If you are having trouble losing the weight that you gained during your pregnancy, do not feel bad. Many women go through a similar struggle following child birth. And while Hollywood and TV make it seem like losing the baby weight can take just a few weeks to a month, the reality is that this is not the case for the vast majority of real women.

As soon as the baby is out, your body will immediately begin trying to shrink your belly to get it back to the size that it was before. Your uterus will take about four weeks to get back down to its normal size, and your body will get rid of all the extra fluid that you've been carrying. Because of this, many women see an initial weight loss of ten or twenty pounds in the first few weeks following the pregnancy. But, after that, losing the rest of the extra weight can take much longer.

While you may want to dive right into an extensive workout program following the pregnancy, it is important that you do not rush into anything. It is essential that you gently ease yourself into an exercise program in order to ensure that you will not injure yourself or cause serious damage to your body. Having a baby is an incredible strain on your body, so you will want to exercise moderately for a few weeks to get yourself ready to start going hard in the gym. In many instances, it can take up to 4-8 weeks of light activity before a woman is ready to get back into her old exercise routine.

A healthy diet is also a vital component to losing the weight, especially if you are breastfeeding. Breastfeeding requires up to 500 calories a day alone, so it is very important that you make sure to get the proper fuel into your body. If you are not eating well, not only are you being negatively affected, but so is your baby.

Losing the extra weight will not happen overnight. It will require dedication and hard work, but there is no doubt that you will be able to lose the weight if you diet and exercise correctly. Be sure to consult your family doctor and talk about your goals before you make any changes to your current diet or work out program.