LOSING WEIGHT AFTER  PREGNANCY
By Bob Rogers

            As many of the readers of this website know, a pregnant woman can add between 15 to 30 lbs or more of bodyweight during pregnancy.  Although there is a natural urge to take the weight off as quickly as possible, women need to keep three things in mind.
            The first is judgment.  The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) recommends refraining from strenuous activity from between 6 to as much as 8 weeks after giving birth.  During this time ligaments and joints can remain overly flexible from the pregnancy and other complications can leave one vulnerable to injury or further problems.  If there were no major complications and the individual had been exercising before and even during the birth, then pre-pregnancy routines can be resumed much earlier, sometimes just days after the delivery.  You should clear your exercise program with your doctor.  Then, start slowly, even if you were very active before, you still need to ratchet down your intensity and volume.
            Secondly, have patience both with yourself and your routine.  It’s normal to experience a weight gain of between 15 to 30 lbs.  Give yourself a year of consistent exercise and diet modification to remove the extra weight.  Many women have complications after a pregnancy that will prevent immediate weight loss such as post partum inflammation of the thyroid gland.  Keep in mind that breastfeeding will cause a few of the extra pounds to linger.  Along with the fact that most women become more and more sedentary during the pregnancy, many obstacles exist to make weight loss difficult.  To combat this, stay away from consistently weighing yourself , at least for the first few weeks, as the scale can be the last thing that shows the fruits of your workouts.  Also, although it is out of favor, gaining muscle can cause a better and longer lasting weight loss.  As a result, resistance training needs to be a part of your regimen, along with cardiovascular exercise and a reasonable diet.
            Lastly, be consistent.  So many people start a workout regimen that is unsustainable with unrealistic goals.  Many people try to workout 5, 6, even seven days a week at the beginning.  Then, because they don’t see a lot of movement on the scale and they start missing their workouts, they get discouraged and the negativity fosters into inactivity.  Before you know it, they’ve completely dropped out of the exercise program.    Make your goals reasonable, taking into account your busy schedule.  It is far better to do two solid workouts a week, consistently over the course a year, then to go five times a week for two or three weeks and then drop out completely.
            So be consistent, patient, and use good judgment and over time, regardless of setting or the  equipment you use, you will meet your goals.

About the author: Bob Rogers is a Certified Personal Trainer and owner of Powerzone Fitness Center, located at 1558 Hooksett Road, Hooksett, NH 03106.  You can reach Bob at 603-485-5919 for more information. Copyright 2009-2010