How to Reduce Belly Fat Post Delivery?

Introduction

Pregnancy is a difficult phase for a woman. But many of us don’t understand some issues post-pregnancy that are equally important and affect the mother’s mental health. One of them is belly fat post-pregnancy. Some of us have a notion that as soon as we give birth,  our belly becomes flat. But that’s not the truth. 

Just after the birth, you may look at your reflection and wonder why your stomach is still swollen and fat? 

And sometimes, during postpartum recovery, this sudden belly fat may put a mother in a bad mood, which may escalate to significant issues like postpartum depression or body dysmorphia. We understand that it’s essential to lose weight. Still, you must first understand that your body carried a baby for nine months and went through significant hormonal, physical and psychological changes that would take a while to get normal. 

So, with steady steps and a positive approach, new moms can have a healthy lifestyle while losing weight and still be amazing moms! Also, remember that even if you are a woman and a mother, in the end, you are a human! So be kind to yourself throughout the journey! 

Here are a couple of tips that would help you in losing that belly fat caused due to pregnancy post-delivery: 

1.Drink water

Water is your holy grail for a healthy lifestyle and weight loss. And it’s more important, especially post-pregnancy. During pregnancy, your hormone levels are spiked up, causing all kinds of changes in your body and mental health like sudden mood swings, etc. Post the birth of the child. Your body again experiences another onslaught of hormonal changes, which causes dips in your hormonal levels. And this plays an essential factor that causes postpartum depression, sudden anxiety, sadness, etc. And water is one component that helps your body manage these changes easily by regulating hormones like estrogen and progesterone while keeping the body and mind calm. Also, water is beneficial for a breastfeeding mother to increase her breast milk production by kicking the prolactin hormone up. And this would also burn the fat quickly. It is recommended to drink 12-16 glasses of water to facilitate easy lactation. 

But sometimes, drinking plain water is boring. So, add water-based food to your post-pregnancy diet like smoothies, soups, juices, etc. You can also check out some smoothies or juices which promote healthy weight loss, like ginger smoothies, apple-almonds smoothies, etc. Water increases your metabolism, which, again, helps you to lose weight without any side effects. 

*For smoothies, fruits and other foods, kindly contact your OBGYN to check if the food ingredients are good for your health. Also, be mindful of what you eat, so check for allergic food and avoid them strictly. 

2.Get Massages

Postpartum body massages can be an effective and holistic way of coping up with new motherhood. This can be helpful in hormone regulation, reducing anxiety and stress as well. Abdominal massages help blood circulation, which boosts your energy levels and excretion of toxins from the body. 

Yes! You heard us right! Your body goes through enormous changes in a short amount of time. So, as your body transforms during pregnancy, loads of toxins have produced insides that need to get out. Usually, the toxins get out through excretion, defecation and sweat. In ancient India, women, after delivery, used to get body massages like Abyanga, Mukhalepa and Pizhichil to tone their muscles and skin, improve nervous system functions and deep detoxification. And these methods are still used, which helps a lot for weight loss. 

3.Honey Tea

You need to make way for more hot and naturally spicy food. We don’t want you overeating chilly or salt. However, the usage of cardamom, ginger, garlic, and lemon can do the job. You can make honey tea and add these ingredients for better results. 

Mix all the ingredients mentioned and boil them for 30-45 minutes. When taken off the stove, mix in some honey. Drink it three times a day for three weeks, and you will notice quick results.

4.Fresh Fruits and Salads

Junk and oily foods do no good but increase belly fat. So, eating more fruits and veggies will not only help your body recover post-delivery but is also a healthy way of keeping yourself fit and fine for a longer time.

5.Healthy Carbohydrates

After the pregnancy, you may have bleeding that goes on for a while. That’s completely normal (But always inform your OBGYN if you have sudden major blood loss or have any discomfort.) Due to this, you may not have energy which affects your body while nourishing the child. So, you need carbohydrates in your diet to boost your energy. And that’s the reason we recommend all the new moms not to fast during the first period of 5 weeks, at least. It is for the safety of both the child and the mother. 

