How to shed extra baby weight

You suggested great things! I just also want to add that breastfeeding in itself will get a mom to lose baby weight fast and maintain it for the months that baby is breastfeeding at least 5 times a day. But if this is the case, it is important to change the calorie intake after mom is done breastfeeding because if not, some weight will come back. This was the case for me. I gained 60 lbs while I was pregnant but got back to my original weight within 7-9 months. But after I stopped breastfeeding at 12 months, I put on 10 lbs in 3 months. Yuck! It was all because I was still consuming the same amount of calories as when I was nursing.

With my first pregnancy, I put on about 3 stone (42lbs) mostly through eating all the things I would normally have avoided - particularly cream cakes! I found that after my daughter was born, I lost weight very quickly initially, then just got stuck.. Whilst I was breastfeeding, my body did not want to let go of that extra weight, but once I stopped, I managed to shift an extra 7lbs. By the time I fell pregnant again when my daughter was 10 1/2 months, I was about a stone heavier than pre-pregnancy. I was astounded, then, when with my second the weight fell off. My boy is a hungry lad and I think he just ate all my spare weight. In four months I lost all my pregnancy weight plus some from the first time round. I am still over what I want to be, but I'm not going to worry about it until I stop breast feeding. We try and eat sensibly, but at the moment I give in to chocolate more readily than before. Yes, I'd like to be slim but hey, I'm dealing with two young kids. I'm not going to put myself under too much pressure at thus time. As Joeyjo mentioned, it took nine months to get that big, so I'm going to allow that time for the weight to go. When I give up breast feeding will be the time I really start - at that time I should also be getting some decent nights sleepand will be able to spare some energy. Having said that, I'm about to invest in a bicycle trailer so that I can tow the kids around to our various groups now that summer is (allegedly) here. Some gain without too much pain.

I think that many mums get so caught up in their new baby that they neglect their health. I should know as I had put on loads of weight after the birth of each child. I had put on 21 kgs after the first one due to the novelty of "guilt free" eating during pregnancy. Losing the weight took 12 months and then I got pregnant again. This time, I had put on 26kgs!  I thought that I was delivering a massive baby plus placenta, but the baby girl was only 2.6kgs! Losing the weight seond time round was harder - it took me 15 months or so. And For every month of those 15 months, I felt bloated. I ran out of energy quickly... I was grumpy because I tired so easily...it was a vicious cycle and it was not a good position to be in.  I did moderate exercises as you had suggested, and I also kept a "food diary". That way, you actually SEE what you eat and you become more aware of what you are putting into your body. The diet should be a healthy one - invest in quality, not quantity. Have lots of fruit and vegies, and drink a lot of water.

Having said all that, it's also important that women don't cave in to the pressures of looking like a "yummy mummy" and try to lose pregnancy weight in an unrealistic amount of time. No one can look like a celebrity mum after birth unless you have 2 personal trainers, a personal chef, a dietician, your own gym, pool and a roster of nannies. I think that it takes 10 months to get your belly out to there, let it take just as long to haul it back into shape. However, action must be taken... slowly but surely.