Garcinia Cambogia is a popular supplement that is used for weight loss. It can help curb your appetite, and make sure that you don’t gain weight so you’ll be more likely to lose the fat that you have.
Breastfeeding women are usually curious if weight loss supplements like Garcinia Cambogia are okay to take. It makes sense that they won’t hurt you because they are all-natural, but you’ll need to consult your doctor first.
Usually, they recommend against taking them while breastfeeding. This is because there is not enough research to be for or against them and there is the possibility of dangerous side effects, so it’s always better to be on the safe side.
In this article
What Is Garcinia Cambogia?
Garcinia Cambogia is a really popular weight loss supplement. It made a splash in the market years ago and appeared to be a trend for months. However, this weight loss supplement never stopped being popular.
Garcinia Cambogia is a plant that calls India and Southeast Asia home. The rind of Garcinia Cambogia has an ingredient called hydroxycitric acid. Hydroxycitric acid has long been studied for its ability to help reduce a person’s appetite.
Is Garcinia Cambogia Effective For Weight Loss?
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The findings contradict themselves quite a bit. Earlier studies were rather quick to report that small numbers of people participating in studies found it to be effective in helping them lose weight.
Later studies revealed that it was not. These studies also do not indicate whether participants were participating in a diet.
The difference in the results of these studies leaves many to question whether Garcinia Cambogia is effective, and, unfortunately, no one knows the answer.
The Side Effects And Dangers Of Garcinia Cambogia
While there aren’t a lot of side effects, it’s important that you don’t ignore them. Common side effects include nausea, diarrhea, and headache. Less common, but more serious, side effects include liver problems.
Some people have been reported to have liver toxicity after taking products with this as an ingredient. Others only took Garcinia Cambogia and still had problems with their liver.
Why You Should Not Take Garcinia Cambogia While Breastfeeding
Studies on breastfeeding mothers have reported that taking Garcinia Cambogia while breastfeeding does affect the baby.
The babies have less of an appetite and tend to metabolize fat a little bit faster. This means that it might actually work, but you don’t want your baby on a weight loss program.
It Can Cause A Nutritional Imbalance
Not only can it mean that you don’t have an appetite, but it can also mean that you’re not eating the nutritional foods that you need. Everything that you eat, and do not eat, have an impact on your baby.
They rely on you for all of their nutrition needs. When you aren’t eating a healthy diet, your baby is not getting all of the vitamins and nutrients that they need either.
There Is A Risk To Your Baby
If taking Garcinia Cambogia can harm your liver, and it’s passed on through breastmilk, it’s safe to assume that it can also cause a significant amount of harm to your baby.
In addition to that, it can suppress their appetite. That means that your little one might not be getting the nutrients and calories that they need in order to thrive. It’s best to avoid this supplement entirely while breastfeeding.
How To Lose The Baby Weight
If you’re considering taking a weight loss supplement, it’s more than likely to get rid of that extra bit of stubborn baby fat. I’ve been there. I’ve wanted to hurry up and get my body back.
With my first child, it happened significantly quickly, but it took discipline both during pregnancy and after pregnancy. With my second, it took quite a while, but I found two things that worked really well.
Here are all the weight loss tricks I used that worked for me, and a few that I’ve heard have worked for other mothers.
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Avoid Gaining It If You Can
If you’re still pregnant, you can avoid gaining extra weight while you’re pregnant. It’s important not to take weight loss supplements when you’re pregnant, but you can eat healthily and exercise.
Avoid things full of empty calories, like soda. Try to eat foods that are more natural, like salads. Simply walking every day can help prevent packing on the pounds too.
During my first pregnancy, I had heartburn so badly I had to quit drinking soda. That eliminated the caffeine from my diet. I considered whether I would feed a toddler something before eating it myself.
Keeping that in mind eliminated a lot of the junk food out of my diet. I was so healthy I actually started losing weight when I was pregnant. I still gained a bit of baby fat, but it wasn’t as bad as it could have been.
Hang A Pair Of Jeans You Want To Fit Again On The Fridge
I did this after having my first baby. I picked a pair of my favorite pre-pregnancy jeans and put them right in the kitchen. You can hang them on the door to the refrigerator too.
Keep in mind that you don’t have to use a pair of jeans. In fact, you can do this with any article of clothing that you want to fit again.
Every time that you reach in the fridge, you’ll be reminded of your weight loss goals. That will help remind you to eat healthier.
Try To Avoid Stress
With my second child, the weight was a lot harder to lose. This was partly because the cravings were irresistible, I was on bed rest which made exercise impossible, and I gained so much weight it was probably unhealthy for us both.
However, it wasn’t until years later that I got back down to my pre-pregnancy state. It wasn’t because I stuck to a weight loss plan for those few years either. Instead, it was one drastic change.
One that cut the majority of stress out of my life. I broke up with his dad. Being single was like a breath of fresh air. I felt free. I was happy.
Stress not only makes you gain weight, but it can also make it harder to lose weight. It can be tough to not be stressed when you have an infant at home. Try these tips to cut back on the stress:
- Sleep when the baby sleeps so you get as much rest as you can
- Let other people watch the baby so you can relax
- Relax with meditation or bubble baths
- Don’t pressure yourself to be the perfect mom
- Take time for yourself every day
- If you breastfeed, consider pumping so you can have a break when you need one
Taking care of an infant can be, and is, exhausting. Make sure that you take good care of yourself to help prevent burnout, and help you lose weight faster.
