How Long Does It Take To Lose the Weight Postpartum? Spilling the Tea on Weight Loss Timelines & Programs Promising “Instant” Results
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We all know it's not logical to expect to lose ALL the weight gained in pregnancy by 6 weeks postpartum, but what about 9 months? Right? 9-10 months to grow a baby, 9-10 months to lose the weight! And if THAT mom can do it with THOSE workouts and THAT diet, it should work for me too... right?
Wrong. We're going to dig into the truth behind weight loss timelines, what "works", and what is REALISTIC for you, your habits, and TRUE lifestyle change!
We all know by now not logical to expect to lose all the weight gained in pregnancy super fast, but what IS realistic? And HOW do you make it happen?
Weight Loss Timelines
Don’t set a timeline for yourself
Instead of focusing on the END GOAL, focus on the PROCESS you're going through
Programs That Promise Quick Results
A big part of this is YOUR MINDSET
ANY program out there WILL have a length — 30 days, 3 weeks, 4 months, 2 weeks
What YOU need to change is your thinking around that timeframe being slapped on the name of a program
It IS possible to see incremental progress doing programs like that one at a time OVER time
Mindset is a huge piece of it that YOU need to keep in check — not expecting to get ALL the way to your end result OR make HUGE leaps from just 1 program done one time
So what you can expect and DO to make things happen?
MINDSET is first, as always!
Drop the expectations around weight loss and don't set yourself on a timeline
Wrap your mind around importance of consistency
Build the Foundation
These are simple, just not always easy
Eat more whole foods than processed foods
aka don't focus on dieting that will leave you on the roller coaster of restrict and go back to old habits
Move your body
don't put all your trust in exercise alone
Prioritize sleep
don't discount the value of having routine and discipline in your day so you DO get to sleep at a decent time considering when you wake up
Consistency
Wrap your mind around your NEED for this
You likely won’t get to the point you want to physically in just a few months
If you're thinking that way, you will fall off after a few weeks or months, go back to old habits, and will stay stuck and frustrated
TRUE change happens when you do the simple things consistently over time — day in and day out
So what’s the missing piece for you?
Is it a shift you need to make in your mindset?
Are you missing one of the foundational pieces that is needed for weight loss?
Or do you just NEED TO BE CONSISTENT?
Identify which one it is and TAKE ACTION! Do something. That something you do will likely feel so small and insignificant, BUT THAT'S HOW IT SHOULD FEEL! Because that's how you make sustainable change.
Get after it!
Are you ready to go from overwhelmed and stuck to disciplined and consistent in your journey?
Book your Starting Point Session and let's get you on track to your healthiest life!
FULL TRANSCRIPT
[00:00:00] We all know it's not logical to expect to lose all the weight gain in pregnancy by six weeks postpartum or even for, you know, 2, 3, 4 months postpartum. But how about nine months? Right? Nine, 10 months to grow a baby nine, 10 months to lose the weight. Right. And if that mom can do it, and if those workouts and that diet worked for her.
It should work for me too. Right? We're going to dig into the truth of all of this today, or spilling the tea as young ins would say on wait, last timelines, but works. And what is realistic to do? You're going to learn what to expect with your weight loss timeline and what does actually work for everyone across the board when it comes to postpartum weight loss, when it comes to time.
And when it comes to what actually gets you results. Now, if you need the how, because it's great to know what to expect and understand the basics, but how means, where do you start? What's going to be your process of building those foundations and getting to that point where you want to get in your journey.
That can be [00:01:00] hard to figure out, which is why I offer starting point sessions where you'll figure out why you're stuck. Identify. And learn how to stay consistent. So this becomes a lifestyle living healthy. Isn't this? Okay. I did it for a little while and I'm there and I'm good. It's your life? So, if you're ready to finally figure out what's keeping you stuck in your journey and move forward in your habits with competence and direction and accountability.
This is for you head to the tough love mom.com backslash coaching to book your sessions. I recommend the package of three because you get three sessions for the price of two, and you can get unstuck in your journey, guidance on where to build on your starting point. And you're going to get real accountability for true lifestyle change.
But if you're not all about the one-on-one. And worried about the time commitment and you know, 45 minutes, whatnot. If that worries you hang tight because I've got something coming just for you. It's in the works right now, but it will bless you so much, but if you do need change right now, go book your starting point session.
All right. Let's dive in to weight loss [00:02:00] timelines. And what does work?
Pay mama. Welcome to the tough love mom podcast. I know you're here because you're ready to get consistent and finally lose that weight. And you're not afraid of a little tough love, you know, what to do to lose weight, but following through on those things feels and possible. You wish you could just feel like your strong, confident self again, and want to be good example for your little ones, but you get.
