After having a baby, you may feel like a stranger in your own body. It has gone through so many changes that you barely recognize yourself. In order to gain back your confidence and control of your body, you may want to lose the baby weight and start getting back into your old shape.

It’s important for moms to know that there are special considerations when losing weight after being pregnant. One may not simply employ the same diet and exercise plan before the baby. Their body is in transition and they need to know the proper and healthy way to lose weight.

Dieting after pregnancy comes down to choosing the right food and pacing oneself

Go Slow

The most important thing to consider is not going on a restrictive diet. Nursing moms need anywhere from 2,000 to 2,700 calories a day to keep up their energy and provide enough nutrients for themselves and their babies. Losing weight too rapidly may decrease one’s milk supply. A bare minimum of 1,800 calories is acceptable but ingesting more calories is recommended.

Dieting too hard may also release toxins into the body. These may come from stored fat and can quickly mix with one’s milk supply. Examples of these toxins are environmental contaminants, organic pollutants, dioxins and even solvents.

Limit your weight loss to about a pound and a half a week. Don’t be too pressured by seeing celebrity moms dropping the weight after only 3 or 6 months. Take as much time as you need to keep yourself and your baby healthy and happy.

Choose Right

Cutting down on food isn’t the only way to lose weight. Choosing the right kind of food can also help you drop some pounds. Go for whole grain products and low-fat dairy products. Whole wheat breads and cereals are great in helping one lose weight. Raw vegetables and high-fiber fruits are also vital additions to your post-baby diet.

Fats are also an important part of any diet. The trick is to choose “good” or unsaturated fats over their counterparts. These can be found in olive oil, nuts, avocados, seeds and fatty fish. Include some fat into every meal to curb your appetite and prevent you from gorging on carbohydrates.

Breastfeeding Diet

Nursing moms need to pay extra attention to what they put into their bodies. This is because your baby can also consume anything you eat. Take a little peek into your family history and note any allergies. It’s possible that your baby may be allergic to come foods even though you are not. Some herbs are not considered safe for lactating mothers. Even herbal teas need to be inspected. Opt for chamomile, red bush, raspberry, peppermint, orange spice or rosehip flavored teas, as these are deemed okay for nursing moms. Check labels and make sure there aren’t any other herbs added to the mix.

All in all, dieting after pregnancy comes down to choosing the right food and pacing oneself. It’s important to keep yourself healthy during this transition. Crash diets and diet fads would do more harm than good when it comes to shedding weight.