Ending your breastfeeding journey is a bittersweet moment, but the new freedom that comes with having your boobs back to yourself might come with a shock. I wondered, is it normal to gain weight after you stop breastfeeding, and how do I lose my belly fat?
Inexpensive Ways to Lose Belly Fat After Stopping Breastfeeding
Breastfeeding burns anywhere between 500 to 700 calories every day which benefits those who are trying to lose their pregnancy weight, but this has left many with unwanted belly fat. However, there are a few easy steps that you can follow to lose this unwanted belly fat after stopping breastfeeding such as eating more vegetables, increasing your exercise, and avoiding foods high in fat and sugar. Keep reading for a more in-depth discussion.
Why Am I Gaining Weight After I Stopped Breastfeeding?
Once you stop breastfeeding it can be hard to find you are gaining weight. Many people turn to strict diets that limit their calorie intake whilst generally making them feel miserable too. But losing belly fat after stopping breastfeeding is a completely normal reaction from your body and can even be related to a hormonal response from your body,
During lactation, your pituitary gland at the base of your brain will produce a hormone called prolactin which is what causes your breasts to grow and produce milk during pregnancy and after birth. These levels will be at their highest for pregnant women and new mothers. It is also known for its ability to reduce the metabolism of fat, so once you stop breastfeeding this hormone will gradually decrease.
This hormonal decrease can lead to a slow increase in weight. As your body is no longer nursing, it will store the prolactin instead of expelling it through breastfeeding. This in turn will reduce your fat metabolism leading to weight gain and even depression which is why many women report having a low mood for a few weeks after their child has weaned from breastfeeding.
Although your hormones will adjust, there can also be other reasons that create belly fat after stopping breastfeeding. When you are nursing your body will have been burning hundreds of extra calories each day. This next stage can be a difficult adjustment for many mothers who find their portion sizes and eating habits increased throughout their pregnancy and breastfeeding journey.
Without your body burning those extra calories through breastfeeding you might not realize you are consuming more calories than you need and this could create new weight gain. Although hormones could be to blame, it is common for increased calorie intake and lack of exercise to be the cause behind your belly fat after stopping breastfeeding.
How Can I Lose My Belly Fat After Breastfeeding?
The changes that your body will have gone through in pregnancy can take upwards of 6 months to recover from. It is a highly demanding and tiring job for your body. Although it is important to have a healthy diet throughout pregnancy, this also continues into your breastfeeding journey.
Losing weight during breastfeeding is much more difficult as you need to make sure you consume enough calories to produce nutritious milk for your baby. This is why so many women wait until their child has weaned from their breast milk before attempting to lose any extra weight.
If you want to lose your belly fat after stopping breastfeeding then it will only take some simple adjustments to your diet and exercise to help cut down the additional calories you no longer need to consume.
‣ Dietary Changes
Making small and simple changes to your diet is one of the best ways to reduce the number of calories you consume. This can help to reverse any additional weight gain in a much healthier and more gradual process than alternative rapid methods such as skipping meals
Replacing simple aspects of your diet for healthier and more nutritious options is an easy way to keep enjoying the food that you love without missing out. Swapping your usual bread for a wholegrain variety can provide you with health benefits such as a reduction in the risk of heart disease or diabetes by providing a good source of fiber, B vitamins, and minerals such as iron and magnesium.
Another easy dietary change is to opt for a more filling breakfast containing eggs that are packed with nutritional benefits and will fill you up for longer to help prevent unnecessary snacking between meals. They are full of protein and will increase your feeling of fullness in comparison to the sugar-packed breakfast cereals most of us grab each morning.
‣ Increased Water Intake
We are all guilty of not consuming as much water as possible, and parents especially tend to find coffee is their go-to beverage. But drinking enough water is not just important to your health, it can also promote weight maintenance and help you avoid empty calories that come from alternative sugary drinks.
Drinking water can help you to increase your weight loss too by reducing your appetite and food intake during meals and could even increase the calories you burn too! It is recommended that women drink around 11.5 cups of fluid per day, this includes water, other beverages and around 20% that you get from your food.
‣ Lifestyle Changes
After your breastfeeding journey has ended, you can start to look towards making simple lifestyle changes to get your body moving and start burning away the calories that were once used to produce breastmilk.
It doesn’t need to be an all-or-nothing scenario either, you can start by choosing to use the stairs as opposed to a lift or even doing simple 15-minute sessions during the day to get your body moving without interfering with any quality time spent with your baby.
Mommy and me workouts are a great way to involve your kids too no matter their age(s) and can take place anywhere! It can be as simple as going on a walk together, or even following an online yoga tutorial that involves your baby or older children. This can be a lovely way to keep healthy and spend time together as a family.
Many mothers even find joining a local gym is a great way to get some alone time and focus on their health. But if you want to focus on any heavyweight workouts or strenuous activity then make sure you have had the all-clear from your healthcare provider so you don’t risk damaging your recovery after having a baby.
‣ Avoid Overeating
One of the easiest ways you can monitor your portion control is to slow down when you are eating. This may sound strange, but to lose belly fat after stopping breastfeeding the key is to prevent overeating the calories that your body is no longer burning through breastfeeding. It can take as long as 20 minutes for your stomach to let your brain know it is full so by slowing down you can avoid overeating and stay in intune with your body and how much it needs.
Take a look at the recommended portion sizes on the packaging of your food and try to create healthy balanced meals with realistic serving sizes so you can stay accountable for your food consumption. If you find you have a big appetite then introducing a source of fiber into your meals can help to increase the feeling of fullness after eating and prevent mindless snacking.
As we mentioned above, staying hydrated can also help you to avoid overeating by making sure your body’s queue for water isn’t mistaken as hunger and lead you to consume calories you might not need.
FAQ on Belly Fat after Stopping Breastfeeding
How does your body change after you stop breastfeeding?
The most commonly reported change after your child weans from the breast is the appearance of empty breasts as your boobs return to their pre-pregnancy size and will look quite different. The fatty part of your breast will come back over time and make your breasts look fuller as your body adapts.
How long did it take to lose weight after stopping breastfeeding?
The key is to take your time with weight loss and not try to rush it as this can create health risks. You can expect it to take 9 to 18 months for your body to fully recover from pregnancy, labor, and delivery so if you haven’t breastfed for this long then your body might still be in recovery and not returned to shape yet.
How do I lose weight after breastfeeding?
The easiest way to lose belly fat after stopping breastfeeding is through small changes such as reducing your carbohydrate intake and starting safe exercise daily to build your body’s strength back. Staying hydrated and avoiding skipping meals will help aid your body’s weight loss too.
Do You Lose Belly Fat When You Stop Breastfeeding?
When you are breastfeeding your body protects some fat meaning women don’t often lose all the baby weight until they completely stop nursing. When you are no longer burning additional calories through breastfeeding then you may find your weight loss reduced without implementing some beneficial diet and lifestyle changes.
Conclusion
Being kind to your body is essential during the recovery process from pregnancy and labor, and coming to the end of your breastfeeding journey can be another difficult milestone for many mothers.
Losing belly fat after stopping breastfeeding will take time so making small but effective changes to your diet and lifestyle is the best way to work towards looking and feeling better in yourself.
Other methods such as increasing your water and fiber intake can be another way to get a fuller feeling for longer and provide your body with all the healthy and essential vitamins and minerals you need to help prevent weight gain after you stop breastfeeding.
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