Reasons for not losing weight after childbirth

After the baby is born, the weight of the pregnant woman will decrease because the baby is taken out of the pregnant woman's body. After that, the weight of the pregnant woman will gradually increase and will not go down. There are many reasons for this symptom. First of all, pregnant women want their babies to be healthy, so they want to eat nutritious food to ensure the nutrition of the baby. At the same time, the richness of the material is also the main reason why they cannot lose weight after childbirth.

1. No need to worry about weight issues during pregnancy?

This is what pregnant mothers often hear from their elders and friends, but they don’t realize that they have fallen into a trap of lies. There are weight standards during pregnancy. If you exceed this standard, it may be very difficult for you to lose weight after giving birth. If the ratio of pregnancy weight to pre-pregnancy weight is around 1.1, then your pregnancy weight is basically normal; if the ratio is greater than 1.3, then you need to start controlling your food intake and increasing your exercise, otherwise you will face the risk of gaining at least 7KG after delivery.

By the end of pregnancy, the mother's weight will have increased by about 11 kg compared to before pregnancy. This is an average value. Of course, everyone's situation is different and no one's result can be exactly this number. How much weight you should gain after pregnancy depends on how much you weighed before you became pregnant.

2. Do you sleep very little?

Many new mothers make this mistake, thinking that they will lose weight if they take care of the baby themselves after delivery, take care of the baby in the morning and evening, and do not sleep well. This is wrong!

Sleep deprivation lowers levels of leptin, a protein that regulates body fat, and raises levels of ghrelin, a growth-promoting hunger hormone that stimulates food intake. What's more, it increases your hunger and appetite. If you think the more time you're awake, the more calories you burn, you may need to change your mind. In fact, around 65% of calories are burned when our bodies are at rest.

What should you do? Try to get a good night's sleep. Aim for 8 hours of sleep and try to make it a regular routine. So, if you go to bed at about the same time every night and wake up at a similar time every morning, your hormones will be less disrupted.

Of course, if you are taking care of your baby, you will inevitably stay up late and have poor sleep. If conditions permit, try to get a good night's sleep.

3. Can’t lose weight during breastfeeding?

In order to ensure sufficient milk supply, you cannot lose weight during breastfeeding. This is another big lie. The first 6 months after childbirth is a period of hormone regulation and metabolic changes in mothers. The metabolism during this period is very fast, so it is a golden period for weight loss. Data show that mothers who do not control their weight within these 6 months will see their weight soar by about 10% after the end of breastfeeding.

This wrong concept is actually the same as controlling weight during pregnancy for the sake of fetal nutrition, fearing that it will affect fetal development. If you miss the golden period of weight loss during breastfeeding, it will take you longer and more effort to lose weight later.

4. Wearing a corset and exercising a lot is the most effective way to lose weight?

Mothers who realize that they are obese are likely to adopt incorrect weight loss methods. A survey shows that the largest number of mothers choose to wear tights and exercise to lose weight. In fact, these two methods are not suitable for use after childbirth. Corsets only hold loose fat and have no effect on burning fat. Long-term use may even cause irregular heartbeat and breathing difficulties. Excessive exercise will cause the mother's body to produce acidic substances, causing the breast milk to become sour. It will also make the fat on the breasts and inner arms become looser or even sagging.

5. Are you depressed?

Studies show that depressed men lose weight, while depressed women gain weight. We all know that feeling happy and satisfied with our lives gives us the motivation to lose weight and then stay slim; when we're depressed, we don't have the same willpower to make healthy eating a priority in our daily routine.

Postpartum depression is a common problem among new mothers. What should you do? Whenever possible, antidepressants should be avoided. If you feel severely depressed, go to the hospital. Maybe you need to talk to a counselor.

6. Are you 35 years old?

It is easy for women to gain weight after the age of 35 because as they age, their body functions begin to decline after the age of 25, and their hormones and metabolism change. American scientists point out that the problem of weight gain is partly related to the fact that the population in developed countries such as the UK and the US is older today than it was 30 years ago.

During the ten months of pregnancy, older mothers have already paid more physical and psychological tributes than ordinary pregnant women. Their stressed bodies are already finding it difficult to recover on their own. Therefore, the older they are, the worse the effect of their postpartum recovery.

What should you do? Your body's calorie needs change as you age. If you're drinking more now than you used to, cut back. Not only will it make you fat, it will also reduce your willpower to resist snacking. Also, give birth early!

7. Is it because of your genes?

If you have not committed any of the above reasons, but still cannot lose weight after giving birth no matter how hard you try, then it only means that you have a "character" problem.

It really could be! Studies have shown that body mass index (BMI) may have a lot to do with genetics. What does it mean that both men and women tend to marry someone with a similar body shape? If your mother is overweight, you are also likely to have an overweight father.

What should you do? Now that you realize that you are prone to gaining weight, you can stay alert and prevent this from happening. Eat a low-fat diet and weigh yourself regularly to be careful not to gain weight.