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“I Won’t Torture Myself,” Says New Mum Alia Bhatt As She Talks About Health Postpartum 

“I Won’t Torture Myself,” Says New Mum Alia Bhatt As She Talks About Health Postpartum 

Bollywood star Alia Bhatt has been a fitness enthusiast and talked about body positivity on multiple occasions. Her fans often say that Alia is #fitnessgoals and follow her Instagram diligently to get a sneak peek into her workout routines. But after becoming a mum, and welcoming her daughter Raha with her husband Ranbir Kapoor, Alia has started seeing fitness in a new light and is focusing on working out to build her health rather than losing weight.

In a recent interview with a daily, the new mum spoke candidly about women struggling with their new appearance post-pregnancy. The actor also said that she believes that women tend to put too much pressure on themselves to go back to looking a certain way, and added that she herself had to shed the few extra kilos as there was pressure to look “more appealing” for films. 

Alia Bhatt On The Struggles Of Postpartum Weight Loss

According to Alia, people in today’s age, are more consumed with how they look rather than focusing more on their health. The actor added, “In today’s age, girls even before pregnancy are constantly worried about (how) they look in the pictures appearing on social media. Women should take a moment to appreciate their bodies.”

Alia Bhatt further spoke about how the priority of new mums should be to keep their bodies safe and healthy and added, “not to become thin or make their waist look smaller.” She also said, “It’s just not about getting back to shape, but also building immunity, then everything else will follow.” 

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The actor continued her interview by saying that whenever she works out now, she does it not to become thin, but to be healthy. Her idea is to be fit and not starve by following unhealthy diets. The actor also added, “I made a decision never to be hard on myself, even if there is extra bloatedness or chubbiness here and there. I am going to celebrate it, I won’t torture myself.” 

Health Tips For New Mums

In the interview, Alia shared some of her favourite wellness tips for new mums. She asked mums to eat fresh and healthy vegetables, take lots of protein-rich foods, go for walks, do yoga, and maintain a well-balanced diet. 

However, before you make any changes to your lifestyle, make sure to consult your healthcare provider, as they may have a different recommendation based on your body’s needs. According to the National Library of Medicine, you should wait for at least a month or two before getting back into a fitness routine, or until your doctor gives a clear go-ahead. Again, this duration may vary for each woman and can take longer for those who have had a c-section surgery.

Having said that, there are a few ways you can achieve a healthy weight post-pregnancy. These tips focus more on building back your strength and immunity and firing up your metabolism to help tone your body steadily. 

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7 Wellness Tips For New Mums

alia bhatt postpartum
Do not focus on rapid weight loss, instead, try to follow a healthy lifestyle by consuming balanced and nutritious meals / Image credit: Pexels

Consume A Mix Of Nutrients

You can attain nutritional adequacy by adding foods from all five food groups (fruits, veggies, grains, dairy, and protein) into your diet. It is essential to focus on all food groups because even though two food items may have the same calorific value, they may have a different set of nutrients. 

Consume a healthy mix of all foods, so that you do not miss out on the nutrients from the other food groups. Do not obsess over calories, instead choose healthy foods for your meals. 

Eat Healthy Snacks

A study published in the International Journal of Food Sciences and Nutrition suggests that spreading your energy intake into 4-5 small meals per day may have favourable effects on your health. Therefore, consider having healthy snacks, such as fresh fruits, unsalted nuts, hummus, yogurt, or even a protein bar. 

Do Not Skip Your Meals Or Follow A Fad Diet

Skipping your meals, or following a fad diet shouldn’t be your solution to losing weight. This is because when you deprive your body of nutritious foods, your metabolism rate takes a hit, which further slows down your weight loss process. Also, balanced and nutritious meals are crucial for breastfeeding mums, and without that your overall recovery process may get negatively impacted.

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Avoid Processed Or High Fat/Sugar Foods

Avoid highly processed foods, sugary drinks, and sweetened juices. Various studies indicate that too much fat, sugar, and sodium consumption can contribute to weight gain, salvaging your efforts to lose pregnancy weight. 

Stay Hydrated

Adequate hydration is essential for lactating mums as it is directly associated with breast milk production. Make sure to drink at least 8-10 glasses to boost your breast milk production, which further helps in burning calories.

Try to Get A Good Night’s Sleep

Good quality sleep is essential since a lack of sleep is associated with an increase in the risk of weight gain. Also, inadequate sleep can affect your eating habits, thus impacting your weight loss goals. To improve your sleep quality and restfulness, try magnesium at night or dab a bit of lavender essential oil on your palm and neck before bedtime.

Manage Your Cravings

Cravings are unavoidable, but there’s a way to fix that problem as well. When you crave high-calorie foods, such as ice cream or chocolates, look for healthier alternatives. For instance, you can switch to dark chocolate with less sugar content than standard milk chocolate, or rely on naturally sweet fruits, such as bananas and berries.

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Also, it’s not always possible to swap your cravings with healthier options. So if you feel like having ice cream, go ahead, and enjoy a cup of it. But regulate the portion size of your other meals to ensure balance.

All love to Alia Bhatt for being so open about her body struggles post-pregnancy and wanting to have open conversations about this to support every mum’s journey. We laud her for using different channels to share strong messages with all new mums and encourage them to gentle with themselves and appreciate their bodies more. Also remember, if you have just welcomed your bundle of joy like Alia, don’t go into fitness mode immediately, rather take some time, and wait for your doctor’s approval before making necessary lifestyle changes postpartum.

Also read:

Priyanka Chopra talks about surrogacy: Learn why Priyanka Chopra decided to opt for surrogacy and the complications experienced by her newborn baby.

Bipasha Basu shatters breastfeeding stereotypes: Watch new mum Bipasha Basu shatter breastfeeding stereotypes with this video. 

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Feature Image: Alia Bhatt/ Instagram

20 Jan 2023

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