How to Lose Weight 5 Months After Pregnancy

If you always looked forward to pregnancy because you thought of it as a time when you could eat whatever you want, you might be feeling the results right now. Unfortunately, there is such a thing as eating too much while you are pregnant. The good news is that giving birth will take off about 14 pounds between the baby, placenta and extra fluids you have been carrying around. The bad news is that you might have much more to go until you are back to your prepregnancy weight. With the right diet and exercise, however, you can get there sooner rather than later.

Instructions

• 1

  Nurse your baby. If you have not been breastfeeding your baby all along, it is probably too late to start at this point, but if you have been, you're doing good things for your body, too. Nursing burns about 500 calories a day, so rest assured that as you relax on your couch, you are also losing that baby weight.

• 2

  Eat a healthy diet filled with lots of vegetables and proteins. Nursing mothers should be sure to drink lots of water, as well, because nursing uses a lot of energy. Parents.com provides a full monthly outline of a diet for postpartum moms with tasty menu ideas and recipes that keep your needs as a new mom in mind. (See References.)

• 3

  Take your baby for a brisk 30-minute walk every day. If you can find the time to go to the gym every day, you might be able to burn even more calories, and a lot of gyms offer babysitting services at certain hours. If not, strolling around the neighborhood is a fun way to get the exercise you need and some fresh air for your baby.