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Pregnancy
Weight gain during pregnancy - The average weight gain during pregnancy, with the baby, is between 25 to 35 pounds. During the birth, new moms lose about 12.5 to 14 pounds, leaving about 12 to 21 pounds of excess weight to lose during the postpartum period. In addition, some new moms may gain an extra 10-12 pounds during pregnancy, due to various medical conditions, in which case there will be more postpartum weight for them to lose in order to regain their pre-pregnancy figure without fast weight loss.
Don't use pregnancy as an excuse to eat, and, conversely, don't go crazy thinking about dieting because you're racking up the pounds fast. The main objective is to consume a healthy, well-balanced diet based on a variety of foods. A woman who is not pregnant needs between 1,800 and 2,200 calories per day. When you are pregnant, you need to increase your calories by about 300 per day. You will probably gain the right amount of weight for you and your baby, if you generally eat healthy foods, and let your own appetite be your guide.
After coming Home
Some new moms expect to fit right into their pre-pregnancy jeans when they come home from the hospital after having their baby. Unfortunately, this is seldom the case. Remember, by carrying and delivering a baby, your body has accomplished something incredible--although, unfortunately, the process can put on pounds in undesirable ways.
A combination of healthy eating and regular exercise is the best way to lose that baby weight. Don't jump into dieting and exercise right away, though; it's usually best to wait until after your postpartum checkup (around six weeks after baby) to start. Your practitioner can examine you and give you the go-ahead when it's safe to begin an exercise program. That said, walking is an excellent form of exercise that you can begin as soon as you feel up to it. Forget about dieting for fast weight loss.
Getting back into shape will make you feel good, but putting a lot of pressure on yourself to do so while taking care of your newborn and family can really add to your stress. Your best bet is to eat healthful foods and to try to find a balance between taking care of yourself and taking care of everyone else.
Pregnancy and our Products
Our Products:
Pregnant, lactating and post-partum women need to consult with their doctors. Our products are balanced, complete foods and supplements. The Maintenance Program and the Cleansing and Fat Burning System can both be safely integrated to a Mom's plan. Take good care of yourself.
Is it possible to lose weight and regain your figure after having a baby?
Yes, it is! Having a baby does not mean you have to be fat. Lots of new moms regain their pre-pregnancy figure within 8-12 months. It took your body 9 months to gain the weight gradually; it is probably best to lose it in the same way. Eat properly, get active and let nature do the rest. Again, you don’t want to lose weight too fast
Don't rush out and start dieting after the birth
If you are not breast feeding then don't rush out and start dieting. Instead, for the first three months or so after the birth, concentrate on healthy eating, and develop your own exercise plan. Then, when your body has begun to recover and when your period has returned to normal, start following a healthy, low fat weight-loss plan and you will lose weight just as easily as the next person.
How long before you reach your pre-pregnancy weight
If your weight gain during pregnancy was no more than the recommended 22- 30 pounds, you should be able to return to your pre-pregnancy weight within about 8 months. This may sound slow, but you really can't lose weight much faster and stay healthy at the same time.
Slow Weight Loss is Essential
Although having a baby is a wonderful experience for any woman, after enduring nine months of pregnancy symptoms, including 5-6 months of extra weight, it's quite natural to want to normalize your weight fast and regain your pre-pregnancy shape as soon as possible. But don't be too impatient. Life after giving birth typically throws up a new set of problems, which can cut across your plans to lose weight. So if you are a new mom, and you can't wait to get back into shape, take my advice and "Go Easy!" Trying fast weight loss too fast can rebound on you.
Eat Healthily and Give Your Body Time to Recover
It takes up to 6 months after pregnancy for your body to return to normal. So even if you are not breast feeding, don't be in too much of a hurry for dieting. Apart from the physical trauma of giving birth, which itself can leave you feeling exhausted, breast feeding, looking after and being responsible for a new baby can be very stressful. It will require all your energy - especially as you get to grips with "night-feeds" and all the other demands of a new infant! So rather than focusing on "weight loss", concentrate for the first three months or so after the birth on eating healthy food with enough calories and nutrients to give you the energy and nutrition to cope with a new baby.
Exercise When You Feel Up to It
Exercise, when too vigorously, too soon, can be damaging to your health. This doesn't mean you need to be sedentary - on the contrary, you should be able to start gentle exercise almost immediately after returning home. But avoid any type of vigorous or sustained exercise until after your first post-pregnancy check-up. In exercise, as in the case of your diet, be guided by your doctor. He/she will explain the benefits of exercise - which include mood as well as physical benefits - and outline a suitable fitness program for you to follow. Incidentally, physical exercise in no way interferes with your ability to breast feed.
Breast feeding and weight loss
Breast feeding often helps many women with easy, natural weight loss, since about 500 extra calories are burned up just in the process of nourishing the baby. Studies do show that breastfeeding women do tend to lose weight more easily than those who do not breastfeed, but there are some women for whom it does not make a difference. In a few women, sometimes breast feeding can make it hard to lose the last couple of pounds, because the body needs to hang on to a little extra fat reserve for energy. So although breast feeding does help most lose some weight, this is not always true for every woman.
One significant concern is that if you have fast weight loss too quickly while breast feeding your baby, your milk supply may decrease significantly. Therefore it is best not to start right dieting right away after pregnancy. Wait at least 8 weeks, until breast feeding is very secure and the supply well established and regulated. Often it is best to wait at least the first 3 months or so. Remember that starting too soon or losing too quickly may affect your milk supply.
Another concern is that if you lose weight too fast, toxins that have been stored in fat layers may be released into your system and affect baby. Losing weight slowly instead seems not to have this effect. If you are determined to lose weight after pregnancy, don't start right away while baby's liver is relatively immature and unable to process toxins very effectively, and once you do start, go slowly and avoid fast loss.
Some women decide to wean their baby so that they can start dieting. This is foolish. Breast feeding is so good for baby's health and helps lower your own chances of certain types of cancer that you should do it, regardless of whether or not it helps you lose weight. Taking great care of your baby does not end with pregnancy, and breastfeeding is very beneficial to mom as well as to baby. Don't sacrifice your baby's health or yours so that you can start dieting right away. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends at LEAST one year of breastfeeding and the World Health Organization at LEAST two years.
Reasonable Exercise
Perhaps the best approach is to concentrate on reasonable eating and exercise habits. Take your baby with you on regular brisk walks----it's great for you and for him! Cut down on your fat intake and sugar intake, but don't try to be 'perfect' every single day----this is just setting yourself up for failure. Be reasonable instead about dieting.
Midwife Susan Moray says, "Exercise is the safest way for a lactating mother to control her weight. 30-60 minutes of sustained exercise every day will burn off between 150-300 calories a day. The calories lost from breastfeeding, exercise, and avoidance of unnecessary calories should help you to lose a pound a week---a safe amount for most breast feeding mothers." (The Oregonian, November 1996).
The best approach is not to look at the scale but at your lifestyle and habits. Get these into good shape and let the rest follow. Again, the possible health benefits of dieting have to be weighed against the considerable risks of dieting itself, and the short-term loss and benefits have to be considered against the very real statistics that show that almost all diets 'fail' when long-term results are monitored. Instead, reform your habits and your attitudes about yourself, stop apologizing for your size, and find a reasonable, sustainable weight and exercise plan that is suitable for YOU. Don't put your emphasis on thinness but on HEALTH.
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