Breastfeeding can be an integral part of the formula for a new mother to lose weight after pregnancy. The very act of nursing can burn anywhere from 600 to 800 calories per day. Although a nursing mother should increase her daily caloric intake by an average of 500 calories, the biological process of lactation speeds the loss of baby fat. The other factors in the equation include: whole foods and exercise.

The processes involved in breastfeeding cause a woman's uterus to contract back to its pre-pregnant size and shape much more quickly than if a new mother chooses to bottle feed. This is no small task, as the uterus has expanded during pregnancy to 20 times its normal size. Therefore, nursing has been shown to help a woman regain her figure more quickly and lose weight after pregnancy.

Breastfeeding mothers who eat a healthy, nutritious, whole food diet can lose weight after pregnancy faster than moms who bottle feed. One study found that mothers who nursed even partially had a much larger reduction in hip circumference than those who feed with formula exclusively. Mothers who bottle feed were found to weigh more one month postpartum as compared to their pre-pregnancy weights.

Other studies have found that overweight women, when they began their pregnancies , can safely get closer to their ideal weight by breastfeeding and engaging in a moderate exercise program. In a matter of fact, your pregnancy fat built up as a natural process of breast feeding to provide enough energy and resource to produce milk. But if you are bottle feeding your baby instead of breast feeding them, you will need put extra efforts to burn off the post-pregnancy fat.

The choice to breastfeed has many benefits, especially for the mother and her new baby. If, for some reason, nursing is not an option, there is no cause for concern. The rest of the equation for getting fit and healthy will do you well. After you give birth to your new baby ¨C if you choose to bottle feed, it is not necessary to supplement your diet with extra calories. Also, you may get started on a more vigorous exercise program sooner.

Following a healthy and moderate diet, be more aware about the calories and fat that you eat and doing some healthy exercise allow you to lose that post pregnancy fat much faster and easily. So if you are maintaining a healthy and balance meal, doing some moderate exercise and breastfeeding, you will soon realize that your post pregnancy fat is melting away faster than you thought.

Also, rather of trying to lose weight after pregnancy, consider trying to work on maintaining your weight while increasing your fitness level. A new born baby can take up all your time and energy, and by just taking good care of your baby you will have less worries about losing your pregnancy fat, let alone endeavoring to do it. And when it does get your weight down, you will remember the bundle of joy you got from that pregnancy and putting a smile back on your face again.