Remember though, that there is a big difference between eating and eating well! If you eat nourishing foods you will probably feel full sooner and you will likely need fewer calories than if you eat “empty calorie” foods like white bread and french fries. Eat a variety of healthy foods, including plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables, and make sure you are getting a proper balance of major nutrients (protein, carbohydrate and healthy fats). You may want to talk to your doctor or midwife about continuing to take your pre-natal multivitamin, or other supplements, at least during immediate post-partum period.

Snacking is something you’ll probably want to do a lot of, either because you may not always have time to prepare a meal, or because demands of caring for a new baby mean you get hungry more often. Here are a few ideas for good, nutrient-dense choices for snack foods: • apple slices spread with low fat cream cheese and sprinkled with crushed walnuts • yogurt with chopped fresh fruit and nuts • whole grain toast with nut butter • cheese with whole grain crackers or rice cakes • tomato or mixed vegetable juice with a hard boiled egg

On other hand, try not to overdo it. Being pregnant or nursing a baby is not a license to indulge in a non-stop buffet of foods, even if they are nutritious! Eat when you are hungry, make healthy food choices most of time, and remember that your baby is counting on you to choose wisely if you’re breastfeeding, so make those calories count nutrient-wise.

In part two of this article, you’ll learn why drinking plenty of pure water is important to weight loss in general, and to post-partum weight loss in particular. You’ll also find out how many calories a day you’ll use by breastfeeding your baby. Part three will teach you how you can burn extra calories easily and enjoyably without huffing and puffing at gym. You’ll also learn secret that savvy new moms use to effortlessly burn up to an extra 200 calories a day —that’s 2 pounds a month with no extra effort!

Drinking lots of water is one of those things that seems easy in theory, but in practice it can be difficult to accomplish. One effective strategy to help make sure you get enough is to place water bottles strategically around house. You can buy small plastic bottles of water by case at grocery store or you can buy refillable type of bottle that you might take to gym or on your bike.

Put a bottle anywhere you spend time during day: near your favourite nursing chair (put several here—you’ll probably use them all!), near baby’s change table, on bathroom counter, on top of washing machine, on kitchen counter, on your desk, on a shelf near front door, beside your bed, on kitchen table, etc. Each morning, spend 3 or 4 minutes making rounds collecting yesterday’s empty bottles and replacing them with fresh ones. This way, you’ll be more likely to drink lots of water because there will always be some close at hand.

4) Breastfeed your baby if at all possible. Depending on age and weight of your baby, you can use around 800 calories a day producing milk for her. Besides host of other benefits that breastfeeding affords both you and your baby, quicker postnatal weight loss is one advantage that all new moms welcome. Even if you are returning to work or can’t breastfeed full time for any reason, any amount of breast milk is good for your baby, and as a perk, will help you use up additional calories for as long as you are able to continue.

In addition, breastfeeding releases natural hormones that help you relax. Since hormones released when you are stressed can contribute to weight gain, it only makes sense to counter this with activities that help you relax. Breastfeeding is a wonderful way to do this, and you and your baby will also benefit in so many other ways. If you need more information or support with breastfeeding, visit La Leche League International on web at http://www.LaLecheLeague.org

In part three of this article you’ll learn ways to burn extra calories easily and enjoyably without sweating it out at gym. You’ll also learn secret that savvy new moms use to effortlessly burn up to an extra 200 calories a day —that’s 2 pounds a month with no extra effort!