Losing weight after pregnancy - how do I get back into shape?

A clear overview of my personal tips for you to use as a guide!

It’s incredibly handy to have all the information available nowadays about losing weight after pregnancy: all the posts on social media, the many health apps, fitness advertisements... But it can also be quite overwhelming with all this information!

So, what’s actually true? And what’s just a marketing or sales trick? What’s truly a healthy and effective way to lose weight after giving birth?

I can imagine it can be challenging sometimes, which is why I, as a new mom and personal trainer, would love to help you! That’s why I’ve created a practical overview with my personal tips that you can refer to during your postpartum recovery and to get back in shape.

You’ve got this, mama!

Losing Weight After Pregnancy through Nutrition

A good, varied diet is incredibly important for both you and your baby. You need to care for not just yourself, but also for your little bundle of joy! This is essential whether you are breastfeeding or not. The fitter and better you feel, the better you can care for your baby.

It’s crucial to give yourself as much love and care as you would give your mini-me! Make sure you’re getting enough proteins, carbohydrates, fats, vitamins, and minerals daily. A good dietary choice ensures that you and your baby receive all the necessary nutrients.

Varied nutrition is definitely incredibly important! Additionally, there are other important aspects of nutrition; here are my (nutrition) tips!

Insight into Calories

We’ll start the list with the most important “do” for getting back in shape and losing those pregnancy pounds: monitoring your daily calorie intake! Losing weight (after giving birth) only works if you consume fewer calories than you burn each day. It’s extremely important to count both the calories burned and the calories consumed! This way, you can adjust the balance to burn fat. Pay special attention, especially if you’re breastfeeding, to ensure you’re getting enough nutrients and not reducing calories too drastically. Your body truly needs sufficient nutrients to recover well and to nourish your baby. Balance is key here.

If you’re having trouble determining this, I recommend consulting an (online) coach who can help you figure out the right amount of food. This way, you’ll get enough energy and gradually get back in shape!

Protein-Rich Diet

Eating enough protein daily has three major benefits: it keeps you full, is often very low in calories, and supports the maintenance and rebuilding of your muscle mass. A protein-rich diet will help you retain or even build as much muscle mass as possible while you lose weight, helping you achieve a toned body.

Protein-rich foods also often lead to long-lasting satiety, making it easier to snack less throughout the day.

Finally, it’s very convenient that there are many lean protein sources, allowing you to stay low in calories while properly nourishing your body! This is also known as High Volume Food: food that is low in calories but still large in volume.

Volume Foods

Continuing with High Volume Food: it’s extremely wise to include many of these foods in your daily meal plan. This way, you’ll stay full and provide your body with good nutrients and energy without consuming too many calories! Good examples of volume foods include:

• Vegetables and snack veggies like: lettuce, bell peppers, cucumbers, carrots, cherry tomatoes, stir-fry vegetables. Combine these with a delicious dip like hummus! Or make a large salad.
• Various fruits such as: blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, mandarins, kiwis, apricots, grapefruits, and different types of melons.
• Various snacks: protein bars, popcorn, rice cakes and corn cakes with lean toppings, low-fat quark or yogurt with some fruit, low-calorie ice cream or protein chips.
• Various rice/pasta substitutes like: broccoli rice, cauliflower rice, veggie wraps, or zucchini noodles. These are low in calories and packed with vitamins and minerals!

Adequate Fiber Intake

Constipation is a common issue for women after giving birth. Causes can include hormonal changes, reduced activity in the first weeks postpartum, and/or the “sudden” extra space in your intestines. Fortunately, a good daily fiber intake can relieve or even solve constipation! Fiber absorbs fluid in the intestines, making stool softer and helping your intestines work more actively. Fiber keeps your intestines moving!

Practical Tool: The 80/20 Rule

Here, you consume 80% healthy, whole foods (fruits, vegetables, dairy products/milk alternatives, whole grains, etc.) and 20% “unhealthier” foods! You certainly don’t have to eat healthily and organically 100% of the time, but 100% unhealthy eating is also not advisable. Balance is key! By enjoying something delicious from time to time, it stays simple and manageable!

