Your body takes time to heal after pregnancy, so the idea of snapping back to the normal weight can be pernicious.  While you can expect to bounce back within 6 to 8 weeks after a vaginal delivery, recuperating after a C-section can take anything between 12 to 14 weeks. During this window, your uterus bounces back to the normal size and your body releases any extra fluid retained during pregnancy. But if you are still not happy with how your body looks, here are a few things you can do to lose weight healthily.

1. Breastfeed But Don't Restrict Your Calories

Breastfeeding can help you burn around 640 calories a day depending on your baby's appetite and factors like your size and physical activity. Although you may feel that your newborn is attached to your breasts, which is mentally and physically exhausting, you will notice that the calorie burn made a difference in how quickly you started losing weight. However, breastfeeding requires you to eat enough calories to nourish your child, so plan your diet well. Eat these foods to improve milk production. 

2. Eat Smaller Meals

Your hunger levels are going to be high when you breastfeed. So instead of eating three larger meals and two small snacks, eat six to eight small meals about every two hours to keep hunger at bay. Focus on nutrient-dense foods like fruits, veggies, and whole grains that will keep you full and satiated. Having fewer cravings and managing your blood sugar levels well is key for any weight loss goal.

3. Get Enough Sleep

According to a study published in the American Journal of Epidemiology, women who sleep five hours or fewer per night are 32 percent more likely to experience major weight gain during and after pregnancy. While we can't offer you the magic cure-all to get your baby to sleep, we can emphasise the importance of catching up on sleep whenever you get the opportunity.

4. Sit Down and Eat

We completely understand that it can be difficult to put the baby down during the first few months. But consuming your meals and snacks while standing up can lead to mindless eating, which is a habit you should try to avoid. When you are not nibbling mindlessly, you are automatically not adding extra weight to your waistline. Here are 10 significant yet simple stress-busters for new mothers. 

5. Drink Lots of Water

When your body is stressed, it's often dehydrated, which leaves you feeling zapped of energy. Up your liquid intake during the day, which also leaves you feeling full longer.  Also, ditch soda or drinks with unwanted sugar, which equal unwanted kilos.

6. Focus on Stability Exercises

Exercises like squats and planks that focus more on stability than rotation can allow you to strengthen your pelvic floor muscles after a C-section.  These moves are also ideal for diastasis recti (separated abdominal muscles) since they strengthen the muscles and tissue in the midsection without too much movement. Use these simple tips to reduce pregnancy belly. 

7. Keep Your Core Protected

Diastasis recti can also lead to other problems like back pain, urinary stress incontinence, and pelvic floor dysfunction that can keep you from moving around and exercising. Therefore, eliminate crunches from your workout routine, along with any moves that make you push your abs forward. Be very mindful of your core.

8. Stop Wearing Those Maternity Clothes

While this may sound like the effect of not losing the baby weight, it can also be a cause for keeping those excess kilos on. Wearing maternity clothes that are too big for you can lead to decreased motivation to get to the gym and make it feel like it is okay to choose a cheese pizza over a healthy salad.

Protip: Have your little one take his afternoon nap, and once he's slumbering, head out for a power walk. You will be surprised to see how you dropped the weight in one to three-hour power walks daily!

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Aug 27, 2019 01:43 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).