Table of contents:
- Cause you find it difficult to lose weight after pregnancy
- 1. Stress and fatigue
- 2. Lack of sleep
- 3. Rarely exercise
- 4. Fat reserves after childbirth
- 5. Changes in the body after childbirth
Some of you may be afraid of getting pregnant for fear of losing their body shape. Most women after pregnancy will have a larger body shape than before pregnancy. Yes, for many women, losing weight after becoming pregnant may be a very difficult thing. Then, why is this such a difficult thing?
Cause you find it difficult to lose weight after pregnancy
A mother's ability to lose weight after giving birth may vary. There are mothers who quickly regain their ideal weight back to the way they were before pregnancy. However, there are also mothers who take years to lose weight. In fact, some have even gained weight after pregnancy and eventually become obese.
Losing weight is not an easy thing. You have to work hard to get your weight back. Think about it, have you reduced the amount of your food intake and did regular exercise since a few months after giving birth?
Some of the things that may make it difficult for you to lose weight after becoming pregnant are:
1. Stress and fatigue
These two things are common for new parents in the first months after birth. Stress and fatigue can trigger you to eat more so that you save more additional calories in the body. This of course makes it even more difficult for you to lose weight.
2. Lack of sleep
Lack of sleep can also lead to stress and fatigue. This can then disrupt the levels of hormones in the body that maintain appetite.
Stress in the body can also cause the hormone cortisol (stress hormone) to increase. This in turn results in the mother's inability to metabolize calories efficiently. Thus, the body's metabolism is slower which allows more fat to accumulate in the body. Cortisol levels in the body can also increase if the mother exercises too much.
3. Rarely exercise
Rarely doing exercise makes the calories that enter the body unused and eventually accumulates in the body, causing weight gain. It also encourages your body's metabolism to slow down. Metabolism also slows down as you age. All of these things can then make it difficult for you to lose weight and actually gain.
4. Fat reserves after childbirth
The mother's body stores fat reserves before childbirth to prepare energy during breastfeeding. This fat reserve may not be easy to lose, especially for those of you who do not exclusively breastfeed your baby.
According to La Leche League International, breastfeeding mothers can lose 6-7 kg per month in the first four to six months after giving birth, and after that weight loss may be slower. Meanwhile, mothers who give formula milk to their children may find it more difficult to lose these fat stores and lose weight.
In addition, mothers tend to maintain their weight gain with each pregnancy. So, the more often you get pregnant and the more weight you gain during pregnancy, the more difficult it will be for you to lose weight as before.
5. Changes in the body after childbirth
You may feel your body shape change after giving birth. Many mothers complain that their stomach is still not back to normal after one to two years after giving birth. This can be caused by changes in your abdominal muscles after giving birth.
Some women are genetically susceptible to stretch marks and saggy skin. This may be reduced, but may not disappear completely. Your skin also loses elasticity after childbirth and as you get older. In order not to get worse, you may need to do regular exercise, such as sit-ups. If not, it may be more difficult for you to regain muscle tone in your stomach.
Apart from doing regular exercise, you also need to manage your diet well and get enough sleep to help you lose weight after giving birth. Avoid excessive dieting and excessive exercise as these can stress your body and cause your metabolism to slow down.
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