How to lose weight naturally after pregnancy

Losing weight after pregnancy: MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia

You should plan to return to your pre-pregnancy weight by 6 to 12 months after delivery. Most women lose half of their baby weight by 6 weeks after childbirth (postpartum). The rest most often comes off over the next several months.

A healthy diet with daily exercise will help you shed the pounds. Breastfeeding can also help with postpartum weight loss.

Your body needs time to recover from childbirth. If you lose weight too soon after childbirth, it can take longer for you to recover. Give yourself until your 6-week checkup before trying to slim down. If you are breastfeeding, wait until your baby is at least 2 months old and your milk supply has normalized before drastically cutting calories.

• Aim for a weight loss of about a pound and a half a week. You can do this by eating healthy foods and adding in exercise once you are cleared by your health care provider for regular physical activity.
• Women who are exclusively breastfeeding need about 500 more calories per day than they did before pregnancy. Get these calories from healthy choices such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean protein.
• Do not drop below the minimum number of calories you need.

If you are breastfeeding, you will want to lose weight slowly. Weight loss that happens too fast can make you produce less milk. Losing about a pound and a half (670 grams) a week should not affect your milk supply or your health.

Breastfeeding makes your body burn calories which helps you lose weight. If you are patient, you may be surprised at how much weight you lose naturally while breastfeeding.

These healthy eating tips will help you lose weight safely.

• Do not skip meals. With a new baby, many new moms forget to eat. If you do not eat, you will have less energy, and it will not help you lose weight.
• Eat 5 to 6 small meals a day with healthy snacks in between (rather than 3 larger meals).
• Eat breakfast. Even if you do not normally eat in the mornings, get into the habit of having breakfast. It will give you energy to start your day and stop you from feeling tired later.
• Slow down. When you take your time eating, you will notice that it is easier to tell that you are full. It is tempting to multitask, but if you focus on your meal you will be less likely to overeat.
• When you reach for a snack try to include foods with fiber and protein to help keep you full (such as raw bell pepper or carrot with bean dip, apple slices with peanut butter, or a slice of whole-wheat toast with hard-boiled egg). Drink at least 12 cups of fluid a day.
• Keep a water bottle near the spot where you usually feed the baby, that way you'll remember to drink when they do.
• Limit drinks like sodas, juices, and other fluids with added sugar and calories. They can add up and keep you from losing weight. Avoid products with artificially sweeteners.
• Choose whole fruit over fruit juice. Fruit juices should be taken in moderation because they can contribute extra calories. Whole fruit gives you vitamins and nutrients and contains more fiber, which helps you feel full with fewer calories.
• Choose broiled or baked rather than fried foods.
• Limit sweets, sugar, saturated fat and trans-fats.

Do not go on a crash diet (not eating enough) or a fad diet (popular diets that limit certain types of foods and nutrients). They will probably make you drop pounds at first, but those first few pounds you lose are fluid and will come back.

Other pounds you lose on a crash diet may be muscle instead of fat. You will gain back any fat you lose on a crash diet once you return to normal eating.

You may not be able to return to your exact pre-pregnancy shape. For many women, pregnancy causes lasting changes in the body. You may have a softer belly, wider hips, and a larger waistline. Make your goals about your new body realistic.

A healthy diet combined with regular exercise is the best way to shed the pounds. Exercise will help you lose fat instead of muscle.

Once you are ready to start losing weight, eat a little less and move a little more each day. It may be tempting to push yourself into a hard routine for fast weight loss. But rapid weight loss is not healthy and is hard on your body.

Do not overdo it. Just a quick walk around the block with your baby in the stroller is a great way to start adding exercise to your daily routine.

Berger AA, Peragallo-Urrutia R, Nicholson WK. Systematic review of the effect of individual and combined nutrition and exercise interventions on weight, adiposity and metabolic outcomes after delivery: evidence for developing behavioral guidelines for post-partum weight control. BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth. 2014;14:319. PMID: 25208549 pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25208549/.

Isley MM, Katz VL. Postpartum care and long-term health considerations. In: Landon MB, Galan HL, Jauniaux ERM, et al, eds. Gabbe's Obstetrics: Normal and Problem Pregnancies. 8th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2021:chap 24.

Lawrence RA, Lawrence RM. Maternal nutrition and supplements for mother and infant. In: Lawrence RA, Lawrence RM, eds. Breastfeeding: A Guide for the Medical Profession. 8th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2016:chap 9.

Newton ER, Stuebe AM. Lactation and breastfeeding. In: Landon MB, Galan HL, Jauniaux ERM, et al, eds. Gabbe's Obstetrics: Normal and Problem Pregnancies. 8th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2021:chap 25.

U.S. Department of Agriculture and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2020-2025. 9th Edition. December 2020. www.dietaryguidelines.gov/resources/2020-2025-dietary-guidelines-online-materials. Accessed March 31, 2022.

Updated by: David C. Dugdale, III, MD, Professor of Medicine, Division of General Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A. D.A.M. Editorial team.

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16 Effective Tips to Lose Baby Weight After Pregnancy

Here’s some background on what “baby weight” is, why it happens during pregnancy, and why it won’t be needed after baby makes their appearance in the world.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that women within a healthy weight range who are carrying one baby gain 25 to 35 pounds (11.5 to 16 kg) during pregnancy.

Recommended weight gains for expectant people who are underweight, overweight, or carrying multiple babies are different. Check out the interactive calculators at the Institute of Medicine/National Academies to determine your individual recommended weight gain.

Your healthcare providers may also have a different recommendation based on your own needs.

According to research published in the American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology, pregnancy weight gain consists of:

• the baby
• placenta
• amniotic fluid
• breast tissue
• blood
• uterus enlargement
• extra fat stores

The extra fat acts as an energy reserve for the birth and breastfeeding. However, excess weight gain can result in too much fat. This is what people generally refer to as “baby weight,” and it’s very common.

Nearly half of all pregnant women gain more than the recommended amount of weight during pregnancy, according to the CDC.

The consequences of keeping on some of this extra weight after pregnancy include:

• increased risk of being overweight
• heightened risk of diabetes and heart disease
• greater risk of complications during pregnancy
• higher health risks for women with gestational diabetes

The following list provides evidence-based tips to help you lose the extra pounds.

1. Keep your goals realistic

Despite what magazines and celebrity stories would have you believe, losing weight after pregnancy takes time.

In one 2015 study, 75 percent of women were heavier 1 year after giving birth than they had been before pregnancy. Of these women, 47 percent were at least 10 pounds heavier at the 1-year mark, and 25 percent had kept on 20 more pounds.

