Secrets to Get Fit Postpartum
After childbirth, every mama is eager to feel and look like herself again. That means learning to lose the baby weight fast. There should be no rush to drop the pounds ASAP, however for most people it’s a lot easier when you do. Your joints hurt less, your organs have more room to find their natural places again, and it’s a bit easier to begin getting active again to regain the strength you lost while pregnant.
For these reasons and more, postpartum there are some secret tips you can apply to help melt away the baby weight that worked great for me.
I’m a certified personal fitness trainer and certified online health coach with a few certifications in nutrition from pregnancy through motherhood as well and I have helped lots of mamas learn how to shed the baby weight quickly after childbirth in a safe and healthy way (usually WHILE learning to increase their milk supply too).
Be sure to get medical clearance from your trusted healthcare professional prior to beginning any workouts, drastically changing your diet, or adding in supplements postpartum.
This post probably contains affiliate links to items that I own and love and am confident will benefit you immensely. Please read full disclosure here.
How to Lose the Baby Weight Fast
I have 3 little girls! I put on 35 pounds per pregnancy and lose it by 6 weeks each time. I pretty much have that part of postpartum recovery down, so I’m happy to share my tips that can help to flush off the baby weight quickly.
It’s kind of funny to me because sometimes I’ve put on 10 lbs in the first trimester, sometimes I’ve put on none in the first trimester, but I always end up at the same place by the time baby is ready to come.
I know for me I always feel physically better by far when extra weight is off me. I have chronic joint pain from lyme disease and it helps ease that when there’s less weight there. Plus I overall just feel really uncomfortable and sluggish so the energy boost that dropping off the baby weight really helps me.
Being certified in pregnancy nutrition and personal fitness training has been a big help in knowing the secrets to lose the baby weight fast.
I don’t want to be misleading, just because you can lose that extra weight that fast does not mean your body is nearly back to normal. Your skin and muscles will still be loose and need to gain strength and you will still have the hormone relaxin in your body for months.
Postpartum recovery is slow and can take 6-12 months. But losing the baby weight quickly is another story. Dropping off that extra weight quickly can help make your postpartum recovery move more quickly.
RELATED: Tips to Speed Your Postpartum Recovery
Additionally, losing that extra baby weight can help you be more comfortable physically and emotionally. As well as helping you to have more energy to chase after that little one.
Today I’ll share my 5 secrets to shedding the baby weight by 6 weeks.
As a health coach, personal trainer, and nutrition coach I’ve created a revolutionary nutrition and fitness program aimed specifically at postpartum weight loss for breastfeeding mothers.
There are a lot of questions and concerns with so many moms I’ve trained and encountered about exactly how to safely lose the baby weight while breastfeeding in a way that does not compromise your breastfeeding journey!
It’s called The Milky Mama’s Postpartum Plan. This is the only 28 day plan aimed specifically at nourishing your body postpartum with delicious whole food recipes (over 56 included) so that you will increase your milk supply while you lose that extra weight.
The 28 day included workout plan is aimed at regaining strength postpartum in fast effective 20 minute workouts that are perfect to include in your busy mom life! Learn more about the Milky Mama’s Postpartum Plan now.
My 6 Secrets to Losing the Baby Weight by 6 Weeks
1. Drink a Ton of Water
I mean really drink a lot of water! Under regular circumstances, you should drink 1 ounce of water per pound of body weight per day.
A ton of the weight that you have put on is fluids that you will be losing from birth onward for the next few weeks. According to Web MD here’s where the baby weight goes:
- 8 pounds toward baby
- 2-3 pounds of amniotic fluid
- 2-3 pounds for the placenta
- 2-3 pounds of additional breast tissue
- 4 pounds of added blood supply
- 5-9 pounds of fat stores and water weight
- 2-5 pounds towards your enlarged uterus
That means that approximately 12 pounds of the weight that you have put on is liquid that your body is ready to flush out postpartum. You will have lost some of that water weight already in labor, but your body will continue to release excess fluids over the next few weeks.
You will be losing fluid weight in blood, breast milk, and by sweating, and peeing. The immediate postpartum period is messy, to say the least.
