Postpartum Weight Loss | Not Easy for Me

Pre-Pregnancy Weight –

I got out of bed one morning, Milad had already left for work and Surah was still sleeping. It was just past 7 a.m. I slipped into my pink furry slides waiting for me at the side of my bed. I walked straight onto the scale. Although I normally stay clear from it, afraid of what it will show me, a little curiosity was due. And BOOM! There it was! I couldn’t believe it, so I stepped off and back on just to make sure of it. Yep!! It was there again. 140 lbs. I was so happy!! I wanted to run to Starbucks and buy my favorite chocolate croissant just to treat myself for my hard work. 🙂 I did it!! It was a big deal, I quickly took a screenshot and sent it to my best friends & sisters in a group message! “Hey I did it ladies!!” They were supportive but not as excited as I was but I did not care. I was ALL JOLLY that day!!!

(And for those wondering, yes I did walk to Starbucks to buy that croissant that afternoon, it was so delicious!! No regrets! )

Truth be Told

Now here comes the truth! I reached my pre-pregnancy weight longer than I expected. I was 2 months postpartum. When my doctor said ‘You should be reaching your normal weight by 6 weeks postpartum’, I looked at myself then and thought, well maybe my body knows what to do and it will magically just lose all the fat. NO! At 6 weeks, I was no way near my “normal” weight. This is one reason why I tend to disagree with having a general rule applied to all bodies, I am so against that! I think doctors should rethink implying expectations, or at least rephrase how they put it. It only makes their patient feel worse when their body doesn’t meet up to the expectations. So many factors take a role (age, ability, body-type, pregnancy etc.).

Everyone is different. Some of you might say wow 140lbs is still heavy, girl you need to lose more weight! My response is NO! I do not believe in skinny or fat, I believe in a healthy weight for your body, mind and soul. For me, I am happy with 140lbs, and if I lose more weight than that, it would simply be a healthy choice, NOT for my body to look better. My soul is happy in my body. That’s all that matters.

Now, they say breastfeeding helps you lose weight, and I completely agree with that. I personally saw the results for myself since I almost exclusively breastfed. But I also believe my level of activity and diet had an equally important role. I resumed my daily walking routine a week after giving birth. I literally walked 30-40 minutes each day. I was blessed to have my mom stay with me for 2 weeks and all I had was her stringent menu. She is more health conscious than I, so I had nothing to worry about. I ate what she sent to my bedroom and no matter how much I wanted something else, I was not allowed. I thank her for that today. It helped A LOT! Before leaving back to Toronto, my mom made sure she stacked my freezer with meals for me to take out every day. (If you are reading this mommy, I THANK YOU!!)

Diet, Exercise & Detox

I made four changes to my routine:

1. Stopped eating out: It is so easy to get used to the convenience of eating and ordering from outside, especially when you are two very busy people leading a very hectic schedule. But it has detrimental effects not only on your weight but on your overall health. So I put down my foot firm on this habit and officially started meal planning. Ok, maybe not meal planning in the strict sense like what you would see a fitness blogger do. No. I do not think I would fall through with such a strict guideline. But meal planning in the sense that every Friday I would prepare a grocery list that consist of items I would need for the following week’s breakfast, lunch, dinner and in between snacks. I share so much of my meals, diet and grocery routine on Snapchat which is why you should add me if you are not already there (Sadiitarin).

2. Have oatmeal every morning: If you desire to lose weight or simply management your current weight, then you must squeeze oatmeal into your daily routine. You are missing out big time if you are not. There is nothing else I would recommend more than having oatmeal. I recently shared an oatmeal recipe in a mason jar (again on Snapchat) that I have been having every other morning. I would love to have it everyday but I am afraid I will get sick of it soon but so far it has been weeks that I have been on an oatmeal-breakfast diet and I crave it every time. The other mornings I make myself english scrambled eggs, I follow Gordon Ramsay‘s recipe on YouTube (it is so delicious). A few ways oatmeal helps you lose weight is because a) it has soluable fiber which makes feel fuller throughout the day b) it is high in protein which stablizes your blood sugar preventing insulin spikes from low blood sugar, leading to fat storage and lastly c) it is diuretic which is great for bloating (especially during your menstrual cycle) and shedding excess water weight.

3. Exercise & Hydrate: I bet you have heard this many times and I dare to say it again, drink a lot of water. No not just a cup or two when you are thirsty. No drink more even when you are not as thirsty. I drink water first thing in the morning before I eat anything, it starts up my metabolism for the day and is a great way to suppress your appetite. Exercise a minimum of 30 minutes a day, be it walking, jogging, yoga, zumba or anything that pleases you but it should get your heart pumped up. But be sure to hydrate yourself so you can burn more calories.

4. Detox, Detox Detox: I began a detox program with Teami. My body just went through an eventful journey from the time of conception to labor and delivery and is still yet to recover. I thought it was the perfect time to get rid of all toxins. I inquired about healthy detox programs for breastfeeding mamas, and Teami was highly recommended. I started their 30 day detox program drinking their Skinny and Relax teas. Both were incredibly good, especially Relax. It is the perfect tea to end a busy day. Tea has been around for thousands of years so I strongly believe in its powers and what it can do for your body. I did not really notice anything the first week of drinking my tea, so I was a little discouraged and thought to just throw it out the window. But I didn’t, I was desperate for the results so I gave it another week. That is actually when I began to feel different and notice change in my weight, especially around my tummy. I was even more eager for the third and fourth week. I give credit to Teami’s detox program in giving me a jump start to my weight loss, but it would not have been possible if I did not keep up with my diet and exercise routine. (If you are thinking of trying Teami, I do not recommend you drinking their Colon tea if you are breastfeeding, but the rest are safe. You should still ask them further questions as well as your doctor, to see if it is the right fit for you).