Depending on how much weight you gained during pregnancy, it is realistic to expect that over the next 1 to 2 years you could lose around 10 pounds (4.5 kg). If you gained more weight, you may find you end up a few pounds heavier than you were pre-pregnancy.

Of course, with a good eating plan and exercise, you should be able to achieve any healthy level of weight loss that your doctor gives the thumbs up.

2. Don’t crash diet

Crash diets are very low calorie diets that aim to make you lose a large amount of weight in the shortest amount of time possible.

After delivering a baby, your body needs good nutrition to heal and recover. In addition, if you are breastfeeding, you require more calories than normal, according to the CDC.

A low calorie diet is likely to be lacking in important nutrients and will probably leave you feeling tired. This is the opposite of what you need when taking care of a newborn, and when you’re likely sleep-deprived.

Assuming your weight is currently stable, decreasing your calorie intake by about 500 calories per day will stimulate safe weight loss of about 1.1 pounds (0.5 kg) per week. This amount of weight loss is considered safe for breastfeeding women, according to the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.

For example, a woman eating 2,000 calories per day could eat 300 fewer calories and burn an extra 200 calories through exercise, making a reduction of 500 calories in total.

3. Breastfeed if you can

The World Health Organization (WHO), the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), and the CDC all recommend breastfeeding. Breastfeeding your baby during the first 6 months of life (or much longer) has many benefits for both you and your baby:

• Provides nutrition: Breast milk contains all the nutrients a baby needs to grow and thrive in the first 6 months of life, according to the WHO.
• Supports the baby’s immune system: Breast milk also contains important antibodies that help your baby fight viruses and bacteria.
• Lowers the risk of disease in infants: Breastfed infants have a lower risk of asthma, obesity, type 1 diabetes, respiratory disease, ear infections, sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), and gastrointestinal infections.
• Reduces the mother’s risk of disease: People who breastfeed have lower risks of high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, breast cancer, and ovarian cancer.

Additionally, research has shown that breastfeeding can support your postpartum weight loss.

However, in the first 3 months of breastfeeding, you may experience no weight loss or even some weight gain. This is due to increased calorie needs and intake, as well as reduced physical activity during lactation.

4. Monitor your calorie intake

We know, calorie counting isn’t for everyone. But if you’re finding that eating intuitively just doesn’t seem to be working, monitoring calories can help you work out how much you are eating and where any problem areas in your eating plan may be.

It can also help you ensure you are getting enough calories to provide you with the energy and nutrition you need.

You can do this by:

• keeping a food diary
• taking pictures of your food as a reminder of what you have eaten
• trying a mobile calorie tracking app
• sharing your daily calorie intake with a friend who is also monitoring calories for accountability

Using these techniques can help you reduce your portion sizes and choose healthier foods, which helps with weight loss.

5. Eat foods high in fiber

It’s time to get those healthy grains and veggies on your shopping list. Eating foods that are high in fiber has been shown to help with weight loss.

For example, a 2019 study of the 345 people found that an increase of 4 grams of fiber over what participants had eaten before the study led to an average additional weight loss of 3 1/4 pounds over 6 months.

Soluble fiber foods (like these!) may also help you feel fuller for longer by slowing down digestion and reducing hunger hormone levels, according to a 2015 clinical trial.

These effects on digestion may help reduce calorie intake, though results of studies overall are mixed.

6. Stock up on healthy proteins

Including protein in your diet can boost metabolism, decrease appetite, and reduce calorie intake, according to research published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

Studies show that protein has a greater “thermic” effect than other nutrients. That means that the body uses more energy to digest it than other types of foods, which results in more calories burned.

Research also shows that protein is also able to suppress appetite by increasing the fullness hormones GLP and GLP-1, as well as reducing the hunger hormone ghrelin. Less hungry hormones means less hangry-ness!

Healthy protein sources include:

• lean meats
• eggs
• low mercury fish
• legumes
• nuts and seeds
• dairy

Check out these portable high protein snacks to take on the go.

7. Keep healthy snacks handy

The foods you have around can have a big effect on what you eat. And when you’re searching the pantry for something to munch, a healthy alternative is just the ticket.

By stocking up on healthy snacks, you can ensure you have something close at hand when the mood strikes. Here are some to keep on hand:

• cut vegetables and hummus
• mixed nuts and dried fruit
• Greek yogurt and homemade granola
• air-popped popcorn
• string cheese
• spiced nuts
• seaweed snacks

Research shows that just keeping fruit out on the counter has been associated with a lower body mass index (BMI).

Likewise, a comparative study showed that having unhealthy foods out on the counter is associated with increased weight. Pro tip: Keep processed foods and sweets out of the kitchen, or even better, out of the house.

We’re loving these healthy snack ideas for the office, the pantry, or wherever you go.

8. Avoid added sugar and refined carbs

Though they may be tempting, sugar and refined carbs are high in calories and usually low in nutrients. And there are healthy and delicious alternatives.

Research associates a high intake of added sugar and refined carbs with an increase in weight, diabetes, heart disease, some cancers, and even cognitive decline.

Common sources of added sugars include:

• sugary drinks
• fruit juice
• any type of refined sugar
• white flour
• sweet spreads
• cakes
• biscuits
• pastries

When you’re choosing food at the grocery store, read the food labels. If sugar is one of the first ingredients on the list, that product is probably better to avoid.

It’s easy to reduce your sugar intake by avoiding processed foods and sticking to whole foods such as vegetables, legumes, fruits, meats, fish, eggs, nuts, and yogurt.

Here are some examples of low sugar breakfast ideas to get your wheels turning.

9. Avoid highly processed foods

If you’ve been taking note so far, a lot of these tips are made far easier when you’re eating whole, unprocessed foods. They’re usually full of protein, fiber, and less sugar.

Processed foods, on the other hand, are often high in sugar, unhealthy fats, salt, and calories, all of which can counteract your weight loss efforts, according to the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

These foods include:

• fast foods
• prepackaged foods
• chips
• cookies and baked goods
• candy
• ready meals
• boxed mixes
• processed cheeses
• sugary cereals

Plus research has associated consumption of processed foods with more addictive eating behavior.

Unfortunately, these foods make up a large part of many people’s nutritional intake, according to research published The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

You can reduce the amount of processed foods you eat by replacing them with fresh, whole, nutrient-dense foods.

10. Avoid alcohol

Research has shown that small amounts of alcohol, such as a glass of red wine, do have some health benefits.

However, when it comes to weight loss, alcohol provides extra calories without much in the way of nutrition.

Additionally, alcohol may be related to weight gain and may lead to more fat being stored around the organs, also known as belly fat.

According to research, there is no known safe level of alcohol for infants. The CDC advises that the safest option for infants is for breastfeeding mothers not to drink at all.

