Tips for Losing the Baby Weight

For the past nine months, your body hasn’t been entirely in your control. Now that you have it back, losing the baby weight may be one of your main goals. You’re not a celebrity with a nanny, personal trainer and private chef – you’ve got to do this on your own.

Keep in mind the following tips to help you get to a healthy weight at which you can feel good about yourself:


Be Patient
You gained weight gradually over the course of your pregnancy. You can’t expect to lose it all right away. A significant amount will of course come off with childbirth, but for the first six weeks post-partum, allow nature to take its course. Although childbirth is a completely natural and normal process, it still counts as trauma to your body. You need to let your body recover. You’ll also some weight naturally over these first few weeks as swelling reduces and extra fluids flush out.

After six weeks, expect to lose one to two pounds per week, advises National Academy of Sports Medicine Certified Personal Trainer, Jane Tuttle who trains clients at Life Time Fitness in Colorado Springs. “Use other means besides the scale to track your progress. Take measurements every couple of weeks and take notice of how clothes are fitting. Don’t get stuck on a number.” Pregnancy and childbirth can affect your body’s shape, not just your weight.


Eat Sensibly
Avoid fad diets and a drastic reduction in calories, both of which can endanger your milk supply, if you’re nursing. Even if you aren’t, these diet strategies leave you irritable and zap your energy — the last things you need as a new mom.

Instead, eat sensibly, which means you focus on fresh fruits and vegetables, low-fat dairy, whole grains and lean proteins, such as flank steak, tuna and chicken breast. Don’t skimp on fat, either; healthy fats found in salmon, nuts and avocados helps you feel satisfied and full. Even the occasional
treat is OK – denial just makes cake, cookies, ice cream and margaritas that much more tempting. Do emphasize “occasional,” however.


Breastfeed, If You Can
Moms who aren’t able to breastfeed, aren’t destined to hold onto the baby weight. But if you choose to, breastfeeding helps normalize your weight. You’ll burn about 500 extra calories on average per day producing food for your baby.


Make Exercise a Priority
Exercising to lose weight seems obvious, but it’s easily relegated to a back burner when you have a small baby. Instead of skipping your workout, get creative. Push your infant in a stroller on a long walk. Put him in a bouncy chair for 10 minutes as you do a circuit of jumping jacks, push-ups, crunches, high knees and mountain climbers. Or, simply climb up and down your stairs for 10 minutes. These shorter bouts of cardio add up over the course of a day and burn calories.

When you crave a longer session, have those friends and family who volunteer to help watch your baby while you go for a solitary brisk walk, run or swim.

Strength training is also important to help you build muscle, which burns more calories at rest. Tuttle recommends you start by building a “strong foundation, being your core musculature, which includes the muscles that stabilize your spine and hips.” Floor bridges, planks and supermans are easy to do on the floor next to your baby as she enjoys some tummy time. An extra bonus? You’ll have the strength to haul around her heavy car seat.
Your tummy might be especially in need of some slimming, but as Tuttle points out “you can’t spot reduce fat doing hundreds of crunches and planks. Total body movement will increase the amount of calories burned and will help you develop more lean mass head to toe.”

Avoid stressing out about reaching your pre-baby weight in a short amount of time. “Keeping stress in check can also be helpful in reducing the belly bulge,” Tuttle says. Your baby will keep you busy, but remember to take the time to rest and recover.



Andrea Cespedes is a freelance writer located in Colorado Springs, CO. She has two children, ages 13 and 10, who were breastfed for the first 2 years of their lives. She’s also a fitness trainer, running and cycling coach and 200-hour RYT Yoga Instructor. You can follow her on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.