How to lose belly fat after pregnancy

Oh, the happiness of ‘pitter patter of tiny feet’ around the house. During the 9 months of pregnancy you may have made allowances in your diet for those cravings, or an extra this and that which you wanted at the time. Post pregnancy a lot of women rush straight away into trying to lose those extra pounds gained, especially in the belly area.

How and when you chose to lose weight post pregnancy is important as it can affect both the health of the mother and the health of the baby. So how can you go about it? Read on to find out.

Pregnancy weight and Belly fat
Belly fat, Water retention or just unconditioned muscles?
Breast feeding
A healthy balanced diet v a radical regime
10 Tips to lose belly fat after pregnancy

Pregnancy weight and belly fat

It is part of the pregnancy process that the body will store extra fat around the hip and abdominal areas. It will do so as the mother will need extra energy during the pregnancy and for lactation and other processes. According to research an average woman of 65kg will gain up to 12.5kg during the full term of pregnancy. That is not all fat however. It also includes water retention, the placenta, the baby’s weight (usually an estimated 3.5kg).

Therefore, post-pregnancy the weight you have left is not all extra fat which you have accumulated. Before starting any diet have an idea of how much extra weight you have gained. Your doctor probably would have given you some guidance through the 9 months on how your weight gain is getting on and if you have exceeded the expected mark.

Belly fat, water retention or just unconditioned muscles?

Well think to yourself, is your post pregnancy belly all about fat or is it other matters going on? As mentioned above a considerable amount of water retention takes place during pregnancy and also your body has gone through major hormonal changes during and after pregnancy; some of which will take its course to sort itself out. Allow some time for your body to recover before you start a weight loss regime or placing any extra strain to your body. This is also important for your health. It is a big deal for your body the whole thing and it does need that time to recover and get back to pre pregnancy mode. Some people advise to allow for 6 weeks before starting weight loss and exercise. I will also add to that listen to your body and allow as much time as you feel you need to and listen to your doctor most importantly. The medical professional who has and/or will be following your progress will be the most qualified to advise you on your health. If your doctor doesn’t think your body can cope then you should listen to that.

In addition, to water retention and hormonal changes think that your muscles may have been stretched and been unconditioned through those 9 months. What may be spilling out of the top of your trousers could just be a matter of firming those muscles up again.

Breast feeding

During lactation and breastfeeding the energy demands of the mother increase. The body does need energy to produce and deliver the milk. Undoubtedly not all women will breast feed however if you do there may be a possibility that you will lose a lot of the pregnancy weight easier. Although studies have shown controversial results on the matter, in general it is believed that women who breast feed will tend to lose the weight they gained during pregnancy.

One theory is that the breast milk does contain a large amount of fat most of which comes from the mother. In that 1^st the quality of the mother’s diet will affect the quality of the milk and 2^nd the mother will be mobilising some of this fat from her own reserves. Also as the energy demands of breast feeding are high then the mother will be using more calories than pre-pregnancy.

For example, it is suggested that an average woman who breast feeds will need around 568 kcal per day (this energy (kcal) requirement is only for the lactation of an average of 680g/day of milk at 0-1 months). These energy requirements will be different from person to person and at different points postpartum.

Therefore, daily energy intake for women who breast feed will be different from those who don’t. The chosen diet should take into account those extra energy requirements. Another thing to consider is the physical demands of looking after a newborn. These will add up extra energy used.

A healthy balanced diet v a radical regime

Ok so you saw in the magazine the photo of the latest celebrity who has gone back to shape just 6 weeks postpartum. She professes for that radical, low calorie or some other sort of diet and you think if she can do it then I can as well. Well I would say don’t do it. Think that those celebrities do have a team of experts, such as nutritionist, cooks, personal trainers, nannies, and photo specialist who airbrush the photos. Not to mention as Gwyneth Paltrow suggested to one of her interviews, the first signs of osteoporosis.

