While nurturing your newborn, you have to pay attention to your health, too. However, if you’re still sporting a baby belly and flabby everything, you may need a next-level approach.
Board-certified experts Dr. Hughan Frederick, Dr. Urania Davis, Dr. Jigish Sheth, and our Nile Women’s Health Care team explain your unique nutritional needs and how our medical weight loss program can help you reclaim your pre-pregnancy healthy body safely.
You may have watched your diet during pregnancy to keep your baby safe, but your nutritional needs don’t end with delivery. In fact, they’re just as important during the postpartum period. You still need to focus on high-quality ingredients and whole foods and stay away from alcohol, sweets, processed foods, and empty calories.
If you put on a few extra pounds during pregnancy that you can’t seem to shed, avoid the temptation to go on a crash diet. A gradual weight loss plan is best, especially if you’re breastfeeding. Rapid weight loss can release toxins into the milk, potentially causing issues for your baby.
Even if your diet isn’t perfect, your breast milk should still be fine, but if you only eat junk food, your milk — and your baby — will suffer.
Ultra-low-calorie diets and those that exclude certain food groups can affect your baby’s health and yours. They’re also really tough to follow when nursing a newborn. Feeling hungrier while breastfeeding is normal, as your body works continuously to produce milk. Eating smaller, more frequent healthy meals can prevent exhaustion and maintain stamina.
Dr. Frederick doesn’t just suggest slow weight loss for new moms — it’s a mandate, and here’s why.
After childbirth, your body has to heal. Pushing for rapid weight loss hinders your recovery. We encourage new moms to allow at least six weeks before actively trying to lose weight.
If breastfeeding, wait until your baby is about two months old, when your milk supply has stabilized, to ensure your body gets the nutrients it needs to heal and support your infant.
Aiming for slower weight loss helps you lose about one to two pounds weekly. This safe, sustainable, gradual approach ensures that you’re losing fat rather than muscle, preserving your energy levels and overall health that will last beyond your diet.
Breastfeeding naturally burns calories and encourages postpartum weight loss. However, losing weight too quickly can negatively affect your milk production. Ideally, you’ll consume an additional 500 calories from nutrient-rich foods daily to support your health and your baby’s nutritional needs.
Moderate exercise can also complement your nutrition plan, but every woman’s body is different, so don’t try to follow other moms on social media. Your unique metabolism, activity level, food choices, and genetics play roles in how you lose weight.
Choose the right foods and ensure balance and variety in your diet. The best diets include meals with higher protein, carbohydrates, and healthy fats, such as those in olive oil and fatty fish.
If you’re breastfeeding, get plenty of DHA, vitamin D, and calcium to maintain the nutritional value of your breast milk.
Our customized medical postpartum weight loss program is yours and yours alone. Here’s what you can expect:
We begin with extensive lab work, including a CBC, chem panel, cholesterol, and thyroid tests. This gives us a complete picture of your health status.
Plus, metabolic testing gives us insights into your metabolism so we can customize your weight loss strategy.
We check your blood pressure, weight, and body fat composition to establish a baseline for your progress and set the stage for your weight loss journey.
We help you set achievable goals and evaluate them regularly. We track your BMI and chart your progress weekly and monthly, ensuring you’re on the right path.
We may provide B-12 and B-complex vitamins to boost your metabolism, increase your energy levels, and stimulate fat burning to aid in weight loss.
Nourishing your body after childbirth is just as important as nourishing your baby. Focusing on a balanced diet and gradual weight loss will improve your health and set a great example for your child.
If you’re ready to start our medical weight loss program, call Nile Women’s Health Care in Roswell or Johns Creek, Georgia, today.
