Postpartum weight loss coaching that starts with eating enough

How long does it take to lose the baby weight?

There isn't one timeline, because it's different for everyone. How your pregnancy went, how your birth and recovery went, whether you're feeding, how much you're sleeping (or not), how much stress you're carrying and how much you're eating all play into it.

Some of my clients see the scale move in the first few months. For others the first real progress shows up somewhere else, like more energy, lifts going up, or jeans that fit again, long before the scale catches up. That's why we look at weekly averages and the full picture, never one weigh-in on a morning after the baby was up four times.

I won't promise you a number by a date. I'll give you a plan that fits the season you're in right now and adjust it as your body, your baby and your schedule change. I'd much rather you lose it slowly and keep it.

How do I lose weight while breastfeeding without hurting my milk supply?

Eat enough, go slow, and keep the changes small and conservative. Making milk takes a lot of energy, and an aggressive calorie deficit is the last thing your body needs while it's feeding a baby.

With breastfeeding clients we usually start at maintenance, or very close to it, and build habits first: protein at every meal, fiber, plenty of water, mostly whole foods, and nothing off limits. If you're hungry, eat. A good snack with protein and fiber is always the answer here, and please don't starve yourself trying to speed things up. Once you're consistent and your numbers settle, we can talk about a small, gradual change and watch how your energy, hunger and supply respond before doing anything else.

If you ever notice your supply dropping or you're worried about it, talk to your provider or a lactation consultant first. They're the right people for that, and I'll adjust your plan around whatever they tell you.

Why can't I lose weight postpartum?

Usually something underneath is getting in the way, and it's very rarely effort. Broken sleep makes hunger harder to manage, stress keeps your body on high alert, your body is still recovering from growing and delivering a human, and plenty of women are eating less than they realize between feeds, naps and everything else.

Stressed bodies hold on. When a client is doing everything right and nothing is moving, there's nothing that you're doing wrong, we just have to work smarter, not harder. That often means eating more, sleeping more where we can, and lifting instead of running yourself into the ground.

Sometimes it's worth looking deeper. After pregnancy, things like thyroid function, iron and cortisol can be worth a look (for me, it was cortisol). With the optional Labs add-on, we look at a functional lab panel together, and the results may suggest where your body needs more support. Anything that needs treatment or medication is a conversation with your doctor, and your protocol is something you can bring to them.

When can I start strength training after giving birth?

Once your provider clears you, and then you start conservatively. Clearance doesn't mean jumping back into the weights you lifted before pregnancy. We start lighter, with fewer sets, focus on breathing and form, and build back up week by week.

Your core does a LOT of work in compound movements like squats, rows and presses, so you don't need 100 crunches a day to get it strong again. Strength training 2-4 times a week is the goal once you're ready.

If you're dealing with leaking, heaviness, pain, or separation in your abs (diastasis recti), please see a pelvic floor physical therapist. I don't treat diastasis recti or pelvic floor issues. A pelvic floor PT is the right person for that, and I'll build your training around their guidance.

How do I find time to work out with a baby?

Shorter workouts, done more often. That's what builds the habit, and it's exactly why I built the FitHer Daily 20: 20-minute workouts you can do during a nap, and the goal is at least 5 days out of 7. If you'd rather train at home, the FitHer Home program only needs dumbbells and a bench, with bands as an option.

Some weeks even 20 minutes isn't happening, and that's okay. Those are the weeks for bare-minimum goals, like hitting your protein and getting a walk in with the stroller. There are seasons for a reason, and the first year with a baby is a season where protecting the basics counts. When you're spread thin, the priority order is calories, then protein, then steps, then strength.

With a newborn, you'll probably need a plan for a normal week, a plan for a crazy week, and a plan for getting back on after you've fallen off, sometimes all in the same month.

What if I get pregnant again?

Then we keep going, carefully. There's a FitHer Prenatal program built for exactly that, and it's conservative by design. Every change gets cleared with your provider, and the focus shifts to feeling good, staying strong and fueling well instead of fat loss.

One of my clients, Jenna, lost 60 lbs in her first year postpartum. In her review below, she shared that she's pregnant again and still lifting 3 days a week.

Written by Lindsay Clements

I'm the coach behind FitHer. I've coached 300+ women online over the last 5+ years, and I healed my own binge eating and postpartum metabolism issues before I ever coached anyone else.

Functional Nutrition and Metabolism Specialist · Certified Nutrition Coach · Certified Personal Trainer · M.S. in data analysis · U.S. Navy veteran (12+ years)

How we work on this in FitHer

Every FitHer program runs on the same three phases. Foundations comes first: eating enough, protein, fiber, sleep where you can get it, steps, and workouts that fit your schedule. Most clients spend a minimum of 4-6 weeks here, and if you're still healing or feeding, we can stay as long as you need.

Progress and fat loss only starts once the basics are consistent and your body is ready, with conservative changes and diet breaks planned in. Then we reverse and maintain, bringing you back to maintenance calories so you keep your results. There is absolutely NOTHING wrong with maintenance, and a lot of postpartum women need to hear that.

On FitHer Coaching and FitHer Custom, I review your check-in every week and we adjust together. On Custom, your training plan is written just for you. The Labs add-on is there if you want to look at your hormones, thyroid, cortisol and iron with real bloodwork.

What women say

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Lindsay is a nutrition coach and personal trainer, not a medical provider, so postpartum exercise clearance, milk supply concerns, pelvic floor or diastasis recti issues, and any medication questions belong with your doctor, midwife, lactation consultant or pelvic floor PT.