You may gain extra weight during pregnancy as you take extra food & enough rest during that period. Now that your new baby is here and you always think about how to get rid of those extra pounds. Don’t worry! You need to maintain a gradual approach to lose weight. Be relaxed, hold patience and follow our secure and prudent ways to lose baby weight just after pregnancy and get back fitness. 

Weight gain during pregnancy

It is important to understand how much weight you should gain during pregnancy. You should also know why your body is putting on pounds, and how it plays a role in what happens after the baby arrives. How much weight you should gain during pregnancy will depend on your body mass index (BMI) before you get pregnant. 

Institute of Medicine (IOM) says women who are underweight need to gain 28 to 40 lbs. (12.7 to 18.1 kg) while women with a normal BMI need to gain 25 to 35 lbs. (11.3 to 15.9 kg) but women in the overweight type should aim to gain 15 to 25 lbs. (6.8 to 11.3 kg), and women in the obese category should aim to gain 11 to 20 lbs. (5.0 to 9.1 kg). The women who carry twins, the recommended weight gain amounts for them are higher. 

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According to IOM, the most important reason women should limit their weight gain during pregnancy is to reduce risks both to the mother and the baby's health. According to  IOM's recommendation, women can gain between 0.5 to 2 kg during the first trimester. And during both the second and third trimesters, women may gain 0.5 to 1 lb. (0.23 to 0.45 kg) per week. 

Of course, that will depend on their pre-pregnancy BMI. The IOM also says that, during these trimesters, underweight and normal-weight women generally gain 1 lb. per week, overweight women gain 0.6 lbs. (0.27 kg) per week and obese women gain 0.5 lbs. per week. 

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Weight Gain and Postpartum depression 

Postpartum depression (PPD) is a complex including physical, emotional, and behavioral changes that happen in some women after giving birth. It is a serious but treatable medical illness that involves feelings of extreme sadness, indifference, and anxiety. It can affect the new moms.

Some mothers suffer from Postpartum depression due to gaining excess weight during their preganancy periods.

Ways to Defend Postpartum depression regarding weight retention 

- Educate Yourself

- Sleep And Eat Properly

- Exercise

- Avoid Making Major Life Changes During Or Right After Childbirth

- Enlist Good Support During Birthing

- Prepare Yourself Well For Childbirth

- Enlist Household Help During The Postpartum Period

- Attend A PPD Support Group.

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Safe ways to lose baby weight fast after pregnancy

Avoid crash diet

If you follow crash diets, you may lose a large amount of weight in the shortest possible time but your body needs good nutrition after delivery of a baby to heal and recover. Besides, the  CDC says if you are breastfeeding, you require more calories than normal. Your stimulated safe weight loss of about 1.1 pounds (0.5 kg) per week. 

So, instead of crash dieting, the new moms should eat a well-balanced variety of foods. Unhealthy foods should be avoided. If you want to lose baby weight after pregnancy, eat apple slices, carrot sticks, and wheat crackers. These foods can keep you away from feeling hungry and give you energy throughout the day. 

Drink enough water

You need to drink enough water if you are trying to lose weight because it increases the sense of fullness and stimulates metabolism that ultimately leads to weight loss. According to the CDC choosing water over just one 20-ounce sweetened beverage can save you 240 calories. 

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For breastfeeding women, there’s no alternative to staying hydrated. You can follow the 8×8 rule which is a good goal to assist you with weight loss and hydrating. 

Breastfeed

The World Health Organization (WHO), the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), and the CDC- all suggested breastfeeding. Breastfeeding has numerous benefits both for you and your baby:

-Provides nutrition

-Supports the baby’s immune system

-help your baby fight viruses and bacteria.

-Lowers the risk of disease in infants

-Reduces the mother’s risk of diseases such as high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, breast cancer, and ovarian cancer.

Additionally, research has shown that breastfeeding can support postpartum weight loss.

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Take superfoods

As a new mother, you need to choose foods that are heavy in nutrients and light in calories and fat. First, you can choose fish which is one of these "superfoods" because it is rich in DHA, an essential omega-3 fatty acid that helps your newborn develop a healthy brain and nervous system. 

You can also take milk and yogurt which are superfoods as they are high in the calcium you need to keep your bones strong. Make sure you take protein like lean meat, chicken, and beans.

Do exercise

If you wish to post-pregnancy weight loss, you need to take exercise. Exercise like walking, jogging, running, cycling, and interval training, helps you burn calories and has numerous health benefits. CDC says exercise improves heart health and reduces the risk and severity of diabetes.  Besides, exercise may reduce the risk of various types of cancer. If you can combine diet and exercise, you may lose an average of 3.7 pounds (1.72 kg).

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Get enough sleep

Although it is difficult to get enough sleep with a little one, make sure you sleep if possible whenever your baby sleeps. Remember, a lack of sleep is related to retaining more weight after pregnancy.

Be realistic

You need to believe that losing weight after pregnancy takes time. Your losing weight will depend on how much weight you gained during pregnancy. If you gained more weight, you may need more time to end up a few pounds than you were pre-pregnancy.

Avoid refined carbs, processed foods, and alcohol

You should avoid sugar, refined carbs, processed foods, and alcohol. These kinds of foods are high in calories and usually low in nutrients. Regular consumption of such unhealthy foods can ultimately counteract your weight loss efforts, says the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Though these foods may be tempting, you have to choose healthy foods to shed your extra pounds.

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