**I am not a doctor. The following blog post should not substitute for or replace the advice of your doctor.

There is a lot of advice going around the internet about how to lose weight after having a baby. I’ve seen articles stating that breastfeeding will help you to lose the weight. I’ve seen fitness gurus teaching hardcore fitness classes for moms after birth.

Problem is, the people giving this advice do not always consider how hard the weeks after childbirth can be mentally and physically. Some women physically can’t breastfeed or choose not to. Other women can’t exercise right away because of medical restrictions. Those “lose the weight fast options” may work for some, but not all.

We all have our reasons for wanting to lose weight. I only had one pregnancy weight loss goal – to return back to my pre-pregnancy weight. I wanted to be able to fit into my old clothes and resume wearing my wardrobe as usual. Surprisingly, when I went to my six-week postpartum checkup, I had met my weight loss goal.

Your body spent 280 days growing a tiny human. That is a huge accomplishment.

While pregnant, I had a strict diet and exercise plan I vowed to follow immediately after I had the baby. However, after I gave birth, nothing went as planned. My hormones and emotions were all over the place, and my baby wouldn’t let me put him down long enough for me to do anything. For the first four weeks of his life, he barely slept through the night. By the time the sun came up, I was too tired to function.

It has been proven that breastfeeding burns about 300-500 calories a day. Although that is great, that may not be enough on its own to reach your weight loss goal.

By breastfeeding, and taking care of my other kids, my body quickly started to shed the weight. I accredit some of my progress to good genetics and the stress of having a newborn, but not all. Most of the weight fell off by practicing good healthy habits.

Here is what I did daily:

1. Drink LOTS of water.

Drinking lots of water will not only increase your breastmilk production, but it will also help to continue to flush your body of all the toxins that are keeping unwanted weight on.

2. Wear a postpartum belly band or waist trainer.

I have used my postpartum belly band after my c-section and both vaginal births. The belly band helps to support and tighten your midsection as things go back to normal.

3. Eat small meals throughout the day.

When feeling hungry, choose to fill up high protein snacks. The healthy calories will help you to stay full and increase milk production.

4. Cut back on fast food and sodas.

Extra sugars and unhealthy fats will help you to hold onto the baby weight instead of losing it.

5. Fiber.

Going poop after pregnancy is not always the easiest thing to do. Therefore, stool softeners and fiber supplements will become your best friend. Getting rid of the extra toxins and waste in your body will also help you to drop those unwanted pounds.

6. LIGHT exercise.

My favorite fat-burning activity to do is to play the video game JUST DANCE at home in my living room. The high energy dance moves and fast-paced rhythms is an excellent cardio workout. When playing for just 30 minutes, I can easily burn hundreds of calories without going to the gym. If I decide to workout using weights, don’t use weights heavier than 10 pounds.

How are your postpartum goals coming along? Share with me in the comments below.