After years of being unable to get pregnant due to infertility issues, Laura decided to try an alternative route to parenthood – surrogacy. She and her husband Maximilien searched for a woman in Germany who was a good match for the IVF procedure and found Anna, who happened to be a perfect match.
Although she was pleased to finally have her biological child, Anna wanted to lose the extra weight she had gained during her pregnancy. After giving birth, Anna decided that she wanted to go on a diet and lose the weight she had gained. Unfortunately, she soon found out that losing the weight was much more difficult than she had expected. She had been under the misconception that it would be as easy as going on a diet and exercising regularly. Little did she know that there were numerous factors at play beyond just eating healthy and moving around.
Here are some of the things Anna had to learn along the way:
The Surprising Link Between Stress, Weight Gain, And Motherhood
Anna was surprised to learn that there was a link between the hormonal changes associated with motherhood and the weight she had gained. During the nine months of her pregnancy, she had put on a lot of weight. Her doctor had told her that it was because she was fed frequently and her body was adapting to the extra nutrients. He also told her that after having a baby, her body would go back to its pre-pregnancy shape.
However, Anna soon found out that this was not true. After giving birth, she struggled with her weight for months and felt that she would never return to her original pre-pregnancy size. Her weight gain was not only a mental challenge – trying to figure out where all the weight went – but also a physical one as well. She had a hard time keeping fit as a new mother and had to learn how to take care of herself in ways that she never had before. It was not until she started to examine the reasons for her weight gain that she was able to start taking steps towards changing it.
Stress Is The Key
It’s well known that stress leads to weight gain. In fact, the two often go hand in hand. When you’re under stress, your body tends to produce more cortisol – the “stress hormone” – which triggers you to crave unhealthier foods and make unhealthy choices. Your body also relies on cortisol to help transport nutrients to your baby, so it’s not surprising that getting pregnant and having a baby put your body in a state of constant stress. This constant cortisol production can also cause you to crave food even when you’re not feeling hungry and make it harder for you to stay on track with your weight loss efforts.
The Impact Of Pregnancy On Your Metabolism
When you’re pregnant, your body undergoes many changes that have an impact on your weight. One such change is the way your body metabolizes calories. When a woman is pregnant, her metabolic rate increases in order to provide her body with the nutrients it needs to grow the baby. This means that even when she’s at rest, she’s consuming more calories than usual. The increased metabolic rate also causes your body to go into “survival mode,” meaning it has a harder time shedding off the excess calories.
As a result, even when you follow the diet and exercise routines advised by your doctor, you’re likely to still end up heavier than you’d like to be. You may also experience a degree of frustration as you try to lose the weight, especially if the scale hasn’t budged for weeks on end. In that case, it might be a good idea to consult with a specialist about what could be causing the weight gain and whether or not there’s any medical interventions that could help you lose the weight.
How To Lose Weight After Giving Birth
After giving birth, it’s tempting for new mothers to go back to their pre-pregnancy jeans and ignore the scales. However, that would be a mistake. You should not only look at the scale to determine the success of your weight loss efforts – you should also be tracking your outfits and any weight fluctuations that you experience.
By keeping track of these two important factors, you’ll be able to determine how well your journey is going and if you’re making the right choices to lose the weight the right way. If you find that your clothes are not fitting you the same way they used to, then it might be time to make some changes. If you experience a sudden spike in weight gain that puts you well over the “normal” weight for your height and age, then it’s time to question whether or not this is the right route for you to be taking.
Eating To Nourish Your Baby
Just like when you’re pregnant, your body needs nutrients after giving birth. Unlike during pregnancy, however, you now have to supply these nutrients to your baby in a different way. When you’re pregnant, your body easily absorbs the nutrients from the food you eat. After giving birth, your body has to work a little harder to absorb the nutrients from the foods you eat. As a result, you might end up having to eat more frequently than usual in order to provide your body with the nutrients it needs.
Take Care Of Your Mental Health
Anna was surprised to learn about the link between stress and weight gain. She had always thought of stress as the reason she was gaining weight, but had never really thought about it that way. As a new mother, she was overwhelmed with a lot of stress both mentally and physically. She felt like her body was not coping with the changes she was experiencing and that this was the reason for her extra pounds. It was not until she started to ask herself questions about why she was feeling the way she was that she was finally able to start taking care of herself in the right way. She understood that with her added stress, eating the wrong foods was the last thing she needed. Instead, she focused on what she could do to reduce her stress. This meant taking walks with her baby in the stroller, reading books, and spending time with her husband. These were all things that helped her to relax and reduced her stress levels. It also helped that she was able to get back to her pre-pregnancy size. When Anna started to examine the reasons behind her weight gain, she realized that it was not only related to her being a mother – it was also because she had been under a lot of stress before getting pregnant. Once she started to examine the stress in her life, she was able to start making changes to reduce it and lose the weight she had gained.
As Anna learned the tough lessons that came with giving birth, she grew a greater appreciation for motherhood. While she had been fortunate enough to have a fairly easy time giving birth, many women struggle with birth injuries and have to endure multiple surgeries. Even if you have a natural birth, the recovery process can be extremely challenging and tiring. Knowing what she now knows, Anna is proud to have been a part of such an important moment in a woman’s life and is determined to do everything she can to support her and her baby in the ways they need.