When you’re in the mood to celebrate, we’d recommend something low sugar and bubbly like an unsweetened flavored sparkling water.

11. Get moving

Moving your body has tons of benefits in general, but can especially supercharge weight loss. Cardio, such as walking, jogging, running, cycling, and interval training, helps you burn calories and has numerous health benefits.

According to the CDC, exercise improves heart health, reduces the risk and severity of diabetes, and may reduce the risk of several types of cancer.

Although exercise alone may not help you lose weight, an analysis of eight studies showed that exercise will help if you combine it with good nutrition.

For example, the analysis showed that people who combined diet and exercise lost an average of 3.7 pounds (1.72 kg) more than those who just dieted.

The CDC indicates that aerobic exercise is especially important for fat loss and heart health. So even just going for a walk is a good step toward improving your weight and health.

After delivery, your pelvic and stomach areas need time to heal, especially if you have had a cesarean delivery.

How long after childbirth you can safely start exercising depends on the mode of delivery, whether there were any complications, how fit you were before and during pregnancy, and how you feel generally. Your healthcare professional will help you decide your timing.

After your healthcare professional gives you the go-ahead to start exercising, the CDC recommends that postpartum people do at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic physical activity, such as brisk walking, spread throughout the week.

After you get the go-ahead to start, find an activity you really enjoy and can continue long after you get to a healthy weight.

12. Don’t resist that resistance training

Resistance training like weight lifting will help you lose weight and retain muscle mass.

Research has shown that a combination of diet and resistance training has been found to be the most effective method for reducing weight and improving heart health.

Finding time to exercise with a baby can be difficult, but there are gyms that offer classes for mothers and babies (in person and online!), as well as YouTube videos and mobile apps that can help you out.

Simple bodyweight exercises at home are free and can be modified to your skill level.

13. Drink enough water

Stay hydrated, friends. Drinking enough water is vital for anyone trying to lose weight. The CDC points out that choosing water over just one 20-ounce sweetened beverage can save you 240 calories.

According to a 2016 study, drinking water may increase your sense of fullness and stimulate your metabolism, leading to weight loss.

However, not all researchers agree. Another study suggests there is no conclusive correlation between water consumption and weight loss.

However, for breastfeeding women, there’s no question that staying hydrated is important to replace fluids lost through milk production.

A common recommendation from health authorities is to drink eight 8-ounce glasses, which amounts to half a gallon, or about 2 liters. This is easy to remember as the “8×8 rule.”

The 8×8 rule is a good goal that can assist with weight loss and keep you hydrated. However, women who are breastfeeding or exercising strenuously may need more.

Plain water is best, but unsweetened sparkling water once in a while can add some variety.

14. Get enough sleep

You already know this is a tough one. That little one wants you around the clock. But doing whatever you can to get adequate sleep will benefit you.

A lack of sleep can negatively affect your weight. One research review showed that a lack of sleep is related to retaining more weight after pregnancy.

This association may also be true for adults in general. A review of 11 studies found a significant correlation between short amounts of sleep and obesity.

For new mothers, getting enough sleep can be a challenge. Strategies that may help include asking for help from family and friends and limiting your caffeine intake

Don’t forget: Your health is just as important as baby’s health, so ask for help to get the sleep you need.

15. Seek support

Group-based weight loss can be beneficial for some people. A research analysis showed that people who engage in group-based weight loss tend to lose more, or at least as much, weight as those who lose weight alone.

Both face-to-face weight loss groups and online communities may be helpful.

However, another research review that included 16,000 people found that group weight loss had no significant effect compared to other weight loss interventions.

Finding a method that suits your lifestyle and preferences is probably the best option. Here are some ways to find your people.

16. Ask for help

Being a new parent can be a daunting role and a lot of work. Sleep deprivation and stress can be overwhelming, and 1 in 9 new mothers also experience postpartum depression.

While achieving a healthy weight after pregnancy is important, it shouldn’t add undue stress and anxiety. Making small changes that you can maintain for the long haul is key.

If you are feeling depressed or anxious, or you’re simply struggling to cope, don’t be afraid to reach out for help. Ask friends and family for help around the house, preparing meals, or taking care of the baby for a few hours to allow you to rest or get some exercise.

If you need more help, your doctor, dietitian, family nurse, or a psychologist can offer you support. Also consider the Postpartum Support International Helpline: 800-944-4773.

Carrying some extra weight after pregnancy is very common and nothing to get down on yourself about. Your body did an amazing thing.

But getting back into a healthy weight range is beneficial for your health and any future pregnancies so it’s definitely worth working at.

Being healthy will allow you to enjoy time with your baby and get the most out of being a new parent.

The best and most achievable way to lose weight is through a healthy diet, breastfeeding, and exercise. Talk to your healthcare team for tips, advice, and support.

Quick takeaway tips

• Weight loss after pregnancy can take time, and you may not go back to your pre-baby weight or a healthy weight straight away.
• Low calorie diets are not recommended, particularly for people who are breastfeeding. However, decreasing your intake by about 500 calories per day is generally safe and will help you lose about 1 pound (0.5 kg) per week.
• Breastfeeding has many benefits for both mother and child. It may make weight loss more difficult in the first 3 months postpartum, but it may help you lose weight later.
• Counting calories manually or with an app may help you keep track of what you are eating and support weight loss.
• Soluble fiber may help with weight loss by increasing feelings of fullness and regulating appetite hormones.
• Protein supports weight loss by boosting your metabolism, increasing feelings of fullness, and reducing appetite.
• Keep healthy foods like fruit, vegetables, nuts, and yogurt at home and easily accessible. Store unhealthy foods out of sight or don’t keep them in the house at all.
• Processed foods are higher in added sugars, fat, salt, and calories, and they are bad for your health. Replace them with fresh whole foods.
• Avoid alcohol if you are trying to lose weight. Additionally, the alcohol you drink may be passed to your baby during breastfeeding.
• Aerobic exercise has many important health benefits. Exercise — at any level of intensity — combined with a healthy eating plan makes for an effective weight loss method.
• Resistance training helps you lose weight and maintain muscle mass and may help breastfeeding women retain bone mineral density.
• Drinking water boosts your metabolism and aids weight loss. It is especially important to stay hydrated during breastfeeding.
• Poor sleep can negatively impact your weight loss efforts. Although it is difficult with a newborn, try to get as much sleep as you can and ask for help when you need it.
• In-person and online weight loss groups may be beneficial, though more research is needed to compare their effectiveness to other weight loss strategies.
• Getting to a healthy weight is important, but take care not to let your weight become a cause of stress or anxiety. If you feel you aren’t coping well, ask for help from your family, friends, or medical practitioner.

