Post Pregnancy Fat Loss Tips For Moms

Fit mom holding her baby and a dumbbellIf there is one thing that unites all mothers it is the weight gain that occurs during pregnancy and then persists after birth.

On average a woman gains about 35 pounds during pregnancy, and in addition to the extra weight stomach muscles are weakened as a result of stretching, which leaves the tummy fat looking loose. Many mom’s never manage to get back into their old clothes, but if you are not breastfeeding there is really no reason why you cannot regain your pre-baby figure with a little bit of hard work and some dieting. Generally when someone claims to have “tried everything to lose weight” after giving birth this usually means they have tried to lose weight by:

  • Going on a fad diet plan that leaves them feeling exhausted and hungry all the time
  • Taking diet pills all of which fail to do anything without a proper diet and exercise regime
  • Joining a commercial gym, then failing to workout on a regular basis due to family commitments
  • Buying home cardio equipment but not using it frequently or intensively enough
  • Joining aerobics classes and fitness clubs
  • Try crazy fad diets that leave you feel tired and sick
  • Doing pointless ab exercises for hours on end

So, if this sounds like you, then know that you are not alone. The real reason why many women fail to lose weight after giving birth is that none of the above methods, no “diets” or workout routines will ever help you lose weight on their own. Weight loss requires a complete system that takes into account nutrition, diet, exercise and other lifestyle factors.


As a mum you do not have as much time for yourself so you cannot spend 2 hours in the gym with an hour relaxing in the sauna like you used to. Children come first and need your attention. So, how do you get fit and slim again?

Fast Intensive Workouts

Luckily the best way to lose weight is to workout quickly. Gentle, slow paced exercise, such as walking, jogging or cycling slowly are not as time efficient at burning fat as fast and intensive workouts. Follow these general rules:

  • Exercise at least 3 times per week to a high intensity, ideally exercise daily
  • Exercise for at least 45 minutes, ideally for 60 minutes a day
  • Perform full body workouts, such as squats, lunges, push ups
  • Use weight training methods such as shoulder press, curls, deadlift
  • Perform intensive interval training with short sprints followed by recovery exercise

Sensible Eating Habits

The other factor to lose weight is to ensure that you are eating a healthy diet that will encourage weight loss. You may still think that fat is the problem, but it is not. The real problem is sugar and refined carbohydrate, processed food and junk food. Follow these dietary rules:

  • Never skip breakfast
  • Stop eating bread, cakes and cookies – no excuses
  • Eat more eggs at breakfast
  • Eat more protein for lunch and dinner – chicken, turkey, fish, lean meats
  • No junk food, candy, sugar, soda, chocolate or fast food
  • Only eat low GI vegetables and fruits
  • Drink water when thirsty
  • Drink coffee before exercise

Start Exercise as Soon As Possible

Woman exercising, performing a lungeExercise is vital as soon as possible after birth. Only by exercising the abdominal muscles be strengthened again, and more muscle helps to raise metabolism and burn fat too. Also exercising helps prepare the body for future pregnancies.

If you want to lose your mommy tummy then the answer is to follow our simple rules on how to lose weight. Only with a healthy diet and regular exercise can you regain control of your midsection. Pull those muscles in and burn that fat off with sensible eating and exercise, not creams.


The only way to lose weight quickly and keep the weight off is to follow a tried and tested routine. Buying expensive cardio equipment or diet pills will not help, but following a nutrition and exercise program will give good results. Learning how to do as many different healthy weight loss exercises as possible will help you to get in shape. Once you have learned how to exercise properly and intensively at home on your own you are in a much stronger position to get fit and lose weight.

It is certainly possible to lose all the baby fat quickly – just look at celebrities such as Katie Holmes, Heidi Klum or Kerry Katona. Just be prepared to sweat, a lot!

Breast Feeding – Considerations for Health

For breastfeeding mom’s losing weight is possible as although you need to take in additional nutrition to produce milk you can still burn fat if you stick to a healthy diet and start exercising. Exercise is not a problem once you have recovered from childbirth and daily workouts will get you back in shape.