Bye mom guilt and the unpredictability of motherhood. It's frustrating. Taking a new journey. Postpartum is hard, but it's not impossible. Okay. I'm Liz. And I've been where you are. I gained a lot of weight in my pregnancies, 90 pounds, and then 60 pounds. I needed to lose that weight, to take control of my health.
And honestly just wanted to feel like myself again, but the sustainable approach to weight loss, symbol, consistency, and working on my mindset. I lost it all in just over a year, both times. And [00:03:00] I'm here to help you do the same. I believe that we have an ingrained ability to figure out what we need to do, make it happen and do it in a way that AHS the world.
If you're ready to stop falling off the wagon, create solid routine and healthy habits and finally feel your best inside and out all while enjoying dyno nuggets on your salad, you are in the right place. We're about to transform your journey. My friend get pumped up. It's tough luck
personally. I knew that my weight loss and recovery timeline would take as long as it would take. So it was annoying to see programs touting flat belly in 30 days or 12, 12 week AB rehab and, you know, back to having a flat stomach and the pictures that you see of people that get results from these programs.
It's, you know, I saw that and I knew it wasn't really. 'cause I knew stuff like that took a lot of time, especially after having my second, because I had walked at once. So let's first talk about what can be expected with a weight [00:04:00] loss timeline. First off, don't set a two to three month timeline or even one for nine months.
If you're a mom who loses. You know, before nine months or even with, uh, within a few months, that's just how your body responds postpartum. Even if you do nothing and that's okay. Every mom's body is so different. And if you've never been postpartum before, or if this is your first time around, you really don't know what to expect, but even if you've been postpartum before, and this is your second, third, fourth time, whatever.
We can't always put a timeline. We might know generics of what to expect of what our unique body does, but we can't put a set timeline on our bodies because every body is so different. Every pregnancy is so different. So again, unless you have a baseline to work from and have gone through postpartum before and know how your body tends to respond with similar habits, drop any expectation of a timeline.
Even me, the second time around, I really was like, okay, I'm gonna myself at least a year. And if I'm totally off track a year from now, Well, totally reevaluate. [00:05:00] So. What this does when you focus too much on a timeline is you're focusing on the end goal so much, you get consumed by it. So instead of doing that, instead of focusing on that end goal, focus on the process that you're going through.
Okay. So that's first off drop the timeline, drop the expectation for that. But what about the habits and the things to do to actually even have weight loss? We'll get there. I promise, but I also need to. Programs that promise instant or quick results. A big part of this is mindset. Yes. Your mindset. Okay.
Not what they're marketing, not what they're saying, not what it's titled as, but it's about you because we're going to get your mind straight on this. So you can see those through the right lens. See those from the right perspective. Any program out there we'll have a. Okay. 30 days, three weeks, four months, two weeks, like everything out there has a length TV programs like art that the TV series that we watch on Netflix or DVR those have a length.
[00:06:00] The. Let's think about like albums, like music albums. I don't even know why I'm bringing that up. The CDs we used to have, you know, like 12, 14 songs that had a length, uh, programs that you go through for working out half a length. They're not like forever and ever infinity and beyond. So just know that stuff.
Uh, a length of time attached to it. What you need to change is your thinking around that timeframe being slapped on the name of a program or the description of that program. Now, if it's offering you to go from a, to Z in your journey, like literally from your starting point, all the way to the very end goal, where you're at your realistic point, and it's promising you that in 30 days, You need to know that's not realistic.
What it might do is take you from a to C or a to D, but it's not going to take you all the way to Z your first go round. Okay. Buyer beware. If it's going to, if it's promising like results all the way to the end within, you know, a couple of weeks, a couple months, that's just not realistic, but it might get you from a to B or a, to [00:07:00] C within a few weeks, for sure.
So it is possible to see incremental progress doing programs that have a timeline slapped on them. But often what you see as people are doing these over and over and over again, or people are doing. You know, back-to-back programs work consistency. That's the key of it. So if you see something with a timeline, slap to it or a timeframe on the name of it, you need to make sure you're checking your thoughts because mindset is a huge piece of it that you need to keep in check.
Okay. Not expecting to get all the way to your end result or make huge leaps of progress from just one program that's set for three weeks or 30 days or. To expect any results within a certain amount of time. You just have to let your body do what it's going to do. And then. This comes back to, instead of focusing on the end result, focus on the process.
