With a sensible diet and regular exercise, most women typically lose half of their baby weight around six weeks after giving birth, with the rest of the weight usually coming off in the months thereafter[1].
Having said that, some new mothers may experience more difficulty than others when it comes to shedding those extra pounds, especially if a lack of time, sleep, and mental and physical energy become an issue with the increasing demands of your little one.
If this sounds like you then fear not because we have just the supplements you need to lose your baby weight:
- Glucose Disposal Agents (GDA)
Some of the most powerful tools in your weight loss arsenal are glucose disposal agents, or GDAs.Products such as chromium[2], cinnamon extract[3], alpha lipoic acid[4] (R-ALA), and magnesium all greatly affect the way your body controls its blood glucose and insulin levels.This can help to prevent wild swings in your blood sugar levels which can lead to feelings of lethargy and increased fat gain. - Dietary Fiber Supplements
If you’re having trouble controlling your appetite then you might like to try adding supplemental fiber products like glucomannan fibre, ground flaxseed[5], guar gum, inulin, wheat germ, and psyllium husk[6] to your repertoire.As well as slowing down the rate of digestion – thereby keeping you fuller for longer – a mixture of soluble and insoluble fiber can provide many other benefits, not limited to
- Improved nutrient absorption;
- Improved HDL and LDL cholesterol levels;
- Improved bowel movement regularity and consistency; and
- Stabilized blood sugar levels;
Let us also not forget that ground flaxseed is a great vegetarian source of omega-3 fatty acids, which brings us onto our next supplement.
- Omega-3 Fish Oils
One of the most popular health supplements on the market these days is omega-3 fatty acids, typically sourced from krill or oily fish such as salmon, mackerel, and sardines.Supplementing with omega-3 can greatly improve your ratio of omega-3 to omega-6 fatty acids, the latter of which can promote weight gain and widespread inflammation throughout the body.This in turn may provide some of the following benefits:
- Improved satiety[7]
- Increased weight loss[8]
- Decreased inflammation[9]
- Conjugated Linoleic Acid (CLA)
Another interesting supplement you might like to consider adding to your diet is conjugated linoleic acid, more commonly known simply as CLA.Sufferers of type II diabetes might want to start on the low end of the dosage spectrum (less than 1 gram per day), but aside from that CLA can be a great way of promoting weight loss, as well as helping your body to shuttle nutrients into your muscle cells rather than your fat cells[10].
This in turn can reduce inflammation in the body and provide a significant boost to your metabolism, making it far easier to drop your postpartum podge!
References:
[1]http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/patientinstructions/000586.htm
[2]http://www.livestrong.com/article/266570-weight-loss-supplements-for-post-baby-body/
[3]http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2129164/
[4]http://www.ergo-log.com/weight-loss-faster-with-alpha-lipoic-acid.html
[5]http://www.webmd.com/diet/features/benefits-of-flaxseed
[6]http://umm.edu/health/medical/altmed/supplement/psyllium
[7]http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18602429
[8]http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19460115
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