This article is all about how to lose weight after having a baby. Read on to learn the most effective way to achieve your postpartum weight loss goals.
Being pregnant and having a baby is one of the most extreme things that a human body can do. It is intense and beautiful. Having your body go through extreme changes like that so quickly can really affect your self-image. Soon after giving birth, I was wondering how I was going to lose the baby weight.
The easiest and most effective way to achieve postpartum weight loss is to use Weight Watchers or some other reliable, tried and true weight loss program.
Weight Gain During Pregnancy
Some women eat kale during pregnancy and work out well into their third trimester. And then there are women (aka me) who are the complete opposite and lay in bed eating ice cream.
No matter what you eat during pregnancy, your body is probably going to go through changes, some of which stick around after your baby is born.
Body Positivity
It can be very challenging for anyone to accept their new body postpartum. There are many changes that come with the territory; stretch marks, hair loss, acne, weight gain, etc. So before I continue there are a few things to remember:
1. You just gave life.
You are a superhero goddess who just did the most amazing thing in the whole world! Your body was created for this purpose and it did an awesome job.
2. This is temporary.
As your hormones regulate and time passes, you will begin to feel like yourself again. Some pounds are shed just by time passing. Woohoo!
3. You are not “ruined”.
I’ve seen a lot of things in the media that seem to suggest that women are only “in their prime” until they’ve had a child. I beg to differ! I have seen some seriously hot mamas who have had not one, but many children.
When should I start trying to lose weight after having a baby?
Whenever considering any weight-loss method, be sure to consult your doctor. Generally, around 6 weeks is the best time to start dieting. This is for a few reasons:
-This is around the time you have your postpartum checkup so you can begin to discuss diet and the possibility of exercising with your doctor.
-Six weeks is a good amount of time to allow your milk supply to stabilize if you are breastfeeding or pumping.
-For the first number of weeks, you will naturally lose weight anyway because your body is recovering from birth. Around six weeks postpartum, that natural weight loss will begin to plateau.
How long does it take to lose weight postpartum?
It is really important when starting any weight loss journey to set realistic expectations. My goal was to reach my goal weight (lose 50 pounds) within a year of having my baby.
A standard healthy rate of weight loss is 1-2 pounds a week.
And I know what you’re thinking, that’s sooo slow. I want my body back now!!! I am with you. I rolled my eyes every single time I heard the phrase “It takes nine months to put the weight on and another nine for it to come off”.
But ultimately, it’s true. Fad diets guarantee 15 pounds of weight loss in 2 weeks or some crazy number like that. And it is tempting, however, I can almost guarantee you’ll find those 15 pounds again just as fast.
If you have a diet that has worked for you in the past then go for it! In my experience, they don’t work long term.
The problem is that most diet plans aren’t sustainable. I have heard people who have had great results on the keto diet for example. However, how long can you eat like that? For my lifestyle, I find that it’s not realistic and once you stop doing it, you gain the weight back.
Successful Postpartum Weight Loss- Weight Watchers
The best way to lose weight postpartum is to use Weight Watchers.
There is a reason that WW (Previously Weight Watchers) is rated as one of the best diets every single year. It works. My goal was to lose 50 pounds by the time my baby was a year old. I ended up losing 45 pounds by the time she was 6 months old. Success!!!
I’m not special. I didn’t live off of water and cucumbers. You are totally capable of the same success.
This post is in no way sponsored by Weight Watchers. I just love it and would recommend it to anyone of my friends. And I’ve had other girlfriends who have had a ton of success with this diet as well.
How It Works
- You take a quiz to figure out what diet fits your lifestyle most.
- You are given a personalized diet with a certain amount of “points”.
- Use the WW app to track your points and stay within your limits.
- Lose weight!
Point System
The point system is Weight Watcher’s extremely advanced form of calorie counting. Each person is given a daily point value and weekly point value based on your height, weight, sex, and goals.
Foods are all given a point value calculated on 4 things: calories, saturated fat, sugar, and protein. In the app, you track what food you eat throughout the day and count your points. Staying within your points = weight loss.
Daily points are what you aim to eat during any given day. Weekly points are given as extra allowance. WW knows that people can’t stop living their lives to lose weight. People have birthday parties, get-togethers, or just the occasional off day. So the weekly points give you some flexibility. If you stay within your daily and weekly points then you will lose weight.
You track the foods you eat by searching the name or using their barcode scanner to scan items at the store (super helpful!), or you can use their recipe builder to calculate your custom recipes. All of these tools are in their app.
Why WW Is The Best
Dieting is never easy. If someone tells you it is easy, they are lying. What is worse is if you put in all that effort and then it doesn’t end up working.
It Really Works
Weight Watchers is developed by scientists in order to work. You don’t have to think about anything, everything is scientifically formulated for you in order to lose weight. As long as you stick with the plan, you WILL lose weight.
Support System
WW has an awesome support system. If you are struggling they have a 24/7 chat option to talk your problem out with someone. For example, if you can’t figure out how to cut calories from your morning coffee, you can message them at any time and they’ll troubleshoot it with you.
They also have an internal social media platform called Connect. It’s like Facebook, but exclusively for people losing weight on WW. I found this so motivating because you see other people’s success on the diet. It also might be the single most positive place on the internet.
You Can Still Eat Food You Like
On Weight Watchers no foods are off-limits. If you want to have chocolate or a glass of wine, you can. You just have to plan for it or make room for it within your week. I think this adds to the long term success of WW because you’re less likely to give up if you don’t feel deprived.
Perfect For Nursing Moms
Nursing moms are given more points in order to account for calories burned while breastfeeding. I like that it takes this into account because not all diets are specially formulated with a nursing mother in mind. Also, this way you can diet without worrying about going hungry or losing your milk supply.
You Can Do This!
If you are looking to lose your baby weight for good, then Weight Watchers is a reliable option for results. Remember to be kind to yourself, set realistic expectations, eat some food that you like in order to not get burnt out, and most importantly, while you’re accomplishing these goals make sure to soak up every minute with your new little one. You got this!
