. While I was overjoyed, I was also nervous and anxious about the extra weight I was going to gain.
At the end of my pregnancy, I had gained 25 extra pounds that did NOT come off so easily.
I scoured every baby book and weight loss book for tips for dieting after pregnancy. Here's a few of the basics that I took away from all my research:
- Don't restrict yourself too much! Your body needs extra calories right after the birth of your baby, (especially if you're breastfeeding!) It's important to make sure you're getting enough calories during this time, but in the right way.
-Restrict processed foods! While that piece of cake or Twinkie might look tempting, it's the fresh fruits and vegetables that are going to keep your energy up to keep up with your new bundle of joy! These foods provide lots of energy and vitamins and minerals without the empty calories.
-Restrict white bread and sugar! I cannot argue this point enough. A month after I gave birth, I gave up "white" foods. White bread...white rice...sugar...pasta. While it was hard, I realized that these foods made me feel sluggish and tired soon after eating them. I went without these foods for a week and was amazed at the difference! I felt more energetic than I had in years. These types of foods are empty calories - meaning they have little nutritional value, and you wind up feeling hungry fairly soon after eating them.
I was lucky enough to stumble across the the e-book here, and it helped me so much after the birth of my daughter.