So You Just Grew a Human Inside Your Belly and Now You Want to Lose the Excess Weight.
Congratulations! You just grew a human inside your uterus over ten months. The weight you gained consisted of the baby, the placenta which nourished the baby, your breasts full of milk that will feed the baby in his new habitat, the amniotic fluid which bathed and protected your baby, and some extra fat to nourish mom during breastfeeding and chasing after the baby. After birth, you will automatically lose some of the weight you gained. With time, you can get down to a healthy weight.
For starters, a woman's body is her own. I'm sick of people making comments on others bodies. As a woman, I feel there is more pressure to have the perfect body. Having struggled with an eating disorder before, I realized the insecurities I had with my body and felt the pressure society placed on me. When you get pregnant, the people who know you are pregnant will begin to tell you what you should do. Often, people will tell you to gain more weight or to not gain so much weight. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) recommends normal weight women gain between 25-35 pounds. If you are obese, you can gain less. If you are underweight, you can gain more. Gaining weight steadily is best. You will gain most of your weight during your third trimester.
If you gain within the recommended weight range, it will be easier to get back to your pre-pregnancy weight. However, do not focus on your weight. Eat when you are hungry. Eat nutritious foods, choose organic foods when possible. Eat mainly fruits and vegetables. Do this while you are pregnant and when you are not. I do not believe in diets. People should adopt healthy lifestyles.
I gained 30 pounds while pregnant, going from 120 to 150 pounds. When I came home from the hospital, I was around 135 pounds. After a few weeks of breastfeeding, I was down to 130 pounds. After going on an elimination diet (a diet free of the top 8 allergens to find out what Amelia was allergic to) and going dairy/soy free, I was able to lose another 5 pounds. I currently am around 125 pounds around 11 weeks postpartum.
Tips:
For starters, a woman's body is her own. I'm sick of people making comments on others bodies. As a woman, I feel there is more pressure to have the perfect body. Having struggled with an eating disorder before, I realized the insecurities I had with my body and felt the pressure society placed on me. When you get pregnant, the people who know you are pregnant will begin to tell you what you should do. Often, people will tell you to gain more weight or to not gain so much weight. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) recommends normal weight women gain between 25-35 pounds. If you are obese, you can gain less. If you are underweight, you can gain more. Gaining weight steadily is best. You will gain most of your weight during your third trimester.
If you gain within the recommended weight range, it will be easier to get back to your pre-pregnancy weight. However, do not focus on your weight. Eat when you are hungry. Eat nutritious foods, choose organic foods when possible. Eat mainly fruits and vegetables. Do this while you are pregnant and when you are not. I do not believe in diets. People should adopt healthy lifestyles.
I gained 30 pounds while pregnant, going from 120 to 150 pounds. When I came home from the hospital, I was around 135 pounds. After a few weeks of breastfeeding, I was down to 130 pounds. After going on an elimination diet (a diet free of the top 8 allergens to find out what Amelia was allergic to) and going dairy/soy free, I was able to lose another 5 pounds. I currently am around 125 pounds around 11 weeks postpartum.
Tips:
- Gain a healthy amount of weight during your pregnancy.
- Breastfeeding helped me lose weight (it burns around 600 calories/day) but alas isn't for everyone. If you are breastfeeding, do not lose too much weight too quickly or your milk supply could lessen.
- Eat clean. If you are breastfeeding, you will be ravenous all day. If you are a new mom, you will barely have your hands free. Pre-package fruits and veggies into baggies or glass containers in your fridge. Eat an anti-inflammatory diet: courtesy of Dr. Weil.
- Walk with your baby everyday (I liked using the K'Naan carrier, but if you walk in a stroller, that will work too). Wait until your body feels ready. They recommend 6 weeks, but I started walking around 3-4 weeks.
- If you have extra hands to watch your little one, resume whatever activity you loved before you were pregnant. Do yoga, running, Zumba, swimming, soccer, etc.
- Be patient. It will take time to lose the weight you gained. It took you 9 months to gain it.
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