What you need to consider…

1. If you are breast feeding the quality of the breast milk will reflect the quality of your diet. You do need a large amount of nutrients for that milk so if your diet is lacking of nutrients then you will be in danger of depleting your body of vital nutrients, such as vitamins, iron, calcium etc.

2. Your body needs time to recover in both nutritional aspects and physiological aspects.

3. During the first few weeks you will have the effects of the hormones oxytocin and prolactin which have a relaxing effect. Some studies suggest that too vigorous exercise too soon after child birth may lead to injuries.

4. Pregnancy and child birth are major matters for your body. A number of physiological, body shape and hormonal changes take place. It may not be realistic to expect to get back to your pre pregnancy weight and shape.

It is always best to follow a healthy balanced diet which will provide you with all the nutrients you need and will promote healthy outcomes for both yourself and your baby. A Mediterranean style diet may be a good choice to start from.

Below are some tips summarised to help you with your post pregnancy weight tummy loss.

    Tip1.    Plan ahead.

 Ideally the best way is to start planning during pregnancy. Watch your weight and try to gain only the weight which is expected to be gained during pregnancy. Follow a healthy balanced diet such as a modified Mediterranean dietary pattern which will provide all the necessary nutrients and will promote positive health outcomes. The less weight you gain during pregnancy (apart from the weight which is part of the pregnancy) the easier will be to get back into shape.

     Tip2.    Don’t just concentrate on losing belly fat.

By losing weight you will lose belly fat. As mentioned there are major hormonal changes taking place in your body and the weight you may have accumulated in your belly could be part of those hormonal changes. In general belly fat is metabolically active and is easier to mobilise.

     Tip3.    Breast feed.

Breast feeding has a number of benefits for the baby and the mother. An additional bonus is that it may aid in losing those extra pounds and fat reserves.

•  As mentioned above the average energy requirements per day for breastfeeding are 568 kcal (this energy (kcal) requirement is only for the lactation of an average of 680g/day of milk at 0-1 months). What that means is that your body will need an extra 568kcal per day.
• At average women need approximately 1500 – 2000kcal per day. During breast feeding you will need to add an extra 568kcal per day.
• By only consuming an extra 413 kcal per day (instead of the 568kcal) you would be allowing for a weight loss of 0.5kg per month. In general it is not recommended to aim losing large amounts of weight during the first months of the pregnancy.
• Above all show priority to your health and your baby’s health and only reduce your calorie intake if safe and possible. It is important to consult a medical professional first. There may be other reasons which could inhibit following any weight loss regimes.

Be aware that breastfeeding may not be possible for some people. This could be due to certain health conditions, or physiological problems etc. Do not place extra physical or psychological strain to breastfeed if it is not feasible for you.

    Tip4.    Follow a healthy balanced diet.

Ok I probably said that 100 times already. Apart from aiming for weight loss watching what you can have important health benefits as well. During pregnancy women tend to develop a form of insulin resistance. Although it is part of the physiological changes if overweight, or have pre-existing metabolic complaints or overloading your body with sugars etc could lead in developing diabetes and other conditions.

Balanced healthy diets such as a Mediterranean style diet can help in improving insulin sensitivity. Such diets are rich in fruit and vegetables, wholegrain carbohydrates, and protein. Improving insulin sensitivity can also improve abdominal fat mobilisation. See Also: best foods for losing belly fat

    Tip5.    De-stress

Pregnancy, child birth and a new born baby can all be very stressful. Try to rest and de-stress. Stress can lead to weight gain in many ways and has been connected with increasing abdominal fat. Have a bath, listen to some music or take a walk. Take a few minutes every day for ‘you’ to relax and de-stress. Apart from the weight loss benefits it will do miracles for your mental health. Needless to say don’t add extra stress with killing yourself to lose weight.

    Tip6.    Sleep well.

Caring for a new borne can have detrimental effects to your sleep. Sleep deprivation as well as low quality sleep and/or broken sleep can lead to weight gain or slow down weight loss. Easier said than done however try to get as much rest and sleep as possible through the day.

