Lacking Patience
It’s one of the most frequent blunders I encounter. It’s a common goal for new mothers to return to their pre-pregnancy weight quickly. Sadly, adopting such a mentality might lead to choices that promote rapid but short-lived weight reduction. Hormones may not return to normal for up to six months after giving birth. These hormonal changes can interfere with your body’s fat-burning mechanisms. From an evolutionary perspective, your body would prefer that you not quickly deplete your fat reserves in case you need them to increase milk production.
Take your time and let your body recover entirely.
Six months in, it’s a good time to take stock and see if there are any easy adjustments you can make to your diet and lifestyle to shave off a few extra pounds. Reduce the amount of sugar in your coffee by a tablespoon, switch to skim milk instead of whole milk, forego the late-night snack, or take a walk after dinner instead of watching Netflix. One of the most important aspects Heather Carey MS, teaches in my one-on-one nutrition counselling is the need to tailor your calorie and macronutrient consumption to your individual needs.
Not Eating Enough
Losing fat requires creating a calorie deficit, which can be accomplished by eating less or working out more. On the other hand, decreasing calories too low and too quickly can have the opposite effect. While you might see short-term weight loss, you should expect to gain all of it back, plus some, over time. The mechanism behind this is metabolic adaptation. When we reduce our weight, our RMR (the number of calories we burn when at rest) decreases as well. Less energy is needed to transport lighter items. In this sense, you are quite typical. If you drastically reduce your caloric intake, you will lose weight, but your metabolic rate will also drop. In what way? In the long run, you’ll need to eat less to keep the weight off. Eating too little when breastfeeding can have the same effect.
Try to tune into your body’s signals for hunger and fullness. You have evolved a sophisticated system for alerting you to the need for sustenance (the same goes for water). To avoid feeling hungry between meals and to preserve or increase muscle mass, consume several portions of high-quality protein every day.
