The baby is here and your days and nights are packed with action, somewhere there is also a burning desire to fit into your old clothes and wear those skinny jeans again. You can do it. NO DIETING all you need is common sense and patience.Let’s start at the beginning.If you pre pregnancy weight was well maintained then 11-13kg is considered a normal and healthy weight gain during pregnancy. If you are overweight or obese, this is not the time to try losing weight. The weight gain is essential for the health of the baby, for its growth and development.

Post child birth it is important that you shed all the weight as it is associated with obesity and weight gain later in life, but even more important is that you do it the healthy way and patiently. You put it on over 9 months, your body has been through a physiologically challenging time, give it a break. Crash dieting, poor nutrition, inappropriate physical activity can be very seriously damaging to your health.

During delivery you lose almost 3-4 kg with the baby’s weight, placenta, and amniotic fluids. The first week sees additional weight loss because off the additional fluid losses. The fat that accumulated needs to be worked on.

1. Eat everything

Stress of adjusting to a new baby may add to your weight so don’t add more stress- eat when you are hungry, choose healthy and the weight will come off. While breast feeding do not restrict your calories too much, eat whole some foods that provide you with nutrients rather than empty calories.

Choose Whole grains like wheat, Bajra, and Ragi which not only provide energy to remain healthy and recuperate,but also fibre to add bulk to the meal and keep the food longer in the sytem. It also helps with constipation , a common problem for lactating mothers. Whole grains are a good source of a number of essential Vitamins, and minerals like folate and phosphorus which nourish your baby as well.

Adequate Proteins help heal and add satiety to the meal. Include good quality proteins from milk, yogurt, beans, lentils, fish, egg and lean meat, nuts and seeds. Sprouted and fermented grams help increase the bioavailibity of Iron , an important nutrient for post pregnancy nutrition. Nuts and seeds also add essential fats like omega -3 to help your new born develop a healthy brain and nervous system. One ounce of these makes for a healthy and filling snack.