Proactol Blog

Dieting after pregnancy

After having a baby, every woman goes through the dilemma of having that annoying fat in her tummy and around her waist that seems so hard to get rid of. While on an average, you probably gain about 25 to 35 additional lbs after pregnancy, there have been women who, despite of staying on the regular exercise and healthy eating, gained as many as fifty to sixty pounds. That’s where the crucial role of dieting after pregnancy comes into play.

Need and importance of dieting after pregnancy

After childbirth, naturally, your body will still have some of the accumulated fat also known as “baby weight”.

Therefore, it is vital that you keep a healthy weight after pregnancy so as to avoid the risk of various serious health conditions such as:

• Varicose veins
• Heart disease and high blood pressure
• Diabetes
• Obesity
• Arthritis (joint disease)
• Gallstone disease

In addition, this weight also disturbs your whole body shape and figure, making you prone to social criticism and negative comments from your peers, friends and the family.

One most important area where many women fall down while trying to lose pregnancy weight is their post birth diet. Following are some of the proven and time-tested diet tips that can help you lose the weight you have gained during pregnancy a little faster and in a completely natural way.

Watch your eating: One of the hardest things that people don’t even realize is changing what you eat and drink. Write down what you eat. Doing so holds you accountable and you tend to eat less that way.

Continue to eat healthy but less: Eat a healthy, balanced diet consisting of carbs, proteins, fats, minerals like calcium, potassium and iron and full of fibers and vitamins. Just cut the portions in half so you can ultimately burn more calories than you eat, the best way to lose weight effectively and promptly.

What to eat: Try to eat lots of whole grains, legumes, and green vegetables; these will give you the most nutritional value with the lowest levels of calories and fat.

• Fresh fruits, especially citrus fruits, green leafy vegetables and whole-wheat bread are rich in fiber and will make you feel fuller. As a result, you would have a better control on your appetite and will eat less.
• Have a lot of healthy snacks like popcorn, nuts and raisins. Fresh foods without hydrogenated soybeans or refined sugar are also great.
• Drink a lot of water to flush out your system and keep yourself hydrated. Eat potassium rich foods, like bananas, spinach, and apricots. These help rid the body of excess water. Don’t eat foods high in sodium because they cause water retention.
• Get up to only 30 percent of your daily calories from fat. Some healthy fats include olive oil and avocados.
  For dairy products, prefer skim milk (0% fat), low-fat margarine or cheese.
• Eat a low-fat diet with lean meats (preferably white meat) and whole grains.
• Never skip a breakfast. Eat about 4-5 small meals throughout the day instead of having 3-4 larger meals.

What to avoid:

• Don’t drink carbonated drinks (soft / soda drinks) that will lead to bloating and flatulence. Same goes for artificially sweetened juices that contain more-than extra amount of sugar.
• Avoid baked goods and junk foods; for example, pastries and creamy cakes, deep fried fast food (cheese burgers, French fries etc.,) should be avoided.
• And last but not least, breastfeed your baby. It is estimated that women who breast feed their babies regularly lose about 500 calories daily. Also, regular physical activity such as brisk walking, jogging, running, swimming or bicycling is essential to achieve an optimal weight in an ideal time frame. Include at least 30 minutes of strenuous physical activity to your daily routine.