    Tip7.    Show off your baby with a walk to the shops

What a better way to get some exercise than taking a light walk to the local shops or the park. Take your pram and show your baby to the world and enjoy the fresh air and sunshine (weather permitting).

    Tip8.    Pelvic floor and abdominal exercises.

Contracting the pelvic floor and abdominal muscles can be a light exercise which you can do at any point through the day. You will not burn loads of calories by practising these exercises but it will help to condition those muscles which have taken a battering through your pregnancy. You can practice by just contracting either your pelvic floor or your tummy muscles for the count of 10 and realise and repeat again. You can practice when you watch tv or having a bath, or driving.

Always consult a medical professional if you had a caesarean as they may not be appropriate. In addition do not try to spend all day in a constant muscle contraction as this is not good for your muscles and could affect your back as well.

    Tip9.    Follow light exercise.

As mentioned earlier, do not aim to follow strenuous, vigorous and intense exercise as it could be placing too much stress and strain to your body and could lead to injuries. Exercise will help in getting your muscles back to form and will help in losing weight.

An easy exercise solution would be to just simple do the house work or push the pram to the park (you will discover prams are heavier than they look). Always consult your doctor before taking on any exercise especially if you had a caesarean. Alternatively there are a number of exercise classes for post-pregnancy such as water exercises, mother and baby clubs which can offer specialised training and exercise.   

They may also be a place where you can socialise with other mothers and exchange ideas and tips or just have a little break from baby care.

With time you can increase intensity of exercise as your body recovers and you feel stronger. If you still find it hard to get you belly in shape then maybe do some more full body work outs. Muscles in the abdominal area could stretch through a pregnancy and/or caesarean and often can get damaged. It is not always possible to get them back to the pre pregnancy condition but by consulting your doctor and a fitness professional they can give you a better idea of your tummy condition.

 Tip10.  Drink plenty of water.

A lot of the remaining weight could be all the water retention from pregnancy. Drink plenty of fluids and especially water. This can help with the water retention. Also do walk and move around as this will help with blood circulation. Not strenuous however.

You can also read:

Why do women have belly fat?
How to lose belly fat for women

How to lose belly fat fast for women naturally

It is a fact that is harder for women to lose weight compared to men because they have higher fat percentage and less muscle mass, thus women needs to exert more effort to achieve the body that they desire. Furthermore, women gain fat faster than men because of the same reason and because women are genetically programmed to accumulate fats in the belly to prepare the body for conception, the chance of women getting belly fat fast is extremely high. Don’t worry though because this article provides some tips on how to lose belly fat fast for women naturally.

Tip #1 Write a food journal

Celebrities like Carrie Underwood are one of those women who effectively used the food journal to lose weight. A food journal can be a small notebook or a notepad where you can write all the food you have eaten with its corresponding calorie value. Keeping a food journal helps its bearer to lose weight because it enable you to tract your calorie intake, thus you do not go beyond the calories that you have planned.

Moreover, a food journal could also contain your weekly menu so you won’t be wasting time computing the calorie content of your food in front of the waiter. It may also contain the foods which you mostly eat with its corresponding calorie value so when you crave for an unplanned snack, you can always check your food journal how much work you need to exert to burn the calories it contain.

As a fitness expert, I strongly recommend food journals to my clients because it could be a healthy outlet. Studies show that a depressed person tends to overeat causing him/her to gain weight, writing how you feel in your food journal could help you vent out your feelings minus the extra calories.

Tip #2 Keep your cool

As earlier stated, stress causes a person to eat more, but do you know that stress could literally causes belly fat?

The body secretes a naturally occurring hormone called Cortisol when responding to stress. Cortisol is generally good because it helps the body cope with stress however it also moves fat from some parts of the body and places it around the organs of the abdomen which is called visceral fat. Too much accumulation of visceral fat causes the so called “belly fat” which is not only unhealthy but unsightly as well.

