Table of contents:
- Don't go on a diet
- Eat little but often
- Continue to breastfeed without restrictions
- Drink a lot
- Get regular exercise
- Enough sleep
- Don't stress too much
Apart from pregnancy, many mothers are not comfortable with their body being bigger than they were before pregnancy. Therefore, many mothers try to lose weight while breastfeeding. In fact, the nutrition needed by breastfeeding mothers is not much different from during pregnancy, or even more. So, for that, breastfeeding mothers should not limit their food intake too much while on a diet. Then, if I want to lose weight, what should I do?
Losing weight while breastfeeding is actually okay to do. However, also pay attention to whether the nutrients you get can meet the needs of your little one who still depends on breast milk. The following are tips for breastfeeding mothers who want to lose weight:
Don't go on a diet
How come, can't you go on a diet? What is meant here is a diet that is too strict. To lose weight, of course many of you immediately cut their food portions to very little. Eits… but wait, don't just reduce your food intake because your body needs a lot of nutrients to produce breast milk for babies.
We recommend that you reduce the portion of your meal little by little and gradually. And remember, don't let your calorie intake go below 1800 calories, this number is a limit for you. In addition, some of the nutrients that you must fulfill are calcium, folic acid, iron, protein, and vitamin C. Don't forget to eat fatty fish or nuts that contain omega-3 fatty acids for baby's brain development.
When your baby arrives, you are already busy caring for your baby. This has actually helped you to lose weight. When combined with a healthy and balanced diet, weight loss will occur naturally.
Apart from that, the most important thing is not to lose your weight too hastily. Your husband also certainly understands how you have to eat more. Make sure you lose weight when milk production has stabilized, approximately when the baby is 2 months old.
ALSO READ: Does Mother's Diet Affect the Taste and Content of Breastmilk?
Eat little but often
In order to lose weight, you may think about eating the portions and the frequency of your meals. However, it turns out that what you should do is eat more often with smaller portions. This can make you always feel full, so you can also control your portion of food at each meal. That way, your calorie and nutritional needs can also be met.
If you eat less often and feel too hungry, this can actually encourage you to eat more. In addition, eating too long pauses can also cause hormonal effects that can affect milk production. According to Jennifer Ritchie, IBCLC and author of the book I Make Milk… What's Your Superpower? , the mother's body can use energy from the available reserves, so this can reduce insulin production and affect thyroid hormone levels. Furthermore, the hormone prolactin which controls milk production also decreases, as quoted from the page The Bump.
Continue to breastfeed without restrictions
Several studies have shown that exclusively breastfeeding for 6 months can help you to gain weight back, just like before you became pregnant. So, why should you limit your breastfeeding activity or even not breastfeed just because you are afraid that you will gain weight again? There is plenty of evidence that breastfeeding benefits you and your baby.
Drink a lot
Drinking plenty of it throughout the day while you are breastfeeding can prevent you from becoming dehydrated and constipated. In addition, drinking can also prevent you from fake hunger when you are already full but want to eat. Adequate water intake can also speed up your metabolism, according to several studies.
Drink it when you are thirsty, always have a drink near you so you can easily get it. Drinking 8 glasses of water a day may be recommended, but your needs can be more than that. It's best to look at the color of your urine. A dark urine color indicates that you are dehydrated and you need to drink more. Meanwhile, a clearer color of urine indicates that your water intake is sufficient.
Also, you should drink water. Limit or even avoid drinks that contain caffeine, such as tea, coffee, and soft drinks, because they can push your body fluids out more.
ALSO READ: Is it true that breastfeeding mothers need to drink more?
Get regular exercise
Reducing your intake a little is important in an effort to lose weight. But, what is equally important is doing regular exercise. Exercise is very helpful in weight loss. In addition, exercise can also help mothers relieve stress and sleep better.
No need to do strenuous exercise to lose weight. Just doing light exercise is sufficient, such as taking a leisurely walk by pushing your stroller. This activity is able to help your muscles work. Get at least 150 minutes of exercise a week or 30 minutes per day.
Enough sleep
Not only for your physical and mental health, adequate sleep can also help you lose weight. A study showed that new mothers who slept for 5 hours a night or less tend to have more weight gain during pregnancy than new mothers who slept for 7 hours a night.
When you are tired, your body releases the hormone cortisol and other stress hormones. This hormone can trigger weight gain. In addition, when you are tired, you are more likely to choose unhealthy foods to meet your satisfaction. You're also more likely to have less activity when you're tired. Therefore, get enough sleep a night, at least 7-8 hours. If your baby is often fussy in the middle of the night, you can work around this by going to bed earlier.
Don't stress too much
Many mothers think too much about their weight, feel insecure, and end up stressing themselves. In fact, stress can trigger you to eat more and in the end can also lead to weight gain. In addition, stress can also affect your milk production, which is bad for your baby.
If you want to lose weight while breastfeeding, it's best to lose weight gradually, at least 0.5-1 kg per week (no more than this). Everyone may have a different speed of losing weight, but don't despair. Enjoy all the processes, so that you gain a healthy weight and your excess weight doesn't come back quickly. Even better, if you continue to adopt a healthy lifestyle by eating healthy foods and exercising regularly.
ALSO READ: List of Foods that Breastfeeding Mothers Should Avoid
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