How Breastfeeding Helps New Moms Lose Weight
It takes a lot of calories to produce milk for baby, almost 200-500 extra calories is what a mom needs to maintain her weight. The higher caloric requirement for breastfeeding is the reason why the extra body fat is stored during pregnancy, because it's the source of extra fuel to produce milk. Breastfeeding does help new moms lose weight quickly by burning up that stored fat.
Even though breastfeeding can help a new moms lose weight, it can take some time to lose the extra pounds and shrink the uterus to its normal size. If you're a breastfeeding mom and you've chose to start a weight loss program, here are some tips that breastfeeding experts recommends:
It's best to lose weight slowly and steadily. Lose no more than 1 pound per week. This will ensure that you have enough energy of needing to be a mom and it prevents you from becoming cranking, hungry and tired all from not eating well. Also gradual weight loss won't affect the milk supply, but fast weight loss can compromise the breastfeeding mom and her baby.
Have a well-balanced weight loss diet, one that includes plenty of fruit and veggies, whole grains, lean source of protein and some ‘good' fats
Combining exercise with your weight loss diet is the best way to lose fat and retain lean body mass. Also, this will make you a better calorie burner when you've reached you weight loss goal.
Mommy Without Poundsis an excellent online resource guide that explains many other great tips to postpartum weight loss. This guide will give you post pregnancy weight lossinformation and diet and exercise tips to help you get back to you pre-pregnancy weight.