Tip #3 Burn the fat through dancing

There are several ways to lose the fat; you can opt to exercise in the gym, try out a new sport, or do activities that you enjoy like dancing. The latter is quite popular among women. It is a very effective calorie burning activity because it combines rhythm, coordination, slow to fast movements, and fun. The energy that is being exerted plus the amount of fun which allows a person forget about the time makes it the best belly busting technique.

My belly fat-burning list includes belly dancing, step aerobics, hiphop, and ballroom dancing. Doing at least 30 minutes to an hour of these everyday is surefire way that you’ll melt those belly fat like butter.

Why do women have belly fat?

God created women from a man’s rib. Does this include the belly fat as well? This is because; women have higher fat percentage than men causing women to attain belly fat faster. As annoying as it may seem, but women do have belly fat for more than one reason. This article will try to explain why women have belly fat and also provide some tips on how to lose belly fat for women.

Why do women have belly fat: Reason #1 Reproductive function

People always say that “the essence of being a woman is to give birth to a new life”. This is indeed true because the ability of a woman to carry a baby on her tummy for nine months and give birth is what differentiates a woman from a man.

Because of such function, a woman’s body needs to increase its fat deposits, most especially on their belly, to prepare for childbearing. These fat deposits are reserved energy to make sure that a woman has constant supply of energy during pregnancy as well as during delivery. In addition to that, belly fat also acts as a cushion (along with amniotic fluid) to help protect the fetus from possible accidents and the other forces of the external environment.

Why do women have belly fat: Reason #2 To protect vital organs

Belly fat, in general, is present to both genders as well as to either lean or obese persons. However, the quantity of belly fat differs – less for slender people and more for obese people. But the fact still remains that belly fat is always present.

Belly fat is there to protect your internal organs (stomach, guts, liver, spleen, pancreas, etc.) from physical harm. There was even a claim that a man survived a bullet attack because he was too fat that the bullet wasn’t able to penetrate through the thick belly walls. True or not, the fact that belly fats alter the momentum of penetrating objects still remains as well as the fact that belly fat protects the organ in one way or another. But you have to remember however that excess belly fat also poses risks to one’s health. If a bullet won’t kill you, your fat deposits will.

Why do women have belly fat: Reason #3 Alcohol drinking

Statistically, men drink around 2 to 6 bottles of beer on an average and women drinks around 1 to 5 bottles of beer.  But women have lesser alcohol control causing them to increase their beer consumption to twelve bottles of beer per session or until she’s to drunk to stand.

This means that your caloric intake increases as you order another bottle. Here are some of the common alcoholic drinks and their corresponding average calorie content. Do note however that caloric content may change depending on alcohol content

Alcoholic Drink, volume calories

Whisky: 100ml, 220

Gin:100ml,  220

Brandy: 100ml,  220

Rum: 100ml, 220

Beer: 500ml, 184

Martini: 100ml, 175

Bailey’s Cream: 1 glass, 120

Bacardi: 1 glass, 118

Why do women have belly fat: Reason #4 High calorie food is a woman’s BFF

God said, “Man represents my image, woman – my emotions.” No wonder women are way more emotional than men. These emotions are the reason why women are more sensitive than men.

When a woman feels depressed, she will either dial a friend’s phone number or dial for a pizza. It has been proven from a recent study that women love to eat when they feel sad. This is because; food provides a feeling of fulfillment causing you to feel relieved from any stress.

Excess sweets, carbohydrates, fats, or any food with such kind of calorie amount tends to be left unburned. Unused calories, as we all know, are converted to fat deposits, especially in the belly, which the body can burn by doing exercises.

Another high calorie food that women love to have when depressed are sweets. Among any other sweets, chocolate has been the number one choice because of its ability to raise the happy hormone serotonin and provide the body with phenylethylamine – a chemical that makes you feel happy and in love, thus making chocolate the ultimate food for a depressed woman.

