How to diet after having a baby? This is a question that most moms ask after delivering their baby. At first, you probably don’t realize about your body changes. You are full of happiness when your loved one comes into this world but soon thereafter, you find that you have gained some pounds. You realize that your tummy is mushy and you find stretch marks here and there.

Most moms experience this weight gain so you don’t need to worry about it. Your pre-pregnancy body can be restored as long as you practice a proper diet. With the right food choices of the right portions, it will be easier to lose those extra pounds. Below are some tips on how to diet after pregnancy to help you regain your body shape:

1. Know the right time to start dieting. After pregnancy, it is not recommended to start dieting too soon. Give your body time to recover from labor so that your diet program will run successfully. You need to wait until after your six-week postpartum checkup before you are ready to start a diet. How about dieting for breastfeeding moms? They are not recommended to go on any diet to lose weight until their baby is at least two months old. This is because early dieting will have an impact on their milk supply during the first months.

If you start a diet too soon, it can make you feel more fatigued and can postpone your recovery. It would be better to give more time for your body to recover and you will be excited to know how many pounds you lose naturally.

2. Know the limit. When losing weight after pregnancy, you need to be realistic about it. Remember that you probably will not be able to gain a body shape exactly like before the pregnancy. Most women find permanent changes after pregnancy such as larger waistline, softer belly and wider hips.

3. Combine your diet with exercise. Weight loss pills can be a shortcut to lose weight but they are not the best way to shed the pounds. To achieve the desired weight, it is important to do some exercises to lose fat instead of muscle. You can start exercising about six weeks after pregnancy and eight weeks if you had a cesarean. A little exercise such as walking around the neighborhood will help you burn the fat.

4. Try to avoid a restrictive diet. Instead, you should practice your diet program slowly especially if you are breastfeeding. Its aim is to ensure that your baby always obtains the right amount of milk supply. Generally, women need at least 1,200 calories a day and most women even need about 1,500 up to 2,200 calories a day to keep up the energy. Nursing moms need at least 1,800 calories a day but generally, they will need about 2,000 to 2,700 calories to nourish themselves and their baby.

There is another risk if you undertake an unusually rapid weight loss program. It can cause the release of toxins from your fat reserves into your bloodstream and into the milk supply. It is safe to lose about 1.5 pounds a week since it won’t affect your milk supply. This weight loss can be achieved by cutting out about 500 calories a day from your present diet.

5. Be selective about your food intake and drinks. In losing weight, you need to be selective in foods and drinks that you consume. Low-fat milk, whole wheat bread, fruits and raw vegetables are great choices to succeed your diet program. If you get bored consuming the same fruits and vegetables every day, you can make smoothies or vegetable salsas over chicken or fish.

Fats have more calories than carbohydrates or proteins. That means that reducing fat from your diet is a good way to cut calories. To limit your calorie intake, you can consume fat-free dairy products, boiled or baked foods, and reduce eating too many sweets. However, fats are also important nutrients so make sure that you don’t eliminate them entirely from your daily diet. However, total elimination of fats can cause you to feel hungry all of the time and thus consume more calories from increased carbohydrate consumption, especially between-meal snacks. To fulfill your fat needs, choose the "good" fats rather than the "bad" ones. Good fats are contained in avocados, nuts and seeds, olive oil, salmon, etc. Meanwhile, bad fats can be found in snacks and fried foods.

6. Watch your water intake. It is recommended that you take about eight glasses of fluids a day but make sure that your beverages do not contain calories like soda, sweetened coffee or juices. When thirsty, drink water. These simple steps will help answer your questions on how to diet after pregnancy.