How to Lose Weight After Pregnancy | Causes and Treatments

How to lose weight after pregnancy is one of the most important things that concerns every woman after giving birth.

Therefore, in this article, we will answer all the questions that every pregnant woman or mother has.

Being a mother is a beautiful thing, and pregnancy is a journey in which you get to know the soul inside you, but this journey requires a lot of effort. 

So your weight increases for nine months of pregnancy, and then you expect your body to return to normal quickly and return to your ideal weight again.

However, this is not the case because women’s bodies are different from each other. 

Some of them know how to lose weight easily after pregnancy, and some of them find it difficult to lose excess weight.

Although it can feel frustrating, let us get to know the reasons for weight gain during pregnancy.

Common causes of weight gain after pregnancy

Hormonal changes

Hormonal changes are one of the most important factors in weight gain after pregnancy due to the production of high levels of estrogen and progesterone.

Although these hormones are useful for nourishing your child and supporting the growth of your baby, they become an obstacle to how to lose weight after pregnancy.

They lead to weight gain after pregnancy due to the sudden drop rapidly in these hormone levels.

PCOS

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS)  is a hormonal condition that affects the ovaries, which leads some women with this syndrome to gain weight.

Due to hormonal imbalance and a change in how body fat is stored, distributed, and accumulated, especially in the abdominal area.

High levels of insulin and androgens are usually the main causes of polycystic ovary syndrome.

 These hormonal changes may cause weight gain or affect breastfeeding, which increases appetite or slows fat burning.

Therefore, you face difficulty in how to lose weight after pregnancy.

PPD

Women with mood disorders such as post-pregnancy depression (PPD) experience anxiety and mood fluctuations following childbirth.

Which can result in weight gain or engaging in emotional eating, where they eat high-calorie foods with a lack of physical activity.

Lack of sleep, which is considered the most common symptom of postpartum depression, can also lead to weight gain.

In addition to some types of antidepressant medications that may lead to weight gain.

Dehydration

Dehydration affects the metabolism and the ability to burn stored calories, making it an obstacle in how to lose weight after pregnancy.

This is because dehydration slows down the metabolic rate to maintain energy and thus leads to a decrease in the burning rate.

Dehydration also leads to the retention of fluid in the body, leading to bloating, which causes difficulty moving or fatigue.

Stress

Of course, stress is considered one of the causes of weight gain after pregnancy.

 Because stress hormones tend to lead to overeating and the desire to do nothing, and thus difficulty moving, which leads to difficulty in how to lose weight after pregnancy. 

Therefore, it is recommended to keep yourself away from stress and practice meditation or yoga to keep calm.

When is it possible to start losing weight?

Losing weight before pregnancy is a good thing because it reduces your suffering during pregnancy, reduces the risks of childbirth، and helps in how to lose weight after pregnancy much easier.

Therefore, once you get pregnant, following a strict diet is not recommended because it may harm your pregnancy or the health of your child.

So it is recommended that you follow the number of calories recommended by your treating doctor or the calories that are proportional to your weight.

Although you can start gentle exercise during your pregnancy, unless you had a complicated birth, it's best to check your treating doctor first.

How to lose weight after pregnancy?

The most important thing is to take care of yourself and your health after pregnancy, so eating good food and doing gentle exercise are ideal ways of how to lose weight after pregnancy.

Healthy eating after pregnancy

Healthy food is meant to contain enough beneficial nutrients for you and your child, and these foods are considered to be rich in:

- Vegetables.

- Protein.

- Whole grains are like wheat and oats.

To know how to lose weight after pregnancy, you can do the following

Reducing the size of your meal, and changing dishes to smaller ones can help you with this.

Choose healthy snacks such as nuts or fruits instead of processed snacks.

Use healthy methods of cooking food, such as grilling, steaming, or boiling food, to reduce the amount of fat in food.

Grocery shopping weekly, as daily shopping or when you feel hungry makes you choose unhealthy foods in large quantities.

Continuing to breastfeed is an effective step in how to lose weight after pregnancy.

How to lose weight after pregnancy while breastfeeding?

Breastfeeding is beneficial for your child's health and nutrition and is also considered an effective way how to lose weight after pregnancy.

This is because the body burns stored fat to nourish the child.

Most women who breastfeed their children in the first few months tend to lose the weight they gained during pregnancy more quickly than mothers who do not breastfeed their children.

This is because breastfeeding contributes to how to lose weight after pregnancy until about 6 months after birth so that weight loss occurs faster in the first three months after birth.

How to lose weight after pregnancy with exercise?

The experience of pregnancy and childbirth varies from one woman to another.

So consult your doctor before engaging in any serious workout activity.

If you suffer from bleeding, severe pain, headaches, or any unusual symptoms during or after exercising, stop immediately and call your treating doctor for advice.

And here are some moves that will be effective in how to lose weight after pregnancy:

Walking

Walking is considered one of the simplest things that can help in how to lose weight after pregnancy, as you can go for a walk with your baby.

You can bring your baby in a front pack and that will add extra weight, which increases the benefits of exercise.

Deep belly breathing with abdominal contractions

This exercise is very easy, and you can start it immediately after giving birth.

Because it helps tighten the abdomen and relax the muscles, it's an effective exercise for how to lose weight after pregnancy.

This exercise is done by sitting upright and breathing deeply while contracting and tightening the abdominal muscles during inhalation and relaxing during exhalation.

The longer the amount of time spent contracting and tightening the abdomen, the more you maintain and gradually strengthen your abs muscles.

Blank

Plank exercises are one of the most effective exercises for how to lose weight after pregnancy.

They are among the exercises that are characterized by their high ability to burn accumulated fat, especially in the abdominal area.

In addition to a host of other benefits

- It helps relieve back pain.

- Improve body flexibility.

- Boosts metabolism.

- It helps improve mood.

- Helps get rid of belly fat.

- It’s an easy exercise to practice.

But you should stop plank exercises if you feel the following:

• Any pain in the neck or lower back because that means pressure on the spine.

• It is best to start doing planks for just a few seconds at a time until you become accustomed to the exercise.

• Avoid holding your breath for a long time during the exercise position.

• Make sure that your shoulders, head, or hips are not slouched during the exercise.

Towards the conclusion, remember that you are a strong and beautiful woman, and that how to lose weight after pregnancy is not difficult at all.

Because you were able to give birth to a new child, so You will be able to achieve your pre-pregnancy weight again. 

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