Unlock Rapid Postpartum Weight Loss with This Ultimate Diet Plan!

The postpartum period is a unique time for new mothers, filled with joy and challenges. It's a period of recovery, hormonal adjustments, and, for many, a desire to return to their pre-pregnancy weight. It’s no secret that the food we eat fuels our daily activities, an especially important point when those daily activities include caring for a newborn and breastfeeding. However, this can take time. On average, 80% of women take more than three months to return to their pre-pregnancy weight. [1] This article provides a comprehensive postpartum diet plan for weight loss, focusing on healthy habits that support weight management, energy, digestion, sleep, hormone balance, and overall well-being.

Understanding Postpartum Weight Loss

Let me start by saying there is no shame in wanting to lose weight. The majority of my clients have weight listed as one of the reasons for working with me. Postpartum weight loss can be about wanting to feel like yourself again and prioritizing your health and the health of future pregnancies. It can feel uncomfortable for many people to talk about weight loss. It even feels a little uncomfortable to me to talk about my own weight loss, but I would be doing new moms a disservice if I said that all of the pregnancy weight naturally comes off without any sort of structure, plan, or intent on my end. It’s also very common for women to keep some extra weight on until they wean from breastfeeding due to hormones.

It's important to approach postpartum weight loss with patience and self-compassion. Weight loss should not be your main priority during those first few weeks at home with your newborn. Allow room for recovery. Be kind to yourself. Move your body when it feels right, and rest when you need to. Here, we outline healthy habits that support weight loss (or management), but they are neither exclusive to weight loss or to the postpartum period.

Key Principles of a Postpartum Diet Plan

An effective diet plan for breastfeeding mothers to lose weight should be carefully prepared to support both the mother’s health and the baby’s needs. Mom's diet should focus on providing balanced nutrition, boosting energy, and encouraging gradual weight loss, all while maintaining a steady milk supply. The following guidelines can help you meet your nutritional needs during the postpartum period.

Prioritize Nutrient-Dense Foods: Focus on whole foods that provide essential nutrients for recovery and milk production.
Stay Hydrated: Drink plenty of water to support milk supply and overall health.
Eat Regularly: Consistent meal times help regulate blood sugar and prevent overeating.
Avoid Restrictive Dieting: Focus on making healthy choices rather than drastically cutting calories.
Limit Processed Foods: Minimize added sugar, sodium, and unhealthy fats.

Dietary Guidelines for Postpartum Recovery

Essential Nutrients

Your postpartum meal plan should emphasize nutrient-dense foods. Focus on eating a variety of nutrients and prioritizing whole foods that contain protein, fiber, and healthy fats. After childbirth, your body’s needs are higher for specific vitamins and minerals that support tissue repair, blood replenishment, and overall recovery.

Protein: Aids in tissue repair and muscle recovery. Aim to include a source of protein at all meals and with some snacks. Foods rich in protein include lean meats like chicken, turkey, and lean cuts of beef, fish like salmon, sardines, anchovies, mackerel, cod, and tilapia, plant-based proteins such as lentils, beans, tofu, soy curls, soy milk, and tempeh, and dairy products like cottage cheese, Greek yogurt, milk, and cheese.
Healthy Fats: Provide energy, help you feel full, and support hormone production. Add healthy fats to meals or snacks to help with satiety. Healthy fats include avocados, nuts, seeds like sunflower, pumpkin, chia, hemp, and flax, olive oil, fatty fish like salmon, sardines, mackerel, and anchovies, and dairy products like cottage cheese, Greek yogurt, milk, and cheese. Regularly eating omega-3-rich foods like fatty fish (think salmon, sardines, mackerel, and anchovies), chia seeds, flax seeds, hemp seeds, and walnuts may reduce the risk of postpartum depression and support maternal mental health. Additionally, omega-3 fatty acids are passed to the baby through breast milk to support the infant’s brain and vision development.
Fiber: Postpartum hormones and medications given during delivery slow digestion and contribute to constipation. Prioritizing fiber-rich foods helps get your digestion back on track by adding bulk to stool and making bowel movements easier to pass. Fiber-rich foods include whole grains like quinoa, barley, bulgar, farro, whole wheat pasta or bread, oats, brown rice, fruits, particularly berries, apples, and pears with their skin, and vegetables like leafy greens, artichoke hearts, bell peppers, carrots, potatoes (sweet and regular), and broccoli, to name a few. Note: increase fiber gradually and stay hydrated to minimize any gastrointestinal discomfort that may accompany rapid increases in fiber intake.
Iron: Replenishes lost blood and prevents anemia. Adequate iron helps maintain energy and supports overall health.
Calcium: Estrogen levels fall naturally during the postpartum period. Low estrogen affects calcium absorption, temporarily impacting bone health. Ensuring you consume enough calcium during this period minimizes any adverse effects on bone health.