Some Health Benefits of Breastfeeding

Breast feeding is good for both your health and your child’s.

  • It can help you to lose weight
  • Reduces risk of breast cancer
  • Hormones released when breastfeeding help the uterus contract (reduces waistline)
  • Reduces risk of child becoming obese
  • Less change of SIDS (sudden infant death syndrome)
  • Research shown that breastfed babies are more intelligent
  • Mothers suffer less depression and “baby blues” if they breastfeed
  • Passes on anti-bodies to the child
  • Better nutrition that formula milk, so makes bigger and stronger babies
  • Less chance of baby developing allergies and intolerances to dairy

When breastfeeding you do need to eat a lot of healthy food, plus drink more water than usual and take plenty of more rest. Breastfeeding women require around 600 Calories a day more than normal and these calories have to be healthy – lots of green, fresh fruits, vegetables, pulses, protein, plus a lot of water. So this of course does make it harder to lose fat. Also, if you start an intensive fitness plan you will need to remember to hydrate thoroughly.

The Loneliness of Motherhood

Emotional eating is one of the major causes of weight gain, and new mothers are susceptible to loneliness and depression.


A survey carried out by Mother and Baby magazine, and reported in The Telegraph, interviewed 2000 women and concluded that just over 53% of mothers feel lonely and isolated and about two thirds of them feel disconnected from a normal life. While tiredness has always been part of early motherhood, isolation has recently started to become more common between new mums.

When a woman leaves work to have a baby, her life changes abruptly, it is like being in a different universe, as old friends without children tend to drift away, grandparents normally live far away, neighbors are not always available to help and other mums are not always your “cup of tea“. Also, as babies are very demanding, it is difficult to restore the old social life back.

On average first time mums spend 90 minutes a day with other adults, which involves going along to play groups, where mums can meet other mums. In most cases mums of newborn babies goes along a playgroup feeling very tired and the babies are too small to enjoy themselves. So, it ends up being a frustrating exercise. Although it is a good idea to go to play groups when you feel ready, as it is a great way to meet other mums and share your experiences. In this way you don’t feel alone and you realize other mums are going through similar experiences and you can learn from one another. It is great when you get to know other mums that you identify with, and a new friendship is formed.

Women that live in the countryside have even less social life than city mums, as they are more isolated and there may be no many activities available for mums with newborns, whereas city mums can go to shops more easily and meet up with other mums in town.

These days mums are left by themselves to look after their new arrival, as grandparents tend to live far away in most cases. Having to look after a newborn by oneself can be very hard for new mums and the taboo of postnatal depression make mums keep their frustrations and desolations for themselves. Pressures from society discourage mums to discuss solution for ‘baby blues’ and postnatal depression, so mums tend to put on a brave face in fear of being misunderstood by others.


People tend to assume that mums and babies bond straight away and mums are quite happy looking after their little bundle of joy. However, in reality mums feel physically and psychologically drained as new babies are very demanding, and sleep deprivation takes its toll, making it hard for mum to enjoy quality time with baby.

Luckily the maternal instinct kicks in, making mums pull it through and some how be capable of caring for their new arrival. Having said this, the more support the mum gets the smother is the adaptation to motherhood. There are many organizations that can help. See the links below for further help with coping with motherhood and guidance about postnatal depression.

175 Comments on “Post Pregnancy Fat Loss Tips For Moms”

  1. I workout 3 times a week in classes and it really helps! Granted, I haven’t started to diet, but I eat what I want in moderation. My baby is 10 months old and I am now 5lbs less than when I found out I was pregnant. (125)
    My question is for my sister-in-law…. She and I got into an argument about me losing all of my weight and then some. She says it’s harder for her because she is diabetic. Is that true? I believe exercise is a main role in weight-loss. I know her levels have to be maintained, but I don’t think because someone is diabetic that it’s more difficult for them to lose weight. Am I wrong? Or is that just a diabetic’s excuse????

