Postpartum Weight Loss Plan: How to Lose Weight After Pregnancy

These four points are for food. Workouts usually start much sooner, and our postpartum workout plan covers when and how.

The first 6 weeks. Most women lose half their baby weight by 6 weeks, and losing weight too soon can make it take longer to recover from childbirth. Eat, rest when you can, and leave the diet for later.

Your 6-week checkup. If you don't breastfeed and your doctor agrees, start slimming down. MedlinePlus says to aim for about a pound and a half a week. Faster is hard on your body.

From 2 months, if you breastfeed. Once your baby is at least 2 months old and your milk supply has settled, start, instead of at the checkup, at the same slow pace.

6 to 12 months. This is when MedlinePlus says to plan on being back at your pre-pregnancy weight. Your exact shape may not come back, though: pregnancy changes many women's bodies for good. That's normal. You're not after an old body. You're getting yourself back.

Exercise does less for the scale than most new moms hope. In a Cochrane review of trials after birth, women who only exercised didn't lose significantly more than women who got usual care. Changing what they ate is what moved the scale.

Still lift. The same review found that diet plus exercise kept muscle and other lean tissue, while diet alone lost some. That's the muscle that carries the car seat. Lindsay Ann, after a postpartum program on Solin, wrote: "I feel more energetic and stronger yet lighter at the same time." Results vary.

The food part doesn't need a special diet. Skip crash and fad diets: some of what you lose on one may be muscle, not fat. Build each meal around protein and real food, and keep it simple enough to repeat on four hours of sleep. In a review on Emma Logsdon's page, Kristin wrote about her cookbook: "I love her cookbook as well and it really helps keep the late night cravings away and uses actual food!!!" Breakfast is the easiest meal to start with: try these high-protein breakfast recipes.

Start later, and go slowly. MedlinePlus says to wait until your baby is at least 2 months old and your milk supply has settled before you cut back hard. After that, losing about a pound and a half (670 grams) a week shouldn't affect your supply or your health. Weight that comes off faster can mean less milk.

Don't count on breastfeeding to do the work. You'll hear that it makes the weight fall off, but in a review of studies, most found little or no link between breastfeeding and weight change. A few of the strongest studies did find one, so it may help some women. If the scale sits still while you're feeding, you haven't done anything wrong.

Feed your baby or pump before a workout so you're comfortable. And if your supply drops while you're losing weight, slow down and call your doctor.

Sleep is a big part of it. In a study of 940 moms, those who slept 5 hours or less a day at 6 months had about three times the odds of still carrying 11 lb (5 kg) or more at a year, compared with moms who slept 7 hours. That's a link, not proof. Still, if the scale barely moves while your baby wakes you at night, that's expected, not a sign you're doing it wrong.

Your thyroid can play a part too. Postpartum thyroiditis can cause weight loss in the first months after birth and weight gain around 4 to 8 months, and its symptoms are often blamed on the stress of a new baby. If your weight or energy doesn't match what you eat and do, ask your doctor.

The scale isn't the only thing to watch after a baby. If you're feeling low most days, tell your doctor.