My 54-Pound Postpartum Weight Loss Journey + 5 Tips to Lose Weight After Pregnancy
My whole life I struggled with my weight. After having my baby, I lost over 50 pounds—without following a strict diet or paying for an expensive gym membership. In this post, I’m sharing my postpartum weight loss tips that helped me lose weight naturally after pregnancy.
My Pregnancy Weight Gain Story
During my first trimester, I had nausea from weeks 6–17. I don’t like calling it “morning sickness” because it lasted from the moment I woke up until I went to bed.
Nothing helped—not ginger ale, not crackers. I craved only steamed white rice, potato chips, hash browns, and tater tots. I rarely vomited, but I constantly felt like my stomach was turning.
By my second month of pregnancy, I had actually lost 5 pounds. But at 17 weeks, the nausea finally went away, and I could eat normally again. I started walking for 30 minutes every day during my lunch break at work and ate fairly healthy.
I didn’t start gaining weight until 20 weeks, and I gained the most during my third trimester (hello, nightly ice cream runs 🍦). By the end, I had gained 27 pounds.
How I Lost Weight After Pregnancy
Like many new moms, I struggled with the baby blues and postpartum anxiety, which caused a complete loss of appetite. Two weeks after giving birth, I had already lost all 27 pregnancy pounds.
It took about six weeks postpartum for my appetite to return. But surprisingly, my weight kept going down. By 9 months postpartum, I was down 54 pounds!—the lowest and healthiest I’ve ever been.
Now, I’m sharing the 5 main strategies that helped me lose weight after pregnancy—naturally and sustainably.
1. Stay Hydrated
Dehydration is common postpartum, especially if you’re breastfeeding. Always keep water nearby to support your energy, milk supply, and metabolism.
💧 My favorite water bottle: Beast Tumbler – keeps water cold all day, fits in most cup holders, and comes in cute colors.
2. Meal Planning & Meal Prep
Meal prepping is a lifesaver when you have a newborn. It keeps you from skipping meals, helps you make healthier choices, and saves time.
My meal prep tips for postpartum weight loss:
- Set aside one day a week to prep large batches of food for the week.
- Pre-chop fruits and veggies and store them in airtight containers.
- Double dinner recipes so you have easy leftovers for lunch.
- Use an Instant Pot for quick, healthy meals.
- Try Amazon Fresh for grocery delivery to save time.
3. Breastfeeding for Weight Loss
Breastfeeding can burn 500–700 extra calories a day. But remember—don’t drastically cut calories or go on extreme diets. This can hurt your milk supply.
4. Limit Dairy and Gluten (If Needed)
When I was breastfeeding, my daughter was colicky and gassy after every feeding. I eliminated dairy and gluten for a week and then reintroduced them one at a time. I discovered dairy was the culprit.
Once I removed it from my diet, my baby slept better—and I lost weight even faster.
If you love dairy but are sensitive to it, try:
- Organic raw milk from a trusted farm
- Goat’s milk
- Kalona SuperNatural Organic Whole Milk
Dairy-Free Recipes:
5. Gentle Postpartum Exercise
Wait until at least 6–8 weeks postpartum (and get your doctor’s OK) before starting vigorous exercise.
Benefits of postpartum exercise:
- Strengthens and tones abdominal muscles
- Boosts energy
- Helps prevent postpartum depression
- Improves sleep
- Relieves stress and anxiety
Easy ways to move postpartum:
- Walk 30 minutes, 4 days a week (use a jogging stroller once baby is older)
- Light cleaning and organizing (yes, it burns calories!)
- Gentle yoga or stretching
Final Thoughts: You Can Do This!
Losing weight after pregnancy doesn’t have to mean expensive gym memberships or programs. Small, consistent changes—like staying hydrated, prepping meals, breastfeeding, and gentle movement—add up over time.
You’ve got this, mama! 💖
📌 Question for you:
What’s your biggest struggle with postpartum weight loss? Comment below or send me a DM on Instagram or Facebook.
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17 COMMENTS
Miriam
7 years agoOmg !!!! U look great
ThriftyBrittany
7 years ago AUTHORThank you!
Cassie
7 years agoVery helpful, as all of your blog posts are <3
ThriftyBrittany
7 years ago AUTHORThank you I’m glad you find them helpful!
Cindy
7 years agoYou look great. I find it always takes me a while to lose weight. I try to give myself some time and space postpartum without expectations. Healthy habits are way more important than a number on a scale.
ThriftyBrittany
7 years ago AUTHORThank you!
I agree healthy habits are the key to a healthy and happy life.
I wasn’t even trying to lose the weight. I didn’t care about my weight while i was pregnant or postpartum. I just made healthy choices mostly due to breastfeeding. Everything that I do and eat effects my baby.
Losing weight is just an added bonus. 😊
Breanna | Messy Buns and Mom Jeans
7 years agoI find meal prep necessary for my for my weight loss because I would forget to eat all day then binge at night!
ThriftyBrittany
7 years ago AUTHORIm the same way. I make bad decisions when I’m hangry!
Kate
7 years agoLooking great Mama absolutely love your post and can relate after having five children myself the struggle is real but so is the ability to achieve your goal. I love your 30 week photo. Thanks for your share xo
ThriftyBrittany
7 years ago AUTHORFive children? Your amazing! Yes the struggle is real! Thanks for the feedback.
Abby
7 years agoSuper helpful post! Breastfeeding has been my personal saving grace when it comes to weightloss and I’m so grateful I was able to do it.
ThriftyBrittany
7 years ago AUTHORIm glad you found my post helpful. We are so fortunate that Breastfeeding helped us lose weight!
Kajal
7 years agoHi Brittany, great tips and thank you for sharing your experience with us. When it comes to post-partum exercise I have noted that Yoga works well to lose weight without it being too strenuous. It also helps reduce anxiety and stress which is a double bonus.
ThriftyBrittany
7 years ago AUTHORThank you for your feedback! I have been wanting to try out yoga too, but not sure where to start?
Akshaya @ Cabinet of Thoughts
6 years agoI love these tips.
Mkyla Ishii
6 years agoI am on my weight loss journey and I agree that combined exercise and a healthy diet is important.
It does not have to be 1000 steps or anything like that. Start with small things such as walking in the park. From there, build momentum and improve daily. Weight loss should be enjoyable and rewarding at the end. Also, small habits such as keeping fruit in the fridge and healthy snacks such as roasted almonds could give you a huge payoff in the long term.
One other thing that can help is starting a diet journey with a written plan and a journal. You want to come up with a system that you can follow and adjust based on your situation. I keep a list of exercises, progress and food recipes that help me with my diet.
I love tea! I keep a bunch of tea recipes in my journal. I benefited from the Red tea detox program. It has a bunch of ingredients that help to reduce hunger and production of stress hormones. It helps me to cut my binge eating habit that I have tried to get rid of since forever.
Personally I follow the all in one guide from fatlosshabbit.com, they have the best Red tea detox recipes plus all the exercises and diet plan necessary to give you results in just 14 days. I hope this helps you and good luck in your weight loss journey.