Women typically gain between 25 and 35 pounds during their pregnancies. Breastfeeding has often been said to increase a new mom's weight loss, but don't count on it as the only way to maintain a healthy weight.

"A woman who breastfeeds burns about 500 calories a day more than they normally would, so some of the weight loss naturally happens if they don't add extra calories," says Dr. Jana Klauer, a weight loss and reduction specialist in private practice in New York City. "Five hundred calories a day translates into losing a pound a week."

Also very helpful in returning to a pre-pregnancy weight is the fact that, according to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, the process of breastfeeding releases various hormones that help the uterus return to its normal size.

"I'm breastfeeding my 6-month-old, and I'm now 15 pounds thinner than I was when I got pregnant," says Kathleen McKernan of Riverside, Calif. "I haven't been dieting in a traditional sense. For me, dieting demands a certain amount of mental energy. I'd rather focus my mental energy on my baby. However, I do eat primarily whole, healthy foods."

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