And the Truth That Will Actually Get You Results.
By Coach Mini | Certified Personal Trainer & Nutritionist | Founder, Riv Method
After working with postpartum moms, I hear the same things over and over. And I say this with full love — some of these beliefs are the exact reason progress feels impossible.
Let’s call them out. All five of them. 👇
MYTH #1
“Breastfeeding Will Help Me Lose Weight Faster”
This is the myth I hear most often — and it sets moms up for the biggest disappointment. Yes, breastfeeding burns extra calories. But here is what nobody tells you: your body is also designed to hold onto fat while breastfeeding — as a protective mechanism for milk supply. Hormones like prolactin actively resist fat loss during this phase.
So when a breastfeeding mom eats in an aggressive deficit expecting fast results, she gets frustrated when the scale barely moves. Then she thinks she’s doing something wrong. She’s not — her body is doing exactly what it’s supposed to do.
The Truth: Expect slower fat loss while breastfeeding — and that is okay. A small 100 calorie deficit, high protein, and patience is your strategy. Do not give up. Do not go aggressive. Trust the process.
MYTH #2
“I Don’t Have Time to Work Out”
I hear you. I really do. You are running on no sleep, keeping a tiny human alive, managing a home, and probably doing seventeen other things at once. Time feels impossible.
But I want to ask you something honestly: can you find 10 minutes? Not a full workout. Not a gym session. Just 10 minutes.
Here is how I think about progression with my clients:
→ Start with 10 minutes — core and pelvic floor rehab at home
→ Build to 20 minutes after a few weeks
→ By 6 months postpartum, work toward 30–45 minutes
The Truth: You don’t need an hour. You need consistency. 10 minutes every day beats 60 minutes once a week. Start where you are — not where you think you should be.
MYTH #3
“I Need to Go to the Gym to See Results”
The gym is great. But for a postpartum mom — especially in the early months — leaving the house to work out creates a barrier that does not need to exist.
I actively encourage moms to work out at home — even with their little one playing right beside them. Your baby does not need you to disappear for an hour. Your workout does not need a gym.
Core rehab, pelvic floor exercises, bodyweight strength work — all of this can be done on your living room floor while your baby watches you and thinks you are the most fascinating person in the world. Because you are.
The Truth: Remove the barrier. Work out at home, with your baby, in whatever window you have. Results come from consistency — not location.
MYTH #4
“I Just Need More Motivation”
This one I feel strongly about. Motivation is not what you need. Motivation is an emotion — it comes and goes. It is not going to show up at 5am when you have been up three times in the night with your baby.
What you need is discipline. Discipline is what you do on the days motivation is nowhere to be found. It is the decision you made in advance — that you will do this, whether you feel like it or not.
Stop waiting to feel motivated. Make the decision once. Then show up every day because you decided to — not because you feel like it.
The Truth: Motivation is unreliable. Discipline is a skill. Build the habit — and the results will build the motivation you were waiting for.
MYTH #5
“I Want My Pre-Pregnancy Body Back”
This one needs some honesty. When moms tell me they want their pre-pregnancy body back, I ask them: are you sure that body was as perfect as you remember it?
Most of the time, the answer is no. Memory has a way of editing out the things we didn’t like. Moms compare their current postpartum body — exhausted, healing, hormonally shifted — to a version of themselves that they were also not fully happy with at the time.
Your body grew a human being. It deserves more than to be compared to its past. It deserves to be built into something stronger, healthier, and more capable than it has ever been.
The Truth: Don’t chase the past. Build something better. Your goal is not to go back — it’s to go forward into the strongest, healthiest version of yourself yet.
The Bottom Line
Every one of these myths has one thing in common: they keep you waiting. Waiting for faster results, waiting for more time, waiting to feel motivated, waiting to get back to the past.
Stop waiting. Start where you are, with what you have, today. That is how real change happens.
Ready to Drop the Myths and See Real Results?
DM START on Instagram for postpartum coaching, or DM FUEL for your personalized nutrition plan.
@mini.rivmethod | info@rivmethod.com
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