  2. MotleyHealth says:

    Being diabetic can make exercise harder when insulin is not managed. However, a healthy diet and regular exercise combined with good insulin management allows people to live normal and relatively healthy lifestyles. That is not to say that it is easy to manage the insulin / blood sugar levels well, as it does require a good understanding of the task at hand and regular monitoring, plus strict diet and exercise.

    Type 1 diabetes is sometimes actually easier to manage than type 2 diabetes, because the complete lack of naturally produced insulin means that it is all from injections and therefore easier to manage the levels. Many people have gone on to great athletic success with diabetes, Sir Steven Redgrave is diabetic and won a rowing gold medal in the Olympics.

    Losing weight actually helps people to manage diabetes much better too, and also reduce insulin resistance. She should consult a dietician with diabetes experience and learn how to exercise safely with diabetes. It really is just an excuse for some people, although as sufferers get older mobility can become an issue.

  3. Before i got pregnant, i was about 135 pretty thin if you ask me. Went in to the doctor for my first appointment and went all the way to 149 in about a month. Went into labor weighing 220lbs, no joke. Gave birth, went down to 188, got on birth control went all the way up to 215. Started dieting and now im stuck at 188 ;[ FML. I’m only 19, btw.

  4. MotleyHealth says:

    Hi Mojo, just start working on your fitness, exercise daily and eat healthy. How long since you gave birth now?

  5. Almost 2 years already.

  6. MotleyHealth says:

    Well, in that case you really need to be focussed on regular daily exercise and a healthy diet.

  7. Hey i have been despretely want to lose weight i have two babys one that 2 yr old and 2 mnths old and i want to know which is the best diet u can recommend me to loose a good 50 pnds my weight right know is 185 i have never been this weight my whole life and am 4″11 which i know am way over weight for my hieght my goal is 135 and i really wanna make it to feel good about my self my problem is my stomach big time pls pls help me could u advice me i be wait for ur answer send it to my email thnks hhhheeelllppp!!!!! I need it!!! (including excersice)

  8. MotleyHealth says:

    Hi Brianda, the best diet is to eat a well balanced but calorie restricted diet. Look at our Diet and Nutrition section and you will see an article on healthy eating. If you are breastfeeding you will need extra calories though, and lots of water. Daily exercise is very, very important, even if it is just a 45 minute walk with the baby buggy.

  9. Hi! I had my baby almost 7 months ago with C-section. I was 125 pounds before pregnancy and got to 166 at the end of pregnancy. I resumed my regular exercise routine 3 month after delivery, with gym, running and playing volleyball. I am happy about the weight I lost (back to 130 pounds) but my belly still looks very bad. Still very big, despite going to the gym. why is not going away even if I exercise? any advice?
    thank you!

  10. MotleyHealth says:

    You need to do you cardio workouts and also exercise the core muscles to help tighten the whole area up. Do not just do crunches, do a whole range of core exercises, including leg raises, front squats, side bends, back extensions and also do your pelvic floor exercises too. Everyone is different so there is no way to say how long it will take, but if you maintain the healthy diet and regular (daily) exercise you should get results.

  11. Hi! I had a baby about 7 months ago with a c-section. Recovery was tuff and I was home 14 weeks so didn’t start dieting and/or exercising when I should have. I am back at work, but between a full time job, baby, and house work I am beat and don’t know when to exercise. My gruling schedule doesn’t allow me to eat healthy dinners. I eat healthy choice or lean cuisine for lunch with a small salad but that’s extent to my healthy. I am 5’2 and weigh 146lbs. I have always struggled with weight loss since college years and now I just want to be healthy n fit so I can move n run around with my baby. I am sick n tired of being fat, almost on the verge of depressed. I have recently started using the treadmil or eliptical for an hour. No matter how hard I can’t run/jog I can walk for hours at a time but running/jogging seems impossible. Sad but I don’t know how to jog/run. Any advice on how to get started correctly? Another bad part I like to see results fast or I think it’s not working n quickly give up.

