Hydrate. Drink lots of water throughout the day, especially if you're breastfeeding. Water will help keep you hydrated and full, and research suggests that drinking two 8-ounce glasses before meals may help you shed pounds.
Don't skimp on sleep. Sleep will be tough with an infant in tow, but research shows that sleep deprivation can hinder weight loss. In a 2007 Harvard Medical School study, new mothers who slept five hours or less each night were three times more likely to retain weight by their baby's first birthday than mothers who slept seven hours. And mothers who got less sleep a year after delivery than they did after six months had twice the risk of holding on to excess weight.
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