Foods to Embrace

During the postpartum period, focus on filling up on healthy sources of protein, fruit, vegetables, fiber-rich carbs, and healthy fats such as avocados, nuts, and seeds. Here's some foods and practices to consider incorporating:

Whole Foods: Eat predominantly whole foods - lots of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, good quality proteins (eggs, chicken, fish, seafood, nuts/seeds, organic tofu, full-fat dairy).
Hydration: Dara Godfrey, MS, RD, registered dietitian for Reproductive Medicine Associates of New York, says hydration is critical, especially if you’re breastfeeding. She recommends drinking up to 3 liters of water daily. But hydration needs can vary, so it’s best to let thirst be your guide. A good way to gauge hydration is to look at the color of your urine. Pale yellow urine indicates proper hydration, while dark urine indicates that you may be dehydrated and need to increase your water intake.
Carbohydrates: Consume whole sources of carbohydrates like fruit, whole grains, and starchy vegetables. Pair carb sources with filling, protein-rich foods like eggs, chicken, beans, nuts, and seeds.
Healthy Fats: Include healthy fats (such as olive oil, avocado, nuts, and seeds) to help with satiety, but limit portion sizes to promote health and prevent added weight gain.

Foods to Limit or Avoid

Processed Foods: Processed food often contains high-added sugars, unhealthy fats, and empty calories with little nutritional value. These are high in empty calories and can affect weight gain without providing much satiety.
Refined Grains: Foods made from refined grains lack fiber and can lead to an increase in blood sugar imbalances and cravings.
Unhealthy Fats: These unhealthy fats can increase bad cholesterol levels (LDL) and reduce good cholesterol (HDL), leading to heart disease and inflammation.
Excessive Caffeine: While a little caffeine is generally safe during nursing, excessive amounts can affect milk production and quality and may disrupt your baby's sleep. The CDC recommends sticking to 300 milligrams or less per day.
Alcohol: Alcohol can affect your milk production and may negatively affect your baby's development.
High-Sodium Foods: Foods high in sodium can lead to water retention, which can give the appearance of weight gain and make you feel bloated.
Fish High in Mercury: If you’re breastfeeding, avoid high mercury seafood and fish such as orange roughy, bigeye tuna, king mackerel, marlin, shark, swordfish, and tilefish. Instead, opt for salmon, shrimp, cod, tilapia, trout, and halibut, among other types. Some varieties of tuna, such as albacore, yellowfin, and canned light tuna (including skipjack), are also good options, since they have low to moderate mercury content.

