Trying to lose weight after a full term pregnancy is one of the most daunting tasks that the new mother often faces, for in addition to the building pressure from herself to regain her original form, the new mother is also faced with the new responsibilities of caring for another life - her own baby.

While women would, in general, like to lose weight in as short a time as possible, for the new mother especially this is often cautioned against. In fact, many advise that a woman who has recently given birth should try to lose the weight as slowly as she gained it during pregnancy. But even the prospect that it could take potentially a year to lose post-partum weight is scary to most new mothers. Accepting this fact however is the first step towards healthy post-partum weight loss.

Once one has accepted that weight loss after the delivery of the baby is just as slow a process as the weight gain (and therefore by accepting this fact also accepts to lose a maximum of three pounds per week), it is much easier to proceed with the proactive steps towards losing that weight.

The first step in fight weight loss - any type of weight loss - is to develop a healthy diet. You are no longer eating for two and likewise your eating habits should reflect this. A good diet not only means eating the right portions however, it also means eating the right food groups. As with any diet, stay away from the fatty foods and watch your carb intake. Be careful however to differentiate between a good healthy diet and simply starving yourself or depriving your body of its basic needs.

Remember too that you would be breast feeding - by itself a draining enough experience. You should therefore have enough energy to satisfy both your baby's needs as well as your own.

Once the healthy diet has been started, the next step is to slowly but surely get into the habit of regular exercise. Nothing gets better results when it comes to weight loss than exercising does. Do not rush the program however, and do not attempt to over exert or push yourself because you could easily get damaged. Simple walks with your baby twice a day around your favorite park is enough to start with for the first few months.

Finally, once you have modified your diet and started regular exercising, it would be a great idea to get involved in a weight-loss support group for new mothers. You may think that this is inessential or that as a new mother you would never be able to find the time, but really a support group is one of the best ideas to help keep you motivated about losing weight, and in addition to help keep your spirits up.