How to get past the postpartum weight loss plateau
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For many postpartum moms — hitting the postpartum weight loss plateau is probably all too common.
Some moms lose all the weight without effort, others may have started a new diet to shed off the baby weight and then there’s those who are on the struggle bus unable to lose a single lb.
Since I’m not a personal trainer or nutritionist I want to make it clear that all the content in this post is strictly my own opinions.
However, I do have a lot of experience as a new mom on her own weight-loss journey that I’d love to share with you!
If you stick around to the end of the post, I will gladly provide some of my all-time favorite and reliable resources to help you get back on track to lose the baby weight so you can feel confident in your own skin again!
Word of caution, you should always check with your health care provider before returning to your daily exercise routine! I am not a medical professional.
Why you’re just not losing the baby weight:
1 – You’re still eating for two
Often times we don’t even realize when we’re just flat out eating too many calories! If you’re a breastfeeding mama, then you may find eating at a slight caloric surplus can help your breast milk production.
The easiest way for me to make sure I’m consuming and tracking the correct amount of calories for myself is to prep my meals in advance.
Want to know my trick for convenience? I use these meal prep containers to store all my meals for 5-7 days. I call this my “easy grab & go” method 🙂
Now, prepping can take up some time if you’ve never done it before.
A quick and affordable way would be to start off by using a meal prep service, like Fresh N’ Lean!
You simply select your meals, place your order and they deliver! You can even use the link below to save 10% off your order!
For those no longer breastfeeding, I challenge you to download an app like MyFitnessPal and track EVERYTHING you consume for a 3-5 day span.
You will likely find that you’re eating a lot more calories than you think you are if your overall goal is fat loss.
If you’re not sure how many calories you should be consuming to lose weight, you can try using a calorie calculator.
However, please be mindful that online calculators may not always be the most accurate. They’re a great baseline for those just starting out, but if you find you’ve stalled or plateaued, I’d suggest scrolling to the bottom to check out my resources.
2 – You’re just too busy to workout (I mean, post baby weight loss is HARD)!
As a mom to a 1-year-old little boy, GIRL I GET YOU! Little tiny humans are crazy!
It can be SO hard to just fit in any time to brush your own teeth, let alone try to squeeze in a workout!
Although it can be ever so time-consuming to be a mom balancing life, work, childcare, etc…it’s very much important to make sure you’re getting in your self-care time as well!
Minimize that stress mama!
I personally get most of my self-care from my workouts. When my husband is home, he takes our son for 2-3 hours allowing me to get my entire workout in without any interruptions.
The important point is to MINIMIZE STRESS & workout when you can.
3 – The postpartum recovery timeline isn’t a magical overnight change
Listen, your body MADE A LIFE inside of you for literally 9 months! 9 whole months!!!
I know it is a really hard pill to swallow, but you need to be patient and give yourself time to heal. And honestly, knowing you gave birth to life should help you LOVE YOUR BODY, not dislike it.
But, there are many things going on that can prolong the postpartum healing process in general such as hormones fluctuating, lack of sleep, stress, emotional distress — postpartum depression, breastfeeding, and even pelvic floor/core strength weakness.
If you find you’re really struggling with the issues above, ask for help! Click on the links above for additional help so you can get onto the path of feeling like your pre-baby self again!
4 – You’re just not getting enough sleep
“I know I should get more sleep…but why am I not losing fat?!” Reasonable question!
It is known that sleep deprivation can decrease leptin (a naturally produced hormone in the body that controls appetite and regulates your metabolism) and increase ghrelin (the hormone responsible for stimulating hunger).
According to studies, “The amount of human sleep contributes to the maintenance of fat-free body mass at times of decreased energy intake. Lack of sufficient sleep may compromise the efficacy of typical dietary interventions for weight loss and related metabolic risk reduction.”.
Pair that lack of sleep with all the other curve balls of motherhood and it’s no surprise why you’re just not able to lose the excess fat.
The solution? Get more sleep! Trust me, I know it’s 10x easier said than done, as a mommy myself, I probably don’t take this advice often enough, but let’s more of an effort together, okay?
5 – You’re NOT physically ready to work out or think about how to lose baby fat
After having a baby, as you know, your body won’t just bounce back. Things take so much time to recover.
Take me for example, before I was pregnant I was training for my first powerlifting (weight lifting) meet! I was lifting very heavy weights and my body could handle it!
Fast forward after birth, holy moly my body couldn’t handle ANY lifting without me peeing on myself or feeling like my core wasn’t strong enough to hold all my organs in.
YOUR BODY NEEDS TIME TO RECOVER. If you’re struggling with some of the issues I mentioned, it could be beneficial to look into a postpartum body rehabilitation program!
Not only will a program like this help you recover and rehabilitate those muscles, but it’ll help you start the path to being active again and help you to regain confidence in yourself!