Why do women have belly fat: Reason #5 Chitchats than workout

Women are highly motivated to lose weight and get rid of belly fats. However, when a woman finds her gym buddies, she usually chitchats with them and forgets about workouts.

Because of such characteristic, gyms become a rendezvous point for people who want to do talk with other people, rather than the original purpose of going to the gym to burn fats and tone muscles

Another contributing factor is that, when a group of women gather for a girls’ night out, women talk, eat, and drink. This sedentary activity will definitely increase the numbers on the scale.

As mentioned above, women have belly fat for a reason. In some cases it is absolutely uncontrollable and necessary as this is used for special functions. On the other hand, some women have belly fat because they did not properly take care of them. That means, if you want to learn how to lose belly fat and acquire flat and lean abs, you better start eating right and exercising regularly.

How to lose belly fat for women

It is very common for women to have problems with belly fat. The main reasons are due to the hormonal changes their body has to undergo such as period, menopause and pregnancy and sometimes the problem is due to heredity. Besides the visual problems that belly fat creates it also increases the risk of various diseases like heart problems, diabetes and some forms of cancer. For many women the occurrence of fat in the belly makes them feel uncomfortable about their body and this has a negative impact on their confidence and self esteem. In this article we will concentrate on how to lose belly fat for women in a fast and healthy way.

What are the major causes of belly fat in women?

Fat is created in the body when the metabolism is reduced. The metabolism is responsible for burning the unnecessary calories and fat that is accumulated in the body from the consumption of food. The higher the metabolism the easier it is to burn fat and calories. The metabolism slows down as we grow older and especially in women this creates more fat tissues in the body and the belly area in particular. Another major reason of why women have more belly fat than men is the fact that a woman’s metabolism and body is greatly affected by sudden changes in the hormonal levels. Women experience these changes during their period, before and after menopause and during their pregnancy period.

How to lose belly fat for women

Getting rid of belly fat is not an easy task to do. It requires a lot of effort through exercise and diet and it may take a lot of time. As women normally have less muscle tissues than men, their task is even more difficult. Some ways to adopt for better results are:

Exercise. As expected exercise is the first item on the list. Exercise is by far the best way to lose belly fat for women.  Through exercise you can build more muscle tissue which in turn will help your body eliminate and fight fat. Maintaining an exercise routine on a regular basis is very beneficial for your task but for better results you need to constantly increase both the intensity and duration of exercise. When exercising you need to feel your muscles working and you need to make effort. Do not just exercise for the sake of exercise, push yourself to the limits and force your body to spend more energy.  This assumes of course that you do not have any other more serious health problems that prohibit you from exercising hard. Better discuss your plans with your doctor to ensure that everything is ok. See our previous post, exercises to lose belly fat for a more detail information.

Weight lifting. Although any form of exercise is beneficial for weight loss and fat loss, many studies have shown that weight lifting and strength training are more beneficial for fat burning especially in the belly area.

Diet. Diet also plays an important role in burning belly fat for women. A large proportion of fat is accumulated in the body through the food we eat. If you change your diet and start consuming foods that are low in fat then the whole fat burning process will be easier. There are also some food types that can help you fight fat. Have a look at how to lose belly fat with food. When you get into this habit of taking care of the food you eat you will learn to read the food labels and identify which foods are low in fat and calories. This cannot be done overnight but gradually you will learn how to change your eating patterns to match a healthiest lifestyle. For example you can start by excluding regular soft drinks, fried food, processed and canned food, full fat dairy products and sweets from your daily diet. This simple change alone will save you enough calories and fat.

Set realistic expectations. We said above that one of the reasons that women experience fat in the belly is due to heredity. This means that for some women the situation cannot be changed drastically. Of course exercise and diet and can help you improve the situation but if the reason you are having belly fat is due to heredity then there is a limit of what you can achieve. This however should not stop you from aiming for the best. Set your goals regarding how much weight you want to lose and how many inches and stick to your goals with patience and willpower until you achieve them.