Home » Pregnancy & Parenting  » Childbirth and after » Want to lose weight after pregnancy? A baby, and a first baby at that, is one of the most fulfilling experiences in a woman's life. Having gone through nine months of seeing a stranger looking back at her in the mirror, a stranger who had no relation to the slim svelte woman she once was, the young mother's natural desire is to lose all that weight and get back to her original figure as soon as possible.

How soon after?

All those film glossies and brochures with tall claims of how one can lose weight immediately after the baby is, sorry to say, all bunkum! It doesn't happen that way! It will be a long upward struggle lasting maybe even a few months, as you will have to get out of one mindset and get into another. Plus, you have to start a fitness regime that suits your condition and timings.

Your body has been traumatized and internal changes have taken place. All this will take a minimum of six months to get back to some semblance of normalcy. Looking after a new baby is stressful and takes up much of your time. You have other more important things to do rather than worry about calorie counts especially if you are breast feeding the baby. You still have to eat nutritious, healthy food that will nourish the baby too.

Once you feel that your body has slowly got back to normal and you no longer feel tired and exhausted, you can start planning a healthy weight loss method strictly under medical supervision. Remember however that you may not get to see the results until a few months later. Plan your exercises as well as your diet and aim for a slow but steady weight loss.

A gain of 10 - 15 kilos is normal during pregnancy. About half of this goes when the baby is born and it is the remaining that you have to target for losing in a healthy manner. Give a gap of at least three months before you begin your program as this will allow your body to settle down. Allow yourself about six to eight months for losing all that additional weight. If your weight gain has been phenomenal, consult a good dietician and nutritionist and have your personal trainer to guide you with your diet and exercise.