From professional and personal experience I give you the keys to lose weight postpartum.

One of the first questions that come to mind when we find out that we are pregnant (or even pre-conception) is: how to lose weight after pregnancy? Will I get my figure back? And it is normal because the average of kilos that we gain when we gestate is between 8 and 25 kilos. And if it is already difficult to lose 3 or 4, how can it not be to lose 15.

But don’t be alarmed! Because with the keys that you will discover in this post, you will have everything under control.

Postpartum considerations

You have just given birth, you look bloated, disheveled, you are a roller coaster of emotions. As soon as you are happy about the birth of your child and your new life, you are terrified of the changes that are coming your way.

You are sleepy, hungry. A belly hangs on you that you don’t recognize. You walk around with your breasts in the air because the baby does not leave you a single minute quiet (in the case of artificial breastfeeding, we would talk about washing one bottle after another, going to buy milk, looking for nipples …).

And the days go by and that remains the same, your body does not change. The same question constantly haunts your mind, Will I stay like this forever?

Hit the brakes. You are in the puerperium. And if we look for this word in the dictionary we will find something such as “Period of time that the complete recovery of the reproductive system lasts after childbirth, which usually lasts between five and six weeks.”

That’s the only thing you need to worry about in this, better known, quarantine. Recover. Whether your delivery was vaginal or by cesarean section (here I can also tell you from experience, the first was a cesarean section and the second a vaginal birth), you need rest. Care Attention. Pampering

And your baby. After these 40 days, when you already feel strong, when your hormones have left the foam party they had organized, that is when you should start thinking about your figure.

Natural recovery

As we all know, the body is wise and it is also wise postpartum. Making a very general summary, we could say that after birth, our body is like when we are around 25-30 weeks of gestation.

After the quarantine, everything begins to settle, but it is not until after the first year that we can say that “everything has returned to its place” or at least it should be.

That is to say, although we must take care of ourselves to lose weight after childbirth, it is approximately a year after it when we have used up the cartridge of “natural recovery” and that is when we have to start a dietary treatment (always keeping in mind breastfeeding counts, if practiced).

So if after the first year you have not managed to reach the weight before pregnancy, it is time to reach out.

I also want to make it clear that this recovery will depend a lot on each woman, on how she ate before pregnancy, how she has eaten during pregnancy and how she has eaten (and eats) after pregnancy.

In the same way that your lifestyle will also influence, if you are an active woman, an athlete, if you have toxic habits … But in any case, be it more or less complex, it is possible to return to a healthy weight, to the initial weight (if this it was, of course).

Keys to lose weight after pregnancy

The truth is that there is no “postpartum diet” as such, a hypocaloric diet must be followed, adapted to the new life of the mother, adjusting it to her hours of sleep and activity, time to cook … always respecting the priority and abundance of vegetables, fruits, legumes, nuts … However, there are some keys to take into account to achieve this loss.

Breastfeeding

Part of this natural recovery is due to breastfeeding. I am not saying that if you do not breastfeed you will not achieve it, but it is much easier to achieve it, simply because the simple act of breastfeeding increases your daily caloric expenditure by 500-700 kcal.

Not to say that it implies that you are in charge of all the feedings (more activity), unlike artificial lactation, in which it can be daddy (or the second mommy) who takes care of it.

Furthermore, as detailed by Carlos González in his book “A gift for life”, a book that I highly recommend by the way, I would even say mandatory reading for all pregnant women, “the amount of fat in milk increases throughout the taking.

It is not a small increase; It has been proven that the fat concentration at the end of the feed can be five times higher than at the beginning ”.

If there is something that feeds and nourishes it is fat, and as you can see through breastfeeding we do what we could say a “natural liposuction on the rise”.

So if you can and want, I recommend that you practice breastfeeding, (one of the parts of the day ), since it will not only help you lose weight, but you will have the multiple benefits of breastfeeding , both you and you. baby.

Have breakfast

On several occasions I have disproved all the myths about breakfast, among which is that “having breakfast is the most important meal of the day.”

It is not, but in this case I do recommend that you eat breakfast, and also generously. Obviously, if you don’t feel like it at all and you’re going to force yourself and even throw up for it, don’t do it.

But if you can and it doesn’t make a sacrifice, do it. What to have for breakfast? I don’t get in there anymore, you know that my children eat anything for breakfast, even chickpeas : P, but I will tell you that whatever you eat for breakfast is healthy, real food.

I want to make it clear that I do not propose that you eat breakfast because eating breakfast makes you lose weight, far from it, I do it because at this moment and due to hormonal imbalance, it is very likely that you feel hungry at all hours.

One way to calm that hunger is by having a good breakfast. You will start the day with energy, satiated and with the spirit for what the day presents you.

You will also avoid spending the morning constantly pecking, that although there is a lot to do, maternity leave gives us a lot of time. And being at home enhances it.

In case you lack imagination, here are some suggestions:

• Bowl of natural (Greek) yogurt with random nuts or seeds and one (or several) pieces of fruit.
• Oatmeal porridge with red berries and chia (or other fruits / seeds).
• Wholemeal toasts or sandwiches (always wholemeal) with whipped fresh cheese and fruit, hummus, cream of nuts, avocado and tomato, tahini and leaves, …
• Oatmeal pancakes / pancakes with chocolate, fruits, cocoa cream or nuts …
• Leftovers from the night before.

Eat every two to three hours

Splitting your intakes and eating more often can also help you control that feeling of hunger and wanting to eat at all times. Setting your intakes even if you make a total of 5 or 7 is important.

Both to avoid pecking and to take away that feeling of constantly eating. Set yourself a number of intakes and a schedule and try to respect it as much as possible.

If at any given time you do not feel like one of the marked intakes and it will not affect the next intake, do not eat, but adapt your diet to your needs.

It is all a matter of hunger management, which poorly controlled could lead to anxiety. Not to mention the anxiety we can feel after being mothers, especially if we talk about the first child.

Water, lots of water

Something that you free yourself when giving birth, especially after quarantine, is from elephant feet. Of that painful and voluminous retention that makes you feel more animal than human.

Well, to help with this retention and why not, to lose weight (especially if we use water as a substitute for sugary soft drinks), drink water. Make water your main drink, let everything you drink be water.

And in quantity. Truly and as I mentioned before, the body is wise and already asks you, especially with breastfeeding.

But if that is not the case, always have a bottle of water in sight, drink infusions (watch out for breastfeeding contraindications!), Flavor the water, make yourself broths … whatever it may be, hydrate yourself and give your body water.

Exercise

The complement that always accompanies us and that should not abandon us never has a leading role in this case. In order to regain firmness prior to pregnancy (especially in the abdominal part), regular and frequent exercise is necessary.

Not only to lose weight, but also to tone and strengthen the muscle wall that is so damaged after childbirth. Getting the “flat stomach” prior to pregnancy will only be possible if we do physical work. So it’s not just about losing weight, here we talk about getting back in shape and figure as well.

I think it is clear that this exercise should always be done taking into account our possibilities and having made the necessary recovery. We must do it progressively and to be able to be guided by a tutor or personal trainer. We must not forget that we have just given birth, and although it is said quickly, it has its complexity.

But then, am I going to get my figure back?

Let’s see, I’m not going to fool you. If it is very likely that there are certain changes in your body that are irreversible, as in my case, that my navel has stayed out or my breasts that after two lactations (and I am still breastfeeding) are not where they used to be.

But removing small details, I can tell you that if not 100%, we can recover our figure by 98%. It is only necessary to work hard, internalize habits, eat healthy and practice physical exercise. Take heart, girls!