by: Christoph Puetz
Every woman gains weight while she is pregnant. This is the way how it is and always has been. And it is as it is: It is also perfectly normal for a woman to want to lose weight after pregnancy. There is absolutely nothing wrong with aspiring to get yourself back into shape right after having giving birth to a baby. In fact - weight loss to a certain degree is certainly encouraged. Overweight just causes different health issues in the mid to long term.
However - it is very important that the woman takes a common sense approach when she is attempting to lose weight after a pregnancy. Keep in mind, the weight will not come off overnight, but it will come off if you "attack" it in the right way.
One of the biggest mistakes made by women is to try on clothes from before pregnancy. It is very important that you don't try to fit back into your pre-pregnancy clothes right after birth. Accept the fact that you will still be carrying around most of the fat you gained to help keep your baby safe and sound during pregnancy.
Usually it is recommended and acceptable that most women can safely lose between one and two pounds per week after giving birth. This "burn rate" will help ensure a safe, healthy and steady weight loss without compromising mom's health or the health of the new baby.
Do avoid becoming obsessed of how fast the weight has to come off your body. Having a goal is great and keeps you motivated. However - over-doing it will not bring the results expected. In fact, it might may things even worse. Pregnancy depressions are already common enough. There is no need to become depressed because the weight loss is not fast enough.