Sample Meal Plans

Here's a 7-day diet plan to help a breastfeeding mom who would like to lose weight, along with meal suggestions, diet details, and estimated calorie amounts:

Sample Regular Meal Plan (2000 calories):

Breakfast: Oatmeal (1 cup cooked) with 1/2 banana and a handful of almonds (1 oz) - 350 calories
Morning Snack: Greek yogurt (1 cup, non-fat) with honey (1 tbsp) - 150 calories
Lunch: Grilled chicken salad with mixed greens, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, and balsamic vinaigrette (2 tbsp) - 350 calories
Afternoon Snack: Apple slices (1 medium apple) with peanut butter (2 tbsp) - 250 calories
Dinner: Baked salmon (5 oz) with quinoa (3/4 cup cooked) and steamed broccoli (1 cup) - 500 calories
Evening Snack: Whole grain crackers (1 oz) with cheese (1.5 oz) - 250 calories

Sample Vegan Meal Plan (2000 calories):

Breakfast: Vegan smoothie: 1 banana, 1/2 cup of mixed berries, 1 tablespoon of chia seeds, 1 cup of spinach, and 1 cup of almond milk - 300 calories
Morning Snack: 1 medium apple and 2 tablespoons of almond butter - 250 calories
Lunch: Quinoa salad: 1 cup of cooked quinoa, 1/2 cup of black beans, 1/2 cup of diced tomatoes, 1/2 cup of corn, and 2 tablespoons of avocado dressing - 400 calories
Afternoon Snack: Hummus (1/4 cup) with carrot and cucumber sticks (1 cup) - 150 calories
Dinner: Stir-fry: 1.5 cups of cooked brown rice, 1 cup of mixed vegetables (bell peppers, broccoli, carrots), and tofu (6 oz) cooked in 1 tablespoon of olive oil and soy sauce - 600 calories
Evening Snack: Trail mix with nuts, seeds, and dried fruits - 300 calories

Sample Dairy and Gluten-Free Meal Plan (2000 calories):

Breakfast: Scrambled eggs (3) with spinach (1 cup) and bell peppers (1/2 cup) cooked in olive oil (1 tsp) - 300 calories
Morning Snack: Banana (1 medium) with almond butter (1.5 tbsp) - 225 calories
Lunch: Grilled chicken salad with mixed greens (2 cups), cherry tomatoes (1/2 cup), cucumber (1/2 cup), and balsamic vinaigrette (2 tbsp) - 350 calories
Afternoon Snack: Carrot sticks (1 cup) with hummus (3 tbsp) - 150 calories
Dinner: Baked salmon (5 oz) with quinoa (3/4 cup cooked) and steamed asparagus (1 cup) - 500 calories
Evening Snack: Rice cakes (2) with avocado (1/2) and a sprinkle of sea salt - 200 calories

The Basics: Consistent Food Habits

These are consistent food habits that I practice daily, postpartum or not. If you’re just starting to make diet changes, I would start with these. They include:

Regular and Consistent Meal Times

This usually looks like 3 meals + 1 optional snack/day. This works for me right now - if you’re very active or you’re in the first few weeks postpartum, you may want to add in additional snacks.

Balanced Plate Method

The balanced plate method is a template to follow when making meals. The emphasis is on protein, fat + veggies (fiber). By prioritizing these 3 components, you naturally add the most nourishing foods to your plate, balance your blood sugar, and decrease cravings. This template also ensures that your meals give you energy and satisfy you!

Read also: Freezer Meals for New Moms

My balanced plate method:

½ plate non-starchy vegetables
¼ of your plate a protein (about the size of your palm)
¼ of your plate a fibrous complex carbohydrate/starch
100-200 calories of healthy fat

I typically follow this template closely for lunch and dinner. For breakfast, I try to focus on breaking my fast with protein and/or fat and fiber. I love breakfast bowls and smoothies.

The balanced plate method may seem overly simplistic but take a close look at your meals and start to see how you balance your plate. Most people are undereating protein, fat and veggies and overeating carbohydrates.

Weight Loss/Maintenance Tools

Early Dinners

A very effective tool to support weight loss, digestion and sleep is to finish eating 2-3 hours before bed and get at least a 12-hour overnight fast.

I try to be asleep between 10-11pm so I will aim to be done eating by 7-8pm at night and then eat breakfast 12-14 hours later.

