To say that this is a period of change would be a gross understatement. The moment a little person enters your life your world turns on its head and as the title may have already suggested, your diet can be affected as well.
With time, patience and all sorts of other issues of the essence, it won’t come as a surprise to hear that this is when various diet principles can slip. This is a reason why the tummy tuck procedure has become such a common one over the years; new moms are constantly trying to find ways to get that body back as quickly as possible.
Here, we will now take a look at some of the most common dietary mistakes that impact new moms as they settle into life with their new arrival.
Mistake #1 – You Eat For Two
This is a common mistake during pregnancy, but it’s also not uncommon for this to spiral through to the nursing period for very similar reasons.
Well, this is a myth that you need to be wary of. It is true that you will burn calories during breastfeeding – and this can be as many as several hundred per day if studies are to be believed. However, there’s a difference with eating for two, and eating a few more calories to cover your surplus. Make sure that you give your calories enough energy, but don’t use it as an excuse to eat more of the wrong foods.
Mistake #2 – You Rely On Ready Meals
This next mistake is one of the most common and it’s perfectly understandable. After all, you will soon find that your time is stretched to record levels, and you simply don’t have the time to cook meals from scratch. It means that ready meals and takeaways are a quick go-to solution.
It won’t come as a surprise to hear that this shouldn’t be the case. Ready meals come with all sorts of added-ingredients that aren’t going to do your general health the slightest bit of good. Instead, try and prepare for this period months in advance. In other words, long before giving birth, cook in bulk and store the meals in the freezer.
Mistake #3 – Comfort Eating
So far, the mistakes we have spoken about tend to focus around your lack of time. Another common one comes in the form of comfort eating.
Again, we don’t need to remind you that your life is about to turn on its head. You are about to embark on a roller-coaster of emotions and a lot of the time, this simply increases the risks of comfort eating occurring. It’s not just about your emotions either; when you are excessively tired you are more likely to turn to the wrong foods, so this is a problem that really can affect a large proportion of new moms.
The solution is difficult, as you need to be very conscious of what you are eating. At first, it might be hard to resist certain items, but try and swap them for something like cottage cheese or turkey. These are foods that contain chemicals which can help your body produce more serotonin, which can help to boost your mood during this transitional period.
