Postnatal Weight Loss – How to Get Started?
Gaining some weight after delivering a baby is common. But resuming your fitness journey after a long break can be much harder than you’d think. Nevertheless, getting back into a healthy weight range is beneficial for your health in the long run, especially if you’re expecting to get pregnant in future again. With that in mind, here are some tips to help you lose weight after pregnancy.
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Keep your goals realistic
Despite what many celebrity stories would have us believe, losing weight after childbirth does take some time. It can depend on several factors like how much weight you’ve gained during pregnancy and how much time your body needs to recover. It is important to set realistic goals wherein you can lose weight gradually and safely.
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Don’t crash diet
After pregnancy, your body needs proper nutrition to recover and heal. Moreover, you’d require more calories than usual if you are breastfeeding. A quick-fix crash diet is likely to be lacking important nutrients and will leave you feeling lethargic and weak.
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Monitor your calorie intake
If you have noticed that eating intuitively doesn’t seem to be helping you in your weight loss journey, tracking your calories can be a great idea. It can help you figure out your portion sizes, identify where you may be going wrong and make healthier choices. It can also help you ensure that you are consuming enough calories to provide you with the energy you need. This can be done by keeping a food diary or using a calorie tracking app.
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Drink up
Drinking an adequate amount of water throughout the day can help you ensure that you’re staying hydrated. It can also keep you full for longer in between your meals so that you don’t overeat.
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Get moving
Exercising has numerous benefits in general but can especially help to speed up your weight loss. According to the CDC, exercising improves our heart health and reduces the risk of diabetes as well as several types of cancer. Cardio exercises such as walking, jogging, running and cycling can help you stay active and burn calories without jumping into a strenuous workout regimen right away.
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Get adequate sleep
It may seem harder to get a complete eight-hour sleep when you have a newborn to take care of, but inadequate sleep can leave you feeling tired and make it hard for you to lose the extra pregnancy weight. Studies show that new mothers who sleep five hours or less at night are more likely to hold on to their baby weight than women who sleep for seven hours. Being sleep deprived can also result in your body releasing cortisol and other stress hormones that lead to weight gain.
If you’re a new mom who is looking to resume her fitness or trying to shed some extra pounds, let FCBS Dubai be a part of your journey. Call us on +971 4 3255481 or email us at info@fcbsglobal.com to know about our postnatal weight loss programs.