5 Reasons Why You’re Not Losing That Baby Fat

Mark Wealth 

During pregnancy, the body gains weight so as to carry and cater for the baby growing within.

After childbirth, the body will shed some weight on its own while your deliberate effort should take care of the rest. But sometimes, despite the effort, the baby fat doesn’t seem to be going anywhere soon. It’s here on a staycation. Here are five possible reasons why.

• You Had It in You

Some credible experts in the US say that about 50% of the pregnant women over there were overweight even before they got pregnant. If this is your case, then that’s the reason why the baby fat will not be banished. It doesn’t mean that you will never be able to lose it, it’s just going to take longer than you’ll be expecting.

• Missing Meals?

You might be skipping meals sort of deliberately, because you want to lose weight in a minute. Then again it might be the rigours of handling baby issues and other homefront affairs. Whatever is the case, missing meals might make you touchy and more likely to over satisfy the munchies at the next meal. Of course, more food, more weight. Make this a habit and you might unconsciously be the engineer of the undying baby fat.

SEE ALSO:9 Things Breastfeeding Does For Mom And Baby (Part One)

• The iodine Factor

During pregnancy, the body uses iodine, among other chemicals, for the growth and development of the foetus. Sometimes, it won’t be able to replenish the iodine quick enough. Now, iodine is responsible for producing the two important hormones: T3 and T4 thyroid hormones. These hormones are responsible for combining oxygen and calories to make energy. Iodine deficiency leads to thyroid disorder which implies low or no T3 and T4 hormones. This starves the body of energy, calories are not used up and weight gain is the inevitable result.

SEE ALSO:Are You Struggling to Shed Some Kilos? Check your Breathing | Expert Claims

• What’s On Your Menu?

If you really want to lose that weight, you can’t just eat what your taste buds crave for. Even if you’re not eating mountains of food, moderate amounts of foods that help build up fat will not help you meet your weight loss goals. What you need is to stock up and chow down on your veggies, lean protein and white meat like milk, yoghurt, cottage cheese, turkey, salmon fish, beans, eggs, fruits, seeds and nuts.

You can spoil your taste buds once or twice a week. Or maybe never, for now.

• Sleepless or Sleeping Less?

Either one is bad for you as a breastfeeding mother who wants to lose some weight. When you lose sleep in the night and cannot get enough snooze in the daytime, the body releases higher amounts of a hormone called ghrelin. It also leads to a drop in the hormone called leptin. Leptin regulates your appetite while ghrelin makes you hungry. The hormonal imbalance caused by not getting enough sleep makes you eat more food than your body can handle. The result is excessive weight gain.