Losing Weight After Pregnancy
By WLR Dietitian
Q: I recently had a baby boy and have started a low-fat,
high-fibre healthy eating plan given to me by my GP. I’ve also
started to exercise twice a week. The problem is I’m not
seeing any results. I’ve never dieted or exercised before. How
long before I’ll see any difference?
A: It’s important to be realistic about how quickly you
want to lose weight after pregnancy. Davina McCall very
sensibly uses the rule “nine months on, nine months off”. In
other words it took you nine months to gain weight so you
shouldn’t expect to lose it overnight. As a general rule, you
should be aiming to lose no more than 2lb a week. It might not
sound much, but that adds up to a weight loss of a stone in less than two
months.
You might also find it helpful to measure your bust, waist
and hip measurements. Sometimes, if the scales haven’t budged,
you’ll find you’ve lost half an inch from somewhere (although
if you’re breast-feeding don’t expect to lose any inches from
your bust until you’ve weaned your baby off the breast). You
may also find it helpful to use your clothes to judge how
successful you’re being – there’s nothing more motivating than
putting on a pair of trousers that once fitted you, only to
find they’re now too big.
Through entering your Goals and Results, WLR will tell you
how long it should take you to reach your target weight. In
the meantime, be patient. Through a combination of healthy
eating and exercising you should soon start to see the
difference as you lose that post-baby bulge.
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