So what can you expect and actually do to make things happen? Mindset is always first. You knew I was going to bring this up [00:08:00] as always, you know, what to expect here, but drop the expectations around postpartum. Okay, don't set yourself on a timeline. Listen, go all the way back to December to episode two, if you struggle with doing that was one of the top episodes still to this day about dropping expectations and letting go of perfection.
And I also want you to wrap your mind around the importance of consistency. We'll get into that. Okay, next up, you're going to build the foundation. You know what? These are, they're simple. They're just not always easy. So some of these foundations of weight loss, what you can actually do to start making things happen, to see progress in your journey, start eating more whole foods than processed foods, move your body and prioritize, sleep.
Super, super simple. But we know when we're not sleeping, cortisol is raised in our body. That increases our appetite. It makes our body hold on to weight. So sleep is really about. Sometimes we can't control that postpartum, but we can control when we go to bed. When we're getting up, all that stuff, move your.
[00:09:00] Moving your body is not just about burning calories. There's so much more that goes into that too. When it comes to mood control, hormones, you know, feeling good in general, gaining strength. That's what moving your body can do for you. Aside from burning calories. It's not just what it's for. And then eating.
When it comes to nutrition, it can get so complicated and so hazy, and then you can fall for like, I don't want to call them quick fixes because there are ways of eating. You might call them diets. Are beneficial for people to do long-term if it works for them, but when we want to make things simple, we need to look at it simply.
And that's eating more foods that are closer to their whole, how they are created form versus processed. So that's like saying, okay, I want a good source of protein having an egg versus having a protein powder. What's what's more closer to its whole form in egg. Same thing with. We can talk about having veggie chips.
You know, they make those like veggie chips that are sliced [00:10:00] and then baked or whatever, veggie chips versus frozen vegetables. Well, the frozen ones are a lot closer to their whole. Then something that's been chopped and baked and put with seasoning on it. So just think when you're shopping, when you're cooking, when you're making your plate, you don't need to be eating all whole foods all the time.
Perfect diet doesn't need to happen. Just have more whole foods more often than you're having processed foods. Like I said, I brought up the study, um, handful of episodes ago, but there was a study done about eating, to feeling a fullness to satiety. They had two groups. Where one ate a diet that was mostly processed food and the other ADA diet that was mostly whole food.
And they just told the groups to eat to satiety, eat till they were feeling full and content with how much they were eating. And the people who ate a diet of whole foods naturally on a daily basis were in a caloric deficit based on what they burned throughout the day. So they were [00:11:00] naturally going to lose weight just by eating more whole.
Those the eighth and more processed food diet, they were naturally just by going off of their hunger cues of their body over consuming calories, because that's what processed food does to our bodies. It confuses our brain chemistry. It confuses all of the signals going off in our body and we overeat. So just eat more whole foods and processed foods.
Keep it simple. Okay. Those are the foundation's nutrition. Just focus on more whole foods. Non-processed foods and tune into your hunger cues. That's really important to be able to do move your body prioritize, sleep. Okay. This can also mean don't focus on dieting that will leave you on the roller coaster of restrict.
And then going back to old habits, don't put all of your trust in exercise alone, right? We know nutrition is the foundation underneath these things. And again, don't discount the value of having routine and discipline in your day. So you do get to sleep at a decent time considering when you. So last, but not least aside from mindset, building the right foundations, [00:12:00] I want to make sure that you really take into consideration the importance of consistency when it comes to your weight loss journey.
When it comes to this timeline, you, you need to wrap your mind around your need for. Consistency. Isn't just about getting results. Consistency is what helps you build a lifestyle. And I know, you know, you likely won't get to the point where you want to be physically in just a few months. Truly. If you're thinking that way you will fall off after a few weeks or a few months, you'll go back to old habits and you will stay stuck and frustrated.
True change happens when you do the simple things consistently over time. Yes. Day in and day out. What does that look like? What can you do again? Eat whole foods more often than processed foods, move your body consistently and in a way that honors where you're at in your journey, right? Like we don't need to be doing an intense workout, six weeks post postpartum.
And honestly, when you're a couple years postpartum, challenge yourself, like get out there and get stronger. [00:13:00] Challenge yourself. Push. And then get to sleep at a decent time period. Stop using the hours like hours. We don't need hours to decompress. Mama. We don't need hours to decompress from the day with stuff that is empty and doesn't actually help you decompress.
I'm just calling it for what it is. Mindless, snacking, scrolling, staring at the TV. These things don't actually help you decompress. What w what's really happening is we're brushing stuff under the rug. We're not confronting feelings are not confronting stress. We're just brushing it under the. You're really not decompressing.
