Kim Kardashian's post-baby diet tips

Kim Kardashian revealed how she got her post-baby figure back this week via Twitter, and the reality star accredited the Atkin Diet to her baby-weight loss. 

Kim looks beautiful lately, showing off her curves in tight and sometimes cleavage baring pieces.

Considering the scrutiny she got whilst she was pregnant it was no wonder the new mum was on a mission to look her best when she came back out infront of the cameras. 

It’s important to remember childbirth is no small feat and the body needs time to rest and recover, before concerns turn to squeezing into those pre-pregnancy jeans. Too many new mums turn to faddy, quick fix diets to shed the pounds, putting their health and – if breastfeeding – that of their newborn at risk. 

Kim is said to have skipped stage one of the Atkins diet, where you cut out all carbs, and headed for stage 2 where brown rice and wholewheat pasta are introduced. As she was breastfeeding she needed to ensure she had the right nutrients for both her and North. 

Linda O’Byrne, chief nutritionist for the New Atkins Nutritional Approach, said: “Before embarking on any weight loss plan, new mums need to first consult their doctor to gain advice on when to start dieting and exercising.

“Typically, you lose up to 10 pounds during childbirth and then additional weight falls off in the weeks following as you shed retained fluids. However, the fat stored during pregnancy is slower to budge.

“Losing baby weight shouldn’t be seen as a race and it’s important that realistic goals are set. Aim to lose one to two pounds per week until you hit your target weight, but bear in mind that to shed the stones and get back to your pre-pregnancy weight, it could take six months or even longer.”

If you're looking on losing some of your baby weight, or are considering the New Atkins Nutritional Approach, follow Linda's top tips below. 

• As with all phases of Atkins, build your diet around moderate protein intake, including meat, poultry, seafood, eggs as well as healthy natural fats such as olive and flaxseed oil, nuts/seeds and their butters, as well as avocados
• Eat plenty of vegetables and two servings of fruit each day, such as strawberries, blueberries or grapefruit
• Read ingredient labels and avoid unhealthy hydrogenated oils
• Drink plenty of water. Aim for eight glasses of water a day (8oz) - more if you are breastfeeding
• Eat small, frequent meals and enjoy regular, healthy snacks to keep hunger pangs at bay and your energy levels high
• Once you have the go-ahead from your doctor to exercise, try to walk 30 minutes a day at a comfortable pace. If you already had an exercise routine prior to pregnancy and/or during pregnancy, now’s the time to slowly ease back into it
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ADVICE FOR BREASTFEEDING MUMS

It’s important to understand the job the body is doing while breastfeeding and how diet can affect this, to ensure both mum and baby stay healthy and energised.

Linda continued: “When breastfeeding you are using your own calories to feed your baby, so cutting these down too early or drastically may interfere with milk production.

“Additionally, too rapid weight loss, combined with the release of toxins stored in fat cells, means these might also be transmitted into breast milk, which is unhealthy for baby.

“Nursing mums may need to add up to an extra 500 calories per day, to ensure a total daily calorie intake of 2,000 to 2,200 calories. However, you can safely drop to 1,800 calories a day once your baby is two months old.

“When it comes to Atkins, we advise breastfeeding mothers to avoid Induction Phase and stick to consuming 50 grams of net carbs per day or more. Nursing a baby requires a reasonable amount of calories, so you should still see a gradual weight loss.

“If you start losing more than one to two pounds per week while breastfeeding, we advise adding in an extra snack to your diet and/or increasing your net carbs to slow weight loss down.”