Losing Pregnancy Weight: 3 to 6 Months is Normal
If that seems like a painstakingly long amount of time, it's possible that we've been reading too many gossip rags.
According to the German Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care (IQWiG) women should not put themselves under too much pressure straight away.
The Institute also warns that overdoing early weight loss attempts could have a negative impact on breastfeeding.
Pounds will fall off - but not as fast for some people
The Institute's director, Peter Sawiki says this about individual progress;
Often, the extra effort women have to make to look after a new baby and breastfeed after giving birth means the kilos just melt away without effort - but for about half of all women, the weight will not go away as quickly."
Don't take "eating for 2" out of context
Upon reviewing the evidence, the institute concludes that women who put on a lot of weight during pregnancy have a more difficult time losing it - even beyond a year post-partum. According to Sawiki, it is not a good idea to "forget about your weight" until after the baby is born - especially if you are heavier to begin with, or prone to weight gain.
Says Sawiki
Women need to eat well enough for themselves and their babies, but pregnancy is not a time to overeat."
A lot of post-pregnancy exercise won't always help
Many women are tempted to jump back into a vigorous exercise routine to help accelerate the post-baby bulge. For many, however this isn't always helpful. The institute recommends taking it easy for the first while, and focusing on healthy eating. Sawiki also cautions however, that women should not leave taking care of themselves for too long after the baby is born.
In my opinion, return to exercise should definitely be gradual and women should focus on regaining strength through some resistance training when they are ready. They can begin with some lighter activity such as walking, biking or swimming, and perform core and other postural exercises to help counter the static and repetitive postures experienced post-partum (carrying, feeding). Full intensity resistance training can resume when they feel ready.
To summarize
- Do your best to ignore stories of celebs losing their baby weight at warm speed. They are under pressure to do so, and have the means to do so quicker than most (trainers, nutritionists, chefs, nannies). Plus, many of them were thin to begin with.
- When pregnant, eat healthily, eat enough, but don't overdo it.
- Exercise during pregnancy (at a reduced intensity), and ease back into it post-partum.
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Considering pregnancy is 9 months, 3 to 6 months to lose the weight seems like a very reasonable amount of time.
ReplyMy son is almost 2 years old and finally I am back down to my normal weight. Unlike celebrities, I have to cook, clean, work a fulltime job, and then find time to exercise as well. Don't be so hard on yourself if it takes a long time. Give you body a break- it just made an entire human!
ReplyI never got the whole "eating for 2" thing. Sure, you're technically feeding two people, but one of them is the size of a grapefruit for a long part of the pregnancy. Even when you're in the third trimester, the baby is only about 5-8 lbs or so...that definitely doesn't justify eating 4000 calories a day. My sister had almost lost all of her baby weight about 7 months after my nephew was born and then she found out she was pregnant again. She told me not to believe the lies that Hollywood moms tell about how all you have to do is breastfeed and the weight just falls off. I'm pretty sure most of those women hire personal trainers to ensure that they lose their baby weight within 2 or 3 months of giving birth. I don't know...it seems a bit excessive to me. It seems like you should want to bond with your newborn for the first few months of its life and THEN focus on getting yourself back into shape.
ReplyA little just falls off, but starting at about 7 lb above prepartum, I had to really start working (and I was breastfeeding and running 40+ mpw before that point) -- but now at 10 months later I'm over 30 lb BELOW prepartum weight, and have run 4 marathons plus PR's in all shorter distances... sure, it's harder, but babies can be an excuse... or an inspiration!!!!
ReplyGreat Article! I definitely agree with the part about not taking "eating for two" out of context. So many women use their pregnancy as an excuse to triple their portions and binge on foods they know are not healthy. These foods do not suddenly become healthy and less fattening because you are pregnant. Make smart food choices while pregnant and continue exercising. When you have the baby and are given the okay, begin an aggressive exercise regimen comprised of high intensity cardio and strength training. Don't starve yourself, just continue to eat clean - no processed foods, no white carbs, plenty of fruits and vegetables, lean proteins, cold water, and your body will snap back into shape.
ReplyThe most messed up thing about that is... you wouldn't build a house with shoddy materials, why try to build your baby with ice cream and pizza... it's silly. Good nutrition is even MORE important when pregnant because it's not just about you. They know refined sugar is bad on the developing fetus. Though I know it's hard and I indulged some too because everyone pushes food on you and wants you to literally eat for two, so the pressure/culture is tough.
ReplyGood article to help take the pressure off new mums, who have enough on their plate!
ReplyIt took me 12 months after each child to get back to the weight I was. I was told that the weight would 'fall off' with breast feeding. Unfortunately, that didn't work for me. It was only after I stopped breast feeding, that the weight finally came off.
I found that the total body shaping work out was just the thing for me to lose my baby weight. I lost 33 lbs in 10 weeks in selden new york.
ReplyI am expecting my first baby in November. It's been such a rollercoaster for me - I'm so excited about having a child and can't wait for all that it entails, but - as a Personal Trainer for the past 10 years and health/nutrition blogger for past year or so - have not been 'out of control' on my weight for a long time.
It's a strange feeling knowing that you're really can't stop the weight gain. As far as what will happen after the birth, obviously I hope to lose weight quickly, but not 'unhealthy' quickly.
My plan is to focus predominantly on correct nutrition - getting back to basics with the foods that I choose, eating seasonally, and including plenty of good quality protein and fat. I know that this will benefit my baby as well as me, and I trust that it will give me the energy I need to get back into my normal exercise routine bit by bit.
In my experience one of the easiest ways to gain more and more weight (or fail to lose it), is when motivation slowly gets sucked up by a busy and stressful life. Hopefully having a food and exercise plan ready before the birth will help prevent this happening.
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