Read also: Supplements for New Moms

Always listen to your body to see what works best for you and pay attention to hunger levels. While a 12-hour overnight fast can be a good starting place, if it makes you feel more anxious, tired, or hungry, discontinue. Regardless of any timing, always eat when hungry. I also would not recommend this for anyone currently pregnant or in the first few weeks postpartum.

Implement a Habit of 0-2 Starches Per Day

Starches are a type of carbohydrate. What foods are starches? Pasta (even gluten-free or chickpea pasta), rice, grains, bread, chips, quinoa, potatoes, crackers, cereals

Overeating starches can raise blood sugars, leading to weight gain, low energy, increased cravings, and other unwanted symptoms. It can also increase calories without satisfaction. A sample day of ‘healthy’ eating could be oatmeal for breakfast, avocado toast for lunch and chickpea pasta for dinner. Separately, these are all whole food, complex starch sources and balanced meals. However, when combined into one day, it can cause elevated blood sugars, and under-eating veggies, protein and fat. How much is a serving of a starch? About ¼ of your plate or ½ cup of a cooked grain, or one large slice of bread

The practice of 0-2 starches per day provides structure to support balanced blood sugar and low-glycemic meals made up of nutrient-dense and satisfying foods such as non-starchy carbs/veggies, healthy fats and protein. And remember, fruit, dairy, vegetables, legumes and nuts all contain carbohydrates but don’t count as the dedicated starch. This is NOT a ‘no carb’ diet.

A few things that help me with this practice:

Prioritize getting carbohydrates from fibrous, unprocessed sources such as:

Fruit
Non-starchy vegetables (lettuce, tomatoes, carrots, celery)
Nuts
Legumes (peas, beans, lentils, chickpeas)

Add volume to meals with non-starchy vegetables! How do I eat using the balanced plate while having some meals without the dedicated starch?

When omitting the dedicated starch from the balanced plate, I replace carbohydrate with more non-starchy vegetable, protein and healthy fat portions

Sample One Starch per Day Menu

Breakfast: OG Green Smoothie
Lunch: Tuna Salad Lettuce Wraps + berries
Snack: Greek yogurt with nuts
Dinner: Chickpea pasta (starch), chicken sausage and simple salad
Dessert: 2 squares Hu Dark Chocolate

Lifestyle Adjustments

A number of things can fall under the lifestyle category. It can include sleep, stress management, movement, food journaling, daily habits, meal prep, etc. Think about what is most important for you in this category.

Define Your Goals

For me, I want to lose the weight I gained during my pregnancy in a healthy way (0.5-1 lb/week) and also feel great at my wedding celebration. My goal right now is to lose about 7-10 lbs by the end of February. I am also still breastfeeding my son which requires extra calories and energy and will still be my priority.

Daily Movement

The most important lifestyle practice for me is daily movement. It’s one of my wellness non-negotiables - when I incorporate movement into my day, everything else is better.

I really try to be intuitive with movement and do whatever feels good. For me, that is walking, jogging, strength training and reformer Pilates.

Planning

I work with a lot of very organized individuals. They plan things in advance and intentionally schedule their calendar to fit in priorities - work meetings, time with friends/family, workout classes. I always tell them to treat their health like they do everything else - plan out time to grocery shop and meal prep. Put it on your calendar. Write out a food plan for day and plan meals and snacks in advance. This can provide structure, hold you accountable and also help make sure you're optimally balancing your meals throughout the day.

Exercise

Considerations: Some women find that exercising immediately after breastfeeding or pumping is more comfortable, as breasts are less full. A supportive bra is essential to be comfortable, especially if your breasts are fuller due to breastfeeding. Bras that are too tight can contribute to mastitis or clogged ducts.