How to quickly lose weight after childbirth: diet, fitness, beauty procedures

The question "how to regain a beautiful figure" worries almost every woman who has given birth. The main difficulty of the "weight loss" process is that radical methods are not very useful for young mothers. In order to fit into your favorite dress or old - reference - jeans, it is not at all necessary to completely refuse food: a slender beautiful body can be obtained in a much more gentle and, most importantly, pleasant way.

Masha Guseva

New mothers have enough stress without strict diets: hormonal changes in the body, sleepless nights, problems with feeding - in general, you yourself know all this very well. On any "mom" forum or in reviews, you can read an insane amount of advice on how to lose weight after childbirth, but most of them will turn out to be ineffective or purely individual. In the postpartum period, it is a normal and balanced diet that is the key to a woman’s good mental and physical well-being, which means that starving yourself is not only pointless, but also harmful. We invite you to abandon the search for a miraculous express diet and develop a long-term weight loss strategy based on three pillars: proper nutrition, exercise and cosmetic procedures.

How to quickly lose weight after childbirth - diet

First, you need to radically change the diet and diet. From now on, we eat five times a day and strictly on schedule, stop nightly raids on the refrigerator, and at the same time get rid of excess fats and fast carbohydrates. Since the baby receives everything from breast milk during breastfeeding, in order to lose weight after childbirth, it is important that the food is healthy and varied. And most importantly, don't eat for two. You need to eat FOR two - useful and varied.

Not allowed:

ready-made sauces (including mayonnaise and sour cream), packaged juices, yoghurts and curds with sugar, store-bought cakes, chips, butter and cream.

You can:

cereals, fruits, vegetables, low-fat milk, natural dairy products, cheese, meat, fish and even chocolate.

How to cook?

Food can be boiled, stewed, baked in a double boiler, slow cooker or air grill - in general, anywhere where oil is not required. If such methods seem dull to you, use spices.

Approximate daily ration

Breakfast: Before the first meal, your body is still sleeping, which means that metabolic processes are extremely sluggish, and it is food that can start them at the right pace. Ideally, these should be the so-called complex carbohydrates - cereals, durum wheat pasta or stewed vegetables. Spice up your breakfast with slices of cheese, marmalade, or a couple of chocolates.

Second breakfast: A couple of hours after the first meal, have a snack of yogurt, pear or peach. But it is better to postpone apples, bananas and grapes if you need to quickly lose weight after childbirth.

Lunch: In order to maintain your strength and not feel hungry, one dish is enough - either soup, or, in fact, the "second". The ideal option is meat or fish with vegetables.

Snack: Same as lunch. If you ate yogurt in the morning, now you can have a pear snack. And vice versa.

Dinner: We rely on complex carbohydrates and fiber. Pasta with vegetable sauce (without oil!), stewed vegetables, buckwheat or rice with pieces of fruit are suitable for you. And here's what time you need to have dinner, see here.

So, we figured out the schedule and allowed food, now let's talk about the size of portions. Your stomach in a normal state is equal in size to a palm clenched into a fist, and it is absolutely not necessary to stretch it strongly. In order to lose weight after childbirth quickly and efficiently, the amount of food that you eat at a time should fit in a handful: everything is clear with cereals and pasta, and a piece of meat or fish should be no larger than your palm.

With this diet, you will lose weight on average 1-2 kilograms per week. And faster and not required!

How to lose weight after childbirth with the help of fitness

“Is it possible to lose weight without sports?” - this is one of the most pressing questions for girls who dream of losing weight after giving birth. In principle, this is quite real, only parting with extra pounds will be much slower, and the end result is unlikely to please you. The fact is that a good figure is determined not only by centimeters and kilograms. This is also correct posture, a flat stomach, and, for example, elastic hips. Skin hanging in folds - and this is exactly what happens if you do not play sports during weight loss - has nothing to do with a truly beautiful and toned body. Sport in general is a very useful thing, and in combination with a diet, it works real miracles. At the same time, it is absolutely not necessary to go to a fitness club: all the necessary muscle groups can be put in order at home. If the birth was natural and without complications, then you can start exercising after 7-10 days. After a caesarean section, it is better to wait 1.5-3 months.

The main exercise that will most beneficially affect all parts of your body is walking. And given the fact that it is advisable to walk with a child twice a day, there should not be any problems with its implementation. Choose comfortable clothes and shoes and go aimlessly with a stroller - a daily hour-long forced march will be enough to lose weight after childbirth as quickly as possible without exhausting workouts.

Chest

Unfortunately, it is impossible to pump up the bust and make it more elastic after childbirth - due to the lack of muscles in this part of the body. But it is quite possible to strengthen the deltoid muscle, which is responsible for the beautiful shape of the breast, and ordinary push-ups will help us in this matter - an excellent and effective tool for losing weight after childbirth and more!

STARTING POSITION: lying support. We rest our knees on the floor, arms are straight, palms are turned with fingers inward.

PROCESS: while exhaling we bend our elbows, bringing the chest as close to the floor as possible, while inhaling we return to the starting position. For starters, 5 times will be enough, but gradually the number of push-ups should be increased to two sets of 15 times.

NUANCES: do not arch your back during the exercise: the weight should be distributed evenly on both hands.

Hips

In order to tidy up the butt and its surroundings, it is best to purchase a stepper. 20-minute daily exercises on this simulator, combined with walking, will save you from the need for a long and tedious pumping of the given muscles. However, in order to quickly lose weight after childbirth, you can do without auxiliary devices.

START POSITION: stand with your back to a chair or sofa at a distance of 40 cm. Feet parallel to each other, back straight.

PROCESS: As you exhale, slowly lower yourself into a squat position until you feel the edge of a chair in your buttocks. No need to sit down! On inhalation - slowly - return to the starting position. And so three series of 20 squats.

OPTION: during the last set, you can turn the feet so that the toes look outward - this position of the legs will give an additional load on the muscles of the inner thighs.

4 more leg exercises from a Hollywood trainer.

Stomach

There are two ways to restore elasticity and muscle tone - simple and complex.

Easy way - hoop

STARTING POSITION: feet - shoulder-width apart, arms - to the sides (or behind the head), back - straight.

PROCESS: turn the hoop clockwise - the smaller the amplitude of rotation, the better the small muscles are worked out. Movements should be rhythmic and calm (jerking movements can hurt the back). You need to spend 10-15 minutes a day doing the exercise.

NUANCES: Hoop training requires a lot of free space. You need to twist this projectile on an empty stomach: either early in the morning or just before bedtime, when only memories remain from dinner.

Complicated method - exercises for the press

Upper section

STARTING POSITION: lying on the back, legs bent at the knees, feet resting on the floor, hands behind the head, hands clasped.