The other workout program for moms of ALL stages (pregnancy & postpartum) is called Juna and it’s one of my favorites!!
Juna is a fitness app created for moms by a mom to help you stay active no matter if you’re pregnant or recovering from childbirth! Juna is great because they provide step-by-step video and voice instructions with every workout you do.
They also go above and beyond with providing extra goodies such as healthy recipes, breathing & pelvic floor exercises, nutritional tips and more!
If you’d like to try the Juna App for yourself, they were kind enough to extend a FREE 1-month trial if you click here & enter code: KW30FREE
6 – You’re an overwhelmed new mom with a lot of stress
Keyword = STRESS.
Have you ever noticed when you’re dealing with a lot of stress, you function differently? You pick up certain habits that eventually have a hard time breaking away from?
Let me share an example. I am someone who takes a lot of pride in my work/jobs. I feel like if someone is paying me to do something, well I better give it 110%. As much of a strength that is, it’s also a weakness.
I have really hard time setting boundaries which then turns into letting work stress affect my home life which then turns into me being stressed at home on my own time.
That stress usually leads to bad habits such as making not great food choices, skipping workouts and it takes me A LOT of will power to turn those habits around.
Anyone else here relates? Don’t go anywhere yet, there’s still a lot more to discuss about stress!
Other ways stress can influence the inability to lose weight:
- Emotional eating (eating too much or not enough).
- Consuming less nutrient-dense food and more fast foods/increased snacking.
- Feeling tired/sluggish and not performing physical activity.
- Not staying properly hydrated.
- Not getting enough sleep.
- Focusing too much on your weight instead of on your overall health.
- Chronic stress leading to poor eating habits which overtime leading to potential metabolism problems.
As you can see, stress can trigger a lot of issues. Issues that sometimes can be hard to reverse. If you’re someone who deals with a lot of stress, I encourage you to seek help if you need it.
Sometimes talking to a therapist or professional can make all the difference.
7 – You’re not drinking enough water.
As a postpartum mama, it can be SO easy to not intake enough fluids, especially if you’re breastfeeding!
We’re expending our energy left and right caring for our little babies and yet aren’t keeping ourselves hydrated!
Honestly, before having our son, I had no issues drinking water. In fact, I love water. But wow, does it feel like I ALWAYS FORGET to drink my water these days!
Quick tip – having a BIG water bottle always full nearby makes it easier for me to make sure I’m drinking enough water!
Did you know that according to a study by the University of Connecticut, “Not drinking enough water can alter mood, concentration and increase headaches.”
So does drinking water alone contribute to weight loss? Consuming the appropriate amount of water to stay hydrated each day can:
- Help you reduce your appetite if consumed before meals.
- Possibly increase your metabolism.
- Prevent your body from trying to ‘hold on’ to water due to being dehydrated when not consuming enough.
To stay hydrated you should aim to drink until you feel satisfied. If you’re a breastfeeding mama, you will likely drink more water to compensate.
If you’re a breastfeeding mama who is active and working out, you should definitely be sure to increase your water intake to ensure you’re hydration levels are being quenched.
8 – Stop weighing yourself every day, ditch the scale!
Many people misinterpret the number on the scale when it comes to weight loss. Myself included!
For the longest time when I began lifting weights and dieting, I couldn’t understand why I felt like I could physically see a difference in my body, my clothes fit better, I was measuring smaller, but my weight stayed exactly the same!
That my beautiful mama friends are all in the magic of building muscle and burning fat! In fact, Stephanie Buttermore has an INCREDIBLE Youtube Series all about women’s fat loss and muscle gain!
What causes postpartum weight loss plateau?
Typically, most weight loss plateaus occur because your metabolism naturally slows down, in turn, burning fewer calories as you begin to lose fat!
This then leads to you needing to either reevaluate and decrease your caloric intake based on your CURRENT WEIGHT or increase your exercise to burn more calories (this is very generalized explanation, for more specific details, you can check out this post here).
However, one thing to keep in mind, especially if you’re a breastfeeding mom, is that you shouldn’t be so obsessed with losing weight that you’re cutting your calories to a point where it’s affecting your breastmilk supply.
At the end of the day, our bodies need nutrients and energy — even more so as we breastfeed our babies. It gets those things through our food consumption.
So, if you’re concerned about weight, you could try these OTHER things to try before diving deep into a diet:
- Consume a well-balanced diet (think lean proteins, complex carbs, and vegetables)
- Stay hydrated throughout the day
- Try to exercise daily (3-5 days/week is a great start)
- If you can’t exercise or go to the gym, just try to prioritize being active in general
- Be patients and understanding with your postpartum body
- DON’T fall for skinny teas, wraps, pills, or weight-loss promising products
Did you battle with a postpartum weight loss plateau too?
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