Here at Weight Loss Marin, we know what it’s like to have some stubborn post-pregnancy weight hanging around for a while.

It seems that no matter how hard we tried to get rid of that baby weight, it just didn’t want to go away, at least not easily. Eventually though, it did with some simple to follow guidelines.  Just knowing these easy tips and techniques can really help new mothers get rid of those unwanted pounds put on by post pregnancy weight gain.

Here is a great article on post-pregnancy weight loss:

Post pregnancy weight loss is a common goal for most women who have just had a baby.  If you’re one of them, you are probably looking forward to fitting back into your regular wardrobe after months of wearing maternity clothes.  However, losing those extra pounds is usually much easier said than done, particularly if you are trying to juggle the demands of a newborn as well as everything else in your life.

Hopefully while you were pregnant, you were careful to eat foods that were high in nutrition to give you baby the best possible start in life.  Now that your baby is born it is really important that you continue healthy eating habits.  This is particularly crucial if you are breast-feeing your baby.  But in order to reach your post pregnancy weight loss goals you will need to make some adjustments.

Following are some guidelines for healthy and safe post pregnancy weight loss:

•    Choose foods which are low in fat and high in nutrition.  Primary food choices for your post pregnancy weight loss should be fresh (or frozen) fruits and vegetables, beans and whole grains, low-fat dairy products and lean meats including skinless chicken, pork and beef.  Small amounts of healthy fat such as unsalted nuts or olive oil should be included in your diet as well.

•    Keep foods which are highly processed and high in fat, sugar, and / or salt out of your diet as much as possible.  They provide very little nutrition and have a lot of calories and sodium, which will not help your post pregnancy weight loss efforts.  If those foods are difficult for you to resist, don’t set yourself up for temptation.  Instead, don’t buy them and don’t keep any of them in your home.

•    Keep your portions small.  Some people find that it helps to use smaller plates so the portions look bigger.  Don’t skip meals – you need all your energy and all the nutrition.  In fact, to boost your post pregnancy weight loss efforts you may want to eat 5 or 6 small meals throughout the day.  This will help keep you from getting so hungry, and will also keep your metabolism higher.

•    Don’t eat when you are not truly hungry.  Having a newborn to take care of can be stressful at times.  For many women, food is a source of emotional comfort when they are feeling stressed or upset or frustrated.  If you find yourself reaching for food due to emotion rather than hunger, find an activity to distract yourself.  You may want to put the baby in the stroller and go for a walk, or pick up the phone and chat with a supportive friend.

•    Get back into a good exercise routine.  If there were no complications with your delivery, such as having a C-section or other delivery issues, and if you were exercising regularly while you were pregnant, you should be able to get back into exercising within a few days of giving birth.  If you have any concerns or if you weren’t exercising before, it is best to talk to your doctor first.

•    Don’t rush the post pregnancy weight loss.  Too many women want to lose weight as fast as possible, which is neither realistic nor healthy.  A good rule of thumb is to aim for a slow and steady weight loss of one to two pounds a week.  Losing more weight than that is usually just water weight and will quickly return.  Losing weight more slowly will help you to keep it off over the long term.