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Lose weight, but on your terms

Don’t let celebrity mothers dictate terms to you on your post-pregnancy weight

Actress Drew Barrymore, who gave birth to her second child last year, told an entertainment magazine that she doesn’t let the pressure of looking good get to her. The 40-year old actress was quoted saying, “I think it’s crazy to worry about that (post-baby weight). It takes nine months to build; it takes nine months to unbuild, at best. We just have to take pressures off. They’re so silly and ridiculous. It took a year and I’m not even there, but it’s fine. I’m so okay with that.” Her words put the focus back on how new mothers obsess over getting back in shape.

Celebrity mothers who are adapting to motherhood and reclaiming their pre-pregnancy bodies have become so commonplace that new mothers in general want to achieve the same. Experts say that rapid weight loss post delivery is indeed unrealistic, so there is nothing to despair about losing those post-partum pounds. Life coach Chetna Mehrotra observes, “New mothers must realise that the body prepared itself for nine months to deliver a wonderful life form. The body will take its own course to acclimatise itself to the new found status. The goal is not to suddenly fit into your old clothes; it is to be physically fit to move around, feed your baby and be emotionally attuned to the demands of childbirth.”

While newborn mothers may want to fit into their comfortable pair of jeans, it is important to keep your expectations in check. For instance, post-pregnancy, the 40-day period is of huge significance. Around three to five kilos of weight is shed because of childbirth and some water that flows out. In the 40-day period the uterus comes back to its normal size. Most women think that their achievement lies in losing weight as soon as possible after childbirth.

Life coach Khyati Birla cautions, saying, “It takes time to gain that kind of fat and weight when pregnant. It will take equal time, if not more, to reduce the fat. Women need to recover from the process of delivery and this process is different for different women. The body changes drastically from within while pregnant and later when nurturing a baby and that can affect your body in various ways that you might not even be aware of. Your being healthy and fit and being able to take care of your baby intelligently is of utmost importance in the long term. As long as you are fit, you have plenty of time to lose fat.”

Since the body needs ample rest and nutrition to recover from the delivery, it helps to not think about losing weight for the first six-seven weeks. Life coach and author of the book The Mind Spa — Ignite Your Inner Life Coach, Malti Bhojwani, says, “Babies need a range of nutrients, so consult with an expert nutritionist and find out what you should be having most of and then like I said, overdose on the good so you have no room for the unhealthy stuff and walk regularly, pushing baby in the pram, every morning for 45 minutes.”

It’s vital, then, for new mothers to take baby steps towards losing the post-partum fat. Chetna concludes, “Your baby is indeed a wondrous creation. Take one step at a time. Creating a healthy mindset is always the first step. The world has its own barometer to measure your post pregnancy attractiveness, however, you are the creator of your own world!”

( Source : dc correspondent )
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