As we’ve discussed already diet plays a big part in losing weight.  Many people focus on trying to incorporate a lot of exercise to lose weight but diet is generally going to give you the biggest results.

There are countless books on dieting and all sorts of methods to get rid of those extra pounds.  The trouble is figuring out which ones are worthwhile to pursue and which to ignore.  In a nutshell losing weight isn’t really that complicated of a process.  It’s simply a matter of consuming less than you expend each day.  This is also known as a caloric deficit.

Many diet plans suggest eating certain combinations of foods or types of foods themselves as the way to lose weight.  They claim that certain interactions with your body and said foods will result in losing fat.  This is not really the case though.  If you simply eat less calories than you burn each day you will lose weight regardless of the types of food you eat.

Where the types of food do come into play regarding your pregnancy weight loss is more psychological than physiological.  Carbs have a bad name for gaining pounds as if there is something evil about them that makes your body put on  extra pounds.  The problem with carbs is that many of the carbohydrates we consume are of low quality and highly processed.  These end up as sugars very quickly into your body and thus don’t satiate your appetite for very long.

The result is that you get hungry again quickly so you’re right back to eating again.  This in turm provides you body with more calories and if these exceed your daily requirements then you will start to gain weight.  It’s not that you are a carb that made you gain the weight, its the fact that carbs don’t leave you feeling full quite as long so you are more prone to eating more than you need.

Protein on the other hand has the opposite effect on your hunger.  It takes longer to break down and therefore keeps you feeling full longer.  This results in you eating less and less eating means less calories with in turns means you are less likely to go over your daily required amount of calories and therefore not as likely to gain weight.

In conclusion you can now understand it’s not really the type of food itself you eat that makes you gain weight but the effect the foods you eat have on your hunger.  By controlling your hunger you can eat less food yet still remain satisfied and have a better chance of losing that pregnancy weight you are targeting.

If you’ve been recently pregnant then one of the biggest things on your mind will probably how to get rid of all the extra weight you’ve gained.  A typical woman can gain between 25 and 35 pounds of extra weight during her pregnancy.  There are a few factors in how this extra weight is gained along with some advice on how to lose it.

Directly after the birth most of your extra weight will probably come off naturally without much work.  But it’s those extra stubborn pounds that don’t immediately go away that we’ll be dealing with here.  Here’s a few things you can do right off the bat in order to lose those additional leftover pounds.

• Visit your doctor for a checkup to make sure that you are in good shape to lose weight.  Most woman will be ok to exercise four to six weeks after birth.  In the case of a cesarean section however a longer period of approximately eight weeks might be needed.  In either case check with your doctor to make sure.
• Once the doctor gives the ok then set a realistic goal for losing these pounds.  Generally one or two pounds a week is a good goal for any weight loss routine and it applies here as well.
• You will probably have to make some changes in your diet for this to happen.  Diet is a big part of losing weight, probably about 80% of the work.  During your pregnancy you might have gained some bad habits with all your cravings.  Now is the time to stop and get back to eating a lighter and healthier diet.
• Next of course is adding some exercise to your regiment.  Start slowly at first to ease your body into it with some cardio and muscle training.  Although most woman don’t want bulging muscles a little muscle can help lose weight due to the increase in metabolism.  So don’t be afraid to add some weight training along with the cardio.  Alternate days with cardio and muscle training aiming for about 45 minutes to an hour each day.  The key is to keep it consistent and something you can enjoy doing for the long haul.

With the above plans in place you should be well on your way to losing those pounds and inches gained from your new lovely baby.  You can even bring your baby with you to your exercises and meet other mothers in the same situation as you.  It can be helpful to have support with other mothers with the same goal as you.  This helps with motivation during your workouts and will surely increase your progress.

Being a new mother entails many new challenges, your weight loss goals are just one of the new responsibilities you’ll have with your new baby.  It’s an exciting time so use this energy to help propell your exercise and diet goals forward and get back to your pre-birth physique.