Pay Attention To Inches You Lose
- Measuring range: 0 to 60 inches and 0 to 150 centimeters. There is a centimeter scale on the back, which is accurately printed in inches and centimeters. Both sides can be measured according to your requirements. You can put one in your pocket or backpack without taking up too much space
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There’s nothing wrong with stepping on the scale to see how many pounds you’ve lost. However, this can hurt you in the long run. At some point, you’ll stop losing weight. This isn’t always because you’ve hit a plateau.
Sometimes, as your body builds muscle and loses fat, you simply balance out so the number on the scale stays the same. This is why it’s handy to use a fabric tape measure to keep track of how many inches your waistline is.
It’s another method of measuring your progress that can be extremely effective in maintaining your motivation.
Develop Healthy Lifestyle Habits
The above can help you with that short-term weight loss goal. Long-term changes are geared towards having a healthier lifestyle that will help you maintain a healthy weight.
For example, if you eat a lot of processed foods, that alone can help you gain weight. It happens even if you’re not pregnant. This can make it harder to lose weight.
As a bonus, those healthy habits can last a lifetime, which means that you aren’t likely to gain weight in the future. This is more than just a crash diet or even a diet at all. Instead, this approach focuses on making lifestyle changes.
Make Small Changes At A Time
Keep in mind that when you take this route, you’re looking for long-term change.
One of the reasons that we have such a hard time sticking to diets and new routines is because either they make us miserable or we make too many drastic changes at a time.
You can’t change your entire routine without stressing yourself out. That’s the last thing that you need if you have a new baby at home.
Instead, focus on one or two small changes a week. For example, commit to going for a morning walk with the baby every day. Even if it’s just a walk around the block.
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You can also start eating a healthier meal or snack. Don’t change your entire diet right away if you don’t think you can stick to it. Simply eat a more natural lunch every day.
Once you’ve done that for a week, implement another change, such as meditating on Wednesdays. You want to take small steps to reach the long-term goal. Progress is always a process.
As you set goals for yourself, remember that you should focus on eating healthy, being more active, and de-stressing. These three key areas are what are going to help you lose weight.
Healthy Eating
You can get lost for hours trying to figure out the perfect diet to lose weight. It is easy to get engrossed in trying to figure out how many grams of protein you need. If that works for you, go for it.
Personally, it didn’t work for me. I try to make changes that I’m going to stick with when I do make them, so I opted to simply stick with healthy food groups.
This worked out wonderfully for me because I love fruits and vegetables. I can happily eat a salad with spinach leaves every day for lunch. I can eat a bowl full of grapes as a snack.
Fruits and vegetables are filling and surprisingly low in calories, so the more you eat the better off you are when it comes to your waistline.
Although I mentioned two different approaches, there are thousands. Take the time to decide on one that will work for you, and that you can stick to. What one person loves, another one hates.
Exercise
Incorporating exercise into your life is important if you’re looking to lose weight. Not only does it help you burn calories, but it helps you be healthy.
When you focus on being healthy, your waistline will gradually become slimmer. Exercise doesn’t mean that you need to go power lift at the gym.
While most gyms offer daycares in my area, this isn’t common across the world. That’s okay. You don’t need a gym membership to be healthy.
In fact, you don’t need anything! Going for a walk is free. If you have access to the internet, you can check out YouTube for free exercise videos.
Some Youtubers post weekly videos, so it’s like having your own personal trainer. Doing core exercises, like squats, planks, and walking, are great for your abdominal muscles.
Don’t forget to balance things out when you’re working out on your own. Too many leg days and no arm days are going to result in legs of steel with flabby arms. If you’re doing toning exercises, make sure that you tone the different areas of your body.
De-Stressing
Stress makes your body produce a hormone called cortisol. According to articles and studies like this one, it sends you into a downhill spiral of weight gain.
From making your body crave sweets to making it harder to lose weight, stress can contribute to obesity as much as unhealthy foods.
It can be hard not to be stressed when your life suddenly revolves around a tiny human, but there are some things you can do.
Identifying and eliminating other sources of stress can make you less stressed in general. If you’re known for using social media a lot, consider cutting back.
Studies indicate that social media can have a disastrous effect on your mental health, including higher levels of stress.
If housework is giving you anxiety, consider hiring a cleaning service to come to the house once a week to help you keep up on it. When you break down stress into individual triggers, you quickly discover that it’s easier to manage.
To manage the everyday stress that you’re stuck with, practice relaxation techniques like the ones mentioned above.
Simply soaking in a bubble bath can help me feel relaxed, sleep better and wake up feeling ready to take on the day. This was a nightly ritual when my older kids were younger.
Make Yourself A Priority
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If you want to make positive changes that lead to positive results, you’re going to have to learn to make yourselves a priority. It’s common, especially among new mothers, to let their entire lives revolve around the new baby.
When you’re breastfeeding, your life does revolve around your feeding schedule.
Sometimes, we get a bit too enmeshed with our children though. It’s important to maintain hobbies that you love. Talk to your friends. Ignore mom guilt and send the little ones to a babysitter to go out for a night.
This will have a positive impact in quite a few areas. First, it’s great for your mental health. Second, when you make yourself a priority, you make your goals, like that weight loss goal, a priority too.
In Conclusion
While it might not be safe to take Garcinia Cambogia while breastfeeding, you do have plenty of options for weight loss.
First, decide if you’re looking for something long-term or short-term. Then, take the plunge to get started! You can still lose the baby weight.