But many of us have heard the rumour that carbohydrates make us gain weight. And so, many women don’t prefer to have carbohydrates in their diet. This is wrong. You need carbohydrates but in a certain amount. One must be careful of what kind of carbohydrates one consumes. If you consume carbohydrates rich in fibre like Rice, etc., they will not accumulate as fats in your body. It will boost your metabolism. But if you consume the same amount of carbohydrates that has added sugar, it would spike up the insulin levels and cause more troubles, including weight gain. With the correct amount of energy, your body organs function well and help you lactate more. And thus, carbohydrates can not only help you lose weight and ease the breastfeeding sessions of the child. 

Remember that you have to be careful with carbs. Excess carbs get accumulated as fats. Based on how empty the stomach feels, you should leverage carbs in your diet once or twice a day. Any day, healthy carbs are better than unhealthy fats.

6.Herbs and Spices

Using herbs and spices is the natural way of adding flavour to your food. Moreover, they act as agents to improve metabolism and, thus, burn fat. We recommend adding garlic, ginger, pepper, turmeric, cumin, cardamom as well to your diet, as these are post-pregnancy-friendly. They boost lactation, so consider adding them to any food you have to maintain a balance.

7.Proteins

Proteins are one of the essential ingredients in the postpartum diet. It helps your body build muscle while recovering from the whole pregnancy period, including labour and weight loss. 

It's essential to have protein-rich food, but any more protein than required would be stored in the body as flab. So, ensure that you don't have any two proteins at the same time, and after having a protein-rich meal, ensure you have fibre-rich salads to boost digestion. While you can have proteins, make sure never to have too much of it at one go. Wait for a whole meal to have your next protein, and whenever you have any amount of protein, aid your digestion.

8.Belly binding or belly wrapping

This is the most-old fashioned yet most trusted way of toning your pregnancy belly. Women are just required to wrap or tie a cotton saree or T-shirt with a larger area around their flab. You need to follow this technique for 2-3 weeks continuously. Once abdominal muscles are stretched to the max and relaxed in that state, postpartum is the right moment for you to experiment with belly binding or belly wrapping. However, if you deliver through a C-section, we do not recommend this approach. This can often lead to improper healing and cause infections. Otherwise, feel free to wrap and bind. Do you know it lowers back pain, too?

Interesting, isn’t it?

9.Exercise regularly

If we are honest with you, then regular exercise is the only way to lose belly fat. There is no other quick fix. But before you hit the gym and wear your Fitbit, have a word with your physician or your gynaecologist and start with some light, restorative workout routines like yoga, brisk walking, resistance training, etc. Avoid strenuous workouts like deadlifts or jog for the first few weeks after the delivery of the child. These workout routines may cause a toll on your body and slow the healing period of your vulnerable reproductive organs.  Swimming is recommended for mothers who have had a normal delivery after 6-7 weeks postpartum. While you are determined to lose belly fat, don’t over-exhaust yourself. The postpartum body is, anyway, quite different from your previous body. A lot of hormones will balance out within 5-6 weeks. It is recommended you start exercising then.

10.Breastfeed more

You may not know this, but breastfeeding has been known to positively affect a new mother’s physical, emotional and mental health. Not only does breastfeeding help avoid mastitis and other fungal infections, but it also helps a mother produce more milk, which eats up her fats. Alternatively, you can also use breast pumps to keep your milking tissues actively secreting. You should feed your child as often as needed and express via hands too.

Conclusion

These were our quick tips on how to lose belly after pregnancy. However, your body, skin, and hair would undergo many changes throughout your pregnancy as well as during lactation. So, don’t rush with weight loss and have realistic goals. Avoid any kind of fad diets and have faith in your progress. It may take a while, but you will lose weight and stay healthy with the proper steps and determination! 

Motherhood is one of the most cherishable experiences in a woman’s journey. And to make it more memorable, Purplle has a wide range of products for new mothers just like yours! You need all the excellent care, and so does your skin and hair! We, at Purplle, are here to take care of you with all these specially curated items with love and tenderness, just what a mamma needs!  Remember, Purplle is your friend in everything skincare and hair care. Here are 3 ways to stay fit during pregnancy. Check them out!

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