  12. MotleyHealth says:

    Hi Shruti, regarding the treadmill, just keep trying. Jog slow for 30 seconds if need be, then walk again. Just keep practising a little at a time. Jogging on a treadmills is harder than jogging outside (I personally do not enjoy treadmills!). Start slow, start at a speed that is a little more than walking, so that you have to lean forward a little and push off with your rear foot toes rather than stepping forward. Start by holding on and if you have one of those emergency stop wrist lines, use it! The only way you are going to combat your weight problems is really through exercise, and this is definitely the only way you will get fit to run around after your child. As they get bigger they move faster too, believe me, I have 2 young boys!

  13. ripe plums says:

    Hi!i’m a single mom who is beginning to get frustrated and really sad about the way i look now.i had my baby 8 months ago.before i became pregnant i used to exercise daily,jogging,dancing,skipping rope wit crunches.i weighed 58kg&in pretty good shape except for some little flab in my abdominal section from my 1st baby who is now 6 years old.i had to stop exercising as soon as i was pregnant(doctor’s advice)except for 10 mins walk.i maintained a good weight by eating healthy until i was 7 months pregnant when the doctor said my baby wasnt growing well.by then i was 67kg.i got scared and began to really eat.by the time i gave birth,i was 79kg.up til date,i have only managed to lose 9kg.i’ve got excess tummy fat,i look like i’m 6months pregnant,very big thighs and hips&fat on my back.pls is there any hope for me?i’m ready to lose this weight.pls,i need u to give me a diet plan and an excercise routine that can help me get back to 58kg and a size 8 before my son’s 1st birthday in may.i just stopped breastfeeding

  14. MotleyHealth says:

    It is always best to do what you know, so start the daily exercises that you used to do, the jogging, dancing, skipping rope. Aim for a minimum of 45 minutes of exercise each day. Cut out all the junk food, eat only what your body needs.

  15. Hi, I had my daughter 13 weeks ago and started exercising properly straight after my 6 week check up as I’m running a 10k in two weeks tine. I exercise 4 times a week; 2 high intensity interval training, one long run of 50-60 min area and 1 cross training session. Every workout day I also do weight training. I should also mention I’m breast-feeding and a vegetarian. After four weeks of exercise I had lost nothing, not one gram.

    I realised I was eating a lot of nuts and decided to cut this out. I’ve now had the worst week of my life binging on carbs and sugar. Why is that? I’m desperate to lose some weight (not all of it as I am breastfeeding) but now I can’t seem to control my eating? Were the nuts providing me with the protein I need and now I’m not eating enough and therefore crave sugar? I’m desperate as I was so careful during my pregnancy and I may just pile even more on.

  16. MotleyHealth says:

    Hi Samantha, you need those nuts. If you are training a lot your also need additional protein, so pulses, eggs, soy protein, whey protein. You should not reduce calories due to the breastfeeding, and make sure that you are taking in a lot of fluids too. Just keep exercising and eating healthy. You really cannot diet while breastfeeding as this will reduce the amount of milk you can produce.

  17. Hi I am 19 years old and had a baby 16 months ago I had a c-section. I am not happy with the way i look at all i am 5’1 and i weigh approx. 190 pnds. I have been struggling with weight issues since I was 13. Ive always got made fun of and i am a depressed and self-cautious. I am engaged to a wonderful man and i feel like he doesnt like my body he says he does but its just my self-cautiousness talking. I need to loose this weight not only for myself but for my family i want to be a helathier mother for my child. What would you suggest I do?

  18. MotleyHealth says:

    Hi Teya – simple suggestion: exercise for at least 45 minutes every day and eat only healthy, low GI, lean protein and healthy fat foods. Think salads, fish, chicken, pulses, nuts, seeds, fruits and vegetables. Avoid baked foods, processed, junk and anything with added sugar.

  19. Hi how long will i have to do this for to see results and how long will i have.to be on this for the rest of my life or how long i dont know anything about diets and healthy living thats why i am struggling with my weight

  20. MotleyHealth says:

    Hi Teya, how long is impossible to say, there are too many variables – your weight, your diet, your exercise. Making permanent lifestyle changes, that include more healthy food, much less junk food and regular exercise is the key to health, fitness and happiness. Go for it – making the change for the rest of your life is a good plan.

