New mums, your body will bounce back in stages

2 mins to read

New mum's often have a strong desire to return to their pre-baby weight. Weight loss coach Andrew Cate shows that you should be patient, and take some key steps along the way.

Pregnancy and preconception

Getting back to (or near) her pre-baby weight can be an important goal for a woman's health and self-confidence. It is a critical time for a woman's weight management, because weight retention or weight gain can be significant during pregnancy.

However, it is also important to acknowledge that new priorities and responsibilities exist, and that it's not healthy to place too much pressure on yourself.

New mothers face enough stress and lifestyle challenges without the need for drastic diets, or high expectations based on (often digitally-enhanced) celebrities.

Be patient, and allow time to adjust to your new lifestyle.

Research suggests there are identifiable stages that people go through in the process of losing weight.

Stages of change for weight management

Research published in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association investigated the stages of change for weight management in mothers with children younger than 2 years. The stages of change were identified as:

Pre-contemplation - People unlikely to change
Contemplation - People ambivalent about change
Preparation - People who are preparing to change in the next month
Action - Recent and active behaviour change
Maintenance - Sustained behaviour change if the change has been maintained for more than 6 months.

Movement through these stages is cyclical as people try to change their behaviour. However, there was a big difference between intention and action when it comes to weight loss.

More than half (54%) of the study participants were trying to lose weight, but significantly less women were in the action stage for the lifestyle behaviours needed to achieve weight loss. For progression through the stages, the benefits of changing behaviours must increase to move women out of pre-contemplation, while the negative factors must decrease to move out of contemplation.

The key to reaching the “action” stage faster was to increase women’s confidence in their ability to select low-fat restaurant choices, learning the importance of reading food labels, and acknowledging the advantages and disadvantages of weight management.

Practical tips for new mums

Here are some tips on how to ease yourself back into physical activity and healthy eating at a pace that works with your new lifestyle.

Slow expectations

Expect slow and gradual weight loss after the birth of your child. Just as it took 9 months to gain weight during pregnancy, it takes time to lose weight after your baby is born.

By keeping your weight-loss expectations low , you also reduce the pressure on yourself. Losing 1/2 to 1 kilogram a month would be a reasonable and realistic rate of loss, depending on your lifestyle.

Get the basics under control

The above study detailed three key lifestyle factors for weight control:
1. Avoiding high-fat foods.
2. Eating a high-fibre diet.
3. Exercising 3 times per week for at least 20 minutes.

These three fundamentals followed consistently over time can go a long way to helping you lose body fat.

Interestingly, the researchers noted that while many people know the importance of eating less fat, there is less rel="noopener noreferrer" awareness of the importance of fibre in weight management. Food labels are a good source of information to determine your fibre intake.

Be kind to yourself

Sure, good health and weight control are important, but don't let it take over from what should be a happy time for both you and your family.

Nurture yourself just as you would your child. Developing a routine, getting enough sleep and finding some “you” time (ask your partner or the grandparents for a break) will help to bring out your best. You might then feel energetic enough for a little exercise.

Switch off

Distance yourself from the relentless media pressure placed on new mums to look, act and feel perfect. It's more than likely you will experience both ups and downs on your new parenting journey, which is very normal.

Tread your own path, and focus less on what others are doing.