PROCESS: while exhaling, lift your upper body off the floor (about 45 degrees), while inhaling, return to the starting position. Start with three sets of 8 reps and work your way up to 20 reps in one set over two to three weeks.

NUANCES: do not arch your back and do not bring your elbows together, otherwise all your efforts will be in vain.

Lower section

START POSITION: lying on the back, arms extended along the body, legs bent at the knees, ankles crossed.

PROCESS: while exhaling, pull your knees to your chest, while inhaling, return to the starting position. Start with three sets of 8 times and in two to three weeks bring the number of lifts to 20 (in one set).

NUANCES: the spine should be “glued” to the floor, and movements should be as slow and smooth as possible.

Oblique muscles of the abdomen

START POSITION: lying on the back, legs bent at the knees, feet on the floor, hands behind the head, hands clasped in a lock.

PROCESS: With your right elbow, reach towards your left knee until you feel tension in your side. Get down on the floor. Then do the same, changing the arm and leg. Bring the number of exercises to 30 (in two sets).

IMPORTANT. Keep your neck relaxed and do not pull it up with all your strength, otherwise you will get headaches or back problems in the load on a thin waist.

What is the most effective abdominal exercise? Find out here.

Expert opinion

Olga Antipova, psychotherapist, specialist in healthy nutrition and correction of eating behavior

In the postpartum period, you need to be especially attentive to your body. Be sure to make sure that your diet has enough protein (lean meat, poultry, fish), calcium (non-spicy cheeses, cottage cheese, dairy products), fiber and vitamins (vegetables, fruits, cereals). Do not try to drastically lose extra pounds: 400-600 grams per week is a safe weight loss rate for a woman who has recently given birth. By the way, few people know this, but mothers who breastfeed their babies for at least six months are much easier to regain their previous shape than those who completely abandoned breastfeeding. And, of course, one should not ignore the intimate side of life: psychologists have long proven the connection between a lack of sex and overeating. Sometimes women are so deeply immersed in the problems of babies that they completely forget about their marital duties, and if you want to lose weight after childbirth, then abstinence is unlikely to benefit you. Good luck!

Procedures and skin care to quickly lose weight after childbirth

And finally, the third, perhaps the most enjoyable part of the process of losing weight after pregnancy. In order to consolidate the effect achieved by physical exercises and diet, it is necessary to regularly carry out cosmetic procedures.

After childbirth, for active weight loss of the abdomen, thighs and buttocks, a scrub is useful: you can buy a much-needed tool instead of a large coffee grinder. Take this “powder” and properly rub it with the problem areas previously soaped with gel. As for ready-made cosmetics, the most effective scrubs are traditionally considered to be those made on the basis of sea salt (by the way, “coffee crumbs” can and should be added to these products). How to make an effective body scrub with your own hands.

Result: the use of a coffee scrub drains excess fat deposits, reduces cellulite and, accordingly, the volume of the thighs.

IMPORTANT. Remember that you need to apply the scrub with soft circular movements in the direction from the limbs to the heart. After a shower, spread an anti-cellulite cream on your stomach, thighs and buttocks: it will tighten the skin and make it more elastic. It is important to understand that the scrub is effective in losing weight after childbirth as an additional tool in combination with sports or bath procedures.

Bust

When losing weight after childbirth, after water procedures, be sure to use a cream that tightens the décolleté area. If stretch marks appear on the chest, you can add one crushed mummy tablet to this remedy.

By the way, if you have stretch marks on your thighs or stomach, mummy can also be mixed with body creams.

IMPORTANT. In no case should the chest be massaged, creams and gels should be applied with very light and gentle movements.

Water procedures. Sea salt baths improve skin elasticity. If you want to get an additional massage of the thighs and buttocks, pour two bags into the water at once and, without waiting for the salt to completely dissolve, sit in the bath.

IMPORTANT. The water shouldn't be too hot.

Wraps based on white or blue clay are an excellent tool in the fight for weight loss after childbirth, they even out the silhouette and perfectly soften the skin. You buy clay in a pharmacy, dilute it with water to the consistency of sour cream - and apply the resulting composition to problem areas. Then wrap yourself in cling film and cover yourself with a blanket. The duration of the procedure is 20 minutes. After you wash off the clay, be sure to apply cream to the body.

IMPORTANT. In case you have certain problems with veins, you can only do cold wraps (that is, no cling film and blankets!).

If there is time and opportunity, it is better to contact a cosmetologist who will give you a course of body wraps according to all the rules and prescribe other procedures that promote weight loss after childbirth.

A course of honey massage is a very effective remedy for losing weight after childbirth. Apply any liquid honey on your thighs and stomach and tap on problem areas with dry hands (the main thing is not to do this quickly so that your palms have time to stick). At first, the procedure may seem rather painful, but after a couple of days you will get used to the new sensations. After 10 sessions, cellulite will almost disappear.

How to lose weight after childbirth with the help of salon procedures

It is important to understand that after childbirth you will have to forget about heavy injection and active hardware procedures, especially if the child is breastfed. After pregnancy, women often experience swelling, this problem is often perceived as being overweight. It is best removed by methods that provide lymphatic drainage, improve blood microcirculation, improve the elasticity of blood vessels and increase the internal forces of the body. To improve blood flow and facial skin, you can use mesotherapy, ultrasonic cleansing, chemical peels and lymphatic drainage massage. Cryolipolysis is also a safe procedure - it leads to a decrease in body volume by 20-25%. Thanks to the active work of the rollers, LPG lipomassage fights against any type of cellulite, makes the skin elastic and, accordingly, reduces the volume of the hips and abdomen.

Have you tried to lose weight after giving birth?

how to lose weight after caesarean, while breastfeeding, effective methods, how much it costs

Yulia Shubina

lost weight after childbirth

During my pregnancy I gained 17 kg.

I got pregnant at 25. My weight was 55 kg, and with a height of 165 cm, I felt overweight. Before pregnancy, I tried fasting and going to the gym, but this did not help to lose weight. Having become pregnant, I was afraid to harm the child and did not limit myself in food at all. Yes, and the gynecologist advised me to eat more meat.

I quickly gained weight, but my mother and friends said that after giving birth it would drop by itself, so I didn't worry. As a result, she went into labor with a weight of 72 kg. Such an increase was normal, especially taking into account polyhydramnios - this is when the waters in which the child is located are more than normal.

After giving birth, my weight at first really quickly went away: I was discharged from the maternity hospital with 68 kg, and a month later I weighed 59 kg, although I didn’t go on diets and didn’t go in for sports. But then I suddenly started to get better and quickly began to weigh 64 kg.

For the next year and a half, I studied at the Sekta online school, went to a personal trainer, took weight loss marathons and ordered ready-made rations. Now my weight is 56.6 kg. I tell you what helped me to come to him, and what turned out to be useless.

