Postpartum Diet Should Not Be A Relentless Fast

Your postpartum diet should not be a relentless fast to get as thin as possible as quickly as possible.  You are now a mother and you have the responsibility of raising a child.  You should not begin motherhood by making foolish decisions to loose as much weight as you can, just as fast as you can.

Your postpartum diet should be sensible and in no way risky to your good health.  The most important thing to remember is not to begin your diet too soon.  Your body has been through a traumatic experience; don’t put it through another one by immediately dieting.  Give yourself time for recovery before beginning a postpartum diet.  Most experts recommend that you wait until six weeks after birth to begin trimming down by reducing calories and starting more rigorous exercise.  Mothers who breastfeed are asked to wait until their baby is at least two months old before they begin a postpartum diet.

You want to be certain that any weight loss or fitness goals you have are realistic.  For many women, pregnancy causes changes in their body that prohibits them from ever returning to the same dress size or waistline they had prior to birth.  Things like a softer belly and wider hips won’t be changed by diet and exercise.  You need to understand the limits of your reconditioning before you undertake a postpartum diet.

Losing weight is always a matter of exercise, whether the weight you are losing is part of a postpartum diet or not.  Be certain that you are ready for exercise and progress with it slowly.  You do not want to risk injury or strain.  Reduce your food intake slowly as well and by all means, don’t starve yourself.

This is particularly important instruction if you are breastfeeding.  Nursing women need an absolute minimum of 1800 calories per day to nourish their baby and themselves.  A strict postpartum diet will affect your breast milk.  Rapid weight loss can introduce toxins into your fat cells and bloodstream.  These toxins are then released into your milk supply and your baby gets them from his or her food source.

Don’t skip meals.  In fact, it might be wise to eat more often throughout the course of the day than you did before you had your baby.  You are following a much different schedule than you did before.  No matter how active a lifestyle you had, you are undergoing dramatic change.  You can, no doubt, benefit from periodic bursts of energy all through your day.  If you eat several small meals as opposed to three large ones, you can get the occasional bursts you are going to need.  Eating a small, smart meal five to six times daily is also a proven weight loss practice on a postpartum diet.

The best instruction for beginning a postpartum diet is to use common sense, set reasonable goals, and don’t do anything detrimental to your good health.  If you follow this advice, you will choose a postpartum diet that will return you to fitness slowly and purposefully. 

Article Source:http://www.babycenter-blog.com/2010/09/01/postpartum-diet-should-not-be-a-relentless-fast/