I mean, yeah, for like a little bit, it can definitely help, but if we're doing that for hours and staying up too late and then not getting up when we want to get up and then we're not working out and then we're not eating well. I mean, it's just, it can cycle one way or it can cycle the other and all it takes is some discipline around getting to bed.
I know it sounds so simple. Um, and not trying to patronize you. I'm just speaking. To what is, and what holds us back because you need to hear it from someone, right. And I'm here to do that for [00:14:00] you. So when it comes to nutrition, More whole foods than processed foods. And it doesn't need a big of be, be a big shift.
If you had a lot of processed foods right now, just start adding in a couple extra whole foods each day, nothing crazy. We do not need to make major big jumps and chefs. That's not how we make lasting change. You're here because you want this healthy lifestyle to be a life style, which means it's your day in and day out.
It's just who you are. You can have a lifestyle of, you know, not having much discipline with your time management. You can have a lifestyle of just eating whatever there is. Whenever no matter if you're hungry or not, you can have lifestyle just working out when it's convenient, that's a lifestyle. And it's a choice after a certain amount of time.
Or you can choose to have a different lifestyle and you take that on and change it. One thing at a time. So what's the missing piece for you? Is it a shift you need to make in your mindset? That's the first part that is so foundational. [00:15:00] That's like the foundation under the foundation of nutrition as the foundation.
So do you need to shift your mindset? Are you missing one of the foundational pieces that's needed for weight loss? Often that's, that's where the biggest misstep is, is we got to tweak some things with our mindset, and then we need to get one of those foundations rebuilt. So our, our weight loss tower or a little building doesn't grumble, or do you just need to be consistent?
It's one of those three things. Often we need to make some tweaks in our mindset. First, we need to rebuild some of those foundational pieces and then we need to stay consistent. Identify which one you need to look at first and then take action. Promise me that, do something. And hold up. I need to say this.
That's something that you do that change that you make will likely feel so small and insignificant, but that is how it should feel. Okay. If you're making the tiniest change. And I mean, like if you're going okay, I need to go from less processed foods to more [00:16:00] whole foods. So I'm just going to add. I'm going to, I'm going to switch out one snack.
I'm gonna switch out those Doritos for some carrots or something like, or for a banana. I mean, literally it can be that simple, do that for a few days, make it a habit. It seems so small and insignificant, doesn't it. But that is how you make sustainable change. I promise I have helped women do it. I have see I'm I'm seeing women do it right now.
Women I'm working with in my starting point sessions. This is how they're making change and they are seeing, they're not just going, oh yeah, I did it. And I'm white knuckling it and I'm figuring it out and I'm losing weight. Yay. They're going. No, like I naturally just like reach for something healthier. I naturally think before I go mindlessly snack, I mean, they're seeing true.
And it's because they're focusing on literally seemingly insignificant things that really are huge. They're foundational and it starting with mindset and then rebuilding those foundations and then staying consistent. So if you need help in identifying what that small shift needs to [00:17:00] be or which one to start with, because it can feel like there's, there are, I mean, it doesn't feel like there are a lot to choose from, which is why I'm creating a way for you to figure that out on your own, which will come out later this year.
Some of it. You might just need help staying consistent with the small changes, whatever it is. That's what right now my starting point sessions are for. So you can grab one call so we can identify your starting point and come up with an action plan to get you on stuck in your journey. Or you can go grab three so we can not only identify that starting point.
But I'll be able to give you accountability for almost two whole months, accountability and guidance. And when to add a new small shifts, because over the course of two months, you're going to be, you know, start it. You're going to get your starting point. And then you're going to get a couple stepping stones.
You're going to master a couple of habits over the course of a few months when you grab three sessions. So I call these things that come after the starting points, stepping stones on your path. It is so awesome. So if you need that, go to the tough love mom.com backslash [00:18:00] coaching and get on my books so we can get you unstuck making changes and consistent in those changes.
So you can not only lose weight, right? Like, I feel like so many of the things we've talked about today, weight loss was on the back burner because it's just a result. Like it's just something that it's secondary, these changes you make. That's what you start focusing on and the weight. Without you even noticing because you are making actual changes that you will sustain for a lifetime.
So let's get you making these changes and getting on the path to making healthy, living your true lifestyle. I'll see you there before you go. Thank you for spending this time with me on the tough love mom podcast. If this episode encouraged you in any way, the number one way you can thank me is to leave her a review, letting me know how the show has impacted you.
Then. Send this episode to another mom friend, or take a screenshot posted on social media and tag me so I can personally thank you for helping me on this journey to impact thousands of moms. I'm so grateful to be on this journey with [00:19:00] your sister until next time. Get after it.
