- Postpartum weight loss is slower due to hormonal recovery, sleep deprivation, and muscle loss
- Nidhi Tyagi gained 20 kgs during pregnancy and lost only 10 kgs after delivery initially
- Breastfeeding alone did not result in significant postpartum weight loss for her
Postpartum weight loss can be challenging for many women. Even with diet and exercise, losing weight after childbirth may take time. Several factors can influence the body during this period, including hormonal changes, sleep deprivation, and the physical recovery that follows delivery. These changes can affect overall health and may make weight loss slower than expected. Nidhi Tyagi, a digital creator, has now discussed the topic on Instagram. She frequently shares “journaling” posts on the platform that highlight her daily routines, breakfast inspirations, and reflections.
She says, “Losing the postpartum weight was not a cakewalk, and I haven't even lost all of it, but there's definitely progress. If you're also postpartum and trying to lose your pregnancy weight and see no results, the talk might help.” She explains that postpartum weight loss is not the same as normal weight loss, and elaborates that the science behind fat loss remains the same, but the calorie deficit and movement matter.
Nidhi Tyagi notes, “The results and the timeline can look very different after pregnancy because your body is dealing with hormonal recovery, the sleep deprivation, the nervous system stress, and the muscle loss that has happened in pregnancy, which is a lot. So fat loss is not its priority, but recovery is.”
Talking about her personal struggles, she reveals gaining around 20 kgs during her pregnancy, courtesy of her indulging in a lot of mangoes. She further mentions that although everyone suggests the weight loss will go away once the newbie mothers start breastfeeding, that's a lie. She adds, “I only lost 10 kgs post delivery, and the remaining 10 kgs actually stayed. For a year or so, nothing changed, nothing moved, even though I was breastfeeding, having only home-cooked meals, doing my little walks.”
Why New Mothers Must Avoid Intense Workouts To Lose Postpartum Weight
Nidhi emphasises, “I couldn't do workouts because my body wasn't ready for it. And honestly, I wasn't even rushing into weight loss because my strength had gone. I could not hold my baby for more than 15 minutes. My back and arms would hurt.” In contrast, she reveals that, since she could hold a plank for more than 15 seconds, her goal became to build strength first, and that, in the process, fat loss happened.
After 15 months from her delivery, the branding coach even decided to start working out, and since she couldn't leave the house with the baby, she hired a home instructor three times a week. Sharing her experience, she shares, “He (the home instructor) was a postpartum expert as well. So he made me do a lot of core exercises, a little bit of cardio, strength training, and weight training, which helped me get my strength back.”
What Worked
In the process of performing cardio, strength training and weight training, she reveals it also cured her Diastasis recti (The separation of the left and right sides of the rectus abdominis, also known as the "six-pack" muscles due to a stretched, thin linea alba, often causing a belly bulge, core weakness, and back pain, commonly caused by pregnancy or excessive abdominal pressure from obesity, coughing, or heavy lifting, as per Cleveland Clinic). She got her belly in, core back up, and made herself feel much stronger.
“From 15 months to 19 months, I lost around 4 to 5 kgs, which is slow, but I'm happy the way it happened because now I do my planks as I used to before pregnancy, and I feel stronger. The backache left the chat. I just got my strength back,” she concluded.
Nidhi Tyagi's postpartum weight loss journey reveals how she prioritised recovery over rapid weight loss, which led to more sustainable results.
Also Read | Fitness Influencer Shares Repeat-Meal Diet After 40 Kg Weight Loss In 5 Months