  21. Hi,

    Just had my delivery 4 months ago. Am I allowed to do fun run? How many kilometer should I take? This gonna be my first exercise ever after giving birth.

    Thanks!

  22. MotleyHealth says:

    Hi Mayette, if it was a natural birth with no complications then you are certainly good to run. If a C-section, then 4 months should be time for recory, but check with your doctor.

  23. hi there,im 18 years old and i just had a baby two months ago.(natural birth) im overweight im like 90 kilos and im exclusively breastfeeding.i really want to lose weight. but i get so hungry.i dont know what to eat is there a menue plan where they tell me what i can eat

  24. MotleyHealth says:

    Hi, when breastfeeding is important to eat a variety of fruits and vegetables and also to consume plenty of water. Really, a normal healthy and balanced diet is perfect. Just avoid snacking on “empty calories” when hungry as both you and baby need the best nutrition you can get – so less bread and junk food, more nutritious vegetables, pulses, fruits, lean meats and other proteins.

  25. Hi it’s Shruti!! Thanks everyone for all your posts, reading them makes me realize I’m not the only one in this boat. So I started walking and slowly jogging for the past two weeks. I had started the couch to 5k and so far it has been great. When I started I wasnt even able to jog for 30secs without being out of breath. For the first time today I jogged continuously for 5 mins without getting out of breath..it feels so great!! Hopefully I get all the way through successfully.. My goal is to be able to run a 5k this summer!! :-)

  26. MotleyHealth says:

    Hi Shruti, great to hear, and hope you do that 5 km run!

  27. Hi,
    i had my second bby 3 months ago,i was 81kilos pre-pregnancy,i added just 3kilos thruout my pregnancy and i’m presently 85kilos.a month after having my baby,i had some health issues and was told i had a urethral prolapse;since then i’ve been taking it easy but want to get back to shape,most especially my tummy.can a healthy diet and swimming alone do it?i’m 36yrs old and need your candid advice.Thanks.

  28. MotleyHealth says:

    If the diet is healthy every day, and that also means not consuming too many calories, and swimming is also every day, then yes.

  29. A quick question, when I am running/jogging I start to sweat but after a while my hands get really really cold. Why does that happen?

  30. neeharika says:

    hi,
    i had my first baby 13months before.till now my tummy had not reduced.is it possible to get tummy flat? my weight now is 83kg before pregnecy i was 61kg my age is 25.Please advice me

  31. MotleyHealth says:

    Hi Shruti, many people suffer cold hands when running in colder weather. Try gloves or mittens to start with and see if that helps.

  32. MotleyHealth says:

    It is possible Neeharika, but you will need to exercise daily and eat healthy.

  33. When you say eating healthy and eating more fish is 2 peices of fish considered a lot?

  34. MotleyHealth says:

    Well, depends on the size of the pieces, but 2 pieces does not sound too much.

  35. I have had 3 babies including one miscarriage and am pregnant with our 4th. I found that breastfeeding helped me lose weight the fastest. I don’t appreciate the initial statements in your article that say that you have a harder time losing weight if you are breastfeeding. Women were made to breastfeed and it’s best for the baby. If they can do it they should. Don’t give women a reason to not breastfeed, please. After having 3 children I do not weight any more than I did before having children. I did find that having a second floor and basement, that I constantly was traveling stairs to get to helped keep me in shape. If you want to stay in shape and breastfeed you can do both just drink LOTS of water, TONS! Every time you go to the bathroom or enter a certain room or change the baby’s diaper or while you are sitting and nursing, get another glass. Be constantly drinking water and eating veggies. Most of the problem with afterbirth weight is that they don’t take time to eat and drink good things. Keep good stuff in the fridge for those snack cravings. You can do it. You’ll be a better wife and mom if you feel good about how you look.

  36. MotleyHealth says:

    You are right, I shall get that edited right away. Great advice on the diet.

