Why quick fix diets don’t work in the post-natal period

Here Laura Uglow of True Vitality 4 Mums explains why quick fix diets don’t work in the Post-Natal Period.

Living in such a fast moving society where we can access pretty much anything we need, it may be too tempting to fall for the lure of the quick fix diet. The one that promises you can have it all, get your dream body and lose at least a stone and all in just two weeks.

As we all know however, this just isn’t realistic at the best of times. Let alone with a new baby to look after and it's simply not healthy for new mums.

To get your pre-pregnancy body back it is important to do it in a way that nourishes your body, fills you with vitality and doesn’t zap your energy or make you miserable. I would love to be able to say that this can be done in two weeks but it won't.

Here are my reasons why those quick-fixes don’t work.

They will either be ridiculously low in calories or will involve endless hours of bootcamp exercises. Both of which will leave you feeling drained and low in energy and struggling to get through the day ahead. Your family need their mum at their best!

Low calorie diets will send your body into starvation mode. Starvation mode essentially means your body isn’t taking in enough calories and therefore holds onto fat stores as emergency calorie sources! This is of course the opposite of what you want when you are trying to lose the baby weight and get your body back.

This of course leads to yo-yo dieting and the beginning of that vicious cycle of losing and gaining weight. You will of course get results but it is too impractical to sustain them. The yo-yo diet looks something like this ‘Start diet – lose weight (yay!) – give up – gain lost weight (and possibly more!) – feel guilty for failing – go on new diet and repeat all over again!’

A healthy and sustainable weight loss is 1-2lbs a week. You may of course lose more in the first week or two but this will always stabilise. Don’t let this lead to frustration and giving up and instead celebrate your successes! Think of the long term and the sustainability of the programme you are following.

This is critical! Because most quick-fix diets are very rigid, they don’t teach anything about building and maintaining life-long habits. I believe my job as a Post-Natal Personal Trainer and coach is to help mums develop a lifestyle they can sustain in the long-term. I don’t care if they don’t look great in a bikini in the first two weeks, but I do care if they can maintain that body with ease long-term without revolving their whole life around a diet or a rigid and exhausting gym schedule. 

This is especially the case with rapid fat loss diets, shake only diets and programmes that include a severe calorie deficit. IF the focus is instead on how healthy a food is or how it makes you feel this can prevent any eating disorders developing with a focus instead on nourishing your body and giving it the fuel it needs to help you lose weight but also function at your best.
 
So instead of searching for the quick-fix I would recommend changing your lifestyle so that you plan to lose baby weight in a sustainable and enjoyable way but also in a way that helps you to change previous bad habits and help you feel healthier, fitter and more confident for LIFE! Learn more about nutrition so you feel fully equipped to make the right food choices at home and the best ways to nourish your body, and discover a way of exercising that you enjoy and that works for you.

IT’S TIME TO DITCH THE QUICK-FIX DIETS AND DO THIS INSTEAD!