Easy Ways to Get Off Pregnancy Pounds While Breastfeeding

Breastfeeding is a great way to ensure that your baby is as healthy and well-fed as possible, yet some mothers worry that breastfeeding will cause them to keep the pregnancy weight on longer. The truth is that moms who breastfeed tend to lose weight faster than mothers who bottle-feed--and when you add exercise into the mix, you'll find that the weight comes off quite easily. While you want to lose the weight, it is important to do it slowly so as not to risk your milk supply and your overall health.

Controlled Diet

When breastfeeding, your body will require more calories every day than it did before you were pregnant, so make sure that you are eating enough. The key is to eat when you are hungry, but to choose the right foods If you want to lose weight, aim to eat around 1,800 calories per day. This will give your body sufficient calories for milk production yet allow you to slowly lose the weight so you are able to keep it off. A diet consisting of healthy foods as well as six to eight glasses of water per day will help you maintain your milk supply, while also allowing you to slowly get your pre-pregnancy body back.

Walking It Off

As soon as your doctor tells you that you can start exercising, usually between two and six weeks after giving birth, begin walking with your baby. Start out with leisurely strolls around the block and as you build your stamina, take longer and faster walks. If you bring the baby with you in the stroller, you'll be burning more calories because you're pushing the stroller. If your baby doesn't enjoy the stroller, you can also put him or her in a backpack and still get your walking time in. With the backpack, you'll be burning more calories thanks to the added weight of the baby and the backpack.

Baby and Me Exercises

A lot of health clubs and gyms offer classes for mothers and babies. These classes can be a lot of fun because they show you how to use the weight of your baby to help you tone up and lose weight. You'll burn more calories and be interacting with your baby in a fun way. Create your own exercises to do at home if you cannot find classes in your area.