Healthy weight loss after Delivery – Postpartum weight loss plan

 Healthy weight loss after Delivery – Postpartum weight loss plan

We are all aware that a woman gives highest attention to her health and nutrition during pregnancy. We also seek guidance from doctors and dieticians if necessary. However, everything abruptly alters after the delivery, making it impossible for her to maintain the diet. Her stress level also rises due to inadequate sleep. Not only this, low energy and stamina, sagging skin, and pain in legs and muscles are some other complications, that a women can experience after delivery. During this time, some women become extremely weak, while while others keep gaining weight. 

Many of you may also believe that it is not a good idea to start a diet before 6 months or one year as it may affect breastfeeding. However, I would advise you to get in touch with a specialized dietician as soon as you are settled with your baby, which should be within three to four months.
 
The reason I'm saying this is that the majority of women nowadays are undergoing  C-section deliveries, and they really do not know what to eat afterward. Our current lifestyle also differs a lot from our previous lifestyle and if the diet is not changed accordingly you will keep gaining weight .Thus, it is important  to follow healthy diet that your body needs after delivery in relation to the current lifestyle and C section delivery. 

And trust me a healthy, nutritious and tailored diet plan can help you to get in shape  without affecting your breast milk supply. Additionally, this will help you to speed up the healing process, balance hormones, improvement in energy & stamina, reverse the effects of ageing and combat other unhealthy symptoms that you may be experiencing. 

Definitely our nutrition requirement increases three fold after delivery due to breast feeding but it is different from our traditional food habit due to change in our lifestyle and C section delivery. Here are six important weight-loss strategies you can implement to avoid unnecessary weight gain after delivery.

1. Refrain from eating panjeeri - In the majority of Indian households, panjeeri is typically combination of  cereals, nuts, seeds, sugar and  lots of  ghee. Here, we need to understand that too much white sugar is detrimental for your health. Instead, I would suggest you to have overnight soaked nuts and dry fruits along with milk empty stomach in morning or anytime of the day. Refrain from eating too much ghee and sugar.

1. Avoid excess intake of tea or coffee - Tea and coffee contains caffiene that passes from breast milk to your baby which may disrupt sleep. Therefore, aim to limit your daily intake to no more than two cups of light tea or coffee without sugar. 

1. Eat Iron rich food – Blood loss in C section delivery is twice that of an vaginal birth which increases risk of anaemia. So getting enough iron is specially important for these women. Some of the iron rich food include Bhuna kala channa, Kismiss, Dates, Watermelon seeds, Dalia and Rice flakes or poha.

1. Eat protein and calcium-rich foods to maintain a healthy milk production. Besan chilla, moong dal dalia, kadhi, dahi, or raita, cheese sandwiches, milk shakes and smoothies, sattu water, bhuna channa, nuts, seeds, and so on are some high protein and calcium recipes that you can include in your daily diet.

1. Aim to eat at least 2 fruits daily and salad with every meal for fiber and antioxidants. Fiber and antioxidants are two essential nutrients that not only helps in weight loss but also speeds up the recovery process and reverse the effects of ageing. Mausambi juice, Oranges, Mango, Carrot, Beetroot and Spinach are some food items which are rich in antioxidants.

1. Drink more water - You need to drink more specially during breast feeding.  A dark colour urine indicates that you are not drinking enough water. In between meals you can also take high protein beverages like milk, lassi, sattu water, fruits or vegetable juices with added protein powder  to keep yourself full and hydrated whole day.

If you experince reduced milk supply, you can include these food items in you daily diet to boost breast milk production. These food items are also known as Galactogogues. 

• Fenugreek seeds or methi seeds - Soak 1-2 tsp of fenugreek seeds in water overnight and chew these seeds in morning or anytime of the day. You can also add it to your salads.

• Almonds - You can make almond powder and keep it in air tight container. You can have1-2 tsp of almonds powder with a glass of milk.

• Ginger - Drink ginger tea in between meals.

• Whole green moong dal and masoor dal - Moong dal and masoor dal  also known as red lentils are good source of protein and therefore help to boost breast milk supply. Try to include dal in every meal.

Here is a sample diet plan that can be followed after delivery. But if you have any health problem or your weight is continuously increasing then you must contact a specialized dietician.

Early morning	8-10 pcs of overnight soaked cashews or almonds, walnuts and raisins in milk
Breakfast	Moong dal cheela stuffed with veggies + Dahi with flaxseeds powder
Mid-morning	2 pomegranate
Lunch	1 cucumber and 1 tomato salad + 1-2 multigrain  roti + 1 bowl channa dal fry + 1 bowl cooked green sabzi
Mid- afternoon	1 glass milk
Evening	1 cup of light tea/ coffee + 1 handful of bhuna channa
Dinner	Tomato chutney/ Soup + Dalia

Enroll Today For Diet Plan