How I Lost 66 lbs After My Pregnancy & Became Healthy

I had a difficult pregnancy. While the first two trimesters were a breeze, the third one began with what is known as “threatened preterm labor”. The pains were controlled by regular injections and medicines. And I was put on complete bed rest for three months. Only allowed to walk till bathroom, I had no movements at all. Consequently, I gained a tremendous amount of weight during this phase.

I assumed I’d lose some weight after delivery. But I only kept gaining. I was eating well-cooked home meals only but they were all rich with my mother’s love (and lots of ghee!).

Perhaps, it was also the backlog of three months of bed rest that by the time I delivered my little angel, I was mentally exhausted. I have no qualms admitting that I suffered from postpartum depression.

Now, what do we usually do in stressful times? Most of us look for comfort in food. And I did exactly that. Small outings with my friends or family were all around eating “something nice”. Obviously, those sweets and junk food did nothing “nice” to me either physically or mentally in the long run.

At 98 kgs (216 lbs), some months after delivery, I somewhere knew this is not how things will continue. More than not liking what I was looking at it in the mirror or my pictures, I wasn’t liking how I was feeling on the inside.

Thanks to the hormonal changes, I had constant mood swings, often leading me to shed tears for no reason at all. Still adapting to the changes my baby brought in my life, I was somewhat listless. And then there were little baby milestones and “first” celebrations with our little one. All of this was only adding to my body weight.

First Step: Work on Emotional Wellness

A restless mind makes you believe that your body “wants” some chocolate, sweets, or a pizza! And just after pregnancy, all emotions are so all over the place that you go from a complete euphoric state of mind to utter despair in a matter of just 2 minutes. Of course, a bar of chocolate comes to the rescue then! But that’s where we need a paradigm shift.

To lose pregnancy weight, I understood I first had to work on my emotional wellness.

We tend to ignore our emotional wellbeing too easily, whereas this is the area that requires the most attention. We are programmed to overlook our emotional state, finding solutions in a cup of coffee or sweets. But ask yourself have these ever helped you in feeling better long term? These give you momentary happiness but then you’re back to where you began emotionally. Of course, you’ve only added empty calories in the process. 

Until you’re emotionally in a somewhat peaceful state, no diet or exercise will help you. So, first, work on your emotional health. Here are some ways that can help you:

• Talk about your feeling with the people you trust. 
• Sharing your feelings with other new moms can be really helpful. While it’s best to talk to your close friends, there are several forums and groups on social media that can provide you the support you’re looking for. 
• Go for a walk. It really helps.
• Be patient. The first three months are especially very hard. 
• Accept help. Say yes to any kind of help (whether in the form of a home-cooked meal or cleaning up the mess around you) that comes your way. 
• If you can get some support in someone taking care of your baby for some time, take it and enjoy some “me” time without worrying about your baby. 

I have spoken in detail in a video on how to lose pregnancy weight on our Youtube channel.

Second Step: Nutritional Wellness

When you’re breastfeeding, you’ve got to ensure you’re eating healthy, nutritious food. Foods causing gas are to be avoided. The doctor advises you to consume light and healthy food.

But try as much as you can, but things do go out of control.

Taking on the new role, there are several days when cooking doesn’t remain an option. Quick delivery services tempt you to order at home.

While I completely avoided junk food for the initial few months, I admit I wasn’t too conscious of it later on for some months.

A slow change came after I got some control over my emotions. These are the things that helped me lose almost 13 kgs over one year after I deliver my baby:

• Started consuming more veggies and salads.
•  Increased my intake of water.
• Had jeera (cumin seeds) water. That is what helped me lose some amount of belly fat after c-sec. (This was my mother’s home remedy. She was right. It worked to a large extent).
• Minimized my intake of rice, roti, and bread. I ate these only once in a week, maybe.
• I also exercised portion control; I still indulged in junk food occasionally but limited the quantity.
• Went for regular long walks (an hour in the morning and an hour in the evening).
• Minimized my intake of desserts and chocolates. 

Real Change: Gaining a New Perspective on Health

But the real change in my losing the pregnancy weight came in only at the beginning of this year (that is after about 19 months after delivery). Till this time, my weight would keep fluctuating between 82 to 85 kgs (180 to 187 lbs). We had recently moved to Canada, which also added to anxiety, stress, and weight. Getting carried away with all the temptations of fast food and processed food, I lost track of my health.

It was during one of those days when I felt completely lethargic and irritable. I started experiencing knee ache while getting up from the floor while playing with my baby. 

Not liking how torpid I was feeling, I had a sort of awakening that there had to be a lifestyle change to not just lose pregnancy weight but get healthy and fit. Then it no longer was a fight against just the weight. And so a healthy routine started becoming easier. 

These are the things that are helping me in my journey toward better health: 

• I have quit processed sugar since February this year. So, no desserts, no tea or coffee with sugar, and no unnecessary carbs (white bread, pasta, white rice, etc)
• I have stopped buying processed food. Chips, cookies, ready-to-eat snacks, have no space in my home or my stomach. A lot of people ask me how I don’t get tempted especially in a country that’s thriving on processed food. Well, I no longer see these as food items. I have spent months educating myself about these, and a recent course from Stanford University only reiterated the need to eliminate processed foods from our lives.
• I include lots of alkaline food such as broccoli, cauliflower, lettuce, spinach, olive oil, almonds, etc. 
• I eat fruits. Lots of them. I have never in my life eaten so many fruits as I am eating now. Fruits never figured as something to satiate my hunger with, for me. I had them very occasionally. Now, I regret missing out on nature’s goodness for so many years. 

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• Most of my meals consist of different salads and veggies.
• I keep a strict check on my carbs intake. I enjoy the carbs in veggies but have restricted from sources like bread.
• I snack on nuts and peanuts (moderate amounts).
• I drink a lot of water. I begin my day with two glasses of warm water. Sometimes, I have fennel seeds water, detox water (infused with mints and lime) or berries infused water.
• I water fast twice a month
• I practise intermittent fasting.

Third Step for pregnancy weight loss: Exercise

Once your body and mind feel lighter, you’d naturally feel like exercising. I’d be honest I haven’t been exercising as much as I should be but I’m getting there. I was going to the gym regularly for a couple of months but ever since the weather changed here, I prefer brisk walking.

Walks have been a consistent part of my routine though. I ditch the bus and walk to and from the library where I take my little one almost every day. That’s at least 4 km daily, and then some more when the husband comes home. In addition to this, I plan to add yoga to my routine.

Understanding that only a lifestyle change can help us in staying healthy, I no longer feel bad about “giving up” unhealthy food. I have moved from “I can’t” to “I don’t want to” eat that cake. That is very empowering. I love the energy I have now. Though I have my moments, it’s now that I am enjoying each and every bit of motherhood! I no longer feel sluggish or drowsy, especially after my meals. And that’s what I want everyone around me to feel. It shouldn’t be just about losing weight; it should be about feeling active and energetic. It is with this objective that I have started a support group (non-commercial) on Facebook to inspire and motivate people to get healthy.

“I love the energy I have now. I no longer feel sluggish or drowsy, especially after my meals. I want everyone to experience this.”

If you found these tips helpful, do let me know in the comments below. Also, feel free to add tips of your own to lose pregnancy weight.

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