Updated: January 17, 2012

Welcome to After Baby Weight.  Losing weight after pregnancy is difficult, especially with the extra challenges that come with the blessed addition of your child into your life.  This website strives to provide tips, tools, and techniques to make your  weight loss after pregnancy easier and successful.

Here is an overview of what you can expect through the post pregnancy weight loss process.

When you delivered your baby you probably lost 11-14 pounds which accounted for the baby, placenta, amniotic fluid and perhaps some blood.  Depending on how much swelling you had prior to the birth you may have dropped some water weight in the first week.  Also, your uterus was heavy as it was quite expanded and you probably shed a pound or two from that during the first 6 weeks.  Your breasts were a couple pounds heavier and if you chose not to breast feed you also lost that  weight in a couple of weeks.

After about 6 weeks, if you haven’t been fortunate enough to lose it already, you will be left with the extra fat layer that your body provided for the baby and any extra weight gain during pregnancy.  I gained 40 pounds for my first pregnancy and did not lose it all before I gained 45 with my second which left me with a  lot of extra weight to get rid of!  It literally took me years to get motivated to get the rest of it off.  This website is designed to help you accomplish your goals much sooner!

If you’ve just recently delivered, do not be alarmed at how large your tummy still is.  It takes the uterus 6 weeks to return completely to its normal size.   For the first 6 weeks (or longer depending on your delivery) your main focus should be on eating healthy foods and letting your body repair itself.  Certainly do not start any rigorous exercise without permission from your health provider.  Most people with smooth deliveries will be released for normal exercise at about 6 weeks and this is a good time to start a focused approach to losing weight after pregnancy. When you are ready for some exercise ideas please visit, Post Pregnancy Weight Loss.

As for diet, in those first several weeks your body will be healing and you will most likely be thrilled and stressed at the same time, and very sleep deprived.  So, keep your energy up and let your body heal by providing healthy foods (fruits, veggies, lean meat, whole grains) and plenty of water. For some excellent food choices, please visit our article, Weight Loss After Pregnancy.

If you are not breastfeeding then you can expect it to be a few weeks before your milk completely dries up and your breasts return to a normal weight.  If you are breast feeding, then although your breasts will stay heavier, you may get a real boost in weight loss over time since the breast milk will use up about an extra 500 calories a day!

One caution, during this time after delivery, remember that you are no longer eating for two and if you overate like I did during pregnancy then now is the time to curb your portion sizes and reduce your number of snacks to start losing the pregnancy weight.

Now that you are informed and ready to start losing your post pregnancy weight, check out our other articles to glean information to help you on your way.  Everybody is different.  Some like vigorous exercise others prefer mild, some need motivation, some need a loose diet plan while others benefit from a specific menu.  There are many ways to lose weight after pregnancy.  You will be most successful when you find a plan that is compatible to your personality.

On a side note, if you are the type who likes a “spelled out” plan then consider these two suggestions.  They can give you a boost to reach your goals of losing weight and feeling better about yourself quicker.  The nice thing is that they both come with an 8 week money-back guarantee, so if they don’t work for you, you can get a full refund.  I own the popular Fat Loss 4 Idiots. It is a rapid weight loss program with basically no exercise requirements. I have used this plan quite successfully when I have wanted to drop some weight fast for an upcoming event.  I would not recommend this as a life-long diet as it is somewhat restrictive in foods but it is excellent for rapid weight loss.

The other well known and effective plan out there is specific to Mommies and involves not only diet plans but also home exercises that take minimal time with maximum results. The whole program revolves around transforming a busy Mom (with the constraints all Mommies have) into a lean and healthy Mom. I love the fact that it is focused on exactly who it intends to help – Moms! It is called Fit Yummy Mummy and will provide you with precise, short exercises and a diet specifically for losing weight after pregnancy.