I spent 172,180 R on weight loss in a year and a half

Training with a personal coach

120 000 000 2

annual subscription in fitness-club

25 200 r

3 weeks of finished diets for 1,500 kcal

10 580 r

6 weeks of the online course for mothers for mothers at the Sekta school

7900 R

Marathon "Date with the body"

4000 R

Blood test for a lack of vitamins

3184 r

Vitamin D3

867 p

Book Bronnikova “Intuitive Nutrition”

449 R

3 Marathon Marathon “Slender Matrix”

And this is me now. A year and a half has passed since the birth

I heard that a woman quickly loses weight during lactation. I also breastfed my daughter, and gave the mixture only a couple of times a day, but this did not save me. Then I conducted a poll on my Instagram account: "Who gained weight on GW, like me?" - and 47 out of 99 subscribers answered "I". So I wasn't the only one.

I don’t know about others, but I connected my trouble with two things: the consequences of the diet that I went on a month after giving birth, and birth control pills.

"Yo-yo effect" after the diet. In the first time after childbirth, I ate as plentifully as during pregnancy. For breakfast I ate four slices of bread with butter, cheese and avocado, for lunch I had a large portion of pasta with boiled chicken and vegetables, and for dinner I had fatty cottage cheese and fruit purees. But when the weight stopped burning and stopped at 59 kg, I decided to go on an oatmeal diet. It consisted of eating only oatmeal for a couple of weeks. I will say right away: it was a very bad idea, I do not recommend anyone to do this.

/hidden-food/

“I think diets are evil”: 8 simple tips for those who want to eat right

I didn’t think that I had already tried fasting, but then I always broke down and became even more stout. In addition, I did not take into account that now I am breastfeeding, so the body needs a lot of nutrients. As a result, I sat on this diet for two days, and by the evening of the second, I had a terrible tantrum from hunger. My husband force-fed me pasta and sent me to bed.

But the worst thing is that my body felt something was wrong during these two days, so the “yo-yo effect” worked: my weight soared just like a yo-yo toy, and in a week I gained 5 kg.

Hormonal contraceptives. I had a caesarean section. After him, the doctor forbade me to become pregnant for two years and prescribed Charozetta tablets - oral contraceptives that can be taken by nursing mothers.

Instructions for Charosetta - "366-ru"

The instructions say that one of the most common side effects of Charosetta is weight gain. More than 2.5% of women on whom the drug was tested suffer from this. I was also unlucky.

In general, when my daughter was three months old, I realized that the weight would not go away on its own, and decided to fight it. The first thing I tried was an online course at the Sekta Ideal Body School.

How I studied in the "Sect"

Once I already studied in the "Sect" on a regular program. True, I then trained irregularly and violated the diet, but still lost 2 kg in a month. Now I have chosen the #Sektamama fitness course for moms. I explain why I liked it at first, what I did there and why I didn’t go through it to the end.

What attracted the school and the course. I already knew that the ideology of the school is based on the fact that each person has his own ideal form. And the instructors take it into account when they select the diet and load for the participants. In addition, the "Sect" had a large scientific department, where the issues of physical form, the psychology of losing weight, permissible loads, proper nutrition and motivation were analyzed in great detail.

At first, I liked that Sekt has a support chat and a curator who motivates the participants. And the #Sektamama course itself promised a lot of useful things for moms: consultations with a breastfeeding specialist, tips on how to organize complementary foods and sleep patterns, and much more.

In general, I paid 1350 R for the first week out of ten and started studying. The curator added me to the group chat and gave me access to the platform with tasks - then every Monday they came to my personal account. But first, I had to fill out a medical questionnaire.

Free trial day #Sektamama

Medical questionnaire had dozens of questions about my physical condition, baby's age, pregnancy and childbirth. I remember these:

1. Did you have a cesarean or did you have a vaginal delivery?
2. How was the postpartum period and are you breastfeeding?
3. What time do you go to bed and get up?
4. Where and what do you work for?
5. What does your diet look like? Does it happen that you overeat? Do you have food allergies?
6. Have you ever played sports? Have you tried diets and fasting?
7. Why do you think you got better?

I liked that this data was not collected for show, but was really analyzed. It was not in vain that I was assigned to a group for mothers after a caesarean and some exercises were excluded. For example, those that are impossible with diastasis - the divergence of the rectus abdominis muscles: if it is wrong to pump the press during diastasis, the muscles will disperse even more, and the stomach will increase.

/dietolog/

How much does it cost to draw up a nutrition program with a nutritionist

Based on the questionnaire, I was also suspected of having an eating disorder. And the curator connected me with a consultant psychologist for weight adjustment.

How I was tested for eating disorders. The counselor sent me an eating disorder test - basically another questionnaire. There were questions like these: do I separate products into harmful and useful? Do thoughts about food often prevent me from focusing on my daily activities? Have I been overeating lately? Did I eat in secret?

Free Eating Disorder Test

Eating Behavior Questionnaire

As a result, the consultant did not find an eating disorder in me. I agreed with her, but I think my relationship with food was still not healthy. I often felt ashamed of myself for what I ate and felt weak because I couldn't diet. It also seemed to me that I had no willpower.

Unfortunately, it all got worse when I received my first diet assignment from Sect. And most importantly, I did not like the reaction of the curator when I shared my feelings with her.

The first task for diet was to eliminate everything salty and sweet from the diet for a week. The point is this: there are a lot of spices and flavor enhancers in industrial food, and because of this, we stop feeling the natural taste of products. Ordinary food seems insipid, although in fact the same apples, bananas and even oatmeal are sweet and without sugar. In general, the task was to “cleanse” the taste buds.

I like salty more than sweet and thought I could go a week without sugar without any problems. But in the end it only lasted two days. By the end of the second, I felt weak, then I began to feel sick, my head was spinning and my hands were shaking. I did not connect it with the task, because I ate fruits, and they contain fructose, a natural sugar. So I decided to just lie down.

/list/healthy-eating-myths/

No Sugar or Carbohydrates: 6 Healthy Eating Myths

The malaise did not go away the next day. I told my friends and my mother about this, and they advised me to break the diet and eat sweets. But I decided not to give up and wrote to the curator.

How the curator reacted to my complaints. I hoped that the curator would support me, and she really answered in a friendly way and advised me to eat an apple. But this did not help, and the next day I had to be alone with my daughter - carry her in my arms, change clothes and feed - and my hands were shaking.

I had already decided that I would have sweets, but just in case, I wrote to the curator again. She replied something like: "Try to endure." I understood that this was how she motivated me not to deviate from the program, but she got terribly angry. I couldn’t even sit, let alone carry my daughter, and I thought that the reason for this was precisely the lack of sugar.