But you can help your body shed that extra water weight by drinking more water!
If too much water gets monotonous for you there are other calorie free, sugar free, and artificial sweetener free alternatives to water that you can guzzle to help as well!
Adding healthy electrolyte packets into your postpartum recovery helps the water you drink work better for you. I suggest LMNT packets, Thorne electrolyte packets (I REALLY love this brand, I use a lot of their vitamins and the quality of their supplements is really amazing) or Keto Chow drops for a clean hydration boost. The drops are nice because they just taste like salt water and are really easy to take because of it.
Some healthy drink ideas to help you lose that excess water weight are:
- Infused water (try strawberries and bananas, cucumber with lime and mint, or lemons with blackberries! The combinations are endless.)
- Chia water (Add 2 tablespoons of chia seeds to your glass and allow to sit 10 minutes. Stir to break up the clumps before drinking.)
- Green Tea
- Coffee (just not too much caffeine! A couple of cups is fine)
- Black tea
- Mother’s Milk Teas
- Almond milk
- You can also try these healthy mocktails that are perfect for pregnancy and postpartum
How to Drink Enough Postpartum:
- Every time you sit down to breastfeed have a big cup of water or tea with you.
- Get a fun giant water bottle (I currently have this one) to encourage you to drink more. I find it 1000x easier to drink more water when I love my cup.
- Drink a glass of water before every meal. You will be even more voracious in the postpartum period than you were during pregnancy if you are breastfeeding. To avoid overeating from feeling starving, first satiate your thirst, then eat your meal. Oftentimes we mistake thirst for hunger… so hydrate first.
2. Focus on Healing Postpartum Foods
The first six weeks postpartum is a time for healing, rest, and nourishment. If you nourish your body with whole foods it will heal faster and reward you by shedding off those excess pounds fast.
If you are eating the right foods you shouldn’t need to worry about counting calories. Right now you should focus on eating for nutrients and for milk supply, don’t cut calories!
My last pregnancy I made a months worth of postpartum freezer meals before baby arrived and it was amazing! They were mostly slow cooked so easier to digest, full of healing foods like bone broth, and ultimately made the transition to life with 3 so much easier on us all!
For my other 2 postpartum periods, I cooked nourishing whole foods fresh. But with 2 kids, homeschooling, and running a home business with a new baby, making freezer meals ahead of time was a lifesaver.
So I picked up this awesome book called Healing Freezer Meals for Postpartum and Breastfeeding and have begun stocking my freezer with them now! The eBook is awesome because it describes what you should not be eating postpartum to avoid inflammation, which foods increase milk supply, and more!
To get that many meals done I picked up a huge box of gallon freezer bags on Amazon and made 4-6 meals each weekend day through the last trimester. I would make 2 of each meal at a time.
It took over all of my counters and was a rush of chopping, bagging, and seasoning but it didn’t take too long at all.
RELATED: Exercises Safe for the 6 Week Waiting Period
3. Supplement with Protein Shakes
After having a new baby you are going to be busy! Every second will be accounted for and it won’t feel like any of that time is going toward taking care of yourself for a long while.
You will learn to do pretty much everything with one hand eventually. Right now you need to focus on nourishing your body so that you can make high-quality breast milk, heal, and lost the baby weight fast!
My favorite secret trick to always losing the baby weight so fast and keeping my milk supply high is protein shake smoothies. I personally love starting every day with them. When breastfeeding, your need for protein is very high. Not quite as high as while pregnant, but you will still require about 55-70 grams of protein a day.
As a busy new mom, finding the time to always make enough nutrition filled foods while caring for that new baby is tough. When you can simply scoop some superfood protein powder into a blender and add some almond milk (and maybe throw in some extra goodies to make a full lactation smoothie.) getting enough nutrition while keeping the calories low becomes way easier.
I love drinking So Lean and So Clean because it makes me feel refreshed and energized. I drink a lot of different protein powders, but I really love how I feel when drinking that one. Here are all the top baby-safe protein powders for breastfeeding moms. I did the research (and taste testing!) so you don’t have to.
I adore protein shake smoothies, so I usually have two types on hand after baby is born.
