Paras Hemrajani
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Your post-pregnancy weight is a build-up of tissues, blood, fats, placenta and amniotic fluid. © Shutterstock
Weight gained during pregnancy is not just because of the baby and the extra kilos will not disappear on its own after delivery. You have to work hard to get back to shape. That's what ace tennis player Sania Mirza did. Recently, she shared an old video, which shows her working out in the gym two and half months after her delivery. In her post, the star player stated that she had gained around 23 kilos during her pregnancy and lost 26 kg in just four months. The video that she shared on her Instagram platform on Tuesday showed her practising squats, weight training, doing cardio workouts, lunges, push-ups and other stretching exercises.
Your post-pregnancy weight is a build-up of tissues, blood, fats, placenta and amniotic fluid. Once the baby has been delivered, these need to be removed from the system, or else, you may face various health complications. They may put additional stress on your body and increase the risk of diabetes, arthritis, heart disease and other gestational diseases during your next pregnancy. Here, we tell you how you can shed those unwanted kilos while taking care of your bundle of joy.
Once your body has recovered from the stress of delivery, you, like Sania Mirza, can hit the gym for weight loss. Start slowly and try to build up from there. It's good to start with a slow-paced walk and then gradually move on to workouts that are higher in intensity. However, get your doctor's nod before hitting the gym. Workouts increase the metabolism rate in the women and helps you lose weight. Tightness in the muscles is a common condition after delivery. So, make sure that you include light stretching exercises in your routine and do a proper warm up. Practise these exercises under the supervision of a trained professional to reduce the risk of injury.
Apart from gym workouts, there are other ways to shed those stubborn kilos. Follow these golden weight loss rules alongside your exercises for faster results.
According to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), breastfeeding burns 600 to 800 calories per day. This will help you burn some calories while sitting. However, only breastfeeding won't help. So exercising regularly according to your capacity is necessary. Remember, if you rely only on nursing your baby for burning calories, you will gain them back once you stop. It's best to breastfeed your baby exclusively for six months. It'll help in building baby's immunity, reduce the size of your uterus, bring down the risk of type-2 diabetes, postnatal depression, ovarian cancer and breast cancer.
Eating soluble fibre slows down the digestion process and reduces the craving of food. This reduces the number of calories you take in, leading to weight loss. Common sources of fibre include fruits (berries, pears, melon and oranges), broccoli, carrots, spinach and other green veggies.
Excess sugar in your diet adds up to your calories. Moreover, it may also lead to hormonal imbalance, which, in turn, will add up to the kilos. Foods rich in sugar are cakes, pastries, biscuits, fruit juices, white flour, sweet spreads, candies, etc. Avoid them altogether if possible while you are on a weight loss mission. But if you must, practise moderation.