At the same time, the messages from other students in the chat began to annoy me. Especially when one of them wrote that oatmeal is actually sweet and now she doesn't want any candy. In general, I agree with this, and now I also sometimes have breakfast not with a donut, but with oatmeal with berries. But then it pissed me off.

/eat-well/

Primitive diet, avocados and mucus: 7 questions with answers about proper nutrition

I don’t remember if I ended up telling the curator that I would eat sugar. It seems not. But from that moment on, dissatisfaction with the program began to grow. And I made sure that for me a categorical ban is a bad way to work on a figure.

However, I didn't drop out of school because I really enjoyed the exercise tasks.

Physical activity. Every day except Sunday, we received two workout videos. The first was called "morning work", and it had to be done in the morning, like exercises. It was short - 10-15 minutes. And in the second video there was a main workout for 20-60 minutes, and it had to be done in the afternoon or evening. So I systematically went in for sports for the first time.

The load was varied: sometimes Pilates, sometimes dancing or just fitness. And at the very beginning, there was generally something like therapeutic exercises, where I breathed, raised my hands and bent over.

The videos were well filmed and the lessons were taught by three trainers at once. The first one explained how to do the exercise, the second one showed it, and the third one demonstrated alternative exercises. Let's say if you have problems with your back or knees, then you could not jump, but walk.

/eda-uchebnik/

How to eat tasty and healthy

I liked that the coaches also got tired, blushed, sweated, and sometimes made mistakes or forgot something - and this was not cut out during editing. The school showed them as ordinary people, not ideal athletes, as in many videos from the Internet.

In general, I am grateful to Sect for these classes - because of them I stayed there for six weeks out of ten. But the disadvantages of the school outweighed anyway, and I left there.

Why didn't I finish the course. I left for two reasons: the tasks on the diet did not suit me, and I still did not establish contact with the curator and other participants. Both were interconnected.

Many diet tasks needed to be discussed in chat. We had to keep a food diary - write down everything we ate during the day. At first, I simply omitted all breakdowns, fast food and sweets, and then I completely stopped imitating that I was on a diet.

I was warned that they could be "punished" for this - disconnected from the chat and deprived of the curator. I said let them turn it off right away: the chat annoyed me terribly. In addition to nutrition, they also discussed maternal time management. For example, how to find half an hour not only for a shower, but also for an anti-cellulite massage with a dry brush. And I didn't have that half an hour.

I also reluctantly answered the curator's questions about how I was feeling. Although, in general, the curators did a good job: they gave advice on nutrition, psychology, and training techniques. It’s just that they didn’t always suit me: I didn’t want to artificially limit the diet. In general, the support of the curator and other mothers only slowed me down.

When I was disconnected, I was both happy and angry. I didn't want to be "punished" for my own money, and they didn't warn me at the start that this could happen. They also reduced my fee by 100 R per week: I began to pay not 1350 R, but 1250 R. I didn’t know that this was possible either - otherwise I would have switched to such a tariff a long time ago.

Without a curator or a chat, I stayed on the course for another two weeks. Tasks still came to my personal account, but I already realized that I needed something else.

What the school gave me. I don't blame the school, they did a lot to make the participants feel comfortable. For example, we were never told to eat less or go hungry. And somehow we were asked to count calories in dishes all week, but they emphasized that this should not be abused.

Six weeks at school cost me 7900 R. I didn’t lose a single gram, but I systematically went in for sports and clearly became stronger. Plus, my back stopped hurting, which has been bothering me since childbirth.

7900 R

I paid for a six-week course at Sekt

Thanks to the school, I subsequently revised my diet and began to eat healthier food: cereals for breakfast, protein, carbohydrates and vegetables for lunch, and dinner is just protein and vegetables.

In a word, the approach of this school just did not suit me, but in general it was good. After it, for several months I did not want to experiment with nutrition, but I signed up for training with a personal trainer.

bordered

How I went to fitness

There is a Fitness Territory center not far from my house. Before pregnancy, I bought a group training subscription there twice, but often missed them: I could go two or three times a week, and then disappear for a couple of months. So they did not give any result.

Now I did not rely on my consciousness, besides, I thought that I was too weak for group classes. Plus, I was afraid to get to a trainer who does not know how to work with women after cesarean, with diastasis and severe scoliosis. Therefore, I bought an annual subscription for 25,200 R, and decided to work out with a personal trainer. Four individual workouts per month cost 10,000 RUR.

The subscription gave access to the club's halls. There were a variety of simulators: from simple ones like a treadmill and a bicycle to more complex ones - vertical and horizontal bench press, rowing and others. There were also mats, elastic bands, bodybars, dumbbells and much more. The only thing missing from the club was a pool.

The subscription included group trainings, but I did not attend them: it was inconvenient for me to call and sign up every week. But I myself worked out on the simulators, went to the sauna and hammam once a month and had a massage once - this was a bonus to the subscription.

How I worked out with a coach. I immediately asked for a specialist who had already worked with women after cesarean. She warned me that I needed help with motivation, but at the same time I did not want to overload.

The coach I was assigned to turned out to be a true professional. She knew a lot about the structure of the body after childbirth, understood psychology and managed to find an approach to me. For example, she didn’t force me to train through “I can’t” and easily let go if I urgently needed to see my daughter.

The trainer picked up a suitable load for me. For example, I didn’t ask to jump because I have scoliosis. I also have a weak back, and I did exercises on the floor in a simplified version. And because of my diastasis, we missed crunches. In addition, the coach simplified the load if I was out of shape. For example, after a sleepless night when the baby was teething.

But it was especially valuable that it helped me replenish the supply of vitamins in my body.

How we made up for the lack of vitamins. I worked out consistently once a week, and that was progress. But I often asked to replace the exercises with simpler ones and constantly wanted to sleep. With a small child, this state of affairs seemed normal to me, but the coach said that this was not the case. She advised me to take tests for vitamins and trace elements and send her the results.

/guide/vitamins/

Vitamins: what foods contain and how to take supplements

I chose a comprehensive blood test "Causes of overwork and fatigue" in the Lab4you laboratory. It cost 3184 R. Blood was checked for glucose levels, vitamins D, B12 and other components.

As a result, I found out that I have a severe lack of vitamin D: the norm is 30-100 ng/ml of blood, and I had only 13 ng. The trainer said that it reduces my stamina, even if I get enough sleep. And she advised me to drink Doctor's Best vitamin D3 - I bought it at Aicherb for 867 R.

After a three-month course, I felt better and became less tired during training. Previously, I had enough for two or three circles of exercises, and now I did four or five. As a result, in the first three months I lost 3 kg and began to weigh 61 kg. I owe this to the coach. Thanks to her, I still go to the gym and do not miss classes.

