So what foods are you likely to have in your refrigerator that are best avoided if you want to lose weight after pregnancy?

1. Processed Foods (lunch meats)
   Many canned meats have high fat levels. Other meats such as ham or bologna can contain high fat levels and high sodium and nitrite levels.
2. Hot dogs and sausages
   Everyone knows these contain lots of fat – that’s why they taste so good! However, these are best avoided – ok, except on special occasions.
3. Creamy Salad Dressings and Mayonnaise
   A little mayonnaise is not bad if it is authentic. Originally mayonnaise was made with egg yolks and olive oil both of which are good for you. Modern versions of it, however, contain lots of other ingredients that are not so good for you. Look at the label and try and buy the most natural one you can if you must have it.
4. Frozen French Fries (Chips)
   These are usually treated so they do not discolor with storage and to make them quicker to prepare. This means they have high fat content. If you can, use fresh potatoes and make your own fries. It’s not hard and it’s better for you.
5. Soda and Sweet Drinks
   Fat is not usually the issue here. These “foods” are full of sugar! Lots of it. Lots of sugar means lots of calories. Lots of calories means lots of fat deposits. Other than the weight issue, these things are bad for your teeth and can lead to diabetes. Best avoided.  Have natural juices instead.

Other than the fats and sugars, part of the problem with having these foods in the refrigerator is that they are so accessible. If you have them there you are more likely to fall back on them rather than seeking a healthier alternative.

Some dieticians and nutritionists recommend eliminating whole milk products and alcohol. Personally, I don’t think whole milk is a problem when it comes to  losing weight. Most people would not consume sufficient milk each day to make a difference. Also, you need to make sure you are getting sufficient calcium – especially if you are breasfeeding. And, yes, I know there are other sources of calcium but many people don’t consume all of those sources each day. Having some milk is not going to affect your weight loss and may help.

When it comes to alcohol, it is not necessary to eliminate it entirely. Sure, cut out the Jim Beam and Cokes etc as these fall under the sugary drinks category. However, if you have a glass of wine with your meal that is not going to cause you to not lose weight. If you have 3 or 4 glasses, it might. Some studies actually show that having red wine in particular can be of benefit to your health. Obviously, if you are breasfeeding you are better off avoiding alcohol as that can be transmitted in the breast milk to your infant.

Losing weight after pregnancy does not have to mean a drastic change in lifestyle or diet. Some small changes, though, can make a big difference.

Myth 1. Skipping Meals to Lose Weight After Pregnancy

This is probably the most common method to attempt to lose weight. But it is doomed to failure and is entirely the wrong strategy. Why? You metabolism starts to slow down when you eat less so you end up not burning fat as quickly as you were before. Further, your body has just been through an awful lot in nourishing your infant for the last 9 months in utero. So you need to ensure that you continue to eat well. This means eating a well-balanced diet that contains lots of whole foods. Eliminating processed foods and replacing them with nutritious lower calorie foods will be more beneficial to your body and will help you to lose weight.

Myth 2. Doing More Exercise To Lose Weight After Pregnancy

Exercise is good but increasing the length of time you are exercising does not help you lose weight. Sure, do some exercise but you are much better off doing more frequent, short bursts of exercise to burn the fat. Longer sessions tend to have the effect of slowing down your body’s metabolism.

Myth 3. Using Diet Foods To Lose Weight After Pregnancy

This is a similar mistake or myth to the first one but one that is commonly attempted because it sounds reasonable. After all the company producing the food says it works and they wouldn’t lie, would they? In actual fact, the diet foods are often responsible for muscle loss rather than fat loss. Even if they did achieve what they claim, you would not achieve long lasting weight loss unless you intended to continue to buy the diet foods for the rest of your life. That would be very expensive. It is far better to examine your current food consumption and modify your diet to include lots of nutritious, unprocessed foods and especially lots of fresh fruit and vegetables.

Basically, there is no shortcut to losing weight after pregnancy. You need to eat well to maintain your health. “Quick Fixes” seldom work and often create more problems than they solve. Look after your health, eat nutritious whole foods in preference to highly processed foods and you will find the weight start to drop off.

You may think that losing weight after pregnancy is going to take a long daily workout at the gym, possibly combined with eating nothing but celery and lettuce for a month. Thankfully, you don’t have to do anything so drastic to lose that pregnancy weight. You will, however, have to be prepared to make some small changes to how, where and what you eat. You may have already made some changes to your diet throughout the pregnancy and after the birth, especially if you are breastfeeding, so implementing a few simple changes shouldn’t be too difficult.

Here are three simple tips that don’t require a lot of effort and are guaranteed to work – if you follow them.

1. Be selective in what you eat.

When you do your shopping each week, spend more time in the fresh foods section and less in the processed foods areas of the supermarket. (Oh, and don’t go shopping when you ae hungry!) You don’t have to eliminate processed foods entirely but it is wise to reduce the quantity of processed foods as they contain lots of sugar and salt both of which are not good if you want to lose weight (for different reasons which I’ll talk about in another post).

Being selective applies not just to groecery shopping but to what you chose to eat when you are at work or out and about.  You might have heaps of salad vegetables at home but if you are eating cheeseburgers and fries for lunch, you are not going to see any weight loss!

2. Don’t Eat Out – And Avoid Fast Food.

When you eat out, you don’t have any control over how the food is prepared and what is in it. Much commercially prepared food, particularly fast food, is higher in fats (especially the bad transfats) and sugars than what you would prepare for yourself at home. Also, when you eat out, you want to get your money’s worth so you tend to eat more than you should. Of course, I’m not saying you should never eat out. But if you are in the habit of eating out 2 or 3 times a week, try not eating out at all for a month or two and see how much your weight drops.

3. Serve Yourself Smaller Portions.

It is better to put less on your plate and have seconds if you really have to, than to serve up huge portions every meal and eat it all. Pay particular attention to how much you put on your plate and what it is. It can help to keep a food or calorie diary. When you put large portions on your plate you feel obliged to eat it all so that you don’t waste it. Generally, you end up consuming much more than you need. Serve smaller portions on and eat slowly. Eating slowly helps with digestion and gives your body time to send the “full” signal so you no longer feel hungry and thus are less likely to overeat. And eating slowly allows you to enjoy your food longer.

There is nothing earth shattering or radical about any of these tips but they do work if you apply them consistently.  The amount you lose will depend on the weight you started from and the degree of change to your current diet. Keep in mind that you need to eat healthily if you are pregnant or if you are breastfeeding. If you have any concerns about your diet you should consult a professional nutritionist or health care practioner.