New mothers often find it particularly hard to begin losing weight postpartum. A bevy of factors can combine to impact your mindset and physicality, thereby potentially impeding any progress you may hope to make. However, the good news is that if you’re a new mother going into 2023 crestfallen, you need not worry. With slight tweaks in your eating habits, 2023 can be your year in terms of meeting your weight loss goals.
Table of Contents
Can new mothers gain weight post-pregnancy?
Can you begin your weight loss journey immediately?
How can new mothers begin their weight loss journey?
What are the eating habits that can help you lose weight?
Can new mothers gain weight post-pregnancy?
It is entirely possible for you to gain weight post-pregnancy. This is due to a combination of factors that work in tandem. The most obvious answer is the spike in your appetite when you’re pregnant due to the HCG hormone entering your bloodstream from the placenta, which is responsible for the regulation of most factors that can govern the ability to lose weight – i.e; metabolism, digestion, and the distribution of energy and nutrition.
When paired with the fact that stress – a huge factor that plays a role in weight gain – weighs heavily on new mothers after childbirth, makes it easier to understand why losing weight might seem like a behemoth of a task.
Can you begin your weight loss journey immediately?
Weight loss is not a one-size-fits-all process. Neither is the entire process of childbirth. Different women will have different results when trying to hop aboard the weight loss train.
If you’re not planning on having the next baby immediately after, you can begin your journey. In fact, opting for a healthier lifestyle postpartum is recommended. However, if you do plan on getting pregnant, dietary restrictions are usually not recommended, given that they can impact the baby. That being said, maintaining a healthy, nutritious diet throughout the process is the best option.
How can new mothers begin their weight loss journey?
First things first, you must go in with a clear mind, which, in itself, can be a tall order. You are, understandably, all over the place after giving birth, and there may be numerous obstacles that hinder you from embarking on a journey toward weight loss. However, affirming that you’re doing this for a sense of holistic well-being can help in more ways than one.
When you decide that healthy living, and not weight loss alone, is the ultimate goal, you trick your mind into moving away from a fixation on the weighing scale. It instills in you the idea that there is a greater good to achieve and steers you away from focusing on numbers solely. You enable yourself to believe that this is a long-term change in your lifestyle, as opposed to just your diet, and one that will seep into your daily life to become a part of your routine for years to come. Consequently, you will want to make time to implement changes in your eating habits – not because you have to, but because you want to.
This will also open up an avenue for you to set realistic goals. You may be in the process of mourning the body you had, but this slight tweak in your mindset will allow you to understand that you’re working towards a newer body – one that has endured childbirth, and will now bounce back stronger and healthier. The resulting inner dialogue you have with yourself will be far kinder, and receptive to the fact that progress need not always be linear.
What are the eating habits that can help you lose weight?
A recurring idea in the process of weight loss is that one’s diet is of key significance. The same principle applies here as well. However, there is a lot more to eating habits than just your diet. Your relationship with food must also be put under the microscope and be tweaked accordingly.
The following are some changes you can make – or things you can keep in mind – to embark upon your weight loss journey in 2023 as a new mother:
1. Breastfeed:
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommend breastfeeding, with possible avenues for weight loss opening up a few months into the same. You must keep in mind that it won’t help you shed all, or even most of the weight you may have gained. However, since your body is using fat stores and energy to provide the baby with nourishment, the chances of you losing weight after you stop breastfeeding can look pretty good. You must remember, though, that breastfeeding can make you quite hungry as well. This is where improved eating habits will kick in to help you lose weight.
2. Avoid nerve-wracking, fad diets:
A caloric-deficit diet is usually recommended for weight loss. However, for new mothers, such drastic changes are not recommended. You’re eating and providing nutrition and energy for two, which means that you cannot restrict yourself by eating less. Your health, and the health of your baby, are undoubtedly the primary priorities in all this. Do your best to avoid any diet that seems extreme with allegedly quick-yielding results.
3. Count your calories:
As daunting and tedious as this may seem, keeping tabs on your calories simply allows you to map out your intake and make tweaks as and when necessary. An easy way to do this is by using the Healthi app, which makes this as easy as logging in all that you’ve eaten.
4. Keep a food journal:
You’ve already decided that you’re going to count your calories. Take this a step further and maintain a food journal that takes into account what you ate, when you ate it, where you were when you ate it, who you were with, and how that meal made you feel. Logging in all things associated with your intake can help identify potentially problematic patterns that can be addressed. Once again, a great way to do this is by using the Healthi app as your extremely convenient, portable food journal.
5. Pay attention to your meal:
While giving your food the attention it deserves can be a huge ask for new mothers, it is extremely important. Eliminate all forms of media while eating, and try to focus on your intake. Chew slowly and attentively.
6. Swap out your snacks:
If you have unhealthy, junk food lying around the house that you tend to gravitate towards, swap it out with healthier alternatives. Not only will this dampen your habit of reaching for something that is not benefiting you, but will also create a need to consume the nutritious snacks that you’ve bought.
7. Control your portion size:
One of the easiest ways to do this is to cook at home so that you’re aware of what you’re eating. However, this can be especially difficult, given that you have to juggle a wide variety of responsibilities. Start small instead. Swap out all large plates for smaller ones. This will help you control your portion size.
8. Incorporate a wide variety of nutritional elements in your daily intake:
Whole foods, protein, and foods that are high in fiber will be your absolute best friends through this process. Not only do you reap the benefits of enticing food that tastes great and is high in nutritional value, but you will also find that these foods are quite filling. Stock up on vegetables, fruits, whole grains, legumes, lean meats, eggs, and nuts, thereby also allowing yourself a wide plethora of options with which you can experiment and avoid dietary monotony.
9. Know what to ease out of your diet:
Processed food, sugar, refined carbohydrates, and even alcohol are things you should try to consume the least, given that they can lead to an increase in weight, while also being potential gateways to other problems, such as heart disease, diabetes, and a lot more.
10. Stay hydrated:
While many argue over whether or not drinking ample amounts of water can help with weight loss, as a new mother, you must stay hydrated nonetheless. Water can help you feel full as well, which will help you during the process.
11. Set up a system of accountability:
Create a reward/punishment system that isn’t tied to food. If you find yourself adhering to these eating habits, reward yourself with a binge-watch of your favorite show. Should you feel the need to munch on something during this, you’ll have your nutritional snacks waiting for you. Similarly, if you find yourself falling short, you can set up a fine jar, the proceeds of which can either be donated or given to a friend who can, in turn, also keep tabs on you.
12. Do not be afraid to seek help:
Losing weight as a new mother, and trying to opt for a healthy lifestyle is not the easiest task in the world. If you feel like you need to reach out to your support system or a professional, do not be afraid to do so.
To sum up, by making small changes in your eating habits in 2023, you can move towards your weight loss goal, while also ensuring that your attitude towards food changes in a way that encourages a healthier lifestyle overall.
