LOSING WEIGHT WHILE BREASTFEEDING

Every lady wants to lose the pregnancy weight after having babies. But it is very important that this weight is lost healthily so that milk supply doesn’t sink away. Excessive dieting can reduce the milk supply. Focus should be on nutrient dense foods that provide energy to nourish the baby. Weight reduction after pregnancy needs to be systematic and well planned. Breastfeeding and taking care of a baby are extremely time-consuming, and losing weight might feel like an impossible task. With a few adjustments to your daily routine, however, you can find a safe and reasonable weight loss regimen that works with your schedule and your baby's needs. Just keep in mind that your body will need to hold on to some extra weight while you are breastfeeding (around 5 kg), so you may not get back to your pre-pregnancy weight until after you finish breastfeeding.

1. Exercise

A breastfeeding mother can do exercise a few weeks after post-partum, when lactation is well established. Nursing mother can do aerobic exercise at 60-70 % of maximal heart rate without any adverse effect on lactation. Exercise improves mother’s cardiovascular fitness. However, strenuous exercise is not recommended.

2. Do not cut down on food intake

Starving yourself might reduce your weight instantly, but it will also make you weak from the inside and reduce production of milk. Eat every 2-3 hours. Although it may sound counterintuitive, but it is important to eat regularly to lose weight. Not consuming enough calories makes your body enter the “starvation mode”, known as adaptive thermogenesis in order to reduce the amount of energy you are expending, including burning calories. This functions as a weight loss sabotage.

3. Stay Hydrated

Drinking plenty of water is a good way to keep a tab on your weight. Water will aid in the digestion process and also remove toxins from the body. It is important to stay hydrated while you are breastfeeding. Water will help you do just that. It will also fill your tummy, thus making you feel less hungry.

4. Breastfeed frequently

In order to produce milk, the body will use the stored energy in fats. Breastfeeding will burn a lot of calories and that is why it is important to maintain a good balance between exercise and food consumption.

5. Aim to lose the weight slowly

It's advisable to wait a minimum of a full 2 months after childbearing prior to actively attempting to slim down. But during this time, you can be eating healthy and avoid junk food as much as possible. Half to one kilogram a week is a reasonable goal. Studies show that losing weight too quickly puts additional stress on your cardiovascular system. Childbirth and nursing put enough stress on your body; you don’t need to add more. When you go on a crash diet, your body tends to burn muscle and lose water weight, instead of burning fat. This makes keeping the weight off a lot more difficult than if you had lost weight over a more extended period of time.

6. Try to get enough sleep

Most people need  between 7 and 9 hours of sleep each night. This is especially difficult for breastfeeding moms who are frequently required to nurse throughout the night. Getting enough rest, however, is important when trying to lose weight. If you are tired, you will be more likely to reach for a quick shot of energy in the form of carbohydrates or sugar. Your brain’s reward centres become more active when you are tired and you might start looking for an easy fix. A study has shown that sleeping too little leads some people to eat bigger portions of food, and thus additional calories. This can quickly derail your weight loss plans.

Every woman loses weight at a different rate, so don’t be discouraged with slow results. As long as you’re consuming less calories than you’re burning, you’ll lose weight.