Weight Loss - New Moms (3)
Weight Loss Study Results
The women in the diet and exercise group
lost an average of about 5 kilograms (about 10 pounds) by the end of 10
weeks. The women in the control group lost an average of .8 kilograms
(about 2 pounds). In contrast to the diet-and-exercise group, which lost
weight at about the same rate, the control group varied in their weight
loss. In fact, a few of the women lost nearly 10 pounds, while a few others
gained that amount.
The women in the diet-and-exercise group
reported that they seemed to be producing enough milk. Also, they reported
that their infants were not crying any more than normal. (Infant fussiness
is a possible indication of insufficient milk production.) Similarly,
the women did not report feeling tired. In fact, most said that the exercise
sessions seemed to give them more energy. The infants of the women in
the diet and exercise group grew at a normal rate, as compared both to
the infants of the women in the control group, as well as to those in
larger studies of infant growth.
Weight Loss Study Conclusion
A weight loss program of moderate exercise and energy restriction was
successful in inducing weight loss in overweight, lactating mothers without
harming the growth of their infants in the early postpartum period. The
study builds upon the findings of an earlier study, published in the New
England Journal of Medicine, on February 17, 1994. This study found that
breast-feeding mothers could not lose weight if they began an exercise
program without also cutting the amount of calories they consumed.
See:
Weight Loss New Moms (1)
Weight Loss New Moms (2)
Source: www.nichd.nih.gov 2000
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