4. Eat your Liquids
To fill up more for fewer calories with nutrient-rich foods, eat your liquids. (In addition to drinking your water which we talked about earlier.)
Foods like healthy soups, stews, fruits, and some vegetables are very high in liquid content. Yet they are nutritious and filling.
For example, 2 cups of watermelon contain less than 100 calories. An entire head of iceberg lettuce is only 100 calories. 1/4 head of lettuce, dressed up with virgin olive oil, apple cider vinegar, and a few chunks of cheese can be a very filling snack.
Some liquid-rich foods to try incorporating into your postpartum diet are:
5. Try a Clearly Laid Out Postpartum Nutrition and Fitness Plan
The postpartum period is exhausting and there is a lot to do and think about. Caring for a new baby takes lots of time and energy.
Sometimes the last thing you have time for is yourself. Deciding what to eat and how to workout once you receive medical clearance after baby can be daunting.
My favorite postpartum diet and fitness plan is called the Milky Mama’s Postpartum Plan. It is such a wonderful program and almost all in video format which makes it really easy to listen to when you are stretched thin with baby.
Plus the workouts (for after your doctor clears you) are really easy to follow along with and just the perfect length of time to be super effective but also something you can realistically fit in as a busy mom… about 20 minutes!
Not to mention the recipes included are all built to increase your breast milk supply and are all super tasty! There are even delectable desserts so you never feel like you are missing out. The Milky Mama’s Postpartum Plan is really the best of the best!
6. Reduce Stress
This is easier said than done in the postpartum period. There is so much going on every second, everything is a mess, you’re pulled a million ways at every given moment, your hormones are going bonkers, and you are getting horrible sleep.
You can’t eliminate your stress right now, but you can minimize it.
- If people offer to help let them. This has been my weakness, I KNOW it’s hard!
- Stop trying to be perfect. You are learning an entirely new human. If this is your first baby you are learning an entirely new aspect of life and it’s tough! If it’s not your first, every kid is different, it’s still hard. Give yourself some grace.
- Sleep when you can. If baby is sleeping and you feel like you can sleep, do it! If you are pumping or formula feeding, let your partner help at night so you can rest more. Go to bed earlier. Anything you can do to catch some zzz’s is important right now.
- Don’t stress on the mess. You don’t need to live looking like a bomb went off, but it’s ok to have dishes in the sink, piles of laundry around, and toys all over right now. If it’s not dangerous, attracting pests, and no one is going to die you need to learn to let it go for your mental health! (Just for now mama.)
Getting some sleep and stressing less is amazing for your recovery and your hormonal balance, so it’s equally as important as eating well.
Wrapping Up How to Lose the Baby Weight Fast Postpartum
Losing the baby weight doesn’t have to be difficult. With the right tips and tricks, you can shed the baby weight too!
If you have any questions about postpartum recovery and losing the baby weight reach out in the comments below. I’d love to help you reach your postpartum goals too!
Would you recommend drinking a smoothie instead of a meal, like breakfast, or just as a healthy snack? Thank you for pointing out that using almond milk would provide fewer calories – I would’ve ended up using 2%. I’ve only recently been able to cut out snacks at 13 months postpartum. I haven’t been able to lose all of the baby weight (I gained about 40 lbs during pregnancy). I love your tips and look forward to applying them now that I’ve weaned! Wish I had read them during my pregnancy, though.
Melissa, personally I do use the smoothies as meal replacements. If you are just quickly mixing some protein powder with water or milk for a quick burst of nutrients and energy it makes a perfect snack, however, when you add all the goodies to create a smoothie it can definitely serve as a meal replacement. If you are drinking a smoothie as your meal it is best to be sure that either the smoothie itself or a snack that accompanies it includes a decent amount of protein (think 20 grams) and some healthy fats. Coupling a smoothie with a fat bomb or a handful or nuts quickly makes it into a full meal and it’s much more satisfying that way too. If you like almond milk it is really great compared to cows milk which causes many people bloating, and inflammation even if you aren’t lactose intolerant. I hope these tips help you out now that you’ve weaned, which is an easier time to drop the baby weight for many of us anyways. 🙂 Reach out if you have any more questions.