  37. Hi. I had my baby 8 months ago by c-section and I’ve been exercising about an hour a day an not eating sweets or drinking soda avoiding bad food an I can’t seem to lose any I weighed 110 now I weigh 155 I want to lose it b4 may any suggestions? Please help I’ve tried everything!!!!!!!!!!!

  38. MotleyHealth says:

    Hi Tasha, how long has you been exercising an hour a day for? You probably need to review your diet again and cut out more than just sweets and soda. Also, while 60 minutes of exercise a day is good, you also need to ensure that you are pushing yourself to get fitter and not just doing the same workout each day.

  39. I asked for advice from motley about a year ago…I was 70 kgs after giving birth to my son. I started excercising and eating healthy foods after the advice you gave me. I am now down to 57 kg my goal would be a nice 54/55 kg so not to far away.. i excercise 6times a week, i do 1 hour on treadmill and do star jumps, squats etc..i am finding it really hard to shift the last few pounds not only that even though i have lost alot of weight my stomach is still flabby and needs toning..it has gone down considerably but really needs to be toned..what can i do extra to really get rid of that belly fat? thanks for all your advice so far

  40. MotleyHealth says:

    Hi Raman, so good to hear from you again, and well done on losing the weight. The last bit is always the hardest bit. You need to increase your fitness even more, aim to run faster, and reassess your diet. Maybe look to cut out some more sugar, bread or other high GI foods. Bodyweight workouts will help to tone the stomach too.

  41. Hi,
    I had a c-section 1 year back and I am still breastfeeding. Now I want to loose weight. I am a vegetarian which means no fish and eggs. I would appreciate if I can get a help on my diet and exercise program. I have gained 17kg.

  42. MotleyHealth says:

    Hi Anna, regarding exercise it really is a matter of exercising daily and just focussing on getting fitter. As you get fitter you can work harder and burn more fat. For diet, reduce calories, try to eat a well balanced diet, eat more pulses, nuts and seeds for the proteins and do not rely too heavily on cheese and breads.

  43. Hi.my baby is 22 months.i was 110before and now i am145 and i am only 4’11.i have a horrible belly fat and i really hate my body now!!! Now i am doing zumba 20minutes 3days of the week.is that ok?? Help me please.i need to be in my healthy weight.thank you

  44. MotleyHealth says:

    Hi Belange, you need to exercise for more than 1 hour a week really. Ideally, you should be exercising for about 300 minutes a week, or 5 hours. So that would be five 60 minute sessions or seven 45 minute sessions. Does not have to be high intensity all the way though, so jogging, cycling, brisk walking is all good too. So long as you are getting fitter each week and pushing yourself to work harder, you will get back in shape. If your diet is healthy!

  45. Thank you !!!

  46. Hello. After my first pregnancy, i had lost the baby weight within 2 months. Now after the 2nd pregnancy it seems like its harder to lose the baby weight. My 2nd baby is now 4 months. In this article, it says that breastfeeding will help lose the baby weight but i find it more diffcult.

  47. MotleyHealth says:

    Hi Monique, are you active? Exercise will help. Can you think back to what you may have done differently the first time? Maybe your diet has changed, maybe you are getting out less often?

  48. Hello.. I got pregnant right after i gave birth to my first baby.. now having my second baby 3 months ago i have a belly dats bothering me.. my weight also stopped at 70 and wouldnt go down at all.. im not breast feeding.. is there a chance dat my muscles are now loose coz of being stretched for two consecutive pregnancies? or three months is still early to judge? can they tone back or are two consecutive pregnancies too much on them? and wat about my weight dat is so stubborn and wont shake at all? what should i do? or will i remain like dat? thanx alot

  49. MotleyHealth says:

    Hi Noha, really the only answer to that is to start exercising and find out! Do a variety of exercises, with cardio workouts, bodyweight training and some weight training and see how you progress. Many women tone up after having 2 babies, you may just need to work at it for a while.

  50. I have been exercising and eating balance diet after birth, but my tummy is nt yet flat. what must i use to get my flat tummy again? And where will i get it Namibia?

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