Weight loss after pregnancy

A combination of dieting and exercise is a more effective way for women to lose weight post pregnancy than dieting alone. It is natural for women to gain weight during pregnancy, and many gradually lose it afterwards. However, some women find it difficult to lose the pregnancy-related weight after pregnancy, which can gradually develop into a health risk. Previous studies have showed that women who retain much of their pregnancy weight gain are likely to do the same with subsequent pregnancies, and thereby increase the risk of becoming obese down the road. Obesity increases the risk of diabetes, heart disease and high blood pressure. Therefore, women should try to return to their pre-pregnancy weight by about six months and lower their risk of being overweight ten years later. There is plenty of advice on finding ways to return to, and maintain, pre-pregnant weight. Studies have suggested that women who focus on diet alone do lose the weight after pregnancy; however, dieting causes the body to lose both fat and muscle mass. On the other hand, adding exercise to dieting helps women to retain their lean muscle mass. Researchers at Rio de Janeiro University, Brazil analysed six clinical trials involving a total of 245 women who had recently given birth. Some trials randomly assigned women to reduce calories from their diets or stick with their normal eating habits; others had women combine calorie-cutting with regular aerobic exercise. The findings showed that women who dieted or dieted and exercised lost several pounds more than those who did not change their usual lifestyle. The results also indicated that exercise not only helps reduce body weight, but also improves a woman's cardiovascular fitness and preserves fat-free mass. Dieting alone reduces fat-free mass. Importantly, studies that focussed on breastfeeding mothers found no negative effects. There has been some concern that limiting calories and exercising can diminish the quality of a woman's breast milk. But a few studies have found that as long as women continue to eat a well-balanced, nutritious diet and exercise to a moderate degree, there seems to be no negative effects on breast milk composition. However, further studies are needed to make sure that diet and exercise do not hinder milk production or infant growth.