Here I will share navigating postpartum weight loss without the stress and help you enjoy your postpartum more! I also address some root causes for not being able to maintain a healthy weight during this time, so keep reading along.
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I believe it is a sad reality that women are complimented for ‘bouncing back’ after giving birth. It is deemed such a noteworthy accomplishment if you can lose the baby weight within a short amount of time. It makes me have compassion on all the women who can’t seem to get back to a healthy weight, because that should not even be the focus.
The higher compliment should be the accomplishment of carrying and birthing a child! And yet, society has placed an emphasis on the wrong thing, making women who cannot seem to lose weight after giving birth feel less than. This could lead to all sorts of unnecessary mental and emotional stressors on the new mama.
Here, I hope to encourage any new mother to not be stressed about losing weight in a short amount of time (and the science behind why it takes time). I also hope to give you some practical tips to manage a healthy weight during postpartum (from giving birth to a year postpartum).
I will also share some underlying root causes of why some women cannot seem to get back to a healthy weight and what to do about it.
What I will cover in this post
- The science behind weight during postpartum
- Navigating postpartum weight loss without the stress (a holistic protocol)
- Some root causes as to why weight loss is not happening
The science behind weight during postpartum
During the first six weeks postpartum, your uterus is still shrinking back to its pre-pregnancy size. During this time, you should not be thinking or stressing over losing weight.
If you are breastfeeding, your body stores excess fat to ensure a steady supply of breastmilk.
Because of these two factors, it is important to be kind to yourself and remember that it takes time for your body to get back in shape. Remember, that you will not likely ever get back to your pre-pregnancy shape (because carrying and birthing a baby can leave a permanent mark on a woman’s body – and I don’t just mean a c-section scar).
In all of my years of carrying and birthing four babies and not having weight loss issues, I have always had a little belly with some excess fat. No matter how well I eat or how much I exercise, it never seems to go. This is to show that pregnancy and birth really does change your body forever. That is not to say that you can’t be healthy or strong after giving birth – of course you can! It comes with some intention and work, but it can be done.
Navigating postpartum weight loss without the stress (a holistic protocol)
As a Holistic Nutrition Consultant for postpartum women, these are general principles that apply when it comes to postpartum weight loss on a holistic scale. If you follow these steps, I cannot guarantee weight loss, but can guarantee a healthy postpartum body.
If you follow these steps and do not see results after a few weeks, I would suspect there to be an underlying issue of why you are not losing/maintaining a healthy weight. If this is the case, I encourage you to read the next section about underlying root causes of why weight loss is not happening for you.
First off…
Take things slow
This may seem like an obvious point, but as postpartum women, it is easy to get overwhelmed as you adjust to life with a newborn on top of other life demands, like housework, older children, routines and fluctuating hormones.
Because of this, it is common to want to get back to normality. However, there is no such thing as normality in postpartum. It is a completely new, unchartered territory with lots of waves and storms. Because of our expectations that often go unmet, this can cause stress on our bodies, emotionally, mentally and physically. So, taking things slow and having realistic expectations will eliminate stress and play a factor in getting your body back into shape.
Balance your meals
Balancing meals ensures you are getting all the components of a healthy meal, including quality protein, healthy fats, fresh vegetables and some dense carbohydrates like pumpkin or sweet potato.
If you want to lose weight after the six week postpartum mark, then please hear me when I say that fats are important to your diet. A low-fat diet is not the way to go, as quality fat is crucial for a balanced diet, particularly if breastfeeding.
When I say quality fat, I mean real, unsaturated fats like avocado, fatty fish, grass-fed butter, extra-virgin olive oil and nuts.
My two best pieces of advice for eating balanced meals is planning your meals in advance (if you were able to freeze some meals during pregnancy, this is great!) and listen to your body’s hunger cues. If you are hungry, then opt for a nourishing meal or snack and go for gold!
Start with one healthy habit
Don’t overhaul every healthy habit all at once. This will likely lead to stress, which will likely lead to weight gain or the inability to lose weight.
Start by eating a nourishing breakfast, like eggs on sourdough with a side of spinach or avocado, or a balanced smoothie. Or start by replacing an Uber eats lunch with a homemade salad sandwich with whole grain bread and a good source of protein.
Pick one thing you are struggling with most right now and replace it with a healthy habit. There’s your starting point. If you need to just focus on that for a couple of weeks, then let it be. Don’t start a new healthy habit until you are ready to.
Don’t go hungry or too full
This touches on what I shared earlier about following your hunger cues. Many women put on weight simply by not eating enough nutrient-dense foods. Or it could go the other way, and women may eat too much of nutrient-depleted foods that cause the weight gain.
I mean it when I say to eat when you are hungry and to stop eating when you feel satisfied. This is a great rule to go by if not eating enough or eating too much is something you struggle with.
Eat mindfully
Okay, I’m not going to lie- this is something I have struggled with for many years. I don’t typically eat mindfully because I am always focused on the next thing and want to get my eating out of the way.
Eating mindfully means thinking and being aware of how much you chew, the texture of your food and focusing on the process of eating instead of mindlessly eating. It might sound woo-woo to you, but here’s the thing: the more you focus on your eating, the more quickly you will realise how full you are.
When we mindlessly eat, we realise too late that we have eaten too much than our bodies could handle. I urge you to try it at your next meal!
Exercise
I’ve placed this step at the very end, because for many women they would probably think of this first when wanting to lose weight. However, during postpartum, I would focus on eating habits first before focusing on exercising.
You will want to start gentle movements, like walking. You are more prone to injury in the first 6 weeks of postpartum, so it is crucial that you take it easy.
After 6 or so weeks, depending on your recovery, feel free to exercise frequently, but with a slow start.
The important thing is not to stress about it. There are some great YouTube videos on postpartum exercises that you can do with your newborn in view or while she naps.
Never underestimate the power of taking the pram out and going for a walk! This can do wonders for your body and your mental health.
Some root causes as to why weight loss is not happening
Here is a list of root causes as to why weight loss may not be happening for you. I urge you to seek advice/testing from a trusted Naturopath or Functional Medicine Practitioner if you think one of these reasons may be why.
- Hormonal imbalances
- Thyroid dysfunction
- Adrenal fatigue
- Poor sleep quality
- Blood sugar imbalances (quick tip: when you follow the protocol above, this will naturally help sustain your blood sugars throughout the day).
Some of my favourite postpartum essentials on Amazon
Low toxic glass tupperware for postpartum freezer meals: click here
Re-usable organic washable breast-pads: click here
Clary sage roller oil for birth pains/after pains: click here
Tom Organics Maternity Pads: click here
Lanolin natural nipple balm: click here
More on the blog
20 best foods to eat for postpartum
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