Start Slowly: If you're new to exercise or resuming postpartum, begin with low-impact activities like walking or gentle yoga when you feel ready. Moderate and intense exercises should never be started until you are cleared by your OBGYN. This typically occurs around 6-12 weeks after delivery, depending on your recovery. Walking 10,000 steps per day has been shown to aid in weight loss. This can be enhanced if 3,500 of those steps are done with moderate intensity. Start with a small goal and gradually increase as your time and energy allow. Along with moderate cardio activities, including strength training can increase muscle mass, which can boost metabolism and aid in weight loss. Aim to work up to 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity per week, as recommended by the CDC. Keep in mind that every activity counts! You don't have to spend hours at the gym to make progress. Simply increasing your physical activity will result in greater caloric burn (dance parties in the living room, stroller walks to the park, bike rides, swimming, hiking, etc. Keep it simple and FUN!)

Include Pelvic Floor Exercises: It is important to strengthen the pelvic floor muscles after pregnancy. If you have incontinence, low back pain, pelvic pain, or bulging/coning in your abdomen, it is advised that you see a pelvic floor physical therapist before starting any exercise program. There are many free exercise plans for postpartum mothers available aimed to help with pelvic floor and diastasis recti after childbirth.

The Role of Supplements

Pregnancy, childbirth and breastfeeding are very nutrient- and calorie-demanding processes. Adequate nourishment through food is essential, but supplements are also key in supporting health, energy, metabolism and weight. Research shows that most pregnant women do not consume the recommended amounts of key nutrients needed during pregnancy. [2] The recommendation is to begin a prenatal vitamin ideally 3 months prior to conceiving and remain on a prenatal vitamin throughout your pregnancy. I also recommend clients stay on their prenatal while breastfeeding and throughout their childbearing years.

A quality prenatal vitamin:

The prenatal I take and love is FullWell - it’s 8 capsules/day (a lot!). This is because it’s one of the only prenatal vitamins on the market that contain all of the nutrients in optimal doses to best support pregnancy. These nutrients take up a lot of space!

I break it up and take 4 capsules with breakfast and 4 with lunch - I also have some clients who like to open and empty the capsule powder into smoothies. You can get 10% off your first Fullwell order using code ABBY - Shop Fullwell Prenatal

Postpartum Basics: Getting Started

It can be challenging to think about your own nutrition when you are now responsible for meeting all the needs of your infant. A balanced eating plan during the postpartum period can help you feel your best while recovering from pregnancy and birth. If breastfeeding, you’ll need around 500 extra calories daily. You’ll also need additional protein, fluids, and certain micronutrients, like choline and iodine. The nutrient recommendations for postpartum individuals who are not lactating are similar to those of healthy, non-pregnant adults. You may want to continue your prenatal vitamin for the first six weeks postpartum to help replenish your body’s nutrient stores (and continue past six weeks if you are lactating). However, it’s best to talk to your doctor or dietitian for individualized guidance on supplements. A postpartum eating plan should include a balance of the food groups with a focus on minimally processed foods:

Whole grains, like brown rice, whole wheat pasta, and barley.
Lean proteins, including beans, lentils, poultry, and seafood.
Healthy fats, like nuts, peanut butter, avocados, and olive oil.
Fruits, such as berries, bananas, and melon.
Vegetables, including dark leafy greens, bell peppers, carrots, and broccoli.

Schedule and sleep disruptions during the postpartum period can make it difficult to prioritize your nutrition. Focus on eating regular meals and snacks to keep your energy levels stable throughout the day.

Postpartum Weight Management

For some postpartum individuals, the weight gained during pregnancy naturally trends down with time, while others may find this is not the case. Factors like poor sleep, lack of physical activity, postpartum depression, and irregular eating habits after having a baby can make it challenging to lose weight. While it can be tempting to turn to crash diets, it’s best to focus on nourishing, balanced meals so you can heal your body as you adjust to life with a newborn. You can use the plate method for weight management, which emphasizes ¼ plate of whole grains, ¼ plate of lean protein, and ½ plate of non-starchy vegetables. Consider ways to stay active while caring for your baby, such as stroller walks or parent-baby yoga classes.

Navigating Postpartum Nutrition with a Dietitian

Whether you need guidance on breastfeeding nutrition requirements or have questions about managing your weight postpartum, a registered dietitian can create a realistic plan for you to feel your best.

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