Tips to Cut Down Post Pregnancy Fat

Worried about post-pregnancy fat? Work on it, slowly and steadily. Read on for tips that will help you cut down a few kilos

Although weight gain in and after pregnancy is considered normal, most women constantly crave to return to their pre-pregnancy bodies. But be careful when you are trying to burn off those extra kilos. While it is best to put on weight at a slow and steady pace during pregnancy, it is also advisable to lose it all at the same pace. Here are tips to bring you back to your ship-shape.

BREASTFEEDING: It's considered to be a good technique through which you can lose weight. But keep in mind to team up breast feeding with other techniques of weight loss. One of the reasons your body puts on weight during pregnancy is to help store the caloric energy it takes to breastfeed your baby — that is, about 200 to 500 extra calories per day. You will lose half the weight by providing your baby with the nutrition he/she needs.

EXERCISE: There are many benefits to exercising after your pregnancy. It will help you lose those extra kilos you put on during pregnancy, alleviate post-partum depression and, unlike dieting, it won't interfere with your breastfeeding. But, again, it's important that you ease your way into exercising. Wait six weeks after a vaginal birth and eight weeks after a c-section to start exercising. It is recommended that you engage in low-impact exercises such as walking, swimming or yoga. Come up with a personal exercise programme and enroll the company of a friend or another new mother. Start slow — 10-minute exercises should be tried first and then increased when you feel more confident. Keep a 30-minute limit on your exercise time and cease immediately if you start to feel dizzy or short of breath.

WORK OUT AT HOME: Yoga is ideal for an at-home work out. If you took yoga classes before or during your pregnancy, put on some relaxing music and practice those exercises again.