22 APRIL, 2013

Lose pregnancy weight the proper and healthy way

Because we must think of ourselves, as well as, our newly born baby

Your pregnancy has come to an end and you are living in a new reality. Upon returning home from the maternity ward, you slowly regain your rhythm and realize that even though you have given birth, your tummy still remains. So, a new life has begun, one with increased responsibilities and frequently, increased weight, remnants for the previous nine months.

A question frequently posed is how long after giving birth can a woman begin the weight loss process. The answer to this question is very simple: as soon as possible. The longer the additional weight remains on a woman’s body, the more difficult it is to shed them, because the body gets used to them. So, from the moment you return home, allow for a 40-day adjustment period, during which time both the mother’s and the baby’s schedule is somewhat messy and thus, it is difficult to being a diet, and then begin. However, it must be emphasized, that you cannot expect miracles and even if you lose some weight, your body will require at least 9 months to fully restore to your pre-pregnancy shape. If you decide to add some exercise (provided that there are no medical issues prohibiting you from doing so) then you have faster and more immediate results.

Our diet when we are not breastfeeding 

The weight loss regiment a woman who is not breastfeeding should not be a deprivation process or entail the subjection to a strict and unfamiliar diet. On the contrary, it should be an attempt to adjust ones daily activities in a wider context, to include a healthy, nutritional lifestyle, based on personal dietery preferences, one that includes the intake of necessary nutrients. Losing 4 kg (8.8 lbs) a month, is considered by the World Health Organization, to be the ideal weight loss for ensuring the organism’s health. Weight loss that is faster or larger could possibly wear out the body, as it increases water and muscle loss, which are necessary for the smooth function of several organs. A result of this loss is a decreased metabolism, which means the body burns less and weight loss becomes even more difficult, besides, breastfeeding can be considered a form of mild exercise for a woman, since by lactating she gives her child calories – many calories.

Eating while breastfeeding 

The situation changes when a woman is breastfeeding. First of all, according to official data, breastfeeding facilitates weight loss, as well as, the restoration of the woman’s pre-pregnancy body. The most important aspect from a nutritional aspect, once again, is ensuring all those nutritional ingredients and the energy required for the mother’s satisfactory adjustment to lactation. Particular emphasis is given tot he increased energy demands of a woman who breastfeeds, as opposed to non-lactacting woman, which are the requirement of 500 additional calories on a daily basis and an increased need for calcium. So, the increase in energy must come from dairy and high-calcium sources, as well as, fruits and vegetables. As far as restriction sgo, it is suggested that when a mother is breastfeeding, just like during pregnancy, alcohol consumption is prohibited, while caffeine consumption should also be limited. Caffeine passes through the maternal blood flow into the breast milk. Daily doses that exceed 5-6 cups of coffee has been associated with neurological disorders in infants.




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