Maximal Hydration

It’s important to keep your body adequately hydrated at all times, but especially after giving birth! Sufficient water ensures that your body can eliminate waste more easily.

Moreover, it supports better kidney function, transports healthy nutrients more efficiently, aids your digestion, and much more! So make sure to drink enough water daily; hydration is key!

Losing Weight After Birth through Exercise and Movement

While proper nutrition and maintaining a good calorie count are paramount for losing weight after pregnancy, movement and/or exercise are also extremely important! Not only for getting back in shape, but definitely for the recovery process itself: to rebuild your fitness and strength! Additionally, exercise and movement positively contribute to your mental well-being, offering both physical and mental benefits.

How can you best start with movement and exercise? I’ll explain in the following sections.

Movement

You can usually start to gradually build up your daily movement from day 6 of the postpartum period, but it’s important to check this first with a doctor, midwife, or postpartum caregiver. If you feel fit enough and get the green light, it’s best to start with walking!

Walking/daily steps are incredibly good for your body and mindset! It has various physical and mental benefits, and you burn a lot of extra calories without needing to exercise intensely! This makes it easier to get back in shape. On average, you burn about 30-40 calories per 1000 steps (depending on weight, etc.).

Try to gradually increase walking after giving birth and not rush into too much too quickly. A short walk is already more than enough! You can then slowly expand to longer distances. It’s important to listen to your body during this process.

It’s especially nice to do this with the baby. The stroller provides extra support while walking, and often your baby will fall asleep quickly— a win-win situation!

Exercise

In addition to sufficient daily movement, exercise also helps with losing weight after pregnancy! One reason is that you burn extra calories through (strength) training, as your body requires a lot of energy to perform (strength) exercises. An average person weighing about 70 kg will burn about 100-200 calories during half an hour of good strength training.

Additionally, strength training helps build muscle mass, which increases your resting metabolic rate. 50 to 65% of your daily energy expenditure comes from your resting metabolic rate, which is the energy needed for your body to function well! Perfect for when you’re in recovery.

15 to 25% of your daily energy expenditure is determined by your muscle mass, meaning someone with a lot of muscle mass burns significantly more calories daily than someone with less. Increasing your muscle mass through training is therefore very effective for boosting your resting metabolic rate and burning more calories each day!

By building muscle mass and losing body fat, you’ll also create a firmer, more defined body! With increased muscle mass, you’ll develop nice curves: fuller hips and a toned back. This, combined with fat loss, will result in visible lines on your body and the so-called hourglass figure!

Lastly, exercising increases strength and fitness, both of which can facilitate the recovery process: you’ll have more energy and become stronger. The better you feel, the easier the months after birth will be for you!

It’s recommended to gradually resume training around 6 weeks after giving birth. However, it’s crucial to discuss this first with a doctor, gynecologist, or midwife. They can check if you’ve recovered enough to start slowly building up your training again. Some may be ready after 4 weeks, while others may take up to 8 weeks. The 6-week guideline is therefore an average. Safety first!

Losing Weight After Birth through Breastfeeding

Losing weight and breastfeeding; you might not think of it immediately, but it’s a golden combination. Some even say it’s the best method to get back in shape after giving birth.

Most women gain about 10 to 14 kg during pregnancy, and after giving birth, you lose approximately half right away. Your little one, the placenta, and the amniotic fluid together weigh about 6 to 7 kg. The extra pounds your body stored during pregnancy are reserves for breastfeeding; something that costs an incredible amount of energy. Your body can burn about 600(!) calories per day during this wonderful time!

I hope the tips above help you get fit and happy in your body after pregnancy. Take good care of yourself and your body; you’re more than worth it! The better you care for yourself, the better you can care for your little one—keep that in mind!

Go for it, mama!

Best wishes, Vienne