Weight gain during pregnancy is a natural process, but some women may find it difficult to reduce weight after giving birth due to hormonal disturbances, stress or bad eating habits. In such a situation, it is worth seeking the help of a dietician if the aim is to improve diet and gradually lose weight, or a psychodietitian if the problem is emotional eating and lack of motivation. In addition to a proper diet, physical activity, restorative sleep and stress control are important to support the recovery process. Breastfeeding can promote weight loss, but it is no substitute for a healthy lifestyle and proper habits.
Table of contents:
- How does the body change during pregnancy?
- What influences weight gain during pregnancy?
- What causes weight not to drop after pregnancy?
- Does breastfeeding accelerate weight loss?
- Weight reduction and visiting a specialist
- Apart from diet, what affects weight reduction after pregnancy?
Weight gain during pregnancy is a natural process, and it usually takes the same amount of time to get back into shape before pregnancy. However, in some women, as a result of hormonal disturbances or poor eating habits, the loss of extra kilos can be much slower. In such a situation, it is worth consulting a specialist - but who would be suitable: a nutritionist or a psychodietitian? We explain the differences below!
How does the body change during pregnancy?
Pregnancy is a time of intense changes in a woman's body. From the very first weeks, the body adapts to the new situation by increasing the production of hormones such as progesterone, oestrogen, prolactin and oxytocin. These support the development of the foetus and prepare the mother's body for birth and lactation.
Changes affect the whole body - metabolism speeds up, heart and lung minute volume and blood density increase, and the digestive system slows down. The abdominal organs change position, and the kidneys and bladder increase in volume. Energy requirements increase, more fat is deposited and water retention occurs, leading to weight gain.
What affects weight gain in pregnancy, photo: panthermedia
Pregnancy also affects the emotions - hormonal fluctuations can cause mood changes, greater sensitivity and anxiety.
What affects weight gain in pregnancy?
Women expecting one child should monitor their weight gain based on pre-pregnancy values. At a normal weight, the recommended gain is 11.5-16 kg, at underweight it is 12.5-18 kg. Overweight women should gain 7-11.5 kg, and for obesity the recommended gain is 5-9 kg.
Weight gain during pregnancy is influenced by factors such as:
- increased uterine weight,
- increased blood volume,
- increase in the baby's weight,
- fat gain,
- water retention in the body,
- weight of the placenta and amniotic fluid.
What should the calorie content of the diet look like during pregnancy?
During pregnancy, with each trimester the woman's body uses more and more energy for the needs of the developing foetus. In view of this, more calories should be included in the diet:
- 1st trimester - +70 kcal/day,
- 2nd trimester - +260 kcal/day,
- 3rd trimester - +500 kcal/day.
What causes weight to not drop after pregnancy?
In the first weeks after giving birth, a woman's post-pregnancy weight gradually returns to normal. According to doctors, it should take about 6-9 months to reach the weight from before pregnancy. However, it is not always possible to achieve the expected results within this time frame, as the fat reduction process can be disrupted by lifestyle and health-related factors for the woman. These include:
- chronic stress,
- insufficient sleep,
- too little physical activity,
- unregulated hormone levels,
- certain medical conditions, e.g. hypothyroidism or PCOS,
- maintaining the same caloric surplus as during pregnancy.
Does breastfeeding accelerate weight loss?
It is often claimed in the media that breastfeeding aids weight loss after pregnancy. Is it really an effective method? To a certain extent, yes. The production of milk uses a considerable amount of energy, which can translate into a reduction in body fat. However, it is important not to reduce calories from food drastically during breastfeeding, as this can cause milk production to disappear.
Breastfeeding and burning calories, photo: panthermedia
Not all women can breastfeed or do so for as long as they would like. If this is the case, it is worth taking care of healthy eating habits even before pregnancy, which can make it easier to get back into shape later.
Weight reduction and visiting a specialist
Young mothers combining childcare with other responsibilities often find it difficult to maintain a healthy diet. Conflicting information on the web can further confuse and discourage change. In such a situation, it is worth consulting a dietitian or psychodietitian.
When is it worth going to a nutritionist?
It is worth using the services of a dietician for those mums who want to start preparing healthy and balanced meals. The dietician, on the basis of the interview and the data from the body mass analyser, arranges a menu and nutritional recommendations that will gradually reduce the body weight.
In addition to this, the dietician's role is nutritional education, where during the consultation he/she discusses which products to introduce more often into the menu and which to limit or eliminate. The dietician also teaches healthy eating habits that will enable you to maintain your optimum body weight after the weight loss treatment.
Weight loss after pregnancy: when specialist support?, photo: panthermedia
When is it worth visiting the office of a psychodietitian?
A psychodietitian is a specialist who offers support to people struggling with emotional eating, stress overeating, lack of body acceptance, difficulty in staying motivated to change their diet, as well as those who have had a number of unsuccessful weight loss attempts or are experiencing an eating disorder. It helps to build a healthy relationship with food and identify the causes of negative eating habits.
The psychodietitian uses menus less frequently in his work. During visits, he or she conducts conversations with the client, based, among other things, on motivational dialogue. He or she helps to discover the mechanisms responsible for unhealthy eating habits and supports the introduction of lasting, positive changes. She also focuses on the emotions that accompany eating, teaching effective ways to cope with stress and difficult emotions without reaching for food.
Besides diet, what influences weight loss after pregnancy?
In addition to diet, physical activity is also a support for reduction. Just approx. 30 minutes of walking a day is enough to notice the effects. Activity should be tailored to your own capabilities and, above all, should be fun.
Weight loss after pregnancy: what else but diet?, photo: panthermedia
Another issue is to ensure healthy sleep. Regulating the length and quality of sleep helps to maintain hormonal balance and regenerate the body. People who sleep less than six hours are more likely to develop overweight and obesity.
The impact of stress on body weight is also worth mentioning. Chronic stress leads to cortisol (the stress hormone) being kept at high levels. This hormone promotes fat accumulation, blocks fat burning and disrupts the functioning of the hunger and satiety hormones, which promotes eating more food and weight gain.
