigue which comes from caring fora newborn. Your diet should generally be low-fat but notfat-free; vitamin rich; and high-fiber. Under no circumstancesshould you go on a fad diet. Such a diet could be quite harmfulto your health and could actually slow your recovery fromchildbirth. Its a good idea to set weight-loss goals| but dontgo overboard. Recognize that theres a limit to the amount ofweight you can lose during a given period of time. You may see anumber of actress-moms gracing the covers of magazines shortlyafter the birth of their children. They appear svelte andelegant| totally devoid of baby fat. In the accompanyingarticle| they may even talk about exercising right afterchildbirth. Such articles send new mothers a dangerous message:that you must do all you can to become thin as quickly aspossible after your baby is born. Such a philosophy is not onlyridiculous| its also unhealthy. As a result| youll need to"tune out" such messages from the media and stay the course withyour own gradual weight loss plan. The time right after thebirth of a child can be quite challenging| taxing both yourphysical and emotional strength. While it is certainly a goodidea to eat healthy| youll need to pace yourself as far asweight loss is concerned. Over time| you should be able to losethe weight you gained during your pregnancy. In fact| you mightfind that youre actually healthier after your baby is born.

About the author:Nishanth Reddy is an Author and Publisher of various healthrelated websites. For more articles on Loosing Weight visithttp://www.weightloss-diettips.com.

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