Managing Weight Gain After Having Kids

Whether it is your first, second, or fifth child, gaining weight after having a new baby is quite common for both men and women. You’re going through a major shift in your life, and things are going to be somewhat different (and in many cases quite different) with a new child in the home. Gaining a little weight during this time isn’t necessarily going to happen, but it is understandable why it happens. Your goal should be to minimize the gain as much as possible.

When you go through a stressful or new experience, it is very easy to lose focus on your diet and exercise. With a new child in the home, you’re also going to be getting a bit less sleep than you were before. These two items combined are the most common reasons that you’ start to gain weight after having a new baby.

Getting enough sleep at night is important to help with weight loss as it provides you with the energy to be active. If you’re so tired that you don’t have any energy to do a workout, then you’re going to burn less calories in a day. Furthermore, if you’re so tired that you don’t want to spend any time on your feet, you’re going to burn less calories. Ultimately, the less sleep you’re getting, the less active you’re being.

When you’re tired, you’re also more prone to eat whatever you have on hand. It’s much easier to buy pre-packaged and pre-made meals. Worrying about how many calories you are eating is one of the last things on your mind. You simply want to eat something and not worry about anything else. You’ve got a baby that you have to take care of, and potentially other kids as well. Food is simply something you’re putting in your body to keep you moving.

Keep Healthy Foods on Hand

The first step is to try to keep as many healthy foods and snacks on hand. Keep cut vegetables such as carrots in the fridge that you can grab when you think you need a snack. Keep fruits on hand instead of crackers or candy so that you can fill that sweet spot with them. Avoid buying unhealthy foods at the grocery store. By keeping healthy foods at home, you force yourself to eat them or work much harder to eat the unhealthy stuff.

When at the store, try to buy healthier alternatives. Buy the lower calorie frozen pizza if you must buy one. Buy as many vegetables as you can, even if they’re the pre-cut or pre-made salad recipes (avoid dressings when you can). Buy the plain versions of food - rather than fried chicken, buy plain chicken breasts and throw them on the grill or bake them in the oven. You don’t have to eat like royalty all the time. Eating plain foods is totally acceptable.

Sleep as much as you can

This is certainly easier said than done. The more sleep you get, the easier it will be to maintain an active lifestyle. You’ll have the energy to get out with your new baby for a walk. You’re more likely to have energy to actually do a fitness routine. More sleep will lead to more energy simply to be a better parent.

Having more energy and sleeping more will also lead to less random binge eating. It’s easy to just grab a snack when you’re tired and you’re stressed out. The more sleep you  can get, the less likely you’ll become stressed out.

Get back to a normal routine as soon as you can

Being a parent is a lot of work, but that doesn’t mean you have to completely stop being yourself and doing things that you enjoy. Eating and exercising are important things for your health in the long term. Don’t let having a child distract you from the important fact that these two things can lead to a long and healthy life to be there for your child. It’s not selfish to take care of your health even if it means you’re spending a little less time with your child.

Get back to a routine that you can maintain as soon as you can. This will not happen overnight, but you will have to work to make it happen.

Conclusion

Minimizing weight gain after having a child is important in the long term. It’s much easier to lose 10 pounds than it is to lose 40 pounds. 10 pounds will also have a smaller effect on your health in the long run. Do everything you can to maintain your weight after having kids.