But in addition, I decided to improve my diet and started ordering ready-made rations.

How I ordered healthy ready-to-eat rations

I ate sweets three times a day, with each meal, and the calories were high. I did not know how to reduce it, and I tried ready-to-eat diets from Level Kitchen. True, it only took me three weeks.

I tell you what their essence is and what I didn’t like about them.

What is the essence of diets. On the site, I had to choose the appropriate number of calories that I want to consume per day. Depending on this, the service offered different menu options.

The trainer said that a diet of 1500 kcal per day would be fine for me. I paid 10,580 R three weeks in advance, and once every two days they began to bring me rations of exactly this calorie content. These were ready-to-eat meals that needed only to be reheated.

10,580 Р

I paid for the delivery of ready-made meals

There were five meals each day: breakfast, lunch, dinner, and two snacks. The menu was varied: with meat, chicken, fish and various side dishes. Plus, it included vegetables, fruits, and even PP desserts - sweets for proper nutrition. For example, the cream in them was replaced with cottage cheese.

Sometimes there were very interesting dishes like PP shawarma or PP burrito. The composition in them was more useful than in ordinary ones. For example, instead of mayonnaise and ketchup, tomato paste, cottage cheese or low-fat sour cream were added to the sauce. And there were a lot of restaurant-level dishes on the menu that looked very appetizing. In a word, I liked the idea of ​​diets, but in the end they still didn’t suit me.

Why the rations did not suit me. I was depressed that I could not choose my own dishes - the menu was strictly scheduled. And sometimes they also combined strangely: once my dinner consisted of a cutlet, pearl barley and currant jam.

Despite the beautiful appearance, the food from the rations turned out to be tasteless and insipid - I ate it without pleasure. And most importantly, the portions were ridiculous in size, because each had about 300 kcal.

In two days on diets, I again became angry from hunger, and my strength was gone. 1500 kcal per day was clearly not enough for me, so then I began to add vegetables, cereals and meat to my diet. But one day I still broke down and ate sushi for the night. At that moment, I realized that I no longer want to limit myself to food. I used to diet a lot, but at 27 and with a baby it was impossible.

/diet-menu/

Is it profitable to eat ready-made diet meals

I was also annoyed that the jars of diets took up the entire refrigerator: even small buns were in separate bags or boxes. Plus, I was horrified that I would harm the environment with such an amount of plastic.

In general, after three weeks I did not renew my subscription: ready-made rations were clearly not my story. Instead, I became interested in the psychology of eating behavior, began to read articles about it and participate in online marathons.

How I studied the psychology of my eating behavior

At first I became interested in the topic of intuitive eating - I read many articles about it and bought a book. Then there was a marathon "Date with the body" by coach Elena Blinovskaya. And then I took three trial lessons of a similar marathon - "The Matrix of Harmony" by psychologist Anna Kalanternaya. I share what I learned from them.

Intuitive Eating Resources. The theory of intuitive eating in Russia is being developed by psychologist Svetlana Bronnikova. Its essence is that our body is supposedly endowed with intuition from birth and can choose the food that is needed at the moment.

Checklist: 10 things that await a person on intuitive nutrition - Wonderzine

The method of intuitive eating - weight loss center "Doctor Bormental"

This was vividly illustrated by my daughter: she always knew what she would eat and what not, and in what combination. Sometimes, between cottage cheese, sweet puree and broccoli, she chose the tasteless broccoli. And sometimes she demanded strawberries for a cutlet.

I read articles about intuitive eating on the Internet and realized that it might work for me. And then I bought Bronnikova's book "Intuitive Eating" for 449 R, but I never read it. By that time, I was carried away by marathons, and there this food was also mentioned.

7 Intuitive Eating Principles to Help You Lose Weight Without Dieting - Lifehacker

Intuitive Eating. How to stop worrying about food and lose weight - book by Svetlana Bronnikova

Marathon "Date with the body" by Elena Blinovskaya was held in the telegram channel: every three or four days the author posted audio lessons and assignments. They dealt with all problems with the body: psychosomatic illnesses, insomnia, panic attacks. But the topics of weight and nutrition were important to me.

I learned that when we overeat, we gain more weight not from calories, but from paying attention to it. We think: "I overate and now I'll get better!" - that's what happens. Blinovskaya advised not to execute yourself if you overate, but to accept this fact and not get hung up. I started doing that too.

Every problem also has “hidden benefits”—reasons why it is beneficial for us not to solve it. For me, being overweight was a reason to be lazy and give up activities: walking with my daughter, cleaning, and so on. This, too, had to be accepted and not scolded for it. When you know the reason, it is easier to solve the problem.

Plus, Blinovskaya advised me to constantly take care of myself: sleep, eat healthy and tasty food, play sports that I like, and go for beauty treatments. So I signed up for a massage and stopped saving on manicures.

The marathon lasted four weeks and cost 4,000 R. I think I invested in it for good reason, because as a result, I became less likely to overeat. And to learn more about the psychology of nutrition, I decided to go through another marathon - "The Slimness Matrix". But I managed only with trial lessons.

4000 R

I paid for participation in the marathon

Marathon "Slimness Matrix" was led by psychologist Anna Kalanternaya. At the beginning of the marathon, you had to measure your parameters and weigh yourself, and then not do this until the very end

The program was designed for one, two or three months and cost 6,000 R, 10,000 R or 15,000 R depending on this. But I listened to three free trial lessons and decided that I had received enough information.

Trial lessons of the marathon were held in Telegram, just like at Blinovskaya. From them, I learned that it is quite possible to eat everything and at the same time lose weight. The main thing is to understand when I really want to eat, what and in what quantity. Suppose thirst is easily mistaken for hunger, and sometimes we just eat for company.

To fight this, you need to listen to your body's signals and not eat when you don't feel like it. After all, food is a physiological need, like, for example, the desire to go to the toilet. When meeting with a friend, you are unlikely to go to the toilet with her for company, but you can easily eat a cake.

After three marathon lessons, I also began to listen to my body. For example, for a whole week I ate the same strange mixture for breakfast: scrambled eggs, cilantro, corn, hummus and cereal bread, because my body demanded it. I also stopped eating when I wasn't hungry. In general, even these trial classes gave me a good result.

What is the result

Now, a year and a half after giving birth, I finally stopped worrying about weight and nutrition. I didn’t weigh myself all summer of 2021, but just continued to go to sports and listened to the needs of my body. Only during the July heat did I take a break in the hall, and in August we went on vacation. However, my weight still dropped. In September, when I returned to the gym, I already weighed 58 kg. In early October, I saw 56.

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