Perhaps the greatest challenge after having a baby is losing the weight you’ve gained during pregnancy. Ideally, you want your body to just shrink back to the size it was before you were pregnant with your little one but in reality, your body has been worked and pushed to its limits.  It had to endure 9 months of having a little human kicking and wiggling and literally sucking away all the nutrients inside of you so that I could grow into a healthy, beautiful baby.

Taking care of your little one takes up all your day and you’re advised to not do any strenuous exercises or cut down on your meals because it’s not only unhealthy for you but could also affect breastfeeding and nutrients for your baby.

Among all these challenges, there is one ray of hope. Breastfeeding. Breastfeeding can actually help you lose weight and help you get one step closer to your pre-pregnancy body.

This is possible because according to Joy Kosa, co-founder of Simple Wishes- a hands-free pumping bra, your baby will eat 19-30 oz a day and that alone burns 380-600 calories.

Breastfeeding is your answer to healthy weight loss after birth. So how do we do it and do it well?

Here are 5 tips to get you started:

Don’t get too greedy! The most important thing is health. Don’t stress out or feel pressured to lose weight. You are beautiful just the way you are so concentrate on what is a healthy, balanced weight for you and how to maintain it. Until 6 – 8 weeks after birth, eat healthy balanced meals and watch out from gaining unnecessary weight.

Drink lots of water. About 2 liters a day or even more for mothers who only breastfeed their baby. Also keep a drink, preferably warm water or milk, nearby to quench your thirst while breastfeeding.  

Snack smart. Eat healthier crackers, yogurt, nuts, cheese, or whole grain toast. Overall, keep quick and easy, healthy snacks in your pantry and throw away your unhealthy snacks (say your last farewell to sodas for a while)

Eat small frequent meals. This is not only recommended for mothers but it’s a general rule for people trying to lose weight. Small frequent meals over time changes your body’s habit so that it doesn’t store fat and protein in your system.

Moderate stretch session. Try to integrate a short stretch session. I like to put on a 15-30 min yoga stretch video from Youtube as it helps me focus and have the